“It’s easily explained, but, see here, boys, as we have been thrown together in this strange way we want to be as good friends as possible. I’m Clara to all my friends and that’s what you must call me.” “I agree to that, providing you return the compliment,” replied Dick. “Now, don’t you worry. We are going to get out of this trouble and you are going back to camp with us. Our guide, Doctor Dan, knows every inch of the Bad Lands and we will start for your father’s mine at once and won’t leave you until you are safe in his hands.” Clara was very grateful and she went on to tell how, after her capture, Mudd had blindfolded her for a few moments, halting for that purpose in a rocky glen, as she called it. In this condition she had been led down some steps and when the handkerchief was removed from her eyes she found herself underground, being hurried along a narrow passage, which finally led them into the cave, where later the man Tony came, bringing the horses, which seemed to have come down by another way. Later all three of the men rode off and were gone some time, but Mudd and Tony soon came riding back again. Since then they had been coming and going, Clara herself being kept a close prisoner until this morning, when she managed to slip the cords off her hands, and, as none of the three were in the camp at the time, she made her escape and had wandered about the cavern until she met Dick. “What we have got to do, then,” said Dick, “is to get back to that camp and see what we can find out about these different ways in and out of the cave. I wouldn’t wonder a bit, Charley, if Doctor Dan was right after all and that horse did lead us to the very spot where Clara was blindfolded. It was just such a place as she describes.” “Must we go back there,” said Clara. “I’d rather do almost anything else. You can’t imagine how I dread being captured by those men again and you know what Mudd has been to you, Dick.” “I don’t, but I wish I did,” replied Dick. “I can’t make the man out at all. In one breath he threatens to kill me and in the next he is talking about making me a millionaire. I believe he’s crazy, if you want to know really what I think.” It seemed entirely necessary to go back to the camp, however, so Clara undertook to guide them to the place. From the first Dick felt his doubts about her being able to do it, for she turned away from the lake after they had advanced along the shore for a short distance and soon they were in a part of the cavern where it was so dark that they could scarcely see a foot ahead of them. For an hour or more they wandered about. For a long time Clara had been very silent, only speaking when one of the boys directly addressed her. At length she stopped short, exclaiming: “It is no use, boys. I can’t find the place. We are lost here underground!” CHAPTER XV. MR. MUDD TURNS UP AGAIN.