"That's right," Alec said, but he did not say it enthusiastically. "Uh, just happens I'm not hungry." He ate only half his fish and threw the other half in the fire. "If you're finished, hadn't you better get back to work?" Cindy questioned. "There's no time to waste, either." "Uh," said Alec, "guess I'd better." There came the thudding of Alec's maul as he drove the iron wedges into a section of tree and began to split it into fence posts. Cindy walked down the steps into their dugout, banged a pan up and down two or three times to make Alec think she was working, and lay down on her bed. She didn't know how long Alec would work, but he should be in any minute. However, he held out longer than she thought he could, and it was past midafternoon when he finally came. Hearing him, Cindy leaped up, grabbed the broom, and was sweeping furiously when he appeared. Cindy managed to look surprised. "Alec! Why have you left your work?" "I've been pretty selfish, sis." He also sounded pretty tired. "It isn't right to keep you here all the time. Let's go look at your cave." "Oh, no!" Cindy protested. "There's so much to be done and only us to do it!" "Now, Cindy, Dad wouldn't like it if I let you overwork." "Do you really think we should go?" Cindy questioned. "I'm sure of it," Alec said. "Come on." Cindy allowed herself to be persuaded. She saddled Sparkle, Alec took Sunshine, and they started out. After forty-five minutes Alec said, "Thought you said the cave was fifteen minutes' ride?" "I never did!" Cindy exclaimed. "I told you it was somewhat more than fifteen minutes!" "We're wasting a lot of time." Alec worried. But after another fifteen minutes he forgot about all the work that had to be done and gave himself entirely to this adventure. He liked the rough and broken land, was enchanted with the hill, and fascinated by the little trees. He shivered, and because the place was dark and mysterious he whispered instead of talking out loud. [Illustration: _He liked the rough and broken land_] "Where's the cave?" he asked. "Through the trees," Cindy whispered back, "but we'll have to tie our ponies and crawl." Cindy leading, Alec following, they crawled among the closely spaced trees toward the arroyo. Just before they came to it, they crossed a little clear space beyond which was a fringe of trees. Cindy crawled through the fringe and flattened herself on the ground. Very plainly, because the cave was a sounding board, she heard a voice she had heard before. "I no like," said Tom LaMott. "I no like to fool weeth weetch girl." "I tell you she's no witch girl, Tom," a second voice said. "She was just doing some simple tricks." "I see her keel herself." "She did not kill herself. That was another trick." Cindy and Alec crawled just far enough forward so they could see. Sitting side by side in the cave were Tom LaMott and one of the two men Cindy had seen with him in Plains City. "You sure she no keel herself?" Tom LaMott demanded.