THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN
The opposite shore of the lake was rocky and full of brushwood, and
it was rather difficult to follow the deer tracks, which occasionally
led directly across the rocks. Once in a while they would miss the
trail and then a grand hunt for prints would be instituted, until the
trail was recovered. They passed over one small hill and then came to
a broad hollow, fronting something of a mountain.
"I see some deer!" cried Whopper, pointing with his hand. "Five
or six of 'em."
The young hunter was right, and all gazed at the game with longing
eyes. The deer were more than a third of a mile away, on the
mountainside.
"Let me see," said Snap, "the wind is blowing from the west. So we
had better make a semicircle and come up on the other side of the
game. If we don't, the wind will carry our scent to them and
they'll be off like a shot."
Silently the others followed the directions of their leader, and
once again they plunged into the brushwood. The way was harder
than before and more than once they had to halt, not knowing exactly
how to proceed.
"This is dead loads of fun," grunted Whopper. "Never had such
fun since I was born. It's almost as good as chopping wood when
the other fellows are playing ball!"
"Do you want to go back?" questioned Snap, quickly. "For you can
if you wish, you know."
"Humph! not much. I'm going to see the end of it."
"Then, don't grumble," put in Giant. "It's harder work for me to
climb the rocks than you."
On they went until they came to another opening. They gazed forward
eagerly, but to their chagrin the deer had disappeared.
"Now what do you make of that?" came quickly from Shep.
"They can't be far off," said Snap, cheerfully. "Perhaps they are
just beyond the bushes yonder."
Up the mountainside they went, sometimes abreast and then in Indian
file. Soon they came to a mass of heavy undergrowth.
"Gracious, what a tangle this is!" cried Giant. "I don't seem to be
\able to get through, no matter how hard I try."
"I'll help you," answered Snap, and worked his way to the small
youth's side.
"Say, fellows, the bottom isn't very safe here!" exclaimed Whopper,
a second later. "It's all spongy!"
"Let us get out!" put in Shep, thinking of his experience in the
hollow tree.
They tried to turn, but before they could make any progress felt the
brushwood sinking rapidly. Then came a crashing of branches and
vines, and down slipped all four of the young hunters, from the
bright light of day into utter darkness!
All gave yells, for they were thoroughly frightened. They were
pitched together in a heap, and held tight to one another as they
went down, first a distance of fifteen or twenty feet and then
twice further.
"We are in water!" gasped Shep, when he could speak. The water
was up to their ankles, but speedily it reached their knees.
At last, when the downward movement had come to an end, the boys
drew long breaths and tried to gaze around them. They were in
a mass of brushwood, and this brushwood seemed to be floating on
the water. All was pitch dark around them, for they had not come
down straight, but in something of a zig-zag fashion.
"Well, of all things!" came from Whopper. "Are we going down to
the center of the earth?"
"It looks like it." answered Giant, with a groan.
"One thing seems to be certain, fellows---we are not meant to get
those deer."
"That looks to be true," answered Snap.
"This is about as bad as being down that hollow tree," said Shep.
He was more than glad that he was not alone.
Having recovered their breath a little, the young hunters tried to
decide upon what would be the best thing to attempt next.
"We have got to get out, that is all there is to it," said Snap.
"Well, I am willing," said Whopper, gravely.
"See any stairs around?" asked Giant.
"Maybe Snap has spotted an elevator," said Whopper, with a grin.
"If so, Snap, press the button by all means."
"I don't think this is any laughing matter," said the leader of
the gun club.
"No more do I," answered Shep, quickly. "The sooner we get out
of this hole the better."
"We are moving again!" ejaculated Giant, and all felt that he was
right. The whole mass of brushwood floated off on something of an
underground stream, carrying the boys with it. The movement
continued for a distance of at least two hundred feet and then the
bushes became stationary.
As it was still pitch dark around them, Snap lit a match and set
fire to a dry bush. By the light, they saw they were in a hollow
that was not unlike a cave in the mountain. At their feet ran
the stream that had carried them forward, disappearing under some
overhanging rocks. On all sides were rocks and dirt, with here
and there a decayed tree root, showing that they were not very
far under the earth's surface.
"Here's an adventure," was Shep's comment. "We must be careful, or
we'll bring down that dirt above us and be buried alive."
"We are about buried alive now," said Giant. "I'd give a good bit
to be out of this hole."
Stepping from the brushwood, the boys made their way to the dirt and
rocks beyond. By this time each had a kind of a torch, so the place
was fairly well lighted.
Walking back a distance, they saw where the smoke curled to---through
the shaft down which they had fallen so unceremoniously. But the top
of the shaft was hidden from their view.
"I don't know how we are going to get up that," was Shep's comment,
after looking the ground over. "If we try it we may bring all
the dirt and rocks down on our heads."
"Just my idea of it," answered Snap. "Let us try to find some other
way out."
They walked back and forth in the cave and then, by common consent,
sat down on some flat rocks to consider the situation.
Nobody felt like joking, for all felt the seriousness of the
situation.
"That water must come to the surface somewhere," said Snap. "But
it may be a good distance from here."
As they were wet to the knees, one after another got down in the
stream and examined the rocks. Some thought they saw daylight under
the water beyond the rocks, but nobody was sure.
"If it wasn't so cold a fellow could take a dive and find out," said
Shep. "But I don't want a dive in such water as that," and the
others agreed with him.
It was noontime and Whopper suggested that they have something to eat.
"I am willing," said Snap. "But don't eat too much. There is no
telling how long we'll have to remain down here."
So they ate sparingly, and washed the meal down with water from the
underground stream, which was as pure as it was cold.
The afternoon was passed in looking around the cave. All they found
of interest were the bones of several wild animals.
"Perhaps they fell into this place and couldn't get out again,"
suggested Shep, gloomily.
Snap had obtained a long stick and with this he was poking at the
ceiling in various spots. He worked with care, and the others
watched him with interest.
"There, look at that!" he cried, presently. "The stick has gone
through into something!"
He withdrew the stick as he concluded, and the boys saw a single ray
of light shoot down upon them. All sprang to the opening quickly.
"There is daylight there, that is sure!" cried Whopper, and his voice
had a ring of hope in it. "Let us dig away a little dirt and see what
comes of it."
All were willing, and they poked at the dirt with care, using such
sticks as they could find for the purpose. At first the ground came
away slowly, but soon Snap noticed several cracks.
"Look out there!" he cried. "Something is coming down! Get back!"
All leaped out of danger and the next moment down came a mass of
dirt, rocks and brushwood, scattering in all directions. The
downfall left a hole all of two yards in diameter, and they could
easily look out on the sky.
"Hurrah!" cried Whopper. "This is how the young hunters escape from
their underground dungeon cell!"
The fall of the dirt and rocks had left a mound on the center of the
cave floor, and by mounting this they were enabled to pull themselves
to the earth's surface. It is safe to say that never were boys more
delighted to get out of a hole.
"After this I am going to be careful where I step," said Shep.
"First it was a hollow tree and then this cave. Maybe the next time
I won't get out at all," and he gave a little shiver.