CHAPTER XIII

DEEPER INTO THE WONDERLAND

"OH! it must all be true, Dick!"

These words burst from Roger's lips as he stood gazing at the wonderful sight. Of course he referred to the strange tales which they had heard from some of the Mandans, and which also passed current among the frontiersmen connected with the expedition.

Dick was hardly less staggered than his cousin, and, as for Mayhew, he had the look of one who believed himself face to face with the spirit world.

As they shrank back and watched the amazing fountain pour its flood toward the sky, and heard the thunder of the falling water, strange thoughts flitted through their minds.

"Look, Dick, it's slackening now!" cried Roger, presently, though he had to exercise his vocal cords considerably in order to make himself heard above the tumult of the gushing geyser.

"Yes, I believe it is about to stop!" echoed the other boy, not without perceptible relief in his tones.

All at once they realized that the flow of steaming water had ended as abruptly as it had begun. The pool was still agitated at the spot where the base of the pillar of water had been located, but the terrible geyser had ceased to flow. (Note 3.)

By degrees the two boys began to recover from the stagnation of mind and body into which they had been thrown.

"Come, the danger seems to be past,--for the present, at least," remarked Dick; "let us look into this thing while we have the chance."

"Just as you say," replied Roger, eagerly. "After this, when any one speaks of these unbelievable things, we can tell what we have seen with our own eyes; and how we were saved from the Indian attack by that fountain of hot water."

With considerable uneasiness, however, the two approached the spot where the base of the water-spout had been. As for Mayhew, nothing could tempt him to advance a single step. Indeed, he shook his head several times in a doubtful fashion, as though he believed it the height of folly for the others to take their lives in their hands in such a reckless way.

"Why, there's a hole in the solid rock, Dick, and it all came out of that!" Roger exclaimed, after they had drawn close enough to be able to see.

"It had to come from some sort of cavity, of course," remarked Dick, "and that hole is the place. I think it must ascend once in so often, for here is a regular runway where the water passes off. And to think that this same thing may have been going on for years!"

They listened to ascertain whether they could detect any sign of a great disturbance down in the aperture, but without very much success. Now that it was all over, the boys began to regain their courage, which had in fact been greatly shaken by the gushing of the mighty geyser.

"The Indians have all fled, which is one comfort," observed Roger, presently.

"Yes, it was too much for them," added his companion. "They believe these things are caused by the Evil Spirit that dwells inside the earth, and that he must have been angry at them because they tried to capture or kill us."

"As usual, we have been lucky; when even the water-spouts stand back of us, what have we to fear?"

"But now that all is quiet, the Indians may pluck up courage enough to return," Dick suggested. "We must not take too many chances by staying here. Another time the water might not come in time to save us."

"I would like to stay long enough to watch it rise again," Roger objected; "but then you are right, and it would be folly. There may be others like this in this Wonderland. If half the Indians tell is true, we have many more things to see that will make us open our eyes. I am ready to believe almost anything after this."

"Watch Mayhew, Roger, and you will see that we cannot get away from here any too soon to suit him."

"No, he keeps standing first on one foot and then on the other, while he looks to the right and left. I really think he has already picked out which way he will run if it should break loose again."

"And neither of us can blame him," added Dick, "for you know that most of his life he has associated only with Indians, and such rough men of the border as ignorant fur-takers and half-breeds. He thinks about the same as they do about all things hard to understand, and that spirits can come back after death. Our mothers taught us differently, but we should not condemn those who do not know any better."

"He is a brave man, and he means to stand with us to the end," said Roger. "Only for that he would have run away as swiftly as the Indians