“Oh, Penny.”
“But this may be important.”
“And it may be just another of your so-called bright ideas,” Louise retorted. “Well, lead on, and let’s get it over with.”
The beachcomber already had disappeared amid the mass of piled-up rock farther back from shore. Penny had marked the locality well with her eye. She was able to lead Louise to the place where he had vanished.
“See, there’s a well-worn trail,” she indicated triumphantly. “He must have taken it.”
They followed the path, and a moment later caught a fleeting glimpse of the beachcomber. At times the trail was so narrow that the girls barely could squeeze between the rocks. Wind whistled around the cliffs, whipping hair and blowing skirts.
Unexpectedly, Penny, who was in the lead, came to the low entranceway of a cave.
“He must have gone in there!” she declared excitedly. “Listen!”
From deep within the cave the girls could hear a strange sound.
“Rushing water!” Louise said in awe. “The Cave must have a waterfall or an underground river.”