And in a different way this is just what happened. Dick was brought up with a round turn before he knew it.
Suddenly the suction ceased and he went shooting forward; the next he knew his head was out of water and he was swimming for all he was worth down a swiftly flowing stream.
He was now in a mighty cavern and it was comparatively light.
Above him was the roof with immense stalactites hanging down like great icicles; the wall on his left was covered with the same glittering white formation; on the right the cave extended off into the distance further than the eye could reach; on ahead there was no roof, the cavern being open to the sky for a space of several hundred feet, which admitted light and air and enabled Dick to take in his surroundings.
It was a truly wonderful place. Doubtless the opening was at some inaccessible point far up on the top of the mountain. It was at least a hundred feet up from the floor of the cavern and nothing without wings could hope to reach it.
The stream rushed on with tremendous rapidity and Dick, feeling that he might be swept into a worse place, made all possible haste to get ashore, something not to be accomplished without difficulty, but at last he managed it, and, wet to the skin and gasping for breath, he sank down upon the sand and lay there, scarcely caring whether he lived or died.
This state of things lasted only for a few moments, however.
Dick’s strength soon returned and he scrambled to his feet and gave the peculiar shout which had been agreed upon as a signal between Charley and himself.
There was so answer, although Dick shouted again and again. Still he did not give up hope now, for it was easy to imagine that Charley might have been swept on further and still have escaped.
Dick ran on, calling, wild with anxiety, but nevertheless keeping cool, until at length he came under the opening, where he halted from sheer exhaustion and again sank down upon the sand.