Five men, headed by the heavy fellow who spoke in broken English, passed
silently before the boys through the soft sand, their figures looking
black against the beautiful light which seemed to play on the ceiling of
the place. Then the leader stopped, and he gazed sharply round for a
few minutes, his eyes seeming to rest for some time upon the sand which
the boys had strewed over themselves and burrowed into as far as they
could get.
Vince shivered a little, for he felt that it was all over and that they
must be seen; but just as he had come to the conclusion that the best
thing he could do would be for them to jump up and throw themselves upon
the man's mercy, the great broad-shouldered fellow spoke.
"Dere sall not be any mans here. Let us go up and see vat they do--how
they get on."
Apparently quite at home in the place, he walked to the foot of the
slope, and for the first time saw the rope, and was told that it was not
theirs.
"Aha!" he cried, "it vas time to come here and look. _En avant_!"
He seized the rope, and in spite of his size and weight he went up
skilfully enough, the others following as actively as the boys would
have mounted; and while Vince and Mike lay perspiring beneath the sand,
they heard the next order come from the opening on high.
"Light ze lanthorn," said the Frenchman sharply; and, trembling now lest
the light should betray their hiding-place, the boys lay and listened to
the nicking of the flint and steel, heard the blowing on the tinder, saw
the faint blue gleam of the match, and then the gradually increasing
light, as the wood ignited and the candle began to burn; but throwing
the rays through into the cavern, they passed over the corner where the
boys lay, making it intensely dark by contrast, and they breathed more
freely as the dull sound of the closing lanthorn was heard and the
Frenchman growled out--
"_Vite! vite_! I have to lose no time."
People seemed to be doing something more, far in the passage, which
evoked the sharply spoken words of their leader; but what it was the
boys could not make out, though they heard a strange clinking, as of
pieces of iron being struck together, and then there was a loud clang,
as if a crowbar or marlinspike had fallen upon the stony floor.
"_Ah, bete_ with the head of an _Anglais cochon_--pig! You always have
ze finger butter. Now, _en avant_, go on--_depechez_, make haste."
There was the sound of footsteps, the shuffling over stones, as if the
men were not accustomed to the way; and then the light rapidly grew more
feeble, and finally died out.
"Phew!" sighed Vince, expiring loudly and blowing away the sand which
had trickled about his lips, but not without first more firmly closing
his eyes.
"Hist!" whispered Mike; and then he sputtered a little and whispered the
one word "Sand."
There was no need to say more; the one word expressed his position, and
Vince knew all he suffered, for the sand was trickling inside his jersey
round the neck, and if he had not raised his head a little it would have
been in his eyes, of which he naturally had a horror.
The two boys lay perfectly still in their corner, listening with every
sense upon the strain; and for some little time the movements of the men
could be heard very plainly, every step, every stone that was dislodged
sending its echo whispering along the narrow passage as a voice runs
through a speaking tube.
At last all seemed so still that they took heart to whisper to each
other.
"What shall we do, Cinder?" said Mike.
"I don't know, unless we go through into the other cave."
"What's the good of that?--they'll come back soon and find us."
"Unless we can hide somewhere among the bales, or right up in the back,
where it's dark."
"That might do," said Mike. "But, I say, what have they gone after?"
"To try and find us."
"But they don't know us."
"Well, the people who are using this cave, and they must know of the way
up to the top. Ah! that's it."
"Yes; what?" cried Mike excitedly.
"Hist! don't speak so loudly. They've gone up there to loosen some of
the stones and block the way, so as to put an end to any one coming
down; or else to lay wait and trap us."
Mike drew a long, deep breath; and it sounded like a groan.
"Oh dear!" he said; "whatever shall we do? Perhaps we had better get
through into the other cavern. They'll search this thoroughly, perhaps,
when they come back; but they mayn't search that."
"That's what I thought," said Vince. "Yes, it's the only thing for us
to do, unless we go into the seals' cave and try and hide there."
"Ugh!" said Mike, with a shudder. "Why, it may be horribly deep, and we
should have to swim in ever so far in the darkness before we touched
bottom; and who knows what a seal would do if it was driven to bay?"
"Better have to fight seals than be caught by these men, Ladle," said
Vince. "But we ought to have something to fight the seals with.
There's the big stick in the other cavern, and your knife."
"And yours."
"Yes; there's mine," said Vince thoughtfully. "Ah! of course there's
the conger club with the gaff hook at the end."
"To be sure. But, oh no, we couldn't do that. It would be horrible to
wade or swim into that hole without a light."
"We'd take a light," said Vince.
"Yes, but we'd better try the other cave," said Mike hurriedly. "I feel
sure we could hide in the upper part. Draw a sail over us, perhaps:
they'd never think we should hide in an open place like that, where they
landed."
"Very well, then: come on. Here's the lanthorn and the tinder-box."
Vince secured these from where they lay half buried in the sand; and
then, rising quickly out of their irritating beds, and scattering the
loose fine dry grit back, they hurried into the outer cave, seized the
rope and grapnel, and Mike was swinging it to throw up into the opening,
when his arm dropped to his side, and he stood as if paralysed, looking
wildly at his companion.
For that had occurred upon which they had not for a moment counted.
They had seen the party of men pass them, and it never struck either
that this was not all, till they stood beneath the opening in the act of
throwing the grapnel. Then, plainly heard, came a boisterous laugh,
followed by the murmur of voices.
They looked at each other aghast, as they saw that their escape in that
direction was cut off. There was no seeking refuge among the bales, and
in despair the grapnel was thrown down in its place; while, in full
expectation of seeing more of the smuggler crew come through the
fissure, they were hurrying back to the inner cave, when Vince turned
and caught up the conger club and the heavy oaken cudgel, holding both
out to Mike to take one, and the latter seized the club.
Enemies behind them and enemies in front, they felt almost paralysed by
their despair and dread, half expecting to find the party that had
ascended already back. But on reaching the dark cave all was perfectly
still for a few moments, during which they stood listening.
"Think we could find a better place to hide in here?" said Mike, in a
husky whisper.
"No; they had that lanthorn with them."
"But if we shuffle down in the sand again?"
"It's of no use to try it," said Vince sharply. "Once was enough. We
must try the seal cave."
"Then why did you come in here?" whispered Mike petulantly.
"Because you were afraid to go into that black hole in the dark."
"And so were you," said Mike angrily.
"That's right, Ladle--so I am," whispered Vince coolly; "and that's why
I came in here for the moment, to think whether we could possibly hide."
"Hist! I can hear them coming."
Vince stood listening to the murmur of voices coming out of the opening
above them.
"Ever so far back yet," he whispered; and he dropped upon his knees and
opened the tinder-box and the lanthorn, which he had placed before him
on the sand.
"No, no; don't do that," protested Mike, who was half wild with alarm.
"Can't help it: we must have a light," said Vince; and the cavern began
to echo strangely with the nicking of the flint and steel.
"Then come in the other cavern," said Mike, as he stood holding the club
and cudgel.
"Don't bother me. Other fellows would hear me there, and the wind blows
in."
And all the time he was nicking away, and in his hurry failing to get a
spark to drop in the tinder.
"Oh! it's all over," said Mike. "They're close here."
"No, they're not. Ah! that's it at last."
For a spark had settled on the charred linen, and was soon blown into a
glow which ignited the brimstone match; but, quick as Vince was in
getting it to burn and light the candle, it seemed to both an
interminable length of time before he could close the door of the
lanthorn and shut the half-burned match in the tinder-box.
This last he was about to hide in a hole he began to scratch in the
sand; but on second thoughts he thrust the flat box, with its rattling
contents, under his jersey, and caught up the lanthorn, which now feebly
lit the cavern.
"Yes," said Vince; "they're pretty close now, for the voices sound very
distinct. Come on."
He turned into the narrow passage to enter the outer cave, and they
stopped short in horror as they stood in the full light there, for a
loud chirruping whistle came suddenly from the fissure before them and
up to the left; and it had hardly ceased echoing when it was answered
from the inner cave behind them, and was followed by a shout, which
sounded as if the men were sliding down the rope and close at hand.
"Not much time to spare," said Vince, in a hurried whisper. "Come on,
Ladle." And, lanthorn in hand, the light invisible as he hurried to the
mouth of the cave, he stepped into the water, and, wading to the low
arch on their right, stooped low and went in, closely followed by Mike;
and, as they passed on, with the lanthorn light showing them the
dripping walls and root of the place, covered with strange-looking
zoophytes, there was a loud flopping, rushing, and splashing, which sent
a wave above their knees, and made Mike stop short and seize his
companion.
"Only a seal. Come on," said Vince; and he pressed forward, with the
water getting deeper instead of more shallow, and a doubt rising in his
mind as to whether they would be able to get in far enough to be safe.
"Hist! Quiet!" he whispered, for the sound of voices came to where they
stood, and Vince felt that if sound was conveyed in one direction it
certainly would be in the other.
"Mustn't say a word, or they'll hear us and be in and fetch us out in no
time. Come on, or they'll see the reflection of the light."
"Can't," whispered back Mike faintly. "I've got my boot down a crack,
wedged in."
Vince seized him sharply by the shoulder, and Mike nearly fell back into
the water; but this acted like a lever, and the boot was wrenched free,
just as another whistle was heard and its answer, both sounding
strangely near.
Quite certain that if they did not get in farther the reflection from
the lanthorn must be seen, Vince waded on, with the water rising from
his knees to his thighs, and then, feeling terribly cold, nearly to his
waist.
"We mustn't go any farther," said Mike in an excited whisper, "or we
shall have to swim."
"Very well, then, we must swim," said Vince, holding the light well up
above the water, and looking anxiously along the dark channel ahead, the
roof not being two feet above their caps.
Deeper still--the water above their waists--but the cavern went nearly
straight on, and Vince was about to open the door and blow out the
light, when Mike caught his arm.
"Don't do that," he whispered: "it would be horrible here, with those
beasts about. There, you can hear one swimming, and we don't know what
else there may be."
"But they'll see the light."
"Well, let them," said Mike desperately. "I'd rather wade out."
"I'll risk it, then," said Vince; and then he drew a breath of relief,
for at the end of a couple of yards the depression along which they had
passed was changing to a gradual rise of the cavern floor, and the water
fell lower and lower, till it was considerably below their waists, and
soon after shallow in the extreme.
They went on with mingled feelings, satisfied that they were getting
where they would not be discovered, and also into shallow water, that
promised soon to rise to dry land; but, on the other hand, they kept
having hints that they were driving back living creatures, which made
known their presence by wallowing splashes, that echoed strangely along
the roof, and made the boys grasp club and cudgel with desperate energy.
To their great joy, now, on looking back they found that they could not
see the daylight shining in from the mouth upon the water, and as, in
consequence, any one gazing into the cave was not likely to see the dim
rays of their lanthorn, the boys paused knee-deep, glad to find that
they need go no farther along the narrow channel--one formed, no doubt,
by the gradual washing away of some vein of soft felspar or steatite.
"Pretty safe now," whispered Vince.
_Plash_!
"Ugh!" ejaculated Mike. "What's that?"
"Seal or some big fish," said Vince: "something we've driven in before
us."
"I don't want to be a coward, Cinder," whispered Mike; "but if it's a
great conger, I don't know what I should do."
"Hit at it," replied Vince. "I should, even if I felt in a regular
squirm. But we needn't mind. The things we've driven up before us are
sure to be in a horrible flurry, and all they'll think about will be of
trying to get away."
"Think so?"
"Why, of course. You don't suppose there are any of the things that old
Joe talked about, do you?"
"No, of course that's nonsense; but the congers may be very big and
fierce, and isn't this the sort of place they would run up?"
"I dunno. S'pose so," said Vince. "They get in holes of the rocks, of
course; but I don't know whether they'd get up such a big, long cave as
this. Wonder how far it goes in? Pst!"
Vince grasped his companion's arm tightly, for they were having a proof
of the wonderful way in which sound was carried along the surface of the
water, especially in a narrow passage such as that in which they had
taken refuge.
For all at once the murmur of voices sounded as if it were approaching
them, and their hearts seemed to stand still, as they believed that they
were being pursued.
But the next minute they knew that the speakers were only standing at
the mouth of the cave and looking in, one of the men apparently
whispering close to them, and with perfect distinctness:--
"Seals," he said. "I came and listened last time I was here, and you
could hear 'em splashing and walloping about in the water. Like to go
on in?"
"No," said another voice. "Get 'em up in a corner and they'll show
fight as savage as can be; and they can bite too."
"Good polt on the head with a club settles them, though, soon enough."
"Ay, but who's to get to hit at 'em, shut up in a hole where you haven't
room to swing your arm? 'sides, they're as quick as lightning, and
they'll come right at you."
"What, attack?"
"Nay, I don't say that: p'r'aps it's on'y trying to get away; but if one
of they slippery things comes between your legs down you must go."
"Think there's any in now?"
"Bound to say there are. They comes and goes, though. Listen: p'r'aps
you'll hear one."
As it happened, just then there was a peculiar splashing and wallowing
sound from some distance farther in, and it ended with an echoing
report, as if one of the animals had given the surface of the water a
heavy blow with its tail.
"No mistake--eh?" said one of the voices.
"Let's get the lanthorn and go in," said one eagerly.
"Nay, you stop wheer you are. Old Jarks is wild enough as it is about
some one being here. If he finds any of us larking about, he'll get
hitting out or shootin', p'r'aps."
"I say," said another voice--all sounding curiously near, and as if
whispering for the two fugitives to hear--"think anybody's been
splitting about the place?"
"I d'know. Mebbe. Wonder it arn't been found out before. My hye! I
never did see old Jarks in such a wax before. Makes him sputter finely
what he does blaze up. I don't b'lieve as he knows then whether he's
speaking French or English."
"Well, don't seem as if we're going to ketch whoever it is."
"What! Don't you be in a hurry about that. If old Jarks makes up his
mind to do a thing, he'll do it."
"Think he'll stop?"
"Stop? Ay, for a month, but what he'll ketch whoever it is. Bound to
say they've been walking off with the silk and lace at a pretty tidy
rate."
"They'll be too artful to come again, p'r'aps."
"Ah! that's what some one said about the mice, but they walked into the
trap at last."
"What'll he do if he does ketch 'em?"
"Well, there, you know what old Jarks is. He never do stand any
nonsense. I should say he'd have a haxiden' with 'em, same as he did
with that French _douane_ chap. Pistol might go off, or he might take
'em aboard and drop 'em--"
_Murmur, murmur, murmur_--and then silence.
The speakers had evidently turned away from the mouth of the seal hole,
and the boys did not hear the end of the sentence.
"Oh!" groaned Mike faintly.
"I say, Ladle, if you make a noise like that they'll hear you, and come
and fetch us out."
"I couldn't help it. How horrid it sounds!"
"Yes," said Vince very softly, "but he has got to catch us yet. Who's
old Jarks? Here, I know: they mean the Frenchman: Jacks--Jacques, don't
you see?"
"Yes, I see," said Mike dismally.
"He's the skipper, of course. French skipper with an English crew.
They must be a nice set. I say, do you feel cold?"
"Cold? I don't feel as if I had any feet at all."
"We must have some exercise," said Vince grimly; and he uttered a faint
chuckling sound. "I say, though, Mike don't be down about it. He's
only a Frenchman, and we're English. We're not going to let him catch
us, are we?"
"It's horrible," said Mike. "Why, he'll kill us!"
"He hasn't caught us yet, I tell you, lad. Look here: we know
everything about the caves now, and we can go anywhere in the dark,
can't we?"
"Yes, I suppose so," said Mike dismally.
"Very well, then; we must wait till it's dark, and then creep out and
make for the way out."
"Is no way out now: it's either stopped up or watched."
"Well, then, we'll get out by the mouth of the smugglers' cave, and
creep up on to the cliffs somewhere."
"Current would wash us away; and if we could get to the cliffs you know
we shouldn't be able to climb up. We're not flies."
"Who said we were? Well, you are a cheerful sort of fellow to be with!"
"I don't want to be miserable, Cinder, old chap, but it does seem as if
we're in a hole now."
"Seem? Why we are in a hole, and a good long one too," said Vince,
laughing softly.
"Ah, I can't see anything to joke about. It's awful--awful! Cinder, we
shall never see home again."
"Bah! A deal you know about it, Ladle. That French chap daren't shoot
us or drown us. He knows he'd be hung if he did."
"And what good would it do us after he had killed us, if he was hung? I
shouldn't mind."
"Well, you are a cheerful old Ladle!" said Vince. "Why don't you cheer
up and make it pleasanter for me?"
"Pleasanter?" said Mike. "Oh!"
"Be quiet, and don't be stupid," said Vince. "Look here: don't forget
all you've read about chaps playing the hero when they are in great
difficulties."
"Who's going to play the hero when he's up to his knees in cold water?"
cried Mike bitterly.
"Well, he has a better chance than if he was up to his neck; same as
that fellow would have a better chance than one who was out of his
depth."
"I say," cried Mike excitedly, "does the tide run up here and fill the
cave?"
"No. It was high water when we came in, wasn't it? We never saw it
more than half-way up the arch. Now look here, Ladle: we're in a mess."
"As if I didn't know!"
"And we've got to get ourselves out of it, because nobody knows anything
about this place or our having come here. Think Lobster will say he has
seen us come this way once? He's sure to hear we're missing and that
they're looking for us."
"I don't suppose he will," said Mike dismally. "If they came this way
they wouldn't find the hole. They'll think we've gone off the cliff and
been drowned. What will they say! what will they say!"
These words touched Vince home, and for a few minutes a peculiar feeling
overcame him; but the boy had too much good British stuff in him to give
way to despair, and he turned angrily upon his companion:
"Look here, Ladle," he said: "if you go on like this I'll punch your
head. No nonsense--I will. I don't believe that French skipper dare
hurt us, but we won't give him the chance to. We can't see a way out of
the hobble yet, but that's nothing. It's a problem, as Mr Deane would
say, and we've got to solve it."
"Who can solve problems standing in cold water? My legs are swelling
already, same as Jemmy Carnach's did when he was swept out in his boat
and nearly swamped, and didn't get back for three days."
"You're right," said Vince. "I can't think with my feet so cold. Let's
get into a dry place."
"What, go out?"
"No," said Vince; "we'll go in."