He did not repeat the explanation he had given before, feeling no doubt, that it would be of no use.
A careful examination of the walls of the cave were made by the whole party, but to no purpose. Nothing was discovered that could throw any light upon the mystery, and they were obliged to give it up.
And thus they were compelled to let the matter rest for the present.
When the morning came, the pirates all left with the exception of the captain, who remained, he said, for the purpose of making further investigations, but quite as much for the purpose of endeavoring to find out whether or not, Lightfoot had anything to do with the production of the strange noises. But here again, he was fated to disappointment. The Indian could not, or would not, give any satisfactory explanation.
The noises she contended were made by the braves of her nation who had gone to the spirit world, and who were angry because their sacred cavern had been profaned by the presence of the hated palefaces.
Had he consulted Hellena, or Black Bill, his investigations would probably have taken a different turn.
The figure of the Indian having been seen by both Hellena and the black, would have excited his curiosity if not his fears, and led him to look upon it as a more serious matter than he had heretofore supposed.
But he did not consult either of them, probably supposing them to be a couple of silly individuals whose opinions were not worth having.
If any doubt had remained in the minds of the men in regard to the supernatural character of the noises which had startled them in the cave, they existed no longer.
Even the Parson although generally ridiculing the idea of all sorts of ghosts and hobgoblins, admitted that there was something in this affair that staggered him, and he joined with the others in thinking that the sooner they shifted their quarters, the better.