He sprinted away, and presently Dick heard faint echoes of Darry's signaling, "hoo-hoo!" A few minutes later the trio came up at a dog trot.
Not one of them spoke, as all had lost their breath in their haste.
Tom, now in the lead, dashed up to where Dick stood on guard a few yards away from the bushes.
"Over there," nodded Dick, pointing to the bushes.
Tom and Dan pulled the bushes aside curiously.
"If we're going into that cave we may as well cut the bushes down," murmured Reade, producing a pocket knife.

"Any objections, Chief ?" "No," smiled Dick, "and I'm not the Big Chief, either.

Cut the bushes down, if you want.

Move over, and I'll give you some help." Within a short time the bushes had been cut down close to the ground, revealing an irregular shaped opening in the cave.

This aperture was about three feet high and some five feet in width.
"Did you bring that pocket flash lamp, Tom ?" asked Dick suddenly.
"Thank goodness, I did," replied Reade, producing the lamp.
Dick took it and crawled a few feet into the hole.
"There's water all along on the floor here," he called, "but just a dribble.