fore the apparently tireless Poyor returned, and he
awakened the sleepers by saying:

"I have found that for which I sought. Come with me, and repose until
labor will seem a pleasure."

"What is it? A cave?" Neal asked sleepily.

"More than that. An underground house where we can live in safety,
unless the retreat should be discovered."

It was a great exertion to get into traveling trim; but all hands did it
after a time, and Poyor led the way, although he had probably been there
but once before, as if following a familiar path.

After about half an hour's rapid walking the Indian halted at an opening
in the hillside hardly more than large enough for one to go through on
his hands and knees, and motioned for the others to enter.

Cummings led the way, and while he was doing so Teddy asked Poyor:

"Have you been here often before?"

"This is the first time."

"How could you see a small hole like that while it is so dark?"

"On the line of these caves the earth is always damp. When we halted
last I could feel that we were on the underground water course, and it
was only necessary to follow it up. Here we shall find both food and
drink."

"I don't understand where the food comes in unless we are to live on
bats," Neal said laughingly, as he in turn entered the aperture.

By the time Teddy was inside Cummings had lighted a branch of what is
mistakenly called fat wood, and, using this for a torch, it was possible
to have a reasonably good view of the temporary home.

The boys found themselves standing in an enormous chamber, from which
led several galleries or smaller rooms, lined with the same soft white
stone seen in the buildings of the Silver City, and at the further end
was a narrow stream rising apparently from the solid rock, crossing the
cavern to the opposite side where it disappeared.

To describe the beauty of this marble chamber fashioned by nature would
be impossible. Neal and Teddy had but just begun to realize its
magnificence when they were startled by the whirring of wings and a
clucking noise such as is made by a barn-yard fowl, and an instant later
Poyor had knocked over with a piece of rock what looked very much like a
chicken.

"It is a toh," Cummings said, as he took the prize from the Indian. "At
the city from which we came so unceremoniously these birds are kept as
hens, and their eggs are most delicious."

"But how did this one happen to be in here, I wonder?" Teddy muttered.

"