In the hush that followed they could distinctly catch the sound of voices ahead of them. At first Tubby thought that they were those of some of the party in the cave who had come out to see what had become of them. But he was speedily undeceived.
One of the voices struck suddenly on his ear with an unpleasant shock. It was a harsh, grating voice, and Tubby, to his dismay, recognized it in a flash as being that of Stonington Hunt. He had heard it too often to be mistaken.
“Are you all ready?” Hunt was saying.
A sort of growl of assent followed these words.
“What can they be up to?” asked Hiram, who was also aware now of the identity of the voices in front of them.
“I don’t know,” rejoined Tubby in the same low tones; “as well as I can see, they are all on that cliff top alongside those balanced stones.”
“Wonder what they are doing up there?” mused Hiram; “I suppose that——”
His voice was drowned in a loud crash as the larger of two stones was pushed over the edge of the cliff. In a flash Tubby perceived the fiendish object of Stonington Hunt and his followers.
The great rock fell directly in front of the opening of the cave. The way in or out of the underground chamber was effectually blocked, unless the obstruction was blasted with dynamite.
Cold chills ran up and down Tubby’s spine. Hiram shuddered and turned white, and Jumbo groaned.