"So this is the cave that no one has ever reached the end of," said Fiona. "Why, it goes no distance at all."
They retraced their steps to the recess, and then back to the end again, looking on this side and on that for openings, but it seemed quite clear that there were none.
"The boxes must have been carried off by sea," said Fiona.
But the Urchin had an idea.
"No one would try to carry great heavy boxes over the rock barrier," he said. "They'd just take the gold out in sacks."
"The barrier may be a rock-fall," said Fiona. "The treasure may all have been cleared out long ago."
And then there came to the Urchin the realization of the fact that he had lost his gun. He turned very red.
"It's a shame," he said angrily, "an awful shame. It was given to me, and someone has taken it. Can't you think where it could be, Fiona? I'd go anywhere to find it."
Whatever Fiona may have been going to say, her words tailed off into sudden silence. For from beyond the cave wall, as it seemed, sounded again the footsteps which they had heard before; and this time they knew that there was no cave there, and that It was walking through solid rock as if along a road. There was no question this time of any concealment or pretence; both frankly turned tail and made for the rock barrier. Halfway there the Urchin tripped and fell heavily on his head. Fiona put the lamp down and helped him up, dizzy and shaking.
"Can you go on, Urchin?" she said. "If not, I'll try and carry you."