“Well?” said Aleck.
“This place gets narrower. It seems to me that if the roof fell in it would make another of those caves you have all along this coast. I shouldn’t wonder if in time all the top of this comes in and opens the mouth so that the waves can rush in and wash it bigger and bigger.”
“Very likely,” said Aleck. “Look here!”
He held down the candle to show that they had come to the end of the deep water, which was continued farther in by a series of pools, which were probably only joined into one lane of water at very high tides.
The middy said something of the kind, and then pointed out, as they progressed slowly, that the pools grew smaller and smaller till they came to an end, where the cavern had grown very narrow and seemed to be closing in, and where a huge mass of stone blocked the way.
“How are we to go now? Climb right over that big lump? I don’t believe there’s room to crawl between that and the roof.”
“I say,” replied Aleck, excitedly, “it’s wet right up.”
“All the worse for our clothes,” was the reply; “but is it any use to go any farther?”
Aleck’s answer took the shape of action, for he sank upon his knees, set the piece of slate which formed his candlestick upon the rock floor, and going down upon his chest reached out and scooped up some of the water of the pool in his palm and raised it to his lips.
“Don’t swallow it,” said his companion; “it will only make you horribly thirsty.”