“Perhaps they are the remains of soldiers who guarded this tower,” was the opinion of Dr. Rander. “Here,” he went on, “look at this. It’s a dagger—made of stone.”
“You might be right,” commented Joe. “But then, it’s possible that the dagger belonged to someone who came up and murdered those who were here.”
The explorers examined the skeletons for several minutes before going to the edge and looking down on the surrounding valley.
“Can see quite a distance,” observed Bob, peering out at a distant mountain.
“Yes,” agreed Joe. “There——”
At that moment he was interrupted by a cracking noise, which seemed to come from the tower.
“What’s that?” cried Dr. Rander excitedly.
But when it was repeated, there was no doubt in their minds as to the origin of the strange noise.
“It’s the tower!” exclaimed Bob fearfully. “I hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid it’s going to fall. Hurry! Let’s get down to the ground.”