“Hurry!” he shouted. “Here it is, Chot!”
“What?” asked the other, who had gone to the water bottle for a drink.
“The tunnel! It’s here all right, and some one piled these rocks here on purpose to hide it. Now let’s see if we can find Lost River!”
Chot and Rick stood side by side, gazing into the dark opening that had been revealed to them. More rocks were quickly tossed aside. A larger opening was seen.
“Shall we go in?” asked Chot as they peered into the murky blackness.
Rick did not answer. He was looking and listening.
CHAPTER XIX
MYSTERIOUS NOISES
Through the black opening that confronted the boys came no sound. It was dark and mysterious. Even Ruddy, brave as he was, seemed to feel some mystic spell as he left, for a time, the hole beneath the gnarled tree and came to stand beside the lads. They saw him slink back and his tail droop between his legs.
“Shall we go in?” asked Chot again, rather puzzled by the silence of his chum. “Ruddy doesn’t seem to like it, but maybe he’ll follow when we go in.”
Rick shook his head.