DEATH IS NEAR
"Frank, are you there?"
"Yes, Andy. Give me your hand."
The two brothers spoke softly. It was in the darkness of the cave, for
they had both released the pressure on the springs of their portable
lights to make the little dry batteries last as long as possible. It
was several minutes after the first awful discovery of the incoming
tide, and they had maintained a silence until the younger lad, unable
to longer endure the strain, had called out.
Silently they clasped hands in the blackness.
"Frank, do you--do you think there's any way out?"
"Why, of course there is, Andy. All we've got to do is to wait a
while, and someone will surely come to our rescue. Father and mother
know we started for this island, and if we don't get home soon they'll
start a searching party after us."
"Yes, but the rising tide, Frank. We--we may drown."
"Nonsense. The water can't get very high in here. We'll simply go to
the highest part of the passage, and wait until the tide goes out.
That won't be so very long. What makes me mad though, is to think how
that man fooled us. That was his object all along. He wanted to get
us in here so he could drop that rock across the opening and have us
caged."
"Can't we try to get out?" asked Andy. his usually joyous spirits had
departed. He was very much subdued now, and in the momentary flash of
his light, which he permitted himself, Frank saw that his brother was
very pale.
"Of course we'll try!" exclaimed the elder lad, with all the assurance
he could put into his voice. "Perhaps we can manage it, too. Let's
have a try. It's of no use to do it here. We must go back to where he
pushed down the rock. Perhaps it isn't in as tight as we thought at
first. Come on. But don't use your light. Mine is enough, and we
must save them as long as we can."
By the gleam of the single electric torch they made their way back.
Soon they were at the rock which made them prisoners. It loomed grim
and black in the semi-darkness.
"The water's higher," said Andy, in a low voice. Frank had noticed
that, for it now reached to his ankles as he splashed his way back
along the passage. But he had said nothing, hoping Andy had not
observed it.
"Yes," said the older boy cheerfully, "It's bound to rise until the
tide is at flood, and then--why, it will go down again--that's all."
"But suppose it fills this cave?"
"Nonsense! It can't. I'm not going to suppose anything of the sort.
Now come on. Let's see if we can move this rock."
Together they pressed on the stone with all their strength. They might
as well have tried to budge the side of a mountain. The rock was
firmly wedged in place.
"It's no use," spoke Andy, in a dull, hopeless tone.
"Oh, don't give up so easily," urged his brother. "If we can't do it
one way, we may another. See, it has slid down in a sort of groove.
Only a little ridge of rock on either side holds it in place. Now if
we can break away those upright ridges, which are like the pieces on a
window sash up and down which the window slides, we may be able to push
the rock out. Let's try. Use your knife and take a rock for a hammer."
Frank placed his torch on a ledge of rock, tying the spring down by a
piece of cord so that the light would focus on the big bowlder. Then,
with their pocket-knives as chisels, and stones as mallets, they began
their futile attempts to cut away the holding ridges of rock.
That it was a futile attempt was soon made evident, for their knives
slipped off the flint-like stone, and several times when the blades
unexpectedly shut, the lads received severe cuts on their hands.
Suddenly Andy uttered an exclamation:
"The water! It's getting deeper!" he cried
It was up to their knees now.
"Of course it getting deeper," said Frank, with a cheerfulness that he
was far from feeling. "The tide isn't half in yet."
Andy shuddered.
"What will we do when it's high water?" he asked.
Frank did not answer, but kept on chipping away at the rock. He
managed to break off several pieces, but it was easy to see that it
would take much more work to loosen the retaining ridges so that the
bowlder that imprisoned them would fall outward.
"There it goes!" suddenly exclaimed the older brother in despair.
"I've broken my knife blade! You'll have to do all the work, Andy."
"Oh, what's the use?" sighed the younger lad. "The water is coming in
faster. See, it's up to our waists now, and the tide is nowhere at
full! We're doomed, Frank!"
"Not a bit of it. See that ledge of rock up there? We'll climb up on
it and wait until the water goes down. Then maybe someone will come
for us, or we can get out. Climb up, Andy. We won't try to break off
any more rock."
Frank helped his brother to take a position on the narrow ledge. It
was barely wide enough for two, but, somehow, they managed to cling to
it. The surface was wet, and there were little puddles of water here
and there. Seeing them in the gleam of his light, Frank could not
repress a shudder.
"The tide must come up even to here," he thought. "If it comes up to
the roof--well, that's the end of us." But he said nothing to Andy.
Slowly the water rose. They boys watched it, sitting on the narrow
ledge with their feet and legs dangling off. From time to time Frank
would flash his light on the little lapping waves.
"It will soon stop," he said, as cheerfully as he could. But he did
not believe himself. He held Andy's hand in a firm grip.
Higher and higher rose the tide. It was at the knees of the boys now,
and still mounting.
"Let's stand up," proposed Frank at length. "I'm tired of sitting."
They took an upright position on the ledge of rock. Their heads just
touched the rocky roof of the cave. In fact Frank, who was a trifle
taller than his brother, had to stoop.
"Now we'll be all right, Andy," he said. "We can stand here until the
water goes down."
"If--if it doesn't touch the roof," was the solemn answer.
Frank said nothing.
Standing on the ledge, high above the floor the cave, the water now
lapped their ankles once more. Frank could feel it creeping
higher--ever higher. In spite of himself, a horrible fear took
possession of him. Death was very near, he thought--a terrible death
by drowning in the cave where they were caged like rats in a trap.