The Rover Boys on the Farm/Chapter 2
It was on the day that Randolph Rover was to go to the town of Carwell, fifteen miles away, to see about the bonds, that the three Rover boys planned for a day's outing.
"Let us go to the top of Chase Mountain," suggested Sam. "I haven't been up there for three years."
"Second the suggestion," replied Tom. "We can take a lunch along and make a day of it," and so it was arranged.
Chase Mountain was about three miles away, on the other side of Humpback Falls, where Sam had once had such a stirring adventure, as told in detail in "The Rover Boys at School." It was a ragged eminence, and from the top a view could be had of the country for many miles around.
The day seemed to be a perfect one when the three youths started, and when they reached the top of the mountain they enjoyed the vast panorama spread before them. They likewise enjoyed the substantial lunch their Aunt Martha had provided, and ate until Tom was ready to "bust his buttons," as he expressed it.
"Let us try a new path down," said Sam, when it came time to go home, and he and Tom led the way, over a series of rocky ridges and cliffs anything but easy to traverse. In some places they had to drop ten and fifteen feet, and once Tom came down on his ankle in a manner that made him cry with pain.
"You look out for yourself," warned Dick. "If you sprain an ankle up here we'll have a job of it getting you home."
"No sprained ankle for mine, thank you," replied Tom. And he was more careful after that.
As Dick came after his brothers he saw something peculiar at one side of the path he was pursuing. It appeared to be a tin lunch box suspended from a tree limb by a bit of wire. The box was painted red and seemed to be new.
"That's strange," said the eldest Rover boy to himself. "Who would leave such a thing as that in that position? I'll have to investigate."
Without telling Sam and Tom what he was going to do, Dick left the path and plunged into the bushes which grew between himself and the tree from which the tin box was suspended. Among the bushes the footing was uncertain, and hardly had he taken a dozen steps when he felt himself sinking.
"Hi! this won't do!" he cried in alarm, and then plunged down into a big hole, some bushes, moss and dead leaves coming down on top of him.
In the meantime, Sam and Tom had gone on. Coming to where the path appeared to divide, they turned to the right, only to find, five minutes later, that they had made a mistake.
"Where in the world can Dick be?" murmured Sam, after he and his brother had called again. "I thought he was right behind us."
"So did I, Sam. It's mighty queer what's become of him. If he fell over a cliff" Tom did not finish, but heaved a deep sigh.
With anxious hearts the two boys endeavored to retrace their steps up the mountainside. They had to climb up one of the cliffs, and just as this was accomplished it began to rain.
"More bad luck," grumbled Sam. "If this keeps on we'll soon be soaked."
"Spit, spat, spo! Where did that mountain path go!" cried Tom, repeating a doggerel often used by children. "Dick! Dick!" he yelled, at the top of his lungs. Then Sam joined in the call once again. But as before, there was no answer.
It must be confessed that the two Rover boys were now thoroughly alarmed. As they had climbed up the mountainside they knew they must be close to the spot where they had last seen Dick. What had become of their big brother?
"Tom, do you think he could have fallen over some cliff and rolled to the bottom of the mountain?" questioned Sam, anxiously.
"How could he roll to the bottom with the trees so thick? He would have plenty of chance to catch hold of one of them."
"Not if he was knocked unconscious."
"Well, where can he be?"
"I don't know."
It was now raining steadily, and to protect themselves the two boys pulled their caps well down over their heads and turned up their coat collars. They came to a halt under the wide-spreading branches of a hemlock tree.
"It beats the nation, that's what it does," declared Tom. "Maybe the earth opened and swallowed him up!"
"Tom, this is no joke."
"And I'm not joking, Sam. I can't understand it at all."
"Is that the path over yonder?" continued the youngest Rover, pointing to a spot beyond the opposite side of the hemlock tree.
"It looks a little like it," was Tom's reply. "Might as well go over and make sure."
Leaving the shelter of the tree, they made their way through the bushes, which were now beginning to drip from the rain. As they progressed Sam pushed a big branch from him and let it swing back suddenly, thereby catching Tom full in the face.
"Wow!" spluttered the fun-loving Rover, as he staggered back. "Hi! Sam, do you think I need a shower bath? I'm wet enough already." And Tom commenced to brush the water from his face.
"I didn't mean to let it slip," answered Sam. "But say"
What Sam was going to say further will never be known, for just then he felt himself slipping down into some sort of a hole. He tried to leap back, and made a clutch at Tom's legs, and the next instant both rolled over and over and shot downward, out of the daylight into utter darkness.
They were taken so completely by surprise that neither said a word. Over and over they went, a shower of dirt, sticks and dead leaves coming after them. Then they brought up on a big pile of decayed leaves and lay there, the breath all but knocked out of them.
"Wha—what—where are we?" gasped Sam, when he felt able to speak.
"Say, is thi—this a ne—new shoot-the—the—chutes?" asked Tom who was bound to have his fun no matter what occurred.
"Are you hurt?"
"I don't think I am, but I reckon my liver turned over about ten times. How about you?"
"Shook up, that's all," answered Sam, after rising to his feet. "Say, we came down in a hurry, didn't we?"
"Yes, and got no return ticket either." Tom looked upward. "Gracious! the top of this hole is about fifty feet away! We are lucky that we didn't break our necks!"
"Now we are down here, the question is, How do we get out, Tom?"
"Don't ask me any conundrums."
"We've got to get out somehow."
"Unless we want to stay here and save the expense of a cemetery lot."
"Tom!"
"Oh, I know it's no joke, Sam. But what is there to do? Here's a hole at least fifty feet deep and the sides are almost perpendicular. Do you think we can climb up? I am afraid, if we try it, we'll end by breaking our necks."
"It certainly is steep," answered the youngest brother, looking upward. "Say!" he added, suddenly, "do you suppose Dick went down in some such hole as this?"
"Perhaps; where there is one hole there may be more. If he went down let us hope he didn't get killed."
As well as they were able, the two boys gazed around them. The hole was irregular in form, but about fifteen feet in diameter. One side was of rough rocks and the other dirt and tree roots. At the top the treacherous bushes overhung all sides of the opening, partly concealing the yawning pit below.
"The rain is coming in pretty lively," was Sam's comment, presently. "I wonder if there is any danger of this hole filling up with water."
"I don't think so, but if it does we can swim out."
"Or get drowned."
"Now who is getting blue?" demanded Tom.
To keep out of the worst of the rain Sam leaned against one of the sides of the hole. He felt it give beneath his weight and before he could save himself he went down into another hole, and Tom came after him.
The boys were scared and both cried out lustily. They did not fall far, however—in fact, they rather rolled, for the second opening was on a slant of forty-five degrees. They brought up against something soft, but this time it was not a bank of decayed leaves.
"Sam! And Tom!"
"Dick!"
"Where did you come from?"
"How did you get here?"
"Are you hurt?"
"No, are you?"
"No."
These were some of the questions asked and answered as the three Rover boys stared at each other. Other questions quickly followed, and Dick told how he had started to get the tin box and gone down so unexpectedly.
"You want to be careful," he cautioned. "This mountainside is full of holes and pitfalls. I came down one hole and then shot right into another."
"And we did the same thing!" cried Tom. "Thank heaven none of us have broken bones!"
"Didn't you hear us call to you?" asked the youngest Rover.
"I thought I heard something—but I was not sure. I called back."
"We didn't hear you," answered Tom.
Dick had been trying to get out of the hole into which he had tumbled, but without success. Now the sides were growing slippery from the rain, so the ascent became more difficult than ever.
"We're in a pickle," sighed Sam.
"Oh, we've got to get out somehow," answered his big brother. "We can't stay here forever."
The opening was almost square, with three sides of rough rock. In trying to climb up some of the rocks Tom gave one a shove and it slid from sight, revealing an opening beyond.
"Hullo! another hole!" cried the youth, leaping back in consternation. "Why, the old mountain is fairly honeycombed with them."
"I was never on this side of the mountain before," said Dick. "They used to tell some queer stories about this side."
"Didn't they say some parts were haunted?" asked Sam.
"Yes, and it was said that, years ago, many travelers coming this way disappeared."
"Well, why shouldn't they, with so many holes around?" came from Tom. "If we get out alive we'll be lucky."
With great care they got down on their hands and knees and examined the opening beyond the rocks.
"I believe it's a big cave," announced Dick a few minutes later. "And if it is, I'm rather inclined to look around inside. Perhaps it will lead to some opening on the mountainside where we can get out."