"I will."

"Poor Shep! What a place to be in all night!" was Whopper's comment.

"I wouldn't go through that for two billion dollars!"

"I'm going to cut a pole with a notch on the end," said Snap. "We can pull him up with that."

A number of saplings were handy and Snap soon had the pole he desired. Then all three of the boys climbed into the tree and lowered the pole.

"All ready?" cried Snap.

"Yes," was the m.u.f.fled answer from the bottom of the hollow.

"Take care, or somebody will slip out of the tree," cautioned Giant.

"Our footing isn't of the best."

All three of the young hunters strained on the pole with all their might. At first they could not budge the doctor's son, but at last they gained a few inches, and then the rest was easy.

"I'm glad I am out of that," gasped Shep, when he could step on one of the tree's branches. "I don't know what I should have done had you not happened along."

"We started to look for you and got lost," answered Whopper, and then told the story.

Shep was so weak he could scarcely use his feet and they had to help him to get to the ground. He told of his night of horror and of the experience with the wildcat. He was exceedingly thankful that they had shot the animal.

"We may as well take our time getting back to camp," said Snap. "I shan't feel like doing anything else to-day."

"I am going to do nothing but rest," answered Shep.

Arriving at the camp they were thankful to find everything just as they had left it. A fire was started up and preparations made for a substantial meal. Then all took a good wash and ate their fill, after which they declared they felt much better.

"I have learned one lesson," said Shep. "I am going to give hollow trees a wide berth after this."

"And when I go out after deer I am going to make sure of where I am traveling," said Whopper. "Don't catch me getting lost fifteen miles from nowhere again!"

The wildcat had been brought along, and during the afternoon Snap skinned the carca.s.s and hung the pelt up to cure. The carca.s.s was thrown away, as they did not know what else to do with it.

After that several days pa.s.sed quietly and then came another rain lasting the best part of a night. To their satisfaction the new cabin did not leak at all, everything remaining as dry inside as before the downpour.

"Now we have a cabin worth having," was Snap's comment. "I hope that rain just leaked in all over Mr. Andrew Felps and his crowd."

"Oh, don't mention him!" cried Shep. "I hate to even hear the name!"

After the rain it was considerably colder and they were not slow in putting on some of the heavier underwear they had brought along.

By the suggestion of Snap they also spent one whole day in cutting firewood and piling it up beside the cabin door.

"There is no telling what we may strike soon," said Snap. "If a heavy fall of snow should arrive it wouldn't be very nice to be caught without a good supply of wood."

"Oh, we could go out in the snow and cut some," said Giant.

"Not if it was real deep," put in Whopper. "I'd rather have the wood on hand, as Snap says."

The boys had not forgotten about the deer they had seen, and one somewhat cloudy morning they started across the lake in the rowboat, taking their guns and some provisions along. They headed directly for the spot where the game had been seen and then hunted for the trail.

"Here it is!" cried Shep, presently. "And it looks to be fresh."

"You are right," answered Snap. "And that proves that the deer have been here since that heavy rain. Now, boys, if we follow this trail with care we may be able to bring down something worth while."

And then they set off to follow the trail, little dreaming of the strange adventure in store for them.

CHAPTER XV

THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN

The opposite sh.o.r.e 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 inst.i.tuted, until the trail was recovered. They pa.s.sed 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 ma.s.s 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.