ve no
lens. Why, they used to sell these things, maybe they do yet."

"Why, yes, seems to me I have seen something about them in the
advertisements."

"No doubt," and Billy, having seen that his out-of-the-way camera was
perfectly level, carefully removed the black flap from the tiny hole in
the front of the box and said:

"That's all right. You fellows cannot get in front of it, and so there
will be no harm done. It will take some time to get a picture, but I
will have it all the same. The light is fine and I can afford to wait."

"There's a cave down there all right, Dick," said Jack. "Don't you think
so?"

"Yes, it looks like a cave," said Percival. "How would you like to go
down and explore it?"

"All right, if we can manage it. Got a light? We can make torches I
suppose. There is plenty of pine wood about. Anyhow, I have my pocket
flash with me."

"You fellows can go down there if you like," laughed Arthur, "but none
of it for me."

"Or for me either," said Harry.

"Come on, Dick," said Jack. "Here is a good place to get down, I think."

The two boys supplied themselves with stout sticks with which to aid
them in getting down, and then began to make the descent, the other boys
sitting or standing around.

Step by step, from rock to rock, and from one tree root to another the
two chums made their way down into the gully and toward the hole in the
face of the ledge, which they could at length see was of considerable
depth, and high enough for them to pass through without stooping.

They finally reached the bottom, and then were not far from the hole
into which they made their way, finding that it extended for some
distance at an incline part of the way, and then on a level, as it
seemed.

"There are lots of these holes in the Hudson valley," said Jack, "and
sometimes they are interesting, while at other times they are nothing
but holes, don't go very far, and have nothing in them after all."

"You don't expect stalactites or anything of that sort, do you, Jack?"
asked Dick.

"No, for this is not a limestone region, like that in Kentucky or in
Virginia, where there are some of the famous caves. However, it will be
worth our while to go down here, I think, or I would not have undertaken
it. We do not need to go very far. This place may be known, although the
people in the woods hereabout don't take much stock in such things, as
they say and think tourists and summer boarders who want to explore them