This was an important thing, as there might be many miles to travel before the next day after Fremont was rescued.
It was not so easy getting back to the shaft, but in a short time Nestor made his way there and was soon in consultation with his friends.

All were eager to pass through the tunnel, and so, one by one, they were let down until all were at the slope which led to the bottom of the canyon.
They found it easy to clamber down the heap of crushed rock to the floor of the canyon, and also to pass along the bottom at the edge of the small stream of water which flowed toward the south.

The water had cut a passage under a ledge at the south, and now flowed eastward, toward the plain.
Following steadily on, now stooping under natural bridges in the rock, now wading through cuts which the water covered, and which must have been roaring torrents during time of storm, the boys finally came to a little shelf looking east from which the renegade and some of his companions could plainly be seen.
"Fremont is not so very far away now," Jack said, "and we ought to swarm down there and take him back with us.

We ought to take the big lobster Jimmie seems to have on his mind back with us, too!" he added.
Nestor shook his head, for, much as he desired to hasten the hour of Fremont's release, he saw that an attempt at rescue now would be dangerous.

It was certain that the outlaws, not suspecting that they had been trailed over the mountain by the tireless Boy Scouts, would be off guard at night.
"Of course we want to capture that big lobster," Jimmie said.