None of the youths liked the vivid flashes of lightning and all were glad to turn into the opening, which was a cavern between the rocks. As they looked around them Jack’s eye saw something on the flooring which immediately attracted his attention. It was some loose excelsior and he pointed it out to his chums.
“Oh, Jack, can it be possible those crazy men came here?” exclaimed Andy.
“I don’t know, but I think it will pay us to investigate, as soon as the storm clears away.”
“Let us investigate now,” said Pepper, impulsively. “I don’t believe I could get much wetter than I am if I tried.”
The trail of the loose excelsior led around the base of the cliff and to a much larger opening than the first they had discovered. Jack was in advance, and of a sudden he put up his hand as a warning.
“What is it?” asked his chums, in a whisper.
“The two crazy men—in a cave. I think they are sleeping.”
With extreme caution the cadets moved forward, so all could look into the cave beyond. The young major was right, there on the ground, near a small campfire which was almost burnt out, lay Bart Callax and Paul Shaff. Both were sound asleep in spite of the fierce thunderstorm that was raging.
“They must prowl around so much in the night that they have to sleep in the daytime,” said Pepper, and guessed the truth.
The boys looked behind the sleepers and saw a number of bags piled in a corner of the cave. On a rock lay the green masks and hoods and also a butcher knife, a hatchet, and several other things.