Part 40 (1/2)

”We'll use one at a time--that will make 'em last,” said Dave.

This was considered a good suggestion, and all but one of the flaming lights were extinguished. Then they walked down the pa.s.sageway as quickly as safety permitted.

”I--I don't see anything that looks like what I saw before,” said Roger, after a bit. ”The rocks look all alike to me.”

”An' to me,” returned the old miner, and there was something of hopelessness in his tones.

But they kept on. Dave had the torch and was ahead, with the others close at his heels. The single torch gave but an uncertain light and cast grotesque shadows on all sides.

”Look!” cried our hero, a little later.

He pointed to a series of small stones resting on the floor of the cavern. They were somewhat in the form of a circle, with a large stone in the center.

”Oh, I remember those stones!” cried Roger, joyfully.

”So do I!” put in Abe Blower. ”I reckon as how we are in the right pa.s.sageway now, lads!” he continued, in a more hopeful tone.

”I am sure we are!” came from our hero. ”But we have a pretty good distance to go yet.”

”Yes, an' be careful thet ye don't go down in none o' them pesky holes,”

cautioned the old miner.

Quarter of an hour later they reached the spot where they had shot the lioness. Looking ahead, they saw a torch waving in the air.

”Hullo! hullo!” came in the voice of Phil. ”Where are you?”

”Here we are!” answered Dave and Roger.

”You've been a long time in here,” went on the s.h.i.+powner's son.

”We got lost,” announced Roger.

”And we shot the mate of that mountain lion,” added Dave.

They soon reached Phil, and then the whole party quickly made their way out of the cave. Those who had been left outside listened with interest to what Dave and the others had to relate.

”Well, that sure must be some cave!” exclaimed Tom Dillon. ”An' as Abe says, we must come back and examine it more closely some time. There may be a lot of gold an' silver in it, an' maybe other metals.”

”Perhaps radium!” cried Phil. ”Say, wouldn't it be great to find a radium mine!”

”I don't think ye'll find any o' thet new-fangled stuff here,” answered Tom Dillon. ”An' anyway, gold an' silver is good enough for me,” and he smiled broadly.

Nightfall found the party still among the loose rocks that overspread the mountainside where the great landslide had taken place. Looking at the forsaken and desolate region, the boys could well understand why the search for the lost mine had been given up. There was nothing to be seen that looked in the least promising. Rocks and dirt rested on all sides, and that was all.

”We looked over the rocks and the dirt putty well, too,” explained Tom Dillon. ”But there wasn't nary a sight o' gold; eh, Abe?”

”Not enough fer to buy a plug o' tobaccer with,” answered the other miner.

As one spot was no better than another apparently, they did not spend much time in looking for a place to camp. In one place was a little rough brush and here the horses were tethered. Then a tiny fire was kindled in a hollow of the rocks, and over this they prepared their supper,--a rather slim affair, considering that every one was tremendously hungry.