OWEN AND MARTIN VISIT THE CAVE.
It was far into the night when the boys awoke. The fire had burned low,
and the rain which had been falling for an hour began to penetrate their
leafy canopy.
"Owen! Owen!" cried Martin, the first to awake, "it's raining."
Owen was stiff from the chilly night air. He rubbed his eyes and
stretched his limbs for some minutes before he realized his situation.
"Wake up! wake up!" Martin remonstrated, at the same time throwing a
handful of damp leaves into the sleeper's face as an additional
inducement. "You had better take me to that wonderful cave," continued
he.
"I dreamt about the place," said Owen, who was now fully awake, "and
that the two rocks had been turned into dogs."
"You must have been enjoying your dream, for I thought you would never
wake up. I was just going to put a little fire into your moccasins,"
replied Martin.
"That would have brought me in quick time, for a fellow can't sleep and
be roasted at the same time. But come, let us start. It's pretty dark,
and I'll have to turn Indian to find the cave a night like this."
"Keep your weather-eye open, Bounce," said Martin, turning toward the
dog. "Our rifles are damp. If there is a wildcat in the neighborhood,
you must do the fighting. Do you hear, old fellow?"
Bounce shook his head as if to say there was no danger while in his
company.
After plodding along and elbowing their way through the damp bushes, the
boys reached a hill which ran along the bank of the river for many
miles, rising at times to the height of some three hundred feet.
Carefully they clambered up toward the two giant rocks which could
scarcely be discerned in the gloom, Bounce occasionally giving a low
growl of alarm as they approached.
Again and again they stopped and listened, but nothing could be seen or
heard. They therefore concluded that it was only a fresh trail, and that
the animal itself was not near.
"I tell you it's dark," said Martin, who was the first to pass between
the two immense rocks into the cavern.
"Dark as a dungeon," replied Owen in a tone of voice that showed he was
not exactly pleased with the situation.
"All we need is a little fire to make things look home-like," said
Martin, at the same time searching for some dry wood.
As no wood could be found the boys were forced to remain in the dark
cave. Crouched together in a dry corner they tried to sleep, but could
not. Bounce continued to growl, and, since he never gave a false alarm,
they did not feel perfectly at ease. A strange and subdued sound seemed
to issue from the crevices of the rocks. Both boys listened, yet neither
spoke. Was it the dripping of the water from the damp arches above? What
could it be?
"Didn't you hear something?" asked Martin.
"I thought so," replied Owen, "but, when I listened again, I heard
nothing except the dripping water."
Here their conversation was interrupted by a low growl from Bounce.
"Something is wrong," said Martin. "I can't sleep here without a fire.
Let us look for wood again."
As they groped around in the dark searching for wood, Martin slipped,
and at the same time grasped the side of the cave to prevent his
falling. The huge rock yielded, and opened like the massive door of some
great dungeon, disclosing a lurid light farther in the cave.
"Heavens! what is this?" gasped the boy, losing his hold and letting the
rock swing back to its former position.
"A robbers' den," whispered Owen, trembling with fright. "They have not
seen us; let us get away as fast as we can."
Fortunately, the dogs did not bark. The boys would have left the place
unobserved, had not a man met them at the entrance.
"Who are you?" demanded he, in a gruff voice.
"Two boys; we were overtaken by the night, and had to sleep in the
woods. It commenced to rain, and we came here for shelter," said Owen.
"Youngster, don't tell me a lie! Is there no one around here except
yourselves?"
"No, sir! No one!"
"How--a--did you come to know about this cave?" asked the man in a
milder but hesitating way.
"I found it one day when I was out hunting," answered Owen.
"I found it in the same way," said the man. "The rain drove me in here,
too. It isn't a very good place to sleep, still we'll have to hold out
here until morning; so just lie down, boys, and try to take a rest."
"No, sir!" said Martin, looking toward the place where the big door had
opened. "We are going to leave this cave immediately. It's a robbers'
den or it's haunted."
"What! What did you say!" demanded the man, all his former gruffness
immediately returning.
"Robber's den! haunted!" stammered Martin, excitedly. "There's a big
door to the left. I opened it and saw a light."
"You did? You did? You saw a light in there?" growled the man. "Then,
boys, you have seen too much to leave here until I let you go. Don't try
to run away, or I'll kill both of you!" and he emphasized his threat
with an oath, at the same time swinging open the door and ordering the
boys to go into the inner part of the cave.
They obeyed tremblingly, and saw the rock door locked behind them.
"Now, boys," said the man, "this isn't a robbers' den. It isn't haunted,
either. If you sit down there and keep perfectly quiet, I won't hurt
you. But if you don't do as I tell you, you'll get into trouble." With
these words he left them, and passing through another door went farther
into the cave.
Our two young hunters were so frightened that neither spoke for some
time.
By the flickering light of a fire which had been kindled in the center
of the chamber they could examine their dingy prison. It was more than
eight feet high and twenty feet long, with solid rock walls and
incipient stalactites projecting from above. Skins of minks, foxes,
raccoons and wildcats were stretched on forked staves the full length of
the cave; and from their variety and number one would infer that he was
in the rude home of a trapper. Nothing else was visible, not even a
rough bench or a bed of straw. No doubt the occupant of this mysterious
cave had other apartments connected with this one.
Martin was the first to break the awful silence.
"What a fool I was," gasped he, "for telling him--about that door."
"Well, it's too late to cry about it now," replied Owen. "Are you much
frightened?"
"Why--I was so scared--that I thought--I should never recover--my power
of speech."
"My heart stopped beating."
"If mine stopped--it is making up for it now. It isn't beating--it's
hammering."
"I must confess that I don't feel very brave just at present," said
Owen, trying at the same time to force a laugh.
"I only wish we had Bounce in here with us," replied Martin.
"Yes, I am never lonesome in the woods when I have him with me. But,
say, Mart! did you notice that when the man left us, he opened another
door there to the right, and that there was another light farther in the
cave?"
"No; are you sure?"
Owen was about to answer, when the door in question was swung aside, and
the man entered, wearing a mask and carrying a bright torch.
"Well, boys," said he, "I see you didn't try to run away. I've been
thinking the matter over, and have come to the conclusion that I'll let
you go. Of course, you'll have to promise not to say anything about the
cave."
"We'll promise that," said Owen.
"And you will have to keep the promise."
"Oh, we'll do that, too," replied Martin.
"Glad to see you so willing; but we'll settle the whole matter in the
morning. Don't be afraid, I am not going to hurt you. Lie down and try
to rest until I come back. The ground is a little hard, it is true, but
it is dry; and there is no danger of catching cold."
He extinguished the few smouldering coals in the middle of the cave,
where a fire had previously been kept burning to dry the skins. After
again admonishing the boys not to move, he took his torch and departed,
leaving them in utter darkness.