Unexplored!

ch they were leaning. The boys crept to look behind it. Then their eyes rounded in astonishment. As Ted would have spoken, Pedro clapped his hand over his mouth with a look

tons of their native costume, appeared sudde

heir packs, tied to a mammoth stalagmite. For the red flare behind the three figures of the Mexicans, showed a cave r

y, white-haired one, while the fat middle-aged one struck the younger a blow that was not reciprocated. They were talking in a tongue that Ted could not translate, though from

could not have survived. They must have been exhausted, lame, besides, to judge from the creaky way they moved. The fat one poured some verbal v

d sure break the back of a burro," translated Pedro in huge enjoyment,

n and find o

n extracted some ready-made tamales and proceeded to add the heat of cooking to the hotter peppers within their enwrapping corn husks

o Ted's ear. And it was agreed that they might safely cre

nst the lumber company down on the Kawa, (in which, as it happened, Ace's father had an interest). They had been fired from the cr

pigs of Americanoes! Pedro convulsed Ted with his recital when they had

their first opportunity had also bee

'em go," argue

lian was as positive. "We are unar

ground, soothed the nervous horse, then came to

et Ace to wireless Radcliffe, and summon help. But-he eyed Pe

ad he not guessed it! Of course he would re

hot? He would have to wait awhile, then m

from their pockets. Ted also fed the horse some hardtack, and brought him several ha

cave,-remembering what Norris had once told them of the region and wondering into what limed recesses the Mexicans were likely to retire when capture threatened. That the cave had its depths he felt assured by their having so

val ocean that once flowed over that whole region from the Gulf of California. Uplifted by contractions of the earth crust, it had

the Southern Sierras. Could this be one of them, or was it just a two- or three-cavern affair, he wondered? On that depended a very great deal of their success in the coming capture, for once entrenc

amp and cool, no matter what was going on outside, and they could have been genuinely comfortable with the inferno raging over their very heads. Unless, of course, the smoke suff

, dissolving the lime and forming the stalactites a drop at a time through the years. How wonderful it was! He wished he too might study. Perhaps, if he cou

face and falls drop by drop. Each slow drop remains long enough upon the ceiling to deposit

thickens and elongates, as the constant drip, evaporating from the outside, deposits m

d higher as its stalactite hangs lower and lower. In time these two formations meet in a slender pillar, the pillar thickens through the same slow proc

termed, began as soft carbonate of lime; it harden

in the orange glow. He thought of the old fairy tales of gnomes hammering on their golden anvils in their jeweled caves in the hearts of the mountains, and wondered if such l

meant to ask Norris if their camping expedition might not include an explorati

his wish was to come about, as he lay there

to be made of his courage while he remained behind. He seemed so fagged tha

ing better tha

for the outdoor man, give him the comrade who can take the mountain trails, the

sily and he could have raised himself scarce an inch above the saddle by standing in his stirrups. His long, lean legs would give him a good hold where the going was rough, and if he had only a quirt, or even a pair of drop-shank spurs, he would have felt confident of making time. (For he knew how to use the spur

e had to do when he dismounted in a hurry was to drop rein. He was glad to find that the saddle was rim fire, (or do

rasping rein and mane, he swung up, and be

d to be discovered. And on that detail would depend much of the success of his race for help. For

mustang, in imitation of the cow-men. "Or those Grea

st directly above, the hero's head pointed South. It was something Norris had told them one night when they had to travel late to find a fit camping spot. The crest of the ridge lay South,

over slide rock and fallen tree trunks, turning aside for only the larger bowlders. The mountain-bred ho

unobstructed. But these smooth slopes, bed of that prehistoric river of ice, slanted slowly but surely to the cascading mountain stream whose roar now assailed his ears. One slip on that smooth surface and his horse would never stop till he had reached the rapids! The boy w

t unevenness of a crack lent his mount a surer footing. At times it was fa

ime to evade the coiled spring of four feet of green-black rattlesnake, on whose sinister form he had all but trod. B

now sat his horse in a daze, just keeping his nose generally Westward, while he skirted the crest of the ridge. He felt half numb as he roun

uta luck!" Back he went the way he had come, till he thought it time to climb the ridge. A flare of cook-fire through the graying dawn showed him where t

DeHaviland had evidently returned with fresh supplies. I

uth. The Ranger would have to be the one to go, to make the arrest, and he deputized Ace to help him. That meant leaving Norris to head the firemen

r cocked, though Ace almost trod on his heels. Ted staggered after

was absol

th to watch the Mexicans, the

the others, he gathered that they dared not leave him and they could not carry him. "El Diablo!" How much simpler to thrust a dagger between his ribs. "Muerte!-Presto!" But no, wait! For the time being he would walk between them carrying two extra torches. There must be another exit to the cave, but

of the cavern. And the boy? Too frightened at first to have spoken had he tried to, he had the wit to see that protest wo

e where he was heading. This side of the canyon was going to go like tinder, too. Besides,-this came later,-how could he allow the fir

d which they had to skirt on a sloping shelf. The burros could not make it and they left them there. Either, Pedro argued, they meant to return that way or else they had other supplies awaiting them. But now they could no longer smell the smoke. Fr

s through an opening into another twisting passageway, floored with muddy water and barely high enough for them to stand erect. Their voices echoed an

as with icicles of alabaster, whic

y certainly have too much dynamite in their dispositions to suit me,"-for the Mexicans were now quarreling among themselv

for going on,-and on they went, s

s handkerchief at one turning of the ways, his hat at another, without detection? Or was it already too late? Why had he not thought of that b

out by some eddying pool, no doubt, while the main stream had flown on past. How he wished he knew mo

lars that gleamed yellowly. The floor sloped toward them till they had stiff climbing. On one wall was a limestone formation like a frozen cataract. And thrust into the wall beside it he saw a torch stick. Who had l

a few were all of a foot in width,-he could easily escape detection in that uncertain light. But now he was under surveillance every instant. Besides

way Pedro and the Mexicans had gone. Radcliffe had his electric flash, and at the turn of the winding passageway discovered scratches on the sandstone floor where the burros had left hoof ma

t they ought to have brought a ball of twine to unwind as they went, as people had been known to get lost in unkn

ating. Had it not been for his uneasiness as to Pedro's whereabouts, Ace would have enjoyed this expedition into the unexplored. His was a nature that craved the tang of ad

re with them. A good pal certa

he utter blackness seemed to press upon them till it suffocated, and Ace suppressed a sudden desire to scream. His panic moment was dissipated by Radcliffe's discovery of a bit of candle. Ace had, of course, that most important part of a camper's equipment, a waterproof match-box, linked to his

m the saddle-horn of Ted's recent mount, also three canteens, some cooked food, and a supply of hard candles from the fire crew supplies. There were also the

of that honeycomb formation that underlies a portion of Kentucky, to say nothing of the caverns of the Shenandoah Valley

ire crew, he would have loved nothin

day when we were down here trying to backfire. Then what feeds the Kawa? Not these little flood creeks that dry up almost before the spring floods are over. Where does all that snow water go to? Some underground

, did you notice any mud along that passag

a little idea of the probable layout of a cave. This one, if-as I suspect-it feeds the Kawa-likely descends to other levels, till the lo

th us, old chap," sai

hours, we'll follow your twine," and he tied one end of the cord ball to a manzanita bush, handing the ball t