"Nothing—I rested my hand in that blood yonder. But what is this—a cave?"
"It must be—and see! There are blood-stains on the inside edges of the rock. Whoever, one or many, have gone in there, taking poor Jack with them, either dead or alive," muttered Paley, as he drew back and carefully looked to his weapons.
"Then out of it they must come," determinedly returned Burr, his eyes glittering.
"But how? If in there, they have the advantage of us in every respect."
"There is only one way. We must enter and do the best we can."
"It looks like suicide, after what we see here; but if you dare risk it, I will not fail you. We can not desert the lad. He would risk as much for either of us."
"Here—let me pass in first. I can get some idea of what is before us, and if they mean mischief, they'll wait to make sure of us both. Do you keep back from the entrance, but ready to assist me if I call."
Pale but resolute, Wythe crawled into the hole, and then glanced quickly around him, as though in hopes of being able to penetrate the dense gloom. That his heart beat quicker than common, is no disparagement to his courage, for there is nothing so trying as facing an unknown danger in the dark.
Feeling around he found several pebbles, and flung them violently from him. From their faint echoes, he learned what he desired.
"It's a large cave, Paley," he uttered, as he emerged into the open air. "We must not enter without material for torches. We might pass within arm's length of poor Jack, and not know it."