Tom stared at the man in surprise. He knew quite well that the girls would not fight men. What did mis man mean? Could he be telling an untruth?
Then Tom suddenly knew that the man was hoping to trap him into saying something about the others. This mail did not know that the «others» were only two girls and a boy. He did not even know for certain that there were any others!
"Well, two can play at a game of pretend like that!" thought the boy. So he put on a face of great surprise and said:
"Golly! Are there others on these islands then? I wish I'd known! I could have asked them for help!"
The man looked surprised. So perhaps this boy had no friends then? Could it be that he was really alone? The man did not know what to think. He said no more but turned and went out of the cave. Tom couldn't help feeling pleased. The man had thought he might trap him—but he felt sure he had tricked the man!
It was very lonely in the Round Cave. Tom slept heavily all the night through, but found the day very, very dull.
He sat on a box and groaned deeply. Then he yawned loudly. He was bored. He was lonely.
He sat there, doing nothing; and then he heard a very peculiar noise above his head—a kind of scraping noise. Tom wondered what it could be.
"Perhaps it's a rabbit or something," he thought. "But no—it couldnt be. The roof of the cave is of rock."
The scraping noise went on—and then something happened that made Tom leap up in fright.