"Just my notion," answered Rackley.
"You can feed him until the Raven gets back, and he will be kind of company for you."
"I'll feed him if he behaves himself," growled Pete Rackley.
All three of the others tried their best to "pump" Dave, but could get nothing out of the young diver regarding his father's plans or those of Captain Broadbeam.
"You must find out yourself," he answered.
He was made to march to the extreme right of the cave, and here Rackley fastened him to a sharp rock which jutted from one of the walls.
"There, I reckon he won't get loose from that in a hurry," said the rascal, after his job was finished.
Then the three evildoers withdrew to the mouth of the cave, stopping at the underground stream just long enough to remove the tree limb so that Dave could not cross the stream even if he did get free.
A quarter of an hour later the others went away from the cave, and all became as silent as a tomb.
If the young diver had been disheartened before, he was now utterly cast down.