tains, stood for a moment watching the mule curiously. Then he st

oached. "Uncle Ike doesn't take to strang

n brought from the cabin by the clatter of the mule's hoofs. "He reached over fo

t the red firelight within, with the boy in her arms. The child reached fort

orse!" he commanded.

me slum alley in Washington. What he needs is a club, applied just before and af

, still in a low tone, for the others were not far

ed with himself, pro

d put on saddle and bri

now began t

red. "We'd better be

of whack there! If the

ay at Ned's warning, now c

his ears, does he?"

own one of the boys, and we must be on our way. If you have time before you leave, c

re in the morning

e and closed the door, and Ned turned t

n somewhere before

we are going to see more of him in the future, if I'm not mist

"Anyway, I may be able to

e against Ned's should

be, too! Is it possible that one of the boys sadd

mie may have returned and planned

vised. "I'll walk and try

uggested Frank, leaping into the saddle and starti

t to him to stop, and

tter with Uncle

down toward the canyo

nering down the

wants to. It is the instinct of animals to follow precedent, same as men. A man will follow a cow path until it becomes a city street, and a cow, a horse, o

o to it! Uncle Ike, it is you for the scene of the a

ked by Frank's side, his hand on the stirrup, listening for a sound he dreaded to hear. He was afraid one of the boys had been thr

distance in the canyon, Fran

aid, "is the spot where

ate and left Uncle Ike without tying! The mule has been here before, or he woul

about to propos

t as light as day, save where the shadows of the mountain to the east lay alon

campfire. They pushed on until they came opposite to it, but saw no one. In order to reach it they

was one of their chums, but when the man's figure came into the moonlight they saw that he was tall, heavily built, and also heavily b

around, then he disappeared as suddenly and com

!" Frank whispered. "That man ducked

ered. "I wish we could get across there witho

rode the mule is over

by the moonshiners," Ned agreed. "We'

ple of flashes, and drew up at the mouth of the cavern.

k of the cave and huddled

Frank whispered. "That

attle metal?

then the clink of metal came clear

sked Frank. "There's not a c

sing the boys to hold their breaths. Then, in spi

were hidden and the space of moonlight in front. The man stepped out, l

ng!" a gruff

y bird!" insisted a

may look fo

in the hills! When I was at the camp there was only one in the tent, and

speak w

ould I spea

t are they here for? T

he other voice. "If you hadn't built the fire outside to-night we'd have been in no

in the wo

bright lot! You know now, I suppose that we'v

along. There are plen

d. It is a bad job,

t have come sn

underground apartment, when they swung an imitation rock made of plank aside and stepped down. For a momen

erful pair!" F

ed whispered, in re

boys out?" asked Frank. "Th

s the only way I can think of now. If you go out there and get Uncle Ike, and coax a couple of sobs out

hat, but how wi

rough the door," Ned replied. "If there's no one in there

e is some on

. "In that case, mount the mule and get back to c

be in there," Frank insist

is that is here," Ne

y with the mule after

ion of the Brady cabin

us up with po

ff. You'll hear a racket like the blowing up

o each one that the other was going to his d

ncle Ike screamed, and the beating of hoofs sounded like

the cavern and Ned cre

mused, as he came into the light of a great f