They pushed on until they
came opposite to it, but saw no one. In order to reach it they would
be obliged to cross the canyon, not very wide there, but flooded with
moonlight in the center.
While they stood in the shadow of the mountain a man came stumbling
down the slope ten yards away from them. At first they thought it was
one of their chums, but when the man's figure came into the moonlight
they saw that he was tall, heavily built, and also heavily bearded.
He walked straight across to the fire and passed it, turning into a
shallow cave there was in the rock of the outcropping ridge.
The boys saw him enter the cave and look sharply around, then he
disappeared as suddenly and completely as if he had walked into the
solid rock.
"We're getting all the stage effects!" Frank whispered. "That man
ducked into a moonshiner's establishment!"
"He ducked in somewhere, all right," Ned answered. "I wish we could
get across there without exhibiting ourselves to the whole country."
"I believe the boy that rode the mule is over there!" Frank
suggested.
"Yes; and he's probably been picked up by the moonshiners," Ned
agreed. "We've got to get over there, so here goes!"
The boys went across the streak of moonlight like a couple of
flashes, and drew up at the mouth of the cavern.
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