“Seal!” cried Will; and as he spoke there was a splash as if the creature had dived off a rock into the water.
But they had something more interesting than the seal to take their attention, for all at once there was a faint greeny transparency right before them. Then it darkened, lightened again, darkened and lightened more or less till, all at once, there was a flash, so short, quick, and brilliant that it dazzled their darkness-becurtained eyes like lightning.
“Hoo-ray!” shouted Dick, stamping his feet on the bottom of the boat. “Now, all together—hip-hip-hip hooray!”
Arthur, Will, and Josh joined in making the cave echo as there was another and another flash of light, and soon after the arch at the mouth of the cave began to open more and more; and at last the boat floated out into the dazzling afternoon sunshine, and was rowed steadily back.
“Been shut-up in a zorn!” cried Mrs Marion, who declared that the dinner was spoiled; “then it was all the fault of that great idle Josh and that stupid, good-for-nothing boy.”
“No, Mrs Marion,” said Mr Temple gently, “the fault was entirely mine.”