In consequence of David’s alertness, they were routed out of bed the following morning while yet there was only the most pallid hint of gray in the east to foretell the dawn. When Billy Walker found that he required a lamp to direct the process of his toilet, he was in a state of revolt. He was thoroughly disgusted when he discovered artificial light a necessity at the breakfast-table. He made it plain to all and sundry that nocturnal ramblings were not to his mind. But he sank into wordless grief when the party set forth in the launch, for darkness still prevailed, and he heard Jake announce that there would be a full hour before the rising of the sun.
David, for his part, was all eagerness to be at work. Saxe, too, now that he was in the open, gave over for a time his dreams of the one woman, and was filled with zeal toward this final struggle for the attainment of fortune. He believed that the day would determine success or failure in the quest for Abernethey’s gold. He had seen to it that the equipment contained whatever might be necessary for thorough exploration of the cavern. In the launch were lanterns, ropes, pickaxes, shovels, and a miscellany of things, selected by himself, David and Jake in council. There was, too, a big hamper of food, so that they would not need to return to the cottage for luncheon.
On the arrival of the party at the island, they made their way at once to the cavern, carrying only the lanterns. The other things were left in the launch, to be got as occasion should require after the preliminary search. None of them suspected that aught might have befallen Roy in the cave. Although they had come to know something of the desperate nature of Masters, they were confident that Roy’s presence on watch would have sufficed to keep the engineer at a distance. So they were all in the best of spirits, even to Billy Walker who was at last fully awake, when, after lighting each a lantern, they pushed aside the bushes that hid the break in the cliff, and made their way through the rift into the great chamber. As they stepped within it, they lifted their voices in joyous greeting to their comrade. To their surprise, no answer came to the hail—only innumerable echoes flung back from the recesses.
“He’s off, exploring on his own,” David remarked.
Billy Walker, who had been lurching clumsily here and there with inquisitive eyes, examining the unfamiliar surroundings by the light of his lantern, after the fashion of a modern Diogenes, now turned to Jake with a question.
“How many lanterns did Mr. Morton have?” he demanded.
“Why,” drawled Jake, astonished at the interrogation, “he had jest one, o’ course. What about it, Mr. Walker?”
“Simply, the fact is sufficient evidence to the effect that Roy is not absent on an exploring expedition by himself, which was David’s suggestion. Here is his lantern.” He stooped, with a groan in response to the physical strain involved, picked up the lantern, which he had observed at his feet where it stood beside the blankets, and held it out for the others to see. “It’s quite cold,” he added. “It hasn’t been lighted for some time.”
The others stared in silence for a little. Even yet, they were far from suspecting any evil. It was Jake who spoke at last:
“I opine, he must have gone outside some’rs, to kind o’ stretch ’imself-like. Got too sleepy, maybe.”