He was about to advise Mike to do the same when he heard a faint scraping noise that froze him into immobility. It came a second time, a short distance to his rear. He experienced a moment of panic as he envisioned a mountain lion stalking up to the camp, but he managed to keep his voice calm when he called out to Mike.
“Hey, Mike! Do you hear anything?”
Mike cocked his head. “No,” he said. “Not a thing.”
“It sounds like somebody coming up the trail.”
Mike strained his head to take a look. “No,” he began, “I don’t see any ...” His voice broke off in an excited shout. “Joe! What are you doing here?”
“Shhh!” came a voice. “Keep it down. Lie still and let me get you out of those ropes.”
The next instant Joe was kneeling by Sandy’s side, a sharp knife in one hand.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Secret of the Cave
“What’s going on, Joe?” Sandy demanded. He was rubbing his wrists, trying to get the circulation going again while Joe was busy with the knots that held Mike.
“There’s no time for a long explanation now,” Joe said as he slashed through the last of the ropes. “We’ve got to get out of here and find the others.”