The Cave in the Mountain

A Sequel to In the Pecos Country

by

Lieut. R. H. Jayne

Author of Lost in the Wilderness, Through Apache Land, In the Pecos Country, etc.

New York
The Mershon Company

1894

Contents.

Chapter.

1. A Strange Guide
2. Alone in the Gloom
3. Strange Experiences
4. Sunlight and Hope
5. Mining and Countermining
6. A Daring Exploit
7. Fishing for a Friend
8. Fishing for a Prize
9. Groping in Darkness
10. “Here We are Again!”
11. Through the Mountains
12. Through the Mountains—Continued
13. In the Nick of Time
14. Between Two Fires
15. On the Defensive
16. Friend or Enemy?
17. Fortunate Diversion
18. An Old Acquaintance
19. How it was Done
20. Sut’s Camp-Fire
21. Safety and Sleep
22. Two Old Acquaintances
23. Border Chivalry
24. Night Visitors
25. Hunting a Steed
26. Lone Wolf’s Tactics
27. The End

The Cave in the Mountain.

Chapter I.

A Strange Guide.

Return to Table of Contents

“Well, if he doesn’t beat any one I ever heard of!”

Mickey O’Rooney and Fred Munson were stretched on the Apache blanket, carefully watching the eyes of the wild beast whenever they showed themselves, and had been talking in guarded tones. The Irishman had been silent for several minutes, when the lad asked him a question and received no answer. When the thing was repeated several times, he crawled over to his friend, and, as he expected, found him sound asleep.

This was not entirely involuntary upon the part of Mickey. He had shown himself, on more than one occasion, to be a faithful sentinel, when serious danger threatened; but he believed that there was nothing to be feared on the present occasion, and, as he was sorely in need of sleep, he concluded to indulge while the opportunity was given him.

“Sleep away, old fellow,” said Fred. “You seem to want it so bad that I won’t wake you up again.”

The boy’s curiosity having been thoroughly aroused, all tendency to slumber upon his part had departed, and he determined that if there was any way by which he could profit any by that wolf, he would do it.

“He may hang around here for a day or two,” he mused, as he heard the faint tappings upon the sand, “thinking all the time that he’ll get a chance to make a meal off of us. So he will, if we don’t keep a bright look-out. It seems to me that he might be driven out.”

The more he reflected upon this suggestion of his own, the more reasonable did it become. His plan was to drive out the wolf, to compel him to show up, as a card player might say. Considering the dread which all wild animals have of fire, the plan was simple, and would have occurred to anyone.

“The camp-fire seems to be all out, but there must be some embers under the ashes. Mickey threw down his torch somewhere near here.”

Carefully raking off the ashes with a stick, he found plenty of coals beneath. These were brought together, and some of the twigs laid over, the heat causing them at once to burst into a crackling flame. This speedily radiated enough light for his purpose, which was simply to find one of those “fat” pieces of pine, which make the best kind of torches. A few minutes search brought forth the one he needed, and then, shoving his revolver down in his belt, he was ready.

The light revealed the large beautiful Apache blanket, stretched out upon the ground, while the Irishman lay half upon it