must have come out through some crack that we can’t see from here.”
“But we may, some fine day not a great while off,” remarked Donald, lightly.
“That is, if you can find the way in down at the base?” said the fat chum, who did not like to take things for granted when they seemed to be barricaded with all manner of unsolved problems.
But as Donald turned away and resumed his progress along the trail he was heard to say, half to himself, though the others caught his words plainly enough:
“That hidden entrance down below shouldn’t bother us any, if once we make up our minds we mean to see for ourselves what the old chap has got concealed inside his Sacred Mountain; because cowboys always carry ropes along, and it wouldn’t be such a hard job, after all, to drop down from the top there, and land on that same ledge, some time when we knew the Witch Doctor was busy in the village. I’ve got the spot marked to a certainty in my mind, and all of you notice that there’s the finest cedar growing directly above him on the top of the wall, just as if it had been meant to fasten a lariat to. Leave it to your Uncle Donald, and perhaps before a great while we’ll make a try to solve the secret of the hidden treasure of the Zuni medicine man.”
[CHAPTER XVIII.—THE STRANGE HABITATIONS OF THE ZUNIS.]
Both of the others of course heard all that Donald said. Adrian only smiled, and nodded his head, as though the idea rather took his fancy; but Billie put up his broad shoulders in a way he often did when in sore doubt.
If his two chums made up their minds to try and invade the secret quarters of that hideous old medicine man, in the heart of the Sacred Mountain, why, Billie realized that he would have to accompany them. This would not be because they insisted on it, but on account of his never being of a mind to find himself left out, when an enterprise was planned, as though he might not be equal to the strain, for Billie was very touchy, and proud, for a good-natured boy.
This being the case he shuddered to imagine himself dangling at the end of a rope, far down the face of that sheer hundred and more foot cliff, with a drop beneath, in case the rope slipped, or broke, sufficient to insure a smash that was going to end his pilgrimage in this world.
But then Billie had learned that it was folly to cross a bridge before one came to it. While his comrades might lay great plans, there was always a chance that something would happen, making it impossible to try and carry the same out.