“I guess I can climb anywhere you can,” replied Oliver with a laugh; “and I can help my friend along.”
“Perhaps you had better stay behind,” suggested Colonel Mendix to Gus.
“No, no, I’ll go wherever he does,” cried the stout youth.
A look of disappointment crossed the Spaniard’s face.
“Very well then. Follow me.” And he led the way up a narrow passage, and through a small hole into a rough sort of chamber.
“We can only get to it this way,” he said. “To leave it one must take a different route.”
“How is that?” asked Oliver.
“Because to reach it this way one must drop down a distance of fifteen feet, and it is too much of a job getting back. But the other way the return is very easy, though rather long. Here is the place to drop, over these rocks. Do you think you can do it?” And he held the lantern over the edge.
“I guess I can,” replied Oliver; “but—but—”
“But what?” asked the colonel sharply.