The Cave by the Beech Fork.
CHAPTER I.
A DAY'S HUNT ALONG THE BEECH FORK.
"No wonder this river is called the Beech Fork," said Owen, as he rested his trusty rifle by his side and pointed toward the thickly-clustered beech-trees, which skirted the banks of a small stream.
"See, too, how close they are to the water's edge; they have taken the place of the sycamore and willow," said his companion, Martin Cooper, at the same time seating himself upon the trunk of a fallen tree and looking in the direction indicated.
"But do you notice anything peculiar about those beech-trees?" asked Owen.
"Yes; they have long, slender branches."
"And the leaves—see how green they are, while the others are beginning to fade."