d made all the arrangements
ourselves we couldn't have done better, Bob. Here comes our
reinforcements just in the nick of time. And if Eugene and his backers
are still up yonder in the cliff dwellers' homes, they have stayed a
little while too long, that's all."

In another three minutes the boys were shaking hands with Old Hank and
Chesty; the latter with a cheerful grin on his face, as though he
considered it quite a joke to break in on Frank's game at the finishing
point.

Of course they were ignorant as to how matters stood. And Frank took
upon himself the task of explaining all that had happened.

"Ther up yonder yet, then," announced Hank, after he had carefully
inspected the footprints, and noted that they all pointed one way; "that
is to say, if they ain't got an airyplane along as would allow of them
flying off. An' Frank, when ye sez the word we'uns are goin' t' walk up
this rock ladder t' see what sorter place the ole perfessor keeps."

"Then I say it now," declared Frank, anxious to have the thing settled
one way or the other without further delay.

"Foller arter me, all of ye!" called the old plainsman, as he plunged
into the gap.

CHAPTER XX

ANOTHER SURPRISE

"One thing, we won't need torches this time, Hank!" remarked Bob as he
prepared to follow after the leader.

"I reckons not, Bobby," chuckled the veteran cowman, who knew that
something about the situation must have recalled their entering that
cave that day where sly old Sallie and her half-grown whelps awaited
their coming with bared teeth.

Just back of Hank came Chesty, who was a very ambitious young fellow,
and always to be counted on with regard to obtaining his proper share in
every little excitement that happened. Then Frank filed along; and at
his heels Bob climbed; while Charley Moi brought up the rear, bent on
seeing all that might come to pass.

The crevice immediately began to mount upward, just as Frank had
anticipated it would. There were times when the climbing was pretty
steep, and Frank began to wonder what sort of agile man this old and
stubborn Professor Oswald could be, to overcome such difficulties so
often, while in the pursuit of his hobby.

Bob was soon panting, but no less bent on "keeping up with the
procession," as he himself put it. They had been going back from the
face of the cliff pretty much all the time, so that there was really no
chance to take an observation, in order to tell just how far