Chapter Thirty One.
Comfortably settled down at the Den as Aleck’s guest and made most welcome, the middy felt not the slightest inclination to stir; but all through life there is to all of us the call of duty, and the lad was ready to recommence his, and eager to report to headquarters his discovery of the notorious smugglers’ cave.
Enquiries at Rockabie proved that the sloop and cutter had both sailed, so a letter had to convey some of the information—“a despatch,” the young officer called it; and after it was sent he constituted himself guardian of the smugglers’ treasure and headed a little expedition, composed of Aleck and Tom Bodger, to examine the land way down into the cave, which they approached by a rope provided by Tom, who said he didn’t “keer” about jumping down from that there shelf, because his legs were so stiff.
Then a descent was made by the sloping zigzag paths, till the corner was reached, about half way down, where the way was blocked.
“Only fancy,” said Aleck. “How we did fight to get out from below, and it’s all as simple as can be from up here.”
And so it was, for three stones had been drawn down the slope, one partly over the other and the other fitting nicely to either, but only requiring a little effort to pull them back, after—
Yes, it was after one smaller wedge-shaped piece had been lifted out by Tom Bodger, this wedge being like a key stone or bolt to hold the others in place so tightly that it was impossible so shift them from below.
Tom Bodger had just removed the last stone into a big recess, which had probably been formed by the smugglers to hold them, when the middy turned round sharply upon a dark figure which had, unseen before, been following them.
“Hallo!” he cried. “Who are you?”