The Rover Boys on Land and Sea Part 37

No answer came back, and much alarmed, Tom got on his knees and tried to look into the opening. At first he could see nothing, but when his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he made out the form of his brother lying on some broken brushwood which the storm had swept into the opening.

How to get down to Sam was a problem, and Tom was revolving the matter in his mind when Sam let out another cry.

"Are you hurt, Sam?"

"N--not much, but m--my wind was kno--knocked out of me."

"Can you climb up to the top?"

"Hardly, Tom, the sides are very steep, and--yes, there is a regular cave down here," went on Sam.

"A cave?"

"Yes."

"Where does it lead to?"

"I don't know. It's on the south side of the opening."

Tom's curiosity was aroused, and bringing forth the new rope they had brought along for hoisting the flag, he tied one end to a tree and lowered himself to his brother's side. By this time Sam was on his feet and inspecting some scratches his left hand had received.

"Where is the cave, Sam?"

"There," and the youngest Rover pointed it out.

The opening was about two feet above the bottom of the gully. It was perhaps four feet in diameter, but appeared to grow larger within.

"If we had a torch we might investigate a bit," said Tom. "I'd like to know if the cave amounts to anything."

"It might have a pirate's treasure in it, eh?"

"Not likely, Sam. I don't believe it has ever been used. But if it was of good size it might prove handy for us at some time or another."

They looked around, and finding some dry brushwood made two rude torches. With these flaring brightly they entered the opening, the flooring of which was of rock and tolerably smooth.

"We could live in this cave, if it wasn't that the opening to it is in the gully," said Sam as they advanced.

"There may be another opening at the other end," said Tom. "It is certainly quite long."

They had advanced fully a hundred feet, and now found themselves in a chamber forty or fifty feet square. The ceiling was arched and so high that they could not touch it without jumping up.

"This is as good as a house," said Tom. "See how dry the flooring is. That proves that it is waterproof."

From the large chamber there were several pa.s.sageways, all leading toward the bay.

"Which shall we investigate first?" asked Sam.

"Let us start at the right."

"All right, Tom; the right ought to be right," answered Sam lightly.

On they went once more, the flooring now sloping before them. Here there was considerable moisture, and they had to walk with care for fear of slipping down.

Suddenly a number of bats flew out of a hole nearby, das.h.i.+ng against the torches and against the boys themselves. The rush was so unexpected that each youth dropped his light and put up his hands to protect himself.

"Get out! Let me alone!" spluttered Sam.

"Whoop!" roared Tom. "Confound the bats anyway! Get along and let us alone!"

Lying on the flooring the torches soon went out, and in their efforts to protect themselves from the bats the boys rushed blindly down the pa.s.sageway. Then of a sudden both slipped on the wet rocks, slid a distance of several yards, and went down and down, landing into a well-like opening with a loud splas.h.!.+

CHAPTER XXVI

THE CAVE ON THE ISLAND

"Tom!"

"Sam!"

"Are you safe?"

"Yes, but I wasn't looking for such a cold bath as this."

"I guess we must have fallen into a regular well of spring water."

"Never mind what we are in. The question is, how are we to get out?"

"Can you touch the top of the opening?"

"No."

"Neither can I."

Luckily the two boys could touch the bottom of the hole, so they were in no danger of drowning. They were in water up to their waists and calculated they had dropped a distance of two or three yards. All was pitch dark around them and as silent as a tomb, save for some water which trickled close at hand. The bats had departed, leaving them to their fate.

"This is cave-investigating with a vengeance," said Tom, with something like a s.h.i.+ver.

"Never mind, Tom, we won't die of thirst anyway."

"Do you think this is a laughing matter, Sam?"

"No, I don't. I'd give a good deal to be out of this hole and out of the cave also."

"I've got an idea. Let me climb on your shoulders and see if I can reach the top that way."