“Give it up, but I wish you would tell,” replied Dick. “Out with it! We are all dying to hear.”
“Old P. D. asleep!”
“What!”
“Old P. D. asleep, I tell you. Oh, I mean it! This cave is a wonderful place. You haven’t seen half of it yet, nor I, either, for that matter. You see I landed on the other side of the river this time and I had to swim across, but before I did it I browsed around there a bit and made my discovery. I was working down to the steps when I met you. Keep the lantern down lower, doctor, so that I may follow my trail. There, that’s right. Dick, I believe we can catch old P. D. after all and hold him till we can get Prof. Poynter up here.”
“It would be a big triumph if we could,” said Dick. “But I am waiting to have you tell me more about it, Charley. How did you make all these discoveries in the dark?”
“Why, it wasn’t done in the dark,” replied Charley. “I found a lantern here. It went out a few moments ago for want of oil, so I left it behind me. Oh, I haven’t told you all I have discovered yet.”
“Let’s have the rest of it then,” said Doctor Dan. “Hello! Here’s your lantern now.”
There it stood on the sand, close to the river bank. Charley ran ahead and picked it up. “Here’s where I crossed. It’s only knee deep—all stones in the channel. We have got to get over, but what will Clara do?”
“In a case like this if it is only knee deep I guess I can manage it,” said Clara. “I’m not afraid of getting my feet wet, Charley, when you are wet to the skin from head to foot.”
“Wait,” said Doctor Dan; “let me go over first and see.”