“Oh, for the goodness sake!” ejaculated Mary Cox, “don’t be such a weeping, wailing Sister of Misery, Belle!  You not only cross bridges before you come to them, but, I declare, you build new ones!”

“She’s Old Man Trouble’s favorite daughter,” said Heavy.  “Didn’t you know that?  Now, Miss Fuss-Budget, stop croaking.  Nothing’s going to happen to Ruthie.”

“Not with Tom on hand, you can wager,” added Helen, with every confidence in her twin brother.

But at last the watches of the party could not be doubted.  Two hours had crept by and it was getting very late in the evening.  Some of the party were, as Ann said, “yawning their heads off.”  Lluella and Heavy had camped down upon the old buffalo-robe before the fire and were already more than half asleep.

“I do wish they’d come back,” muttered Bob Steele to Isadore Phelps.  “We can’t tell in here whether the storm has stopped, or not.  I don’t just fancy staying in this cave all night if there’s any possible chance of getting to Mr. Tingley’s house.”

“Don’t know what can be keeping those folks.  I believe I could have crept on my hands and knees through the whole hill, and back again, before this time,” returned Busy Izzy, in a very sleepy voice.

“Now, you can talk as you please,” said Ann Hicks, with sudden decision, “but I’m going a short distance along that tunnel and see if the lantern is in sight.”

“I’m with you!” exclaimed Bob.

“Me, too,” joined in Helen, jumping up with alacrity.

“Now, some more of you will go off and get lost,” cried Belle.  “I—­I wish we were all home.  I’m—­I’m sorry we came to this old island.”

“Baby!” ejaculated her brother, poking her.  “Do be still.  Ralph isn’t going to get lost—­what d’ye think he is?”

“How’ll we see our way?” Helen asked Bob and Ann.

“Feel it.  We’ll go in the dark.  Then we can see their lantern the quicker.”

“There’s no wood here fit for torches,” Bob admitted.  “And I have plenty of matches.  Come on!  We sha’n’t get lost.”

“What do you really suppose has happened to them?” demanded Helen of Bob, as soon as they were out of hearing of the camp.

“Give it up.  Something extraordinary—­that’s positive,” declared the big fellow.

They crept through the tunnel, Bob lighting a match occasionally, until they reached the first crack in the roof, open to the sky.  It was not snowing very hard.

“Of course they wouldn’t have tried climbing up here to get out,” queried Helen.

“Of course not!” exclaimed Ann.  “What for?”

“No,” said Bobbins.  “They kept straight ahead—­and so will we.”

In five minutes, however, when they stopped, whispering, in a little chamber, Ann suddenly seized her companions and commanded them to hold their breath!

“I hear something,” she whispered.

The others strained their ears to hear, too.  In a moment a stone rattled.  Then there sounded an unmistakable footstep upon the rock.  Somebody was approaching.