"I believe it's a big cave," announced Dick a few minutes later. "And if
it is, I'm rather inclined to look around inside. Perhaps it will lead
to some opening on the mountainside where we can get out."

CHAPTER III

A MYSTERIOUS CAVE

At first Sam and Tom demurred to entering the cave--which looked dark
and forbidding. But Dick insisted that he was going ahead, and rather
than be left behind they went along.

"We'll light some kind of a torch," said the eldest Rover. "Got some
matches?"

"Yes, I brought along a pocketful," answered Sam. "Didn't know but what
we'd want to build a campfire this noon."

"We'll want one now--to dry our clothing by," said Tom. "Let us pick up
the driest of the sticks."

This they did, and having entered the cave, they made a good-sized
blaze. This sent a ruddy glow around the cavern, and as the boys moved
about fantastic shadows went dancing on the rocky walls, adding to the
weirdness of the scene.

From the fire each of the youths provided himself with a torch, and thus
equipped they moved around the cave with care, taking precautions not to
fall into any more holes. They soon found the opening on the
mountainside long and narrow and running downward.

"We don't want to get lost," cautioned Sam.

"Oh, we can always go back to the fire," answered Dick.

"Unless it goes out on us."

"It won't burn itself out for an hour--I saw to that before we left it."

As the boys advanced into the cave they came across a heap of bones.
Dick examined them carefully.

"Skeletons?" queried Sam, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Yes--of lambs and pigs," was the dry answer. "Somebody has been making
this a rendezvous and living on the fat of the land."

"Maybe that accounts for Jerry Burden's losses," suggested Tom. "He said
he lost a lamb last spring, and two pigs."

"Yes, and old Richard Feltham lost a pig and some chickens," added Dick.
"Maybe this has been a hangout for tramps."

"Do you think they are here still?" questioned Sam. "We don't want to
have any trouble."

"I am sure I don't know, Sam. But this proves one thing."

"That we can get out of the cave?"

"Exactly. See, here is an old coat and a pair of old shoes. Somebody has
been in the habit of coming here--and he wasn't in the habit of getting
in the way we got in."

They moved on, and soon reached a larger opening. Here they found a bit
of old harness and, further on, where the ground was soft, the tracks