Pepper went down several feet and his hand struck some rocks. Andy followed, and the chums grabbed each other by the shoulder. The ducking came so quickly that each swallowed considerable water.
“Hi, what’s this?” spluttered Pepper, when he could speak.
“We are in the river!” answered Andy. “Look out that you don’t hit your head on something!”
The water was flowing swiftly, and forward shot the two boys, in darkness that was as intense as before. They felt the passageway narrowing and felt the sharp rocks on either side of them.
“We can’t be in the river!” gasped Pepper. “We must be in some underground stream, an off-shoot from the river!”
“I guess you are right!” groaned his chum. “But if it is an off-shoot where is it taking us?”
“I don’t know.”
There was little opportunity to say more, for the water was now boiling and foaming all around them. The boys were jerked first one way and then another, and all but had the breath knocked from their bodies. Andy was hit on the head by a projecting rock and dazed.
“Save me!” he moaned, and Pepper clutched him and held fast. Then Pepper was struck and for several minutes knew no more.
When the two boys were able to realize what had happened they found themselves still in the dark, but almost out of the water, which was rushing madly beside them. On all sides were rough rocks, some of them of immense size. From far overhead came a glimmer of light.