Part 34 (1/2)

They recollected now that they had not exercised their regular caution-- though, even if they had, it is very doubtful whether they would have detected a spy who crawled after theer troubled both for allowing themselves to be outwitted by a lout they both held in utter conte their spy for nearly a quarter of an hour, and were able to judge from his actions that he had seen thenorance in this ga, Carnach scanned the high slope and the ridge, and the botto by ensconcing hi so them on the top of his cap to act as a kind of screen in case those he sought should coht somewhere overhead

The two boys hardly dared stir, but at last, with his eyes fixed upon Carnach to see if he heard their e, and Mike crept aithout htest sound Then, as soon as he was satisfied of the coast being clear behind hian to back away till he felt it safe to turn, and followed his companion some fifty yards into the darkness, which now seee to theh told hi one hand upon the wall, he followed until he felt himself touched

”I say,” he whispered, ”this is nice: slers at one end and that miserable Lobster at the other! What are we to do?”

”I don't know,” said Mike dolefully ”He ht, and feels sure that we shall coain, and he'll wait till we do”

”No, no; he'll soon get tired”

”Not he,” said Mike; ”he's just one of those stupid, heavy chaps ill sit or lie down and wait for us for a week”

”But I want to get hoo back and fish, and light a fire and cook it”

”What, for hi? He would, as sure as could be No; we must wait”

”I say, Cinder,” whispered Mike, ”what an unlucky day we are having!

Everything seeo worse still if you whisper so loud,” said Vince; ”the sound runs along the walls here, and gets stronger, I believe, as it goes”

”Well, I can't help it; I feel so wild I say, couldn't we creep out without being seen, and get home?”

”Yes, when it's dark; not before”

”But thathere for hours, and I feel as if I can't settle to anything now Let's go back down to the cave The slers can't come to-day It would be too bad”

”Better wait here and watch till Lobster goes,” said Vince; but, yielding at last to his companion's importunity, he was about to follow hi, a heavy thud, and then a dismal howl

The Lobster had slipped and fallen into the rift while backing so as to get a better view of the ridge

”Oh my! Oh my! Oh, mother! Oh, crikey! Oh ! Won't nobody come and help me?”

The above, uttered in a piteous, dis his companion aside, he was about to hurry to the lad's help, but Mike seized him by the arm, and at the sa about

”Here, who did this?” he roared ”What fool's been digging stone here and left this hole o' purpose for any one to fall in? Wish he'd tumbled in himself, and broke his stoopid old head Yah! Oh my, how it hurts!”

He stamped about in the hollow, and they heard hie

”Wish them two had tumbled in 'stead o' reat hole like this, and never leaving no stuff outside Might ha' been deep, and killed a chap It aren't broke through,” he gruot to Oh dear! oh dear! what a crack on the head! That co backwards

Yah!”