Part 25 (1/2)

The flight for liberty had begun. Would it succeed or fail?

CHAPTER XXV

THE CAVES UNDER THE MOUNTAIN

For a distance of five hundred feet the way was known to both Larry and his sailor friend, and the pair pa.s.sed along swiftly, guided in part by the flickering rays from the camp-fire outside of the main cave.

”Have a care now, lad,” whispered Leroy, as they reached a narrow pa.s.sage, which turned first to the left and then upward. ”The roof is low, and you don't want for to dash your brains out on the rocks.”

”Never fear but I'll be as careful as I can,” responded the youth, feeling his way along. ”Better keep close, Leroy, that we don't become separated.”

The turn made, it was no easy matter to ascend the sloping floor, with here and there a rough bowlder to cross, or a hollow in which one might fall and break a leg without half trying, as the _Yorktown_ sailor said. Presently Leroy called a halt.

”Better light the torch now, Larry.”

”I was going to save it,” was the reply. ”There is no telling how long we may have to depend upon it.”

”That is true; but it's no longer safe to walk in this pitchy darkness.”

Leroy was provided with matches, used in smoking his pipe, which had not been denied him, and striking one he set fire to an end of the dry cedar branch which Larry had laid away over a week before, when the thought of running away had first crossed his mind. At the start the branch spluttered wofully and threatened to go out, but by coaxing it remained lit, and presently burst into a flame that was sufficient to see by for a circle of twenty or thirty feet.

On they plodded, up an incline that seemed to have no end, and then around another turn. Here the chamber widened out, and beyond there were branches, two to the left and one to the right.

[Ill.u.s.tration: On they plodded, up an incline that seemed to have no end.--_Page 236._]

”This is as far as I've ever been,” said the boy. ”The pa.s.sages beyond seemed to lead downward for part of the way, and it's impossible to judge which is the best to take. But I was of a mind to try that one on the right.”

”Well, I reckon as how the right ought to be right,” laughed Leroy.

”If it ain't, all we can do is to come back to here an' try over again, eh?”

”We haven't got time to waste in experimenting, Leroy. This is a serious business. We are liable now to be shot on sight.”

”An' n.o.body knows thet better nor Dan Leroy, your humble servant. An'

if you say try one o' the other pa.s.sages, I'm jes' as willin'.”

”No, we'll take that on the right,” returned the youth, and started onward without further delay.

The pa.s.sage was a crooked one, not over ten feet wide in any one part, and but little over the height of a man. At one place a great rock blocked the way, and over this they went on their hands and knees.

”Kind o' a tight squeeze,” remarked Leroy. ”If that rock war a bit bigger, we wouldn't be able to git over it at all.”

”Hark!” cried Larry, coming to a halt. ”What is that, somebody calling?”

They listened, and from a distance ahead made out a low murmur of some kind. ”It's water running over the rocks,” cried Leroy. ”I hope it's a river leading to the outer world.”

”Oh, so do I!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the boy, and both started onward eagerly.

Long before the fall of water was gained they found themselves splas.h.i.+ng in an underground stream up to their ankles. The waterfall was underground, coming from the rocks overhead and running into the stream, which, in turn, sank out of sight some distance further on.