"I see the mountain lion!" cried Roger, a minute later. "There he is, in yonder corner, in his den. And look, it's his mate!" All gazed and not far distant beheld a scene that touched their hearts. On the rocks lay the dead lion and over him stood his mate, licking his face with her rough tongue. "Look out!" cried Abe Blower, and drew his horse-pistol--a companion weapon to that carried by Tom Dillon. "She'll come fer us, sure!" The old miner was right. Swiftly the lioness turned, and set up a savage roar that echoed and reechoed throughout the cavern. Then, in spite of the torches--for all savage beasts are afraid of fire--she prepared to fight those she felt had slain the one she loved. It was Abe Blower who fired first, and scarcely had the sound of the shot died away when Roger and Dave pulled trigger. Over and over whirled the lioness, and then of a sudden struck one of the wide cracks in the flooring of the cave and disappeared from view. They heard the body strike on some rocks far below; and then all became silent. "Oh, wasn't that awful!" gasped Roger, and felt of his forehead, where the cold perspiration had gathered. "I--I kind of hated to do it," answered Dave. "She was mourning over her mate!" "Shall we send the other body down, too?" went on the senator's son. "Might as well," was the quick answer, and soon the other lion was dragged to the opening and dropped down. Abe Blower looked on at the work and smiled grimly. "I suppose ye are sorry for thet lioness, but I ain't," he said. "They are wicked critters, I can tell ye, an' they do a whole lot o' damage." "I suppose they live according to their nature," replied Dave, softly. In his mind's eye he could still see the tawny lioness licking the face of her dead mate. On they went again. The cave was narrow here but presently broadened out. The roof was, for the most part, less than ten feet high, so the boys felt just as if they were "walking between big pie crusts," as Roger quaintly expressed it. The cave seemed to be dry, although when they stopped once more to look around, they heard the distant gurgle of a stream of water. "Wall, I can't see as it looks anythin' like a mine," announced Abe Blower, presently. "Nothin' like a shaft around here." "I wonder how long the cave is?" came from Dave. "It must end somewhere." "Say, wouldn't this make a good place to camp out in?" asked Roger, of the old miner. "Not much!" was the quick answer. "Why not? It would be cool in the daytime and warm at night, with a little campfire." "Maybe, lad. But wot if some o' these rocks should shift? They'd squash ye as flat as a flapjack!" "I didn't think of that." "I don't believe it is very safe in here," said Dave. "This cave must have been formed by that landslide, and, if so, perhaps the dirt and rocks haven't finished settling yet. I don't want any rocks to come down on my head!" "Nor on any of us!" added the senator's son.