“Telling you now, aren’t I?”
“But how did you know?”
“Saw a pigeon fly out.”
“Well, that proves nothing. It only flew in to settle for a bit, and then came out again.”
“That’s what I fancied,” said Vince, trying his knot by standing upon the grapnel and tugging hard with both hands at the rope; “but I watched while you were lying on your back asleep and saw others go in and come out.”
“Well, that only shows that there are several nests there instead of one. I say, let’s bring some paste next time we come and make a pigeon pudding of young ones. I’ll get our cook to make us some. I’ll tell her what we want it for, and she’ll think we are going to make a sort of picnic dinner under a rock somewhere.”
“Wait a bit, and let’s try first,” said Vince. “There, I’m ready now. We did talk about examining that great crack when we came, but I thought it wasn’t worth the trouble till yesterday. I fancy it leads into another cave.”
“Hope it does,” said Mike. “Make this place all the more interesting.”
“Couldn’t,” said Vince shortly. “Come along and let’s see if I can catch a big fish without a bait.”
They went to the darkest corner of the outer cave, where the roof was highest, and after laying the rope ready, Vince took hold of it about two feet from the large triple hook, swung it to and fro several times, and then sent it flying upward towards the roof, where it struck the edge of the jagged crack ten feet or so above their heads and came down with a loud clang.