Bud's lantern was extinguished with a hiss as the waters penetrated it and covered the wick. It sank from sight, but not before it had, in a flash, illuminated the surface of the water.
"It's a good thing we took the right-hand side," said Billee, as he and the others saw what it was that had caused the water to rush almost to their feet and then branch off. "I mean it's a good thing, for it may help us to solve the mystery. But as for poor Nort——"
He did not finish, but Dick sent up a despairing cry:
"Nort! Oh, Nort! Where are you?"
And only the vaulty echoes answered.
"What are we going to do?" asked Snake, who seemed unable to suggest anything.
"Everybody come here with their lanterns," directed Bud. "And light that spare one, Billee."
Thus was replaced the one he had dropped in the effort to save himself from falling into the same torrent that had engulfed his cousin.
And in the light of the lanterns, the one Nort had carried being forever lost, it seemed they all could see the explanation for the apparently mysterious action of the underground stream; or, rather, it was an explanation of part of the mystery; for this was only the beginning.
Beyond where they stood, in the direction of Pocut River, there flowed through the ancient channel a body of water larger than that which usually filled the underground course. This was accounted for, likely, by the fact that it had been stopped, or dammed, by some natural or artificial means, and had suddenly been released. Thus the channel was more fully filled than usual.