“It’s a skeleton; there are several of them in here! Come on, let’s get out,” suggested Ed, crawling hastily into the tunnel.
“Hold on!” urged George. “They can’t hurt us.”
“I know it,” came back the stifled response from some distance up the passageway. “I’ve seen enough for me; you stay and look around.”
George held the candle high overhead and peered about the cave. He saw several bony white objects lying prostrate on the floor.
“Gee whiz, this is too blamed ‘spooky’ for me!” he cried, and quickly crawled into the tunnel after his friend.
When the lads emerged into the open air Ed told of his experience and what he had seen. For a long time they sat in front of the cave and speculated as to the fate of its silent tenants. Then they decided to hurry home and tell Ben about their discovery and ask him to accompany them on a second trip of exploration.
It was after dark when the guide returned from his visit to Westbrook. The boys showed by their manner that they had something of unusual interest to tell him. They waited impatiently while he drew off his heavy moccasins and mackinaw coat, and stood about restless and uneasy while he prepared for supper.
“Well, what is it, boys?” he laughed. “I know you have something to tell, so out with it.”
“We found a cave with a lot of skeletons in it!” George burst forth. “And Ed was in it, too; he got lost.”
For a moment Ben stood looking at them in silence. Then his eyes began to twinkle merrily, as though he suspected some sort of joke.