Those times I take food with me, and so if they see me
making off with some supplies they'll think I'm going to camp
out."
"It doesn't look as though we'd ever get into a cave near the
top of the mountain, going this way," said Tom, as they marched
along. "We're going down, instead of up."
"That's the secret of this trail," explained Bill. "We go down
in a sort of valley, and then go up a pretty stiff place, and
then we're on a direct trail to the entrance I told you about.
It's a steep road to climb, but I guess we can manage it."
And a hard climb the adventurers did find it. The road was
almost as bad as the one along the edge of the chasm, but they
managed to negotiate it, and finally found themselves on a fairly
good trail.
"We'll soon be there," Bill assured them. "After you get in the
little cave, where I'm going to hide you, I'll have to leave you
for a spell, until I get my ghost rigging fixed up again. But
I'll see that you have plenty of food and drink."
A little later their guide came to a sudden halt, and peered
around anxiously.
"What's the matter?" asked Tom.
"I was just looking to see if any of the men were about," he
answered. "But I guess not--it looks all right. The entrance is
right here."
They were on a side of the mountain, near the summit.
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