It was the mysterious bell again!
It was pealing with the same frenzied, timeless clamor that it had manifested on the two previous occasions they had heard it, but it sounded somehow much nearer than it had from the camp on the plateau.
“Ahoy there!” shouted Harry; determined if there was a human agency at work to get some sort of reply, “ahoy!”
There was only the echo of his voice coming hollowly back from the face of the cliff for an answer.
His shouts, however, awoke Frank and Billy.
“Whatever is the matter, Harry?” demanded Frank.
“It’s the bell again,” replied Harry in awestruck tones.
Before Frank could frame an answer or Billy could speak, the furious pealing broke out anew.
“Why, it’s close at hand—somewhere!” exclaimed Frank, after he had listened attentively, his head on one side, for several seconds.
“Sounds as if it might come from the cliff itself;” said Billy; who was feeling rather nonplussed as the metallic clashing continued without interruption, but in the same furious aimless way already familiar to the boys.