“Now that you mention it,” remarked Roger, as he again dropped on all fours to find out for himself, “I see it is a fact. Queer that I didn’t seem to notice it before. We really need no fire here, except that this darkness could almost be cut with a knife.”
“No danger, that I can see, of the light being observed out there,” Mayhew told them, thus proving that he, too, was much in favor of adding to their comfort, if it was to be accomplished at such a trifling expenditure of time and labor.
“Shall I crawl out and fetch in some of that wood, Dick?” asked Roger, and there was such pleading in his voice and manner that Dick could not have refused him, even had he wanted to.
Accordingly Roger crawled away. Since there was a dim light in the cave he did not find it so difficult to make his way toward the exit. Later on he came back, with his arms full of fuel.
“You get the fire started where you think best, Dick, while I make another trip for a second lot. We could keep ten fires supplied, and not use half the supply outside.”
“Could you see our light out there?” asked Dick.
“Not a thing,” replied Roger. “The fact is, I had to do half of my crawling in the dark, and only got the first glimpse of the light after I was pretty well inside.”
That took away the last doubt Dick may have been entertaining with regard to the wisdom of having a fire.
“It will be easier for you the next time, if I get things going,” he told the fuel gatherer.