“It was too bad to disturb them,” said Rose, who always meant to be polite to animals and birds. “But I did so want to see what was on these rocks. Come, Sue; let us climb down on that other side.”
This was the side farthest away from the bathing beach, looking straight out to sea. They scrambled down towards the water, and finally they came to a great hole like a well, that seemed to go down forever.
“Oh, look!” cried Rose. “I do believe there might be a treasure hidden in the bottom of this hole. Doesn’t it look mysterious, Sue?”
“Oh, yes!” said Sue. She did not know what “mysterious” meant, but she thought it had something to do with treasures.
“Look, there are cracks in the side, like steps,” said Rose. “Let’s go down.”
“Oh, do you dare?” cried Sue. “There might be something awful at the bottom.”
“Pooh!” said Rose. “I am not afraid. I am going down.” And she began to descend, fitting her bare toes into the cracks of the rocks. Sue was afraid, but she followed, for she did not dare be left behind.
They went down for what seemed a long way, when suddenly there was a funny noise below them. “Chug!” went something; and it sounded like a growl. Sue gave a loud scream.
“Oh!” she cried. “There is something down there!” And she began to scramble up. Now Rose did not mind the “chug” so much as she did the scream. Rose hated screams. When Sue cried “oh!” so suddenly, it startled Rose. She jumped; her foot slipped out of its crack, and she fell.
Down she tumbled, bumping herself on the rocks as she went. She came flat on the bottom of the hole with her foot doubled under her, and she gave a cry of pain.