“Come on, Tavia,” said Nat, appearing at the door of the cave, “We’ve found her all right, come inside and see!”
Fear fled with the words.
Found Dorothy! Oh, and in that awful place!
The girl sprang from her knees and she, too, entered the dark place.
“Dorothy!” she cried as the lost one fell into her arms. “Oh, Dorothy dear! What you must have suffered!”
“Yes, but let us get her outside,” insisted Ned. “This is no place to revive her. Come on Coz. You needn’t be the least bit frightened. We saw the fellows run over the hill. They’re in another town by this time. Just hang on to me. There, now I’ve put the gun away, so you won’t be afraid of that!”
“Oh,” gasped Dorothy, as she breathed the fresh air again. “What an awful experience! But, oh, I am so glad now—now I’m safe again,” and she sank exhausted on the grassy field.
“You poor darling,” whispered Tavia, fondling her lovingly. “And to think that I let you get entirely out of my sight. And I had promised to take care of you. Oh, Dorothy, how can you forgive me!” and at this Tavia burst out crying—the nervous strain of the past few hours summing up now into the girls’ ever ready cure-all—a good cry!
“Now, do you girls think you could stay here without—committing suicide or being kidnapped, while Ned and I just go in and explore?” asked Nat. “We saw the ‘goods’ in there, and there’s no time like the present.”
Dorothy and Tavia promised to “keep out of mischief,” so the two brothers again entered the cave.