“No; but I think I know what you mean.  They must be some of the cave dwellings of the ancient Pueblos, or perhaps as far back as the Toltecs.  They built their homes in caves on the steep rocks for better protection against their enemies.”

“And nobody ever discovered these before?” questioned.  Walter.  “How queer!”

“Perhaps these dwellings, if such they are, have been seen by many a traveler, none of whom had interest enough in the matter to investigate.  Then again, they may have been fully explored.  There’s not much in this part of the country that prospectors have not looked over.”

“May we explore these caves, Professor?” asked Tad.

“Please let us?” urged Walter.

“I see no objection if Mr. Kringle will be responsible for you.  I rather think I’ll look into them myself.  I’ll confess the idea interests me.  Are they easy to get at?”

“I’m afraid not,” answered Tad.

“Santa Claus will show us the way,” interrupted Stacy enthusiastically.

He was frowned down by the Professor.

“Why not start now?” urged Tad.

The guide consulted the sun.

“We might.  It lacks all of three hours to dark.”

There was much enthusiasm in camp.  The idea that they were to visit some unexplored caves, dwellings of an ancient people, filled the lads with pleasant expectancy.

Before starting, Mr. Kringle sorted out some strong manila rope and several tent stakes all of which he did up into two bundles.  Then he filled the magazine of his rifle, throwing this over his shoulder.

“What’s that for?” questioned Ned.

“The gun?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t tell what we may run into in a cave, you know.”

After a final look at the camp all hands set out for the place indicated by Tad.  It was only a short distance, so they decided to walk.

Reaching the base of the mountain they gazed up.

“Yes, those are cave dwellings,” declared Kris Kringle.  “And they are still closed.  Probably they haven’t been opened in two hundred years.”

“I’d hate to live there and have to go home in a dark night,” mused Chunky.

“Yes, how did they get to their houses?” wondered the other boys.

“The question is, how are we going to get near enough to explore them?  How shall we get up there, Mr. Guide?” asked the Professor.

“We’ll find a way.  We shall have to climb the mountain, first.”

All hands began clambering up the rocks.  To do so they were obliged to follow along the base of the mountain for some distance before they found a place that they could climb.

Reaching the top, the guide examined their surroundings carefully.

“See those little projections of rock slanting down toward the shelf?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, in the old days they probably felled a tree so it would fall on them.  The occupants of the cave probably cut steps in the tree trunk over which to travel up and down.  The tree has rotted away many years since.”