“I don’t know,” said Rose. “But it is dreadful. I want to go home.”
“What shall we do?” wailed Susan, beginning to cry.
“Don’t do that!” said Rose. “It will not do any good, you know. Oh, of course, you will have to go home and get somebody to come and help me.” She shuddered to think of being left alone. “Go quickly, Sue. And oh, do come back as soon as you can!”
“I will,” said Sue; and she began to climb out of the hole. Rose’s heart sank as she heard the sound of Sue’s feet growing fainter and fainter, and she almost called her back; but she bit her lips and tried to be brave. When Sue called down “Good-by!” she felt her heart grow very cold indeed. It sounded so far away. Every one was so far away, and she was alone in that dreadful place with no one to help!
Just then chug! came that sound again. What could it be? There surely was something in the cave beside herself. Rose stared fearfully into the dark corner, but still she saw nothing. She waited nervously for the noise to come again. There it was, louder than ever,—chug! And this time a little splash of water spurted out of the darkness. Was some animal splashing there?—Why, no! Of course, it was a little wave coming in from the sea. There must be a crack in the bottom of the cave. Well, that was not so bad. Rose almost laughed to think how frightened she had been. But her foot gave a twinge of pain and she cried “Ow!” instead.
Rose wondered how long she would have to stay there. It would take some time, she knew, for Susan to run home and bring her father back. But already it seemed as if she had waited for hours.
Chug! came the noise again, very fiercely. This time a spout of water spattered across the cave into Rose’s lap. She did not like this, and painfully drew herself as close as she could against the wall of the cave, so that the next wave should not reach her. But it did reach her. In a few minutes there came another chug! very loud indeed, and with it there was a bang which seemed to shake the rock itself. In a second a jet of water burst out of the darkness, spattering Rose from head to foot. She screamed, for now she knew what it meant. The tide was rising, and the waves were rushing into the crack at the bottom of the cave. By and by it would be full of water, and then what would become of her?
There came another chug! and a bang on the wall outside, and she heard a big wave burst over the rock. A second later the spout of water leaped at her, bigger than ever, and at the same time a little stream began to trickle down into the hole from above. The waves were dashing across Gull Rock, and soon the cave would be flooded!
Poor Rose was now thoroughly frightened. Once more she tried to rise and pull herself up the well. But it was of no use. She could not stand on her foot, and she sank back with a moan.
Another wave dashed against the rock, and when it trickled away it left Rose drenched and gasping for breath. What should she do? She knew that if something did not happen to help her in a few minutes, she should be drowned. Oh, why did not Sue hurry? Why did not Papa come?