Three hours elapsed before the pursuers gave any sign of leaving the place, and then a peculiar sound as of a night bird calling to its mate, caused them to start to their feet.
It was evidently a signal from another party of pursuers, for these men answered it by a similar cry, and it was repeated several times by those in the distance.
A moment later the Indians had started, and as they disappeared Neal whispered to Teddy:
"I never realized before how much comfort there is in the ability to move whenever a fellow feels so disposed."
"If I'd been obliged to keep still ten minutes longer I believe my legs would have dropped off," Teddy replied with a sigh of relief.
There was no time to say anything more; Poyor had begun the advance, and the little party moved slowly and silently through the gloomy forest until the Indian halted in front of an opening slightly larger than the one leading to the cave they had just left.
Jake did not wait to be told that the journey had come to an end; but at once crawled through, followed by Cummings with the materials for making a torch, and in a few moments the boys were also inside.
Poyor did not accompany them; he wanted to assure himself that they had not been discovered, and proposed to stand guard among the trees until this had been accomplished.
The cavern was not more than half as large as the one first visited; but was formed of the same peculiar stone. Here also was a stream across one corner, the bottom of which sloped gently up to the shore of fine white sand, and, so far as could be ascertained, it did not afford a home for disagreeable monsters in the shape of alligators.
There was plenty of evidence near the entrance to show that in addition to searching the cave the Indians had made a long halt. Fragments of totopostes were scattered around, and a small pile of fine shavings told where one of them had repaired an arrow.