trap-door, in
emerging from his subterranean prison.

Stretching himself, he took a deep breath, and realized joyfully not
only that he was free, but that he had recovered the valuable bonds of
which he had been placed in charge.

He began to look around him, and tried to conjecture in what direction
he must go to reach Lee's Falls. He was quite at a loss, as he had
been carried into the cave blindfolded. But help seemed to be at hand.
He saw at a little distance, rapidly approaching him, a man of middle
height, whom he concluded to be a resident of some place in the
vicinity.

"Can you tell me in what direction I must go to reach Lee's Falls?" he
asked.

The stranger paused and examined him sharply.

"So you want to go to Lee's Falls?" he said.

"Yes, sir."

"Where do you come from?"

"From Emmonsville."

"Direct?"

"No."

"I saw you just now coming out of some opening in the earth."

This alarmed Ernest. He felt that he might be called upon to explain
where he had been.

"Who is this man?" he asked himself. "Is he one who is likely to be in
the confidence of the outlaws? If so, I have only got out of one
scrape to fall into another."

He studied the face of the man with whom he was speaking, and to his
dismay noted a resemblance to James Fox, who had captured him. He
began to suspect that this was his brother.

Whether it was or not, Ernest deemed it politic to say as little as
possible of his experiences, and of what he knew about the cave and
its occupants.

"Yes," he answered quietly; "there seems to be a cave underneath. I
found the trap door open, and went down, but I regretted it, for I
found it difficult to get out again."

His new acquaintance eyed him scrutinizingly, as if to see whether he
knew more than he was willing to reveal.

"So there is a cave underneath?" he said inquiringly.

"Yes."

"Have you any idea what it is used for?"

"I don't think it is used at all. The room below seems empty."

The man regarded him fixedly.

"When did you leave Emmonsville?" he asked abruptly.

"Yesterday," answered Ernest in some confusion.

"How does it happen that you have got no farther on your way to Lee's
Falls?"

"I stopped at the cabin of an Indian," answered Ernest, making the
only explanation he could think of.

The man smiled.

"Young man," he said, "didn't you pass last night in this cave?"

Ernest saw that there was no further chance for subterfuge.

"Yes," he answe