Part 28 (1/2)

”Oh yes,” said the old h I'll show you a place if you like”

”Coerly

”Off here, then,” said Daygo; ”on'y I ought to tell you that you won't enjy yourselves, for it'll take Doctor Burnet all his tiain”

The old fellow burst into a fit of chuckling at this, and looked frousted looks

”There, I kneas rumbled Mike ”Coood of tiring ourselves for the sake of seeing a rabbit's white cotton tail”

Vince was about to follow his coo

”I say, when are you going to take us fishi+ng again?”

”When you two young gents likes to come; on'y you've both been soa ride in a boat, not you Got one of your own somewheres, I suppose Hev yer?”

Mike shook his head, and they went on in silence for a few minutes before Mike whispered,--

”What shall we do: creep back and watch him?”

”No If we did we should coo to the cliff edge soo to the other side of the island We shan't get down to the cave to-day”

As far as they could tell they were unobserved the next afternoon, and after exercising plenty of caution they reached the ht one after the other in an instant In fact, so quick was their disappearance that it would have puzzled the keenest searcher as to where they had gone For one ranite, the next they had leaped in ah and sprang up again, the lads dropping on to the old stream bed, which they had carefully cleared of stones They left no footmarks there, and they were careful to preserve the thin screen of ferns and bra ducked down and crept away

This ruse, trifling as it -place, and as soon as they were in darkness they struck a light and went on down to the caves, had a look round, and Mike i froranite crack

”Nevera fresh piece of candle in the lanthorn

”Why? We're not hungry now, but we shall be before we go back Hullo!

what are you going to do?”

”Wait a bit, and you'll see,” replied Vince, who now took a little coil of rope fro, and then asked his co which he had placed in the belt he wore under his jersey

”Why, whatever have you got here?”

”Grapnel,” was the reply; and Vince began to rub the s like that hurts! It's worse than carrying a haain rapnel with a sea-going knot to the length of rope

”Let those laugh that lose,” cried Vince sententiously; ”they are sure to in”

”Enough toto bait with?”

”You, if you like,” said Vince sharply, ”Wonder what I should catch?”

”Here! no nonsense,” cried Mike: ”what are you really going to do?”

”What we've been talking about so long Try and get up through that crack up there”