nce or twice Ned thought it best to make doubly sure by halting long
enough to lower his light, and take another quick look at the floor.
What he saw appeared to encourage him greatly; at least the other scouts
knew when he once more continued the forward progress, that it was all
right.

And it may be easily believed that the two experienced guides had
watched all these goings-on with considerable curiosity, as well as
satisfaction. It was in a line with their practical woods education, so
that they could appreciate what Ned set out to accomplish.

The Indian had grunted his approval as soon as he saw the boy get down
on his knees to look for a trail in the slight layer of dust; while
Francois could have been heard chuckling to himself at a great rate,
showing how tickled he felt over the smartness of the patrol leader.

"Say, don't you feel something like a breath of fresh air?" asked Jimmy,
when they had been pushing along for several minutes in this rapid
manner.

"Yes, you're right about that," admitted Jack.

"Oh, I felt it before Jimmy said a single word," Teddy remarked. "I was
sucking it in for all I was worth, because after that dust got to going,
it's been hard to breathe at all."

"Must be the outlet, don't you think, Ned?" questioned Frank.

"We'll all hope so," came the reply from the leader.

"P'raps the three men may be hanging around meaning to keep us from
rushing the exit, if we happen to come along that way?" Jimmy next
advanced; for his mind was so fashioned that he could think of more
objections in a minute than would occur to any one else in an hour.

"Well, they'll wish they had'nt, then," said Jack, belligerently. "All
told, we're seven against three; and what with our guns, we ought to put
up a pretty stiff sort of a battle."

"Well, I guess so," grunted Jimmy, immediately appeased by the prospect
of action, which always satisfied a certain longing in his soul; for
doubtless the ancestors of the Irish boy had once fought at Donnybrook
Fair in the Old Country.

The atmosphere certainly grew fresher as they continued to push forward.
This fact told them they must be approaching an opening where the outer
air managed to gain ingress to the fissure.

Then they noticed that it was no longer so intensely dark as it had
heretofore been. Ned concluded that it would be policy for them to
lessen the illumination they were making with their torches.

"Shut off your light, Jimmy, Teddy and F