I guess we'll have to bring a big lantern. Maybe we ought to bring your
grandfather along."

"I guess we had better," agreed Ted. "But we can look a little bit when
we're here. Let's go for Janet. She's crying."

Janet was crying by this time, not liking to be left alone outside while
the boys were in the cave. They ran back to her and her tears were soon
dried.

"Will you come in a little way with us?" asked her brother. "There isn't
anything to be afraid of. Is there, Hal?"

"No, not a thing. We won't go in very far, Jan. And maybe you can see
the blue stones. We couldn't, but sometimes girls' eyes are better than
boys. Come on!"

So with Hal holding a hand on one side, and Ted on the other, Janet went
slowly into the cave with her brother and his chum. Hal flashed his
light, and by its gleam the Curlytops could see that the cave was large,
larger even than it had seemed when they were in it with their
grandfather.

"Look on the floor for the rocks," suggested Hal. "That's where the
tramp-man would put 'em if he brought 'em here."

But they did not see the blue rocks, nor any others. The floor of the
cave seemed to be of stone or hard clay, and there was nothing on it.
They did not go in far enough to see the sacks which Grandpa Martin said
someone had used for a bed, nor did the children see the bread and other
bits of food which might have meant that someone had had a picnic in the
cave.

"I guess the rocks aren't here," said Hal, in disappointed tones as
Janet said she wanted to turn back, for she did not like it in the cave.
"Or else maybe they're away at the far end."

"I'm not going there!" exclaimed Ted.

"No, I guess we won't go," agreed Hal. "We'll go and tell your
grandfather and have him come with a big lantern."

"Hark! What's that?" suddenly called Jan, taking a tighter hold of her
brother's hand.

From the back part of the cave came a noise. It was as though a rock had
fallen--probably it had--from the roof of the cavern.

"Someone's throwing stones at us!" cried Ted.

"Who? Who? Who?" a voice seemed to ask.

"Oh, dear! We don't know who it was!" cried Janet. "Come on out of here!
I'm afraid!"

"That was only an owl," said Hal with a laugh. "Owls live in dark caves
in the daytime and when it's dark they hoot and call 'who!' I've heard
'em lots of times around the Home."

"There isn't any cave at the Home," objected Ted, who was as frightened
as Janet was.

"No, but there were owl