Part 72 (1/2)
”It annoys them,” whispered Will.
”Ho!” said Josh. Then he was silent, and for quite half an hour all sat listening to the gurgling, hissing, and rus.h.i.+ng noises made by the water.
Then, when it seemed to d.i.c.k, who had tight hold of his brother's hand, that he could bear it no longer, his father asked for another match.
Josh struck it, and it snapped in two and fell in the bottom of the boat, but burned long enough for him to light another, which was successfully handed to Mr Temple, while Will took the hitcher and forced the boat back to where the marks had been made on the wall by Mr Temple's hammer.
”Strike another, my man, and hand it to me quick,” cried Mr Temple excitedly; and as it was done, and the tiny flame burned brightly in the black darkness, he stood holding it close to the wall of rock; and then as he let the little flame fall and extinguish itself, he exclaimed joyfully:
”At last, boys! There's no danger. The tide is falling fast.”
”Falling fast a'ready?” cried Josh.
”Yes; it is down a foot.”
”Then--well, of all the gashly things! I must ha' been asleep.”
It was but a question of waiting now; and though the time seemed long there was plenty to interest the little party, as Mr Temple had the boat kept close up to the rock, and felt his marks, announcing from time to time how much the water had gone down. Then d.i.c.k got Will to thrust down the boat-hook to try how deep it was, but to try in vain, though they were more successful with the lead on a fis.h.i.+ng-line, Josh measuring the line after the lead had touched bottom, and announcing it as ”'bout five fathom.”
All at once they noticed that the horrible rus.h.i.+ng and gurgling of the water had ceased; and soon after it became plain that it was harder work to keep the boat close to the rock, for, in spite of the returns of the water as the waves beat outside, there was a steady, constant set of the current towards the mouth. So at last the measurement by the rocks had to be given up, for Josh gave it as his opinion that they might as well let the boat drift towards the cave mouth.
This was done; and though they were unable to calculate their progress, as time went on they felt that they must be nearer the entrance.
Josh poked about with a boat-hook, now at the sides, now at the roof; and then, as they were sitting down waiting patiently, there was a peculiar shuffling and splas.h.i.+ng noise heard.
”What's that?” exclaimed d.i.c.k.
”Seal!” cried Will; and as he spoke there was a splash as if the creature had dived off a rock into the water.
But they had something more interesting than the seal to take their attention, for all at once there was a faint greeny transparency right before them. Then it darkened, lightened again, darkened and lightened more or less till, all at once, there was a flash, so short, quick, and brilliant that it dazzled their darkness-becurtained eyes like lightning.
”Hoo-ray!” shouted d.i.c.k, stamping his feet on the bottom of the boat.
”Now, all together--hip-hip-hip hooray!”
Arthur, Will, and Josh joined in making the cave echo as there was another and another flash of light, and soon after the arch at the mouth of the cave began to open more and more; and at last the boat floated out into the dazzling afternoon suns.h.i.+ne, and was rowed steadily back.
”Been shut-up in a zorn!” cried Mrs Marion, who declared that the dinner was spoiled; ”then it was all the fault of that great idle Josh and that stupid, good-for-nothing boy.”
”No, Mrs Marion,” said Mr Temple gently, ”the fault was entirely mine.”
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
MR. TEMPLE TAKES WILL INTO HIS CONFIDENCE AND ASTONISHES UNCLE ABRAM.
”d.i.c.k,” said Mr Temple one morning, as he looked up from the table covered with specimens of ore and papers.
”Yes, father.”
”Is Will Marion at home?”