"Safer here than up there," returned Polly, and as she spoke a great tree was flung down over the edge of the gorge just where ledge and slope met. "Now we can't crawl out if we wanted to--the tree obstructs the way," declared Polly, decidedly. "But we must see what it is that disturbs the animals," advised Anne. "I'd rather throw myself over the cliff than be clawed to bits by a panther!" wailed Barbara. "The horses are quieting down now, and Noddy seems as much at home as anywhere, so I reckon it was only strangeness that made them act queer," said Eleanor. "But something may pounce out upon us, and take us unawares!" wailed Barbara. "I propose to smoke them out as soon as I make a fire!" said Polly, looking about in the darkness of the cave for a possible stick of wood, but not finding any. "I'll have to chop some of that pine! Noddy can carry me safer than I can walk on this ledge, so I want you girls to promise to keep the horses close about you and wait right here until I get back!" said Polly, taking the ax from the pack. "Polly, I'm coming too! Two axes are better than one, and I can ride my burro, too!" declared Eleanor. Anne and Polly sent the girl a look of gratitude, while Barbara was speechless until after Eleanor started to go, then she remonstrated volubly. The two girls crept toward the down-thrown pine, and Eleanor said, "We'll need wood for a fire, won't we?" "Yes, we will have to remain in the cave all night, and it gets so terribly cold upon these mountain peaks that we will be frozen unless we warm up the interior of the cavern. Then, too, we may need to keep fires going at the back end of the cave as well as in front, to ward off wild beasts!" They were slowly advancing when another awful crash came from the slope above. Both girls ducked instinctively, but the decayed pine that was broken off above ground fell over the edge of the cliff just in front of them and obstructed the way so that progress was impossible. Eleanor quaked and cried, "Oh, let's go back, Polly!" But Polly laughed. "Glory be, our fire-wood came to us halfway." At her cheerful words, Eleanor braced up again. Polly jumped from Noddy's back and started to hew at the soft decayed wood. It was easy to chop and would furnish a flaring fire, even though it would burn rapidly and need constant replenishing. "Nolla, this is the second miracle to-day! Had we hunted the mountain over, no better wood could have been found for just our need. Yonder on that other pine, when this is out of our way, awaits our bedding." "What funny bedding!" "Just you wait and see." When enough wood was chopped to clear a way on the ledge, Polly showed Eleanor how to make bundles of it. These were tied by means of the rope to Noddy's harness and carefully dragged back to the cave. Several trips had to be made before both burros had brought the firewood to the growing pile in the cave.