"Hasn't been one seen about here since I was born," declared Rhoda
quickly. "But that old den is just the place for us."

Within ten minutes they reached a huge boulder that had broken away
from the west side of the gulch. Behind it was an opening among
other rocks. Indeed, this whole rift in the hillside was a mass of
broken rock. It was hard for the ponies to pick a path between the
stones. And it had grown very dark, too.

The other girls would never have dared venture into the dark pocket
behind that boulder had Rhoda not led them. She dismounted, and,
seizing her pony's bridle, started around the huge rock and into
the cavity.

"Must we take in the horses, too?" cried Bess. "I never!"

"I won't balk at a stable, if we can get out of this wind," Nan
declared. "Go ahead, Gracie, dear. Don't cry. Walter will be all
right."

"But do you think we shall be all right?" asked Bess of her chum,
when Grace had started in behind Rhoda.

"I guess we'll have to take Rhoda's word for it," admitted Nan.
"This is no place to stop and argue the question, my dear."

She made Bess go before, and she brought up the rear of the
procession. It was as dark as pitch in that cavern. The entrance
was just about wide enough for the horses to get through, and not