It was not until Dick and Clara had reached the Boiling Pot that the
girl spoke again.
“Where is Charley?” she asked. “Why isn’t he here?”
Then Dick called a halt and told the whole story.
Doctor Dan had been waiting for them and he listened with close
attention.
“It’s a bad business,” he said. “In all probability Charley has been
sucked down into that underground river again, but as he went down once
and escaped, he may have escaped a second time. Anyhow, let us hope so.
Now, Dick, don’t you want to know how I came to be here, and where I
got the head that scared your friend Mudd so?”
“Indeed I do,” replied Dick, “and I want you to understand that I don’t
give up hope about Charley at all, but one thing is certain, we have
got to go down into the cavern and see if we can find him.”
“Sure,” said Doctor Dan, “and we will find him. Now listen to me. There
seem to be many ways into that cavern. I’ve been there. I found the
Plesiosaurus’ head there. I came upon an opening in the rocks away over
on the other side of the lake, near our camp, and, following it up, it
took me into the cavern. I came out the same way you did. I crossed the
underground river and, what is more, I struck your trail. I can take
you back to camp the same way and we can hunt for Charley as we go.”
This seemed to be entirely the correct scheme and Dick and Doctor Dan
lost no time in carrying it out.
The only objection Dick made was that they would have to work in the
dark, but this Doctor Dan soon disposed of by producing a lantern,
which he had brought along with him and hidden among the rocks in the
canyon.
Then they hurried on to the stone steps and were soon down in the
cavern once more.
Armed with the lantern, Doctor Dan went ahead and had no difficulty in
following his own trail, for the floor of the cavern was composed of
soft sand and the guide’s footsteps plainly showed.
Now we have said but little about Dick’s anxiety for Charley, because
there has been so much to tell, but it was of the keenest kind.
As they walked along by the side of the underground river Dick kept
shouting Charley’s name, as he had done before, hoping to get an
answer, and before they had gone any great distance sure enough he did.
Of course this threw the whole party into a great state of excitement
and they hurried forward and soon came upon Charley, who was running
toward them along the river bank.
“It’s all right, Dick!” he shouted. “I came down as easy as you please.
No trouble about the Boiling Pot once you know how to handle yourself
in it. Hello, doctor. How in the world did you get over this side of
the lake? Oh, Dick, I’ve got such news to tell!”
Charley was so excited that he could hardly wait until Dick had told
what happened at the hut, although he insisted upon hearing it all
before he would explain.
“We have got to look sharp or that scoundrel Mudd will finish us up
sooner or later,” he exclaimed. “Now, then, Dick, what do you suppose I
have found?”
“Give it up, but I wish you would tell,” replied Dick. “Out with it! We
are all dying to hear.”
“Old P. D. asleep!”
“What!”
“Old P. D. asleep, I tell you. Oh, I mean it! This cave is a wonderful
place. You haven’t seen half of it yet, nor I, either, for that matter.
You see I landed on the other side of the river this time and I had
to swim across, but before I did it I browsed around there a bit and
made my discovery. I was working down to the steps when I met you. Keep
the lantern down lower, doctor, so that I may follow my trail. There,
that’s right. Dick, I believe we can catch old P. D. after all and hold
him till we can get Prof. Poynter up here.”
“It would be a big triumph if we could,” said Dick. “But I am waiting
to have you tell me more about it, Charley. How did you make all these
discoveries in the dark?”
“Why, it wasn’t done in the dark,” replied Charley. “I found a lantern
here. It went out a few moments ago for want of oil, so I left it
behind me. Oh, I haven’t told you all I have discovered yet.”
“Let’s have the rest of it then,” said Doctor Dan. “Hello! Here’s your
lantern now.”
There it stood on the sand, close to the river bank. Charley ran ahead
and picked it up. “Here’s where I crossed. It’s only knee deep--all
stones in the channel. We have got to get over, but what will Clara do?”
“In a case like this if it is only knee deep I guess I can manage it,”
said Clara. “I’m not afraid of getting my feet wet, Charley, when you
are wet to the skin from head to foot.”
“Wait,” said Doctor Dan; “let me go over first and see.”
He pulled off his shoes and stockings, rolled up his trousers and waded
across, but Charley plunged right in and crossed, for he could not have
been wetter than he already was.
“I can carry you across, miss, if you will let me,” called Doctor Dan,
as he started back. “Don’t be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you even if I
am an Indian and your father is my enemy.”
“Go, Clara. It will please him,” whispered Dick.
“Certainly I will let you,” replied Clara, and Doctor Dan stooped down,
gathered the girl’s skirts together about her ankles, then lifted her
up and carried her across the stream as easily as though she had been a
baby.
Dick hastily followed and they had no sooner joined Charley on the
other side than he picked up the lantern and hurried forward away from
the river so fast that they could hardly keep up with him.
“We are right there now!” he called out. “Come on! Come on!”
To their surprise a few moments later they emerged from the cavern and
found themselves standing under the stars.
“Hello!” cried Doctor Dan; “this beats me. I had no idea of anything
like this.”
It was a most peculiar spot. Before them lay a broad pool of water,
perhaps a hundred yards across, beyond which was a low ridge of rocks,
and over this they could look off upon the Bad Lands for miles and
miles.
“There you are!” cried Charley, pointing down into the pool. “He lies
just as I left him--old P. D. asleep!”
Sure enough, at the bottom of the pool, with its head tucked in under
its huge body, lay a specimen of the strange prehistoric monster which
Dick and Charley had come up into the Bad Lands to find.