So he ran down from the entrance of the cavern, and thence along by the way that they had come, through the thicket, until he came in sight of Beechnut.
“Beechnut,” said he, calling out very loud, “we have found a cavern;—may we build a fire in it?”
“Yes,” said Beechnut.
Then Phonny went back, and telling Malleville that Beechnut had said yes, he proceeded to kindle his fire.
It happened that there were two large stones, tolerably square in form, each of them, and flat upon the upper side, which were lying in the cavern in such places as to be very convenient for seats. When the fire began to burn, Phonny sat down upon one of these seats, and gave Malleville the other. The fire blazed up very cheerily, and the smoke and sparks, winding their way up the side of the rock, which formed the back of the cavern, escaped out through the opening at the top in a very satisfactory manner.
“There,” said Phonny, “this is what I call comfortable. If we only now had something to eat, it is all I should want.”
“I’ll tell you what,” said he again, after a moment’s pause, “we will send home by Beechnut, when he goes with his next load, to get us something to eat.”
“Well,” said Malleville, “so we will.”
Beechnut very readily undertook the commission of bringing Phonny and Malleville something to eat. Accordingly, when his cart was loaded he went away, leaving Phonny and Malleville in their cavern. While he was gone the children employed themselves in bringing flat stones, and making a fireplace by building walls on each side of their fire.
In due time Beechnut returned, bringing with him a large round box, which he said that Mrs. Henry had sent to Phonny and Malleville. It was too heavy for Phonny to lift easily, and so Beechnut drove his cart along until it was nearly opposite the cavern. Then he took the box out of the cart and carried it into the cavern, and laid it down upon Malleville’s seat.