ight
through the valley. There were lots of trees, all uprooted, down there,
too, and the place was so different that I couldn't even tell where the
Gold Dust Twins' tent had been. Anyhow, it wasn't there any more, that
was sure. All around the lake was a kind of gray border and I guess it
showed how much the water had gone down. But, gee, there was enough
lake left to satisfy anybody. A scout that wouldn't be satisfied with
what was left must be a hog. But, oh, boy, when that flood started, it
must have piled up in Nick's Valley. Anyway, I could see Temple Camp
all safe across the water, but the spring-board was way up in the air--
gee, it looked awful funny.

There were half a dozen or so of the Temple Camp boats with fellows in
them, flopping around near the old cove. It was almost dark, but I
could see them plain. I guess they had rowed across just to look around
and see how things looked there. A couple of hours before they would
have been carried right through on the flood, but when I looked down it
was pretty calm there.

I shouted to them and started down the mountainside for the shore. I
could see Westy and Pee-wee and a couple of Portland scouts in one of
the boats. All the while I was coming down I kept shouting and when I
got to the shore, there were half a dozen boats to meet me. Mr. Elting
and Uncle Jeb were in one of them. Besides, I could see half a dozen
fellows plodding around on shore. I knew they were looking for Gold
Dust Camp.

"Don't bother hunting for those fellows," I shouted, all out of breath;
"they're all right; they're down at Catskill or somewhere. Bert Winton
started through the passageway from an old pit--he's got Skinny--take
me in and row down to Rebels' Cave. Anybody got a lantern?"

I guess they thought I was crazy, appearing from up in the mountains
like that and shouting about pits and passageways and Rebels' Cave. But
as soon as Mr. Elting and Uncle Jeb took me into their boat, I told
them about all that happened.

Uncle Jeb just looked at Mr. Elting and Mr, Elting looked awful
serious. Then Uncle Jeb shook his head and said, "It daon't come out
through Rebels' Cave, I reckon. I ain't never _explored_ Rebel's Cave,
but it daon't come out thar, nohow."

I was just trembling all over when I heard him say that.

"It was the only way he could do, anyway," I said. "It must come out
somewhere."

Mr. Elting said, "We're not blaming you, my boy, nor Winton, either."
Then he said