“What did I tell you!” he fairly shouted. “I guess this proves whether or not I was dreaming!”
Through a gap in the bushes, the Cubs glimpsed the opposite wall of the ravine. One section of it had fallen away, leaving an expanse of rich clay.
From this surface loomed a grotesque carved face, that of a man with very severe features.
The Cubs were so taken aback that for a full minute they could only stand and stare. Then Dan exclaimed:
“How did it get here?” Brad demanded. “Who carved it?”
“And what about that fire Red saw?” added Chips.
“I can see where a fire was built on that rock shelf directly below the carved face,” observed Mr. Hatfield.
Both he and Mr. Holloway were mystified by the strange carving, having had no knowledge that anything of the sort could be found in the park area.
“Someone was here last night all right,” the cubmaster declared.
“And someone’s here now,” murmured Brad, peering intently down into a clump of bushes directly behind the dead ashes of the camp fire. “We’re being watched by a man who’s hiding there in the foliage!”
Brad’s observation caused the other Cubs to glance alertly toward the clump of bushes. Distinctly, they could see a crouching figure among the leaves.
His words carried across the chasm and to the man who squatted close against the wall of the cliff.
As the Cubs watched, the bush moved convulsively. They saw the shadowy figure retreat behind the screen of foliage, and finally disappear on a trail.
“You scared him away, Red!” Dan exclaimed. “Who was he, anyhow?”
“Maybe the person who carved that grotesque face in the clay wall,” commented Brad. “Whoever he was, he didn’t want us to see him.”
“Let’s go after him,” urged Chips, eager for action. “How about it?”
To reach the opposite side of the chasm, it would be necessary to make a sharp descent, and an equally sharp climb on the other side. By the time the Cubs could reach the site of the carved clay face, the fleeing man would be far away.
“No use going after him,” Mr. Hatfield decided. “After all, he may have as much right to be in this park area as we.”
“Do you suppose he was the one who carved that queer face?” speculated Fred.
“It’s very likely,” agreed his father. “The face isn’t quite finished. Notice the left side. The cheek is only half carved.”