h water."

"I don't think so, but if it does we can swim out."

"Or get drowned."

"Now who is getting blue?" demanded Tom.

To keep out of the worst of the rain Sam leaned against one of the sides
of the hole. He felt it give beneath his weight and before he could save
himself he went down into another hole, and Tom came after him.

The boys were scared and both cried out lustily. They did not fall far,
however--in fact, they rather rolled, for the second opening was on a
slant of forty-five degrees. They brought up against something soft, but
this time it was not a bank of decayed leaves.

"Sam! And Tom!"

"Dick!"

"Where did you come from?"

"How did you get here?"

"Are you hurt?"

"No, are you?"

"No."

These were some of the questions asked and answered as the three Rover
boys stared at each other. Other questions quickly followed, and Dick
told how he had started to get the tin box and gone down so
unexpectedly.

"You want to be careful," he cautioned. "This mountainside is full of
holes and pitfalls. I came down one hole and then shot right into
another."

"And we did the same thing!" cried Tom. "Thank heaven none of us have
broken bones!"

"Didn't you hear us call to you?" asked the youngest Rover.

"I thought I heard something--but I was not sure. I called back."

"We didn't hear you," answered Tom.

Dick had been trying to get out of the hole into which he had tumbled,
but without success. Now the sides were growing slippery from the rain,
so the ascent became more difficult than ever.

"We're in a pickle," sighed Sam.

"Oh, we've got to get out somehow," answered his big brother. "We can't
stay here forever."

The opening was almost square, with three sides of rough rock. In trying
to climb up some of the rocks Tom gave one a shove and it slid from
sight, revealing an opening beyond.

"Hullo! another hole!" cried the youth, leaping back in consternation.
"Why, the old mountain is fairly honeycombed with them."

"I was never on this side of the mountain before," said Dick. "They used
to tell some queer stories about this side."

"Didn't they say some parts were haunted?" asked Sam.

"Yes, and it was said that, years ago, many travelers coming this way
disappeared."

"Well, why shouldn't they, with so many holes around?" came from Tom.
"If we get out alive we'll be lucky."

With great care they got down on their hands and knees and examined the
opening beyond the rocks.