Part 33 (1/2)

They dropped down, and found that by the time they had reached the end of the portion illumined by the light which came down the hole, faint rays were there to meet them from the other end, the light striking in strongly from the bottom of the walled-up entrance, and showing that the floor which they had to follow was damp, but every drop of water had drained away.

On reaching the end, it was quite light; and a little examination proved that other stones at the bottom were sufficiently loose to be easily pushed out, Fred sending out a couple, which went down into deep water at once.

”I wouldn't have done that,” said Scarlett. ”It's like opening a way for any one right into our house.”

”But any one will not know the way,” replied Fred, as he went down on hands and knees, and thrust out his head and shoulders. ”Easy enough to get out now,” he said, as he thrust the bushes aside, ”only we should want the boat. Water's quite deep here. Stop a moment!” he cried excitedly, as he twisted himself round and looked up before drawing his head back. ”Why, Scar, we could climb up or down there as easily as could be.”

”Could we?”

Scarlett crept partly out in turn, and looked up for a minute or two.

”Yes,” he said, as he returned, ”that would be easy enough.”

”Then, do you know what we have to do next?”

”No.”

”Go and stop up the big hole in the wood.”

Scarlett thought for a moment, and then agreed, following his companion to the opening, and climbing out in turn.

”How shall we do it?” he said.

”The rougher the better,” cried Fred, who was by far the more practical of the two. ”Let's get great dead branches, and lay them over anyhow, leaving a hole like a chimney, so as to give light. Come along; I'll show you. The more natural the better, in case any one should come here.”

”Which is not likely,” replied Scarlett.

”I don't know; Nat might. Work away.”

They did work away, and with good effect. They had no difficulty in getting plenty of rough pieces, which they laid across, first like the rafters over a shed, and then piled others upon them in the most careless-looking fas.h.i.+on, after which some long strands of ivy and bramble were dragged across, to act the double purpose of binding all together and looking natural.

”But they seem as if they had been just placed there,” said Scarlett, looking rather dissatisfied with their work.

”Of course they do to-day; but before a week has gone by, they'll have all their leaves turned up to the light, and go on growing fast. Now, then, who could tell that there was a way down there?”

Scarlett was fain to confess that the concealment would be perfect as soon as the leaves were right, and a shower of rain had removed their tracks.

”And we shall not want to come here at all now, only get in by the proper way. I wish that hole was not broken through.”

”We should not have found it without.”

”Oh yes, we should,” said Fred; ”because some day we should have brought candles, and waded down to the mouth.”

”Well,” said Scarlett, as they strolled away at last, ”what's the good of it all, now we have found it out?”

”It doesn't seem quite so much now we have found everything; but still it is interesting, and it will do to hide in when we want to get away from everybody.”

”But we never do.”

”No,” said Fred. ”But never mind; there's no knowing of what use it may be, and it's our secret, isn't it?”