“Here he comes back,” said Chris, as he saw the American turn and begin to descend by another way, leaving the rushing torrent above him and following the sharp descent into the bottom of the gorge, along which he made his way till he was level with and joined them.
“Find the door locked?” said Wilton, laughing.
“No,” was the reply, as the American stretched himself on the grass.
“No? You couldn’t have got along that way any further, could you?” said the doctor.
“Oh yes; the place seems to come to a blank end from here, but from up yonder you can see that it doubles back round a sharp corner to the left.”
“But the mules couldn’t get by?”
“Oh yes; it looks narrow, but not so strait as that. We can ride along.”
“Indeed?” cried Bourne, while the boys listened eagerly.
“I half thought we should have to go back, but it’s all right. This place only zigzags a bit, and we can get through into the next valley when the beasts have had their feed. It’s much better to go forward than journey back.”
“Did you find anything when you were chipping up there?” said Ned.