he instant that I give an order, down you
go, and I will take the clothing off your senseless body, instead of
letting you do it, and keep well. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes."

Nick took him into the adjoining part of the cave, and held the light on
him while he made the necessary change; for Nick had found some extra
clothing of Turner's in the cave; and when that was done he tied
Handsome up again, more securely than ever, and placed him on the floor
again.

"Now, Patsy," he said, "you and I will make a change. You will play the
part of old Turner, and I will play the part of Handsome. It is
necessary for what we have to do."

Nick first dressed himself in the outer clothes that Handsome had
removed; and then he sent Patsy into the other part of the cave to put
on the clothing he had taken off--the suit that he had worn as old
Turner; and, while Patsy was making the change, he was himself busily
engaged in removing the white beard and hair that he had been wearing.

It will not be necessary to describe in detail this operation; it is
sufficient to say that the two detectives worked steadily for a long
time; and that when at last they were through with what they were doing,
Nick had assumed the personality of Handsome, and Patsy was transformed
into what Nick had been--old Bill Turner.

When everything was in readiness, he saw to it once more that the bonds
which held his two prisoners were sufficiently secure, and that there
was no possibility of their escaping; and he went so far as to fasten
them to the opposite walls, so that they could not crawl within reach of
each other, and make use of their teeth; and then he turned to Patsy,
who was now, to all outward appearance, old Bill Turner.

"Come along, Bill," he said, exactly imitating the voice of Handsome--so
that Handsome grinned in spite of himself. "We have got a lot to do yet,
and it will be daylight before we know it."

They passed outside then, into the corridor of the cavern, and when Nick
had shut the big rock in place over the entrance, he wedged the small
stone under it, so that it could not be moved from the inside.

"There," he said. "Even if they should get loose, which is not at all
likely, they could not get out. And if they yell themselves hoarse,
nobody could hear them. Come on. We've got a lot of work cut out for
us."

"What is there to do first?" asked Patsy.

"The first thing is to return to the cabins in the valley, and find out
wha