“I’m all right!” Sally shouted back. “After that turn it goes on straight for the longest way. I can’t see the end. But it’s perfectly safe. The planks are as strong as iron yet. There isn’t a sign of a cave-in. I’m coming back a moment.” She presently reappeared.
“Look here!” she demanded, facing her companion. “Are you game to come with me? We can bring Genevieve along. It’s perfectly safe. If you’re not, you can stay here with her and I’ll go by myself. I’m determined to see the end of this.” Her resolution fired Doris. After all, it could not be so very dangerous, since the tunnel seemed in such good repair. Forgetting all else in her enthusiasm, she hastily consented.
“We must take plenty of candles and matches,” declared Sally. “We wouldn’t want to be left in the dark in there. It’s lucky I brought a lot today. Now, Genevieve, you behave yourself and come along like a good girl, and we’ll buy you some lolly-pops when we get back home!” Genevieve was plainly reluctant to add her presence to the undertaking, but, neither, on the other hand, did she wish to be left behind, so she followed disapprovingly.
Each with a candle lit, they stepped down from the floor of the cave and gingerly progressed along the narrow way. Doris determinedly turned her eyes from the slugs and snails and strange insects that could be seen on the ancient planking, and kept them fastened on Sally’s back as she led the way. On and on they went, silent, awe-stricken, and wondering. Genevieve whimpered and clung to Doris’s skirts, but no one paid any attention to her, so she was forced to follow on, willy-nilly.
So far did this strange, underground passage proceed that Doris half-whispered: “Is it never going to end, Sally? Ought we to venture any further?”
“I’m going to the end!” announced Sally stubbornly. “You can go back if you like.” And they all went on again in silence.
At length it was evident that the end was in sight, for the way was suddenly blocked by a stone wall, apparently, directly across the passage. They all drew a long breath and approached to examine it more closely. It was unmistakably a wall of stones, cemented like the foundation of a house, and beyond it they could not proceed.
“What are we going to do now?” demanded Doris.
“The treasure must be here,” said Sally, “and I’ve found one thing that opened when you pushed against it. Maybe this is another. Let’s try. Perhaps it’s behind one of these stones. Look! The plaster seems to be loose around these in the middle.” She thrust the weight of her strong young arm against it, directing it at the middle stone of three large ones, but without avail. They never moved the fraction of an inch. Then she began to push all along the sides where the plaster seemed loose. At last she threw her whole weight against it—and was rewarded!
The three stones swung round, as on a pivot, revealing a space only large enough to crawl through with considerable squeezing.