"But Jimmy-boy, it won't be very much," said Edith. "This is an empty town, and so queer too. Something may happen at the last minute that will spoil the whole thing."
She was right. Something did happen which no one could have foreseen. For an "empty" town Castle Cliff was famous for events.
As Jimmy left the hotel just after luncheon he overtook Nate Pollard and Joe Rolfe standing near a big sand bank, talking together earnestly.
"Come on, Jimmum," said Nate; "we've got a spade for you. We're going to dig a cave in the side of this bank."
"What's the use of a cave?"
"Why, for one thing, we can run into it in time of an earthquake."
"That's so," said Jimmy. "Or we could stay in and be cave-dwellers."
But as he took up the spade he chanced to look down at his new clothes. He had spoiled one nice suit already and had promised his mother he would be more careful of this one.
"Wait till I put on my old clothes, will you?"
Nate laughed and snapped his fingers. "We're in a hurry. I've got to be in the tent in half an hour. Go along, you little dude! We'll dig the cave without you."