“This is dead loads of fun,” grunted Whopper.  “Never had such fun since I was born.  It’s almost as good as chopping wood when the other fellows are playing ball!”

“Do you want to go back?” questioned Snap, quickly.  “For you can if you wish, you know.”

“Humph! not much.  I’m going to see the end of it.”

“Then, don’t grumble,” put in Giant.  “It’s harder work for me to climb the rocks than you.”

On they went until they came to another opening.  They gazed forward eagerly, but to their chagrin the deer had disappeared.

“Now what do you make of that?” came quickly from Shep.

“They can’t be far off,” said Snap, cheerfully.  “Perhaps they are just beyond the bushes yonder.”

Up the mountainside they went, sometimes abreast and then in Indian file.  Soon they came to a mass of heavy undergrowth.

“Gracious, what a tangle this is!” cried Giant.  “I don’t seem to be \able to get through, no matter how hard I try.”

“I’ll help you,” answered Snap, and worked his way to the small youth’s side.

“Say, fellows, the bottom isn’t very safe here!” exclaimed Whopper, a second later.  “It’s all spongy!”

“Let us get out!” put in Shep, thinking of his experience in the hollow tree.

They tried to turn, but before they could make any progress felt the brushwood sinking rapidly.  Then came a crashing of branches and vines, and down slipped all four of the young hunters, from the bright light of day into utter darkness!

All gave yells, for they were thoroughly frightened.  They were pitched together in a heap, and held tight to one another as they went down, first a distance of fifteen or twenty feet and then twice further.

“We are in water!” gasped Shep, when he could speak.  The water was up to their ankles, but speedily it reached their knees.

At last, when the downward movement had come to an end, the boys drew long breaths and tried to gaze around them.  They were in a mass of brushwood, and this brushwood seemed to be floating on the water.  All was pitch dark around them, for they had not come down straight, but in something of a zig-zag fashion.

“Well, of all things!” came from Whopper.  “Are we going down to the center of the earth?”

“It looks like it.” answered Giant, with a groan.

“One thing seems to be certain, fellows—–­we are not meant to get those deer.”

“That looks to be true,” answered Snap.

“This is about as bad as being down that hollow tree,” said Shep.  He was more than glad that he was not alone.

Having recovered their breath a little, the young hunters tried to decide upon what would be the best thing to attempt next.

“We have got to get out, that is all there is to it,” said Snap.

“Well, I am willing,” said Whopper, gravely.

“See any stairs around?” asked Giant.