“I was soaked up to my neck two days ago,” Peanut laughed. “You’ll dry. Anyhow, we can build a fire when we get out, and you can take off your wet things, and sit with your little pink tootsies to the blaze.” Alice, with a laugh, gave him a slap on the cheek. “Why, Alice!” exclaimed the pink girl, shocked. “Oh, he’s a fresh one, he needs it,” said Alice, and turned with a shriek of delight to see the first face of the following party emerge through the hole. It was “Mamma”! Her face was flushed with exertion, and wore a look of agonized fright. Her hair was disarranged, and hanging into her eyes. From behind her issued voices, “Hurry up, Ma, you’re blocking the passage!” “Come here, you laughing monkey, and help your mother down!” she cried to Alice. “How do you suppose I can get out of this hole head first?” But Alice was too doubled up with mirth to move. Art and Peanut sprang to her relief. They took her by the shoulders, one on each side, and pulled her out, supporting her till she could get her feet down on the ground. Then they hid on either side of the tunnel mouth, and as fast as a head appeared, they grabbed the shoulders behind it, without a word of warning, and pulled the surprised person forth. The only one who fooled them was the guide. He came feet foremost! There was nearly a mile of this curious, underground path, amid caves and tumbled boulders, now close beside the sunken river, now above it. Some of the caves were very cold. But suddenly they saw full daylight ahead, and they stepped out of the last cave upon a ledge of rock, over which the river dashed in a pretty waterfall, and went flowing away down the hill through the woods, on a perfectly sane and normal above-ground bed. “Well, that is quite an experience!” said Papa, wiping his forehead. Mamma looked at her soiled overalls, tried to fix up her hair, and then fanned herself with the palm of her hand. “Well, I guess the young folks enjoyed it more than I did!” she panted. Then she spied Alice’s feet. “Alice!” she cried. “Your feet!” “What’s the matter with my feet?” said Alice. “You’ll get your death of cold!” “Nonsense, my dear,” said Papa. “Nonsense or not, she’s got to dry them,” the mother said. “We must go right back to that store.” “I have a better idea, if you’ll excuse me, Mrs. Green,” said Rob (he and the oldest of the girls had evidently been exchanging names). “We’ll build a fire here by the river, and all have lunch together. While she’s drying her stockings, we Scouts will take back the overalls, and bring down all your grub and our packs, and then we can all walk back to North Woodstock together after lunch.” “A very good idea, too,” exclaimed Papa Green. “Well, I’m willing,” said the mother. “I don’t much want to take that walk back, that’s a fact.” “Fire, boys!” cried Peanut, starting to scramble down beside the falls. “Hold on!” Frank cried. “Nobody stirs from this spot till I get a picture.”