The party hastened across the intervening space. They were traveling along the greatest length of the chamber. Midway between the two openings were two other side openings, and John stopped and exclaimed: "It is true! We have found it!"
The boys had never seen John so agitated before. They pressed around and requested an explanation, but he fumbled in his pocket, and soon drew forth a carefully wrapped piece of brown paper.
"This is parchment. It contains the sketch of the cave that has been the object of my search. I believe we are the only white people who have ever been privileged to enter it since the chart was made three centuries ago."
Ephraim, as well as the boys, glanced about them. What was there to excite him? Other caves had the same sort of formation, the chambers and the openings: and while they wondered John drew a compass[p. 163] from his pocket, and after holding it for a while, continued:
"This chamber runs north and south as you see. We entered on the south side. It had two other outlets, one to the east, the other to the west."
"Then it is the cross-shaped cave!" almost shouted George.
"Yes," answered John, as he fixed his eyes on the boys. "In the year 1620, a Spanish navigator found a cave, of which this is a description, and within it were found the remains of hundreds of people."