As Jed, who was in the lead, was turning around a big rock, that marked a shift in the trail, he uttered an exclamation of surprise. "What's the matter?" asked Will eagerly. "See anything to eat?" "No; but I see a good place to stay to-night. Here's a big cave." Before them, opening off from the trail, was the mouth of a large cavern. It looked inviting, after their night spent in the open, with the heavy dews soaking them through. "That's the stuff!" exclaimed Will. "Now if we only had something to eat!" "Maybe we will strike another stream around----" began Jed, when his words were suddenly interrupted by a whirr of wings. "Partridges!" exclaimed Will, as a number of birds flew up from the bushes in front of them. "I don't know whether they're partridges or not," said Jed, "but they look good to eat. Got any shot cartridges?" Will had some, and Jed, inserting one in his rifle, which in an emergency would shoot those shells, hurried forward. He was lucky enough to kill a couple of the birds, and in a short time the two hungry lads were roasting them over a fire they quickly kindled at the mouth of the cave. As they intended to spend the night in the cavern they decided to explore it a bit, and, taking several torches, which they made from white birch bark, that is most excellent for that purpose, they set forward. They found the cave was a large one, and, having selected a secluded place, that was nice and dry, and far enough away from the entrance to insure of their being warm, they stretched out, and went to sleep, for they were utterly tired out with the day's fruitless tramp. "Hello, it's morning!" suddenly announced Jed, as he awoke and looked at his watch, by the light of a match. "It's seven o'clock. Get up, Will." "Oh, I'm as stiff as a man with the rheumatism. How are you?" "Well, I have felt better." "Morning? Did you say it was morning?" asked Will. "Why, it's as black as midnight." "I know it. We're quite a way into the cave. The light doesn't come this far. I'll light a torch, and we'll see if we can't get out and shoot some more of those birds. They were fine." He ignited a roll of the birch bark, and leading the way started toward what he thought was the mouth of the cave. But he was soon convinced that he was mistaken. "We didn't come in this far," said Will. "I guess you're right," admitted his brother. "I must have taken a wrong turning. Come on back." They retraced their steps. They came to the place where they had slept, and an investigation showed them several passageways leading from it. "I didn't imagine there was more than one," said Jed in bewilderment. "Me either. Say, Jed, we're lost again!" "Looks like it, and this is a big cave." There was no doubt about it. Frantically the boys tried passage after passage. Some ended at blank walls, and others led so far into the blackness that they were afraid, and turned back. They could not find the passage by which they had entered.