Tom felt that he, too, would have liked to leap to his feet and hurl his body at the imprisoning rock, but he restrained himself by an effort.
“If I am to die, I’ll at least try to die as a man should,” thought the boy to himself.
For some time more they sat in gloomy silence. The only sound that broke the hush was that of Chillingworth’s sobs. Presently the professor arose, and not with any real sense of finding anything, commenced, with the aid of the lantern, a thorough examination of the cave. But if he had ever expected to find any outlet, he was disappointed. The place was without any other aperture than the one the fallen mass of stone had sealed.
“Do you think that any one will ever find our—our—bodies in this dreadful place?” said Tom, as the professor, abandoning his search with a sigh, rejoined the boy.
“I am afraid not,” said the scientist gloomily. “Why, what did you have in mind, my boy?”
“Why, I have a bit of chalk here,” said Tom. “I thought we might scrawl up our names and the date and what happened on the walls of the cave. It would be a record in case—in case—” his voice shook, but he controlled it bravely—“they ever found us,” he concluded.
“At any rate, it will be something to do,” agreed the professor, falling in with the idea heartily. “But why not leave a more complete message—an account of our strange captivity, and so on? I have a pencil somewhere, and a tablet for making scientific notes.”
“Good!” rejoined Tom. “You write the lengthy account while I chalk up a shorter record on the rocks.”
He turned toward the wall, looking about for a smooth place to letter their last message upon, while the professor began fumbling in his pockets for his pencil. The implement did not seem to be handy. At any rate, the man of science explored all his outside pockets without result. Then he began on his inside ones.
Suddenly, while he was feeling about inside his coat, he gave a cry that echoed oddly through the silences of the sealed cave. So sharp and so peculiar was the tone that Chillingworth looked up from between his hands.