Part 47 (1/2)
”Then good-bye.”
”No, no, don't go! Don't go!” begged Tad.
”Say you won't tell on her, Mr. Phipps. Don't you see--”
”All right, girl, I'll promise to keep your secret.”
”You'd better,” retorted the girl.
”How did you know we were here?” asked Mr. Phipps.
”I didn't. I heard about the explosion, so I came in here to see if my cave had been harmed any.”
”You knew we were right under it, then?”
”Of course. How stupid you are!”
”Where is your cave?”
”I'm in it.”
”Yes, I understand that, but where?”
”You ask too many questions.”
”Say, young lady, can you find a rope that will reach down to us?”
asked Tad, who had been turning over a plan in his mind.
”I guess.”
”Please do so then. And hurry, won't you?”
”You will ask no questions?”
”Certainly not!”
”You won't try to find out anything about my cave?”
”No, no, of course not,” answered Mr. Phipps impatiently.
”And you will do as I tell you?”
”Yes.”
”All right. I'll be back in a minute.”
Mr. Phipps sat down nonplussed. ”I never was so mixed up in my life,”
he grumbled. ”I can't understand it at all. How did she ever get there?”
”She says it's a cave,” suggested Tad.