“Now, then, we are going out for a while,” said Dan Baxter, coming up to the prisoners.  “Take my advice and don’t try to escape in the meantime.  If you do, and we catch you, it will go hard with you; let me tell you that!”

“Are you going to leave us tied up?” questioned Tom dubiously.

“Certainly.”

“Some wild animal may come in here and chew us up.”

“We’ll leave the fire burning—­that will keep ’em away,” returned the bully.

He would say no more, and in a few minutes he and his companions were gone and the Rover boys were left to themselves.

“Now what?” asked Sam, after all had been silent for at least ten minutes.

“Don’t ask me,” replied Tom disconsolately.  “We’re in a pickle, and no mistake.  Are your hands as tight as ever?”

“Yes, and my wrists hurt so I feel like screaming with pain.”

“Baxter is a brute, if ever there was one.  However, I think I can get my left hand free,” went on Tom suddenly.

“Good, Tom!  Do so by all means.”

Tom worked away with vigor.  The pain was intense, but he bore it manfully.  At last his hand was free.

“Hurrah! so far so good!” he cried lowly.  “Now for the other hand.”

But this was not so easy, for the knots were hard ones and broke his finger nails dread-fully.

“If only I could get at them with my teeth,” he observed, “I’d soon chew them apart.”

But he could not bend around, and so had to content himself with working away as before.  Soon his fingers grew numb and he had to desist.

“Too bad, but I can’t make it!” he groaned.

“Wait a while and give your fingers a rest,” returned Sam.

He had begun work on his own fetters, but try his best could make no material progress.  The ropes had cut through the skin in two places and from these spots the blood was flowing freely.

Two hours went by, and to the boys it seemed an age.  Tom had tried his best to free himself, and now the cords were gradually loosening up.

“I’ve got it at last!” he cried presently.  “Just wait.”  And a little later the bonds dropped to the ground.  But the work had caused his finger tips to bleed.

With his hands free, Tom set to work free his feet, and this was not so difficult, although it also took time.  Both boys were now hungry once more, and reckoned that it was well past the noon hour.

“I’ll set you free, and then we’ll look around for something to eat,” said Tom.

“Hadn’t we better get out as soon as we can?” asked his brother.  “Remember, they may come back at any moment, and we are no match for them.”

“It will take but a minute to pick up something, if it’s around, Sam.  Besides, we have got to have something in our stomachs before we set off to hunt up Dick and Mr. Barrow.”

As soon as Sam was freed they rah to the outer cave.  Here, on some tree-roots overhead, hung a number of traps, including a knapsack containing crackers and cheese, and close by it was a portion of rabbit, left over from the morning repast.