, and groans and darkness."

Notwithstanding their utmost efforts they failed to discover the cause
of the mysterious sounds, which seemed at times to be voices muttering,
while at other times they swelled out into a loud cry. All that could
be certainly ascertained was, that they proceeded from the roof of the
innermost cavern, and that the centre of that roof was too high to be
discerned by torch-light.

"What shall we do now?" inquired Tom.

"We shall go to the summit of the hill above this cave, and see what is
to be seen there. Always look at both sides of a mystery if you would
fathom it; come along."

In a few minutes they stood in open air, and once more breathed freely.
Mounting their horses, they ascended the steep slope of the hill above
the cave, and, after some trouble, reached the summit. Here the first
thing that met their gaze was a camp-fire, and near to it several men
engaged in harnessing their horses to a large waggon or van. The
frantic haste with which they performed the operation convinced Ned that
he had discovered the cause of the mysterious voices, and that he and
Tom had been the innocent cause of frightening the strangers nearly out
of their wits. So engrossed were they with their work, that our
travellers advanced within the circle of light of their fire before they
were discovered. The man who first saw them uttered a yell, and the
whole party turned round, seized their rifles, and, with terror depicted
on their countenances, faced the intruders.

"Who comes here?" shouted one.

"Friends," answered Ned, laying down his rifle and advancing.

Instantly the men threw down their arms and resumed the work of
harnessing their horses.

"If ye be friends," cried the one who spoke first, "give us a hand. I
guess all the fiends in the bottomless pit are lo-cated jist below our
feet."

"Listen to me for one moment, gentlemen," cried Ned Sinton. "I think I
can relieve your minds. What have you heard or seen?"

At these words the men stopped, and looked inquiringly at their
questioner.

"Seen! stranger, we've seed nothin', but we've _hear'd_ a sight, we
have, I calc'late. We hear'd the imps o' darkness talkin' as plain as I
hear you. At first I thought it was somebody at the foot o' the hill,
but all of a suddent the imps took to larfin' as if they'd split, jist
under my feet, so I yelled out to my mate here to come an' yoke the
beasts and git away as slick as we could. We wos