When Donald made that hissing sound his chum closed his lips, for he instinctively understood that it meant danger. “Look down the shaft, and you’ll see signs of a light!” whispered Donald, close to his ear now. “What do you reckon it can be?” asked the other, as he too saw the faint glow. “It’s getting brighter all the while, Ad, and that tells us whoever holds the torch is coming up from below!” “You mean Pick-ne-quan-to?” whispered Adrian, in no little excitement. “Well, as we don’t believe in spirits, it must be the old medicine man,” replied his chum; “and I only hope our comrade, Billie, kept back from the edge above, for he might have been seen.” “Or either of us while crawling over the edge,” continued Adrian. “Looks like we might be lucky boys tonight, Donald; but of course you won’t stay here, to be seen when he gets up even with us?” “I should say not,” replied the other; “and it happens that I noticed a splendid _cache_ right back here that will hold both of us. Come on, let’s make our get-away before it’s too late.” Three minutes later they had secreted themselves in the cavity noticed by Donald, and were waiting, more or less anxiously, to see if the party approaching did turn out to be the Witch Doctor. Donald, peeping out of a cranny, whispered in the ear of his comrade that sure enough it was the medicine man. He walked serenely past where they were hiding. Once, when he seemed to stop and look around, Adrian could feel the arm of his chum fairly quiver; and he realized that the old Witch Doctor must be furiously angry did he discover these intruders, come to spy upon his secret, which he kept from even the chief of the tribe. Adrian was more than half sorry he had consented to come; but this feeling passed away when he saw the glow of the torch moving on again; and from the indications realized that the queer medicine man had gone about his business. “Let us follow him at a safe distance,” whispered Donald; and they started forth, when it seemed as though the coast were clear. CHAPTER XXIX. THE MEDICINE MAN’S SECRET. It was with considerable difficulty that the two chums made forward progress under such a handicap as confronted them. The medicine man knew every foot of the passage he was following. Besides that, he had a blazing torch, by means of which the route was made clear; whereas they were traveling over new territory, and in almost pitch darkness. Several times when the beacon ahead vanished completely they were compelled to make use of the little electric light; but on such occasions Donald made sure to keep its glow confined to the rocky floor directly in front, so that no glancing ray might startle the mysterious man they were pursuing. As these lapses of illumination in front were undoubtedly caused by the Witch Doctor turning some bend in the passage, the boys felt that they were taking only a small amount of risk in thus using their own torch.