“I was thinking of that,” Ned replied, anxiously. “There may be a fire in the cañon.”
Regardless of consequences, Jimmie rushed to the ledge and looked out. The sun was no longer in sight, for a mist of smoke hung over the cañon and over the slope to the east.
“There’s goin’ to be the biggest blaze ever!” Jimmie cried.
Liu came to the side of the boys and pointed to the south.
“The fire came through a gully over there,” he said. “I was watching it from here. It was not put out yesterday, and worked its way over the divide. When it gets to going strong here no one can live in this cavern. I’m going to get out.”
“That’s the idea!” Jimmie cried.
The cañon was a veritable fire trap. For years the boughs and the turp of the trees had been dropping down. Ned knew that the blaze would mount to the cavern and be drawn into it. The atmosphere of the place indicated openings at the rear which would serve as chimneys.
“Oh, the devils!” Jimmie cried. “To set a fire like that!”
“They didn’t set it, I tell you,” insisted Liu, speaking as if in the defense of his employers.
“Who did, then?” demanded Jimmie, half angrily.