“Now, Mars Sam,” he said. “You hold on me, an’ come down.”
This I quickly did, and found the feat much less difficult than I had feared. Just at the top where my companion’s feet rested, there was sufficient incline to enable me to lean against the rock, and a few steps further on the ledge widened until the path was quite easy to follow.
I went first, followed closely by the black, and although it was not a descent one would have chosen for a pleasure excursion there was little of danger to be encountered by those with cool heads and determined hearts, such as we strove to maintain.
Round and round the great pillar of rock we crept, nearing the foot gradually until we came at last to the side facing the main cliff and found the opening of a large cavern beside us.
Filled with eager curiosity I took a step or two inside, and found the cavern to be fully ten feet in height and about fifteen feet in depth. There was no light except that which came through the round entrance, and as this faced the side of the cliff it was so shadowed that it required a few moments for me to accustom my eyes to the gloom, so that I could see plainly the interior of the cave.
Its floor was strewn deeply with sand, an evidence that when the waves rolled high they rebounded from the face of the cliff and deposited their sand in the cavern. The marks of numerous footprints, however, were all that could be seen in the cave, and it did not take me a moment to guess what had occupied the robbers so long.
“They’ve buried the sacks of gold and the provisions under the sand!” I exclaimed.
“Sure ’nough,” agreed Nux.
“It will take us some time to dig for them, for we don’t know exactly where to look,” I continued, reflectively, “so our best plan will be to go down to the beach and discover what has become of Daggett and his crew, and whether they’re liable to come back here before night.”
The black readily agreed to this, so we at once left the cave and continued along the ledge until we reached the sand.