"Oh, le's see. 'Bout as fur as us, I reckon."
"Maybe we can cut them off before they enter the cave," said Frank. "They'll be busy about the airplane for several minutes before they start to make their way to the cave. How would they have to approach the cave?"
"Same way as us from the trees on," said Tom.
"Well, if we hurry," Frank declared excitedly, "maybe we can capture them before they reach the cave."
"Right you are, young feller," approved Tom. "But we'll have to leave our horses behind or they might give us away. We can't tie 'em to those trees like we planned."
"We can't hobble them," said Jack, thinking quickly, "because they would wander aside a little distance, anyway. And we may want them again in a hurry."
"Tell you what," said Tom, "seems like I remember a clump o' trees just this side o' them three I spoke about. We can tie 'em there. An' them fellers in the machine won't have no horses, so ours ain't likely to nicker."
"Good," said Jack. "You lead the way and we'll follow."
Presently at a low-spoken word from the guide the boys dismounted and tied up their horses. Then, Jack carrying his rifle, and the others following close at his heels, revolvers in hand, they pressed on toward the three trees forming Tom Bodine's landmark.
As they reached the trees, low exclamations burst from the boys. Hitherto, they had been cut off from the plateau by the shoulder of the hill. Now it lay below and before them. This of itself would not have permitted them to see, as the darkness was intense. But now the scene was illuminated by a number of oil flares stuck upright in the ground in a rude circle.