With Fred holding to the rope, they waited until another wave was coming in and then jerked upon the line. Then, as the wave receded, they rushed along with it, protecting themselves as much as possible from such rocks as might be over their heads. They felt the line tighten, and in a few seconds more came out into the daylight and were hauled close to the scow.
“Fred!”
“Gee, but I’m glad you’re all right!”
Such were the cries from Andy and Randy as the youngest Rover boy and the young major crawled aboard the scow. They were somewhat winded, and it was half a minute before they recovered sufficiently to tell of what they had seen.
“That must be the passageway!” cried Ira Small excitedly. “Mebby you kin git in it with a rowboat when the tide is low. Anyway, I think we ought to investigate.”
The boys thought so, too, and they calculated that the water would be at its lowest about three hours later.
“It will be dark by that time,” was Andy’s comment.
“I don’t care,” answered Jack. “I’m going to see what sort of place that is before I leave this island.”
“I think we can get in and out of that hole without a rope,” said Fred. “I mean while the water covers it. Just the same, it might be a good thing to fasten a line out here on the rocks and then carry it inside. Then a fellow could haul himself out if he had to.”