BURIED IN THE CAVE
The two boys looked suspiciously at Matt as he advanced, but neither words of cheer nor resentment came to their Lips. A few days ago Glen's greeting would have been quick and stinging. His silence spoke well for the first lessons of self-control. Apple felt so keenly Matt's injustice to Glen that the cordiality which was his natural offering to good and bad alike was completely choked.
But another splash caused all three to turn their looks again to the entrance and in a moment another head bobbed in sight. It was Chick-chick this time.
"'Lo, fellers!" he called out cheerfully. "D'ye know it's rainin' in solid sheets outside. Jest had to get in out of it. Old Matt, he's follerin' you. I's follerin' Matt. He dived. I dived. 'Tain't much drier in here than outside but anyway ye don't need umbrellas. Mighty little bit of openin' ye came through there. Skinned me elbow, I did."
"Come up here, Chick-chick," invited Apple. "We can use you. It's dry up here. And I don't know why you came, Matt, but since you're here you might as well help, too."
"I came to see what you were doing," said Matt. "I knew you didn't go out of camp in your bathing suits just for nothing and anyway I wanted to see if I could track you."
"Didn't bring your bread-box 'long, did ye, Matt?" asked Chick-chick innocently.
"Maybe I'd have better luck finding things if I was a confederate of those that hid them."
Was Matt trying to intimate that Glen had found the cave because of some confederacy with the Jervice gang? Glen felt his anger rising.
"That's enough of that," said Apple. "If you fellows want to help you can take turns one on top and one in the water. Come on up, Chick-chick."
With four pairs of hands they made quicker progress. Both the additional workers were strong and active, and Matt especially was urged on by the desire to show that he could do as much or a little more than any one else. Suddenly he stopped in his work and looked about in evident perplexity.
"What's the matter?" asked Apple. "Too much cold water? Maybe you'd better get out of it for awhile."
"Yes, there's too much of it, and it's too cold too. But what's bothering me is why there's so much. It was up to my waist when I began work. Then I threw down a big rock a foot high and stood on it and now it's more than waist high again. It must be rising."
"I thought we were getting this pile pulled down awfully quick," said Glen. "That's what's made it. The water has risen up to cover it."
Chick-chick straightened himself up and looked around in the gloom. Then he lifted the lantern by the light of which he had been working and swung it far over his head.
"Where's the opening we came in at?" he shouted.
They all looked in the direction where they expected it to be but not even the faintest glimmer of daylight shone in to tell of an opening.
"Do you suppose we've worked away here so long that it has got to be dark without our knowing it?" asked Apple.
"No. 'Tisn't more'n an hour since Matt and I invited ourselves in," objected Chick-chick. "Wasn't much past four then."
"It's the rising water," said Matt. "I was so busy and it came up so gradually I didn't notice it. The creek must be rising from the heavy rain."
"Another thing is we've thrown so much rock and rubbish down there that we've probably choked up that outlet below. There's no sign of it now," observed Glen.
"Say, fellers, I'm gettin' homesick," said Chick-chick. "Let's get out o' here."
"All right for me, Chick-chick," said Apple. "I'm not much of a swimmer in the dark. You lead the way."
"Not for Chick-chick. I'm no water-witch nor a pathfinder, I ain't. 'Twouldn't do for humble bug-hunter to take such honor. Let Matt and Brick draw straws for it."
"I'm willing to try it," Glen volunteered.
"I'm not afraid of it," said Matt, his natural bravery pushing him to the front at such a crisis. "Let me try."
"I hold big rock in one hand an' little rock in t'other. Fellow that guesses big rock goes," said Chick-chick.
"Right!" said Matt.
"An' Brick guesses left," said Chick-chick for Glen. "Matt gets the try."
"I know just about where the opening lies," he said, stepping on the pile of masonry. "I'll dive clear through the passage."
With a quick spring he disappeared beneath the turbid water.
The boys waited an anxious minute, swinging their lanterns far out over the current. Suddenly Glen thrust the lantern he held into Apple's hand and made a quick jump into the swirl of waters. He was up in a moment with a heavy burden.
"It's Matt!" he cried. "I saw his hand sticking out of the water and jumped for it. He's hurt himself."
The boys were down by his side in a moment, Apple holding a lantern high above his head.
"We must get him up on one of those ledges," said Glen. "He's breathing, but he isn't conscious."
It would have been a hard task under ordinary circumstances, but in their excitement the three scouts made light work of it. One ledge shelved down toward the water making their ascent easier, and from there they managed to lift the injured boy still higher, well out of reach of the water.
Blood was pouring persistently from a wound in the scalp, but with his knowledge of "first aid" Apple was able to stop this quickly by making pressure. They had no bandage material of any description but they took turns in making pressure with their fingers until the blood seemed inclined no longer to flow and the wound showed a tendency to be covered by a firm clot. Matt came to himself for a few minutes, spoke a few half-conscious words and then drifted off again into quiet; but this time it seemed more like the quiet of sleep so they made no effort to disturb him.
"He must have hit his head against something pretty sharp when he dived," said Glen. "I'll go more carefully and just swim gently along the side where the opening ought to be and reach out with my hands for it."
But while they were attending Matt the water had made a very appreciable rise. It would scarcely be possible to feel along the edges now. The water was too high.
"I'll have to swim under water, fellows," said Glen.
"Don't ye do it, Brick," advised Chick-chick. "You don't want to chance Apple and me having to make another rescue, with Matt on our hands already."
"You won't have to make any rescue. I'll swim easily and feel well in front of me."
"I don't like you to try it," said Apple. "We'd be in an awful fix if anything happened to you. There's no danger of the water coming up on these ledges, and it's bound to go down when the rain is over and the creek drops."
"Cheerful lookout, waiting here for that," said Glen. "The folks at the camp will go crazy if we don't show up by night. I've got to get out to carry the news and get help for Matt."
He jumped into the water without further argument and soon they could dimly see him feeling his way along the edge of the cave. It seemed a terribly long time before he came back.
"Haven't found it yet," he said with an attempt at cheer. "It seems as if it ought to be easy enough to find a two foot opening but the top shelves down pretty sharp just there and the opening is now probably five or six feet from the surface. It's mighty discouraging to swim around under there and not find anything. I must rest up a bit."
"Why are you putting that light out, Chick-chick?" asked Apple.
"We c'n see jest's well with one as two, an' I've an idea we may need it wuss later on," replied Chick-chick, significantly.
"You're not getting scared, Chick-chick?" said Glen.
"No, I'm not gettin' scared. I'm just tryin' to use me thinker a bit. We got a boy here that may need 'tention. Won't do to be without light. You fellers got any matches?"
"Yes, I have some," said Apple. "I've kept 'em dry, too."
"All right, then. If Brick has to quit experimentin' in the water without findin' anything, we'll put out t'other light, too, an' just use 'em when we need 'em. This water's goin' to go down sooner or later, but while we have to wait a light when we need it will be awfully handy."
"I'm not through, yet," said Glen. "As soon as I find that opening I'll run to camp and get a rope, and we'll have you fellows out in no time. I've got marks outside to show me how to get back in all right."
Glen stayed away longer the next time, but he came back, shivering and exhausted.
"I'm afraid it's no good for awhile, fellows," he admitted. "Once I thought I had it but a big log barred the way. Then I thought I'd feel where the current rushed in strongest and try there, but it's strong everywhere."
Just then Matt stirred and tried to rise but was held back by Apple.
"My head aches!" he murmured. "I can't find it."
"All right, Matty, old boy. You did your best. Lie back and go to sleep."
"I've slept enough," he declared. "What's the matter? Didn't we get out of that cave?"
"No. But it's all right. We'll get out after awhile. You just lie back."
"I'm all right now. Let me up. I remember diving and that's all. Who pulled me out of the water?"
"It was Brick, and it's just as good you should know it," said Apple. "He saw your hand waving around and jumped for you."
"It was easy enough," said Glen. "The water was only about shoulder high then."
"I would have done it for you," said Matt. "But I don't know that you had any cause to do it for me. It makes me feel pretty small after I've been such a beastly prig. I'll get even with you some way but I don't know how. Let me try diving for that hole again."
"Too big hole in yer head," objected Chick-chick. "The water 'd wash all your brains out. Awful strong current down there."
"Better not stir much," counseled Apple. "There's quite a bad cut you've got on top and we had a time getting the bleeding stopped. If you move about much you're likely to unsettle the clot and start it again. Better lie still."
"But I'm not just going to lie down and die here. I want to get out."
"Easy now, Matt. You don't help us by acting that way and you won't help us if you get your head started again either. Look at that water. Brick's worked in it till he's just about all in. You can't do any better than he."
"Who says I can't?" he cried, bristling at once.
"I'd say you can't if 'twould do any good," replied Chick-chick. "That's no way to act at such time 's this. Ye ain't bein' like a man or a Christian. See, ye've started the blood again and it's trickling down your face. Now lie down."
In the face of such conditions Matt had sense enough to desist from further opposition. He lay down again and soon the bleeding stopped.
"Chick-chick," he said, in subdued tones. "I give you leave to kick me if I act the fool again."
"There wouldn't be any pleasure in it, now," said Chick-chick. "Hold your offer till we get t' camp if ye want t' please me. What I say is let's put all lights out and everybody go to sleep."
"Suppose the water comes up on us," objected Matt.
"It won't. It can't rise much higher'n the creek level an' we're way above it now. Let's go to sleep."
"I can't," Matt still objected.
"What's matter? Head hurt ye?"
"Not so much. And I don't mind it so bad when we're all awake talking, but I'm afraid to have us go to sleep."
"You 'fraid, Brick?"
"No," said Glen. "I'm too tired."
"You 'fraid, Apple?"
"No, I'm scared, but I'm not afraid. But I don't wonder so much at Matt. I know how I'd be if I didn't know God had a firm hold of me, right now. Let's sing a little."
He started a familiar camp song, and from one song they went to another. When they were singing "Where He leads me I will follow" Chick-chick held up his hand.
"Matt's asleep," he whispered. "I'll bet his head's made him 'bout half crazy. Hope he sleeps till morning."
How many hours they slept they could not tell, for there were no timepieces. They would rouse, turn over, and drop asleep again, for each one was determined to sleep away as much of the waiting time as possible. It was probably early morning when at last Glen arose, stretched himself and carefully lighted a lantern.
"It's going down, boys," he announced. "The opening isn't uncovered yet, but it's two or three feet lower than it was last night."
They were all wide awake now, and all leaned over the ledge to form their own opinion.
"The current seems to run differently," said Glen. "It acts as if the rock we threw in has stopped up the old outlet and it was running back of the heap we pulled down instead."
"Yes, sir. Strikes me just that way," said Chick-chick.
"I'm going to take the other lantern and explore a little," said Glen. "You fellows needn't come. I'll holler if I find anything."
He disappeared behind the ruined arch, swimming and wading, but he was back in a minute, all excitement.
"There's a regular passage out this way, fellows. Seems to go clear through the Mound. The water's rushing down in a torrent. Come and see."
They needed no invitation, for they were down before he finished speaking. Around the crumbled masonry he led them, and pointed to an opening like a natural tunnel which, seemed to lead far into the bowels of the earth.