And, as they labored, they wondered what mystery lay behind the pile of rocks.
CHAPTER XVIII
INTO THE DARK
“Not very much fun—this,” commented Rick, as he and Chot tossed rock after rock aside. “Like prisoners working on a stone pile; isn’t it?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” slowly answered Chot, as he straightened up to ease his aching back. “We don’t have to do it if we don’t want to, Rick.”
“Yes, that’s so,” agreed the other lad. “Here, Ruddy, what are you trying to do?” he asked, for the setter was acting in a peculiar manner standing at attention in front of a hole that ran under the roots of a gnarled tree. Ruddy was growling in a low voice and he showed every indication of anger, not unmixed with alarm.
“Let’s go over and see what he’s got,” suggested Chot.
“I only hope it isn’t a skunk,” murmured Rick. “He fooled me that way once and—whew—I’ve never forgotten it! Oh, boy!”
“I don’t smell anything,” remarked Chot, hopefully.
“No, not yet,” assented Rick with a laugh. “And when you do smell it—then it’s too late. But I reckon it isn’t a skunk. If it was he’d have been into action long before this. Mr. Skunk doesn’t stand much monkeying. He’ll give you two fair warnings before he shoots and then, if you’re foolish enough not to mind them he unlimbers his heavy artillery. Here, Ruddy, keep back until I can see what it is under there!” ordered Rick.
The dog looked toward the boys as they left the stone pile, growled again and then obediently moved away from the hole into which he had, evidently, seen some animal retreat, or perhaps he had chased it there himself, since Rick and Chot had not paid much attention to him.