"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.
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