About two o’clock Frank complained of being sleepy.
“You won’t mind if I go to sleep for an hour, Ernest?” he said.
“Oh, no,” answered Ernest. “I can read.”
Since his exploration of the day before Ernest had been longing to visit once more the same portion of the cave. But he wanted to go alone. He had a hope that through the aperture in the roof he might effect his escape. It would not do to have Frank with him, as this would interfere with his plan. Now the longed-for opportunity was almost at hand.
He took a volume from the bookshelf and sitting down beside the bed began to read. But his mind was not on the book, though at another time he would have enjoyed it. He watched Frank and in less than fifteen minutes saw that he was fast asleep.
Then he left the room, Juba being occupied in the kitchen. He secured his hat, as he would need it in case he effected his escape.
As he passed through that apartment in the cave where there were trunks and boxes it occurred to him to open one of them. He was rather surprised that it should be unlocked.
It was filled with a miscellaneous assortment of articles, but on top to his surprise and joy he recognized the envelope containing the bonds that had been taken from him.
If he left the cave he would want these, and therefore he had no hesitation in taking them. He put them in the inside pocket of his vest and kept on his way.
In a short time he reached the spot lighted by the aperture in the roof.