The water was already coming round the vessel, and in a short time would be too deep to wade through. He thought that Jack must have gone below, but he was afraid of giving a loud shout, lest his voice might be heard. He accordingly, without stopping, made his way on board.
Great was his alarm when he could nowhere discover Jack.
Could he have gone to the cavern? or could he have been carried off?
The latter was not probable, for had the stranded vessel been discovered, people would have remained in her.
“He must have gone to the cavern, and to save time, I must follow him,” he said to himself; and sliding down the rope, he made his way as fast as he could towards its mouth.
He quickly climbed up, and hurried on as fast as he dare move in the dark, holding out his hands to avoid running against the sides, or to save himself should he fall.
He knew that there were no pitfalls or other serious dangers, or he could not have ventured to move even so fast as he did.
He shouted out as he went Jack’s name.
“How foolish I was not to bring a lantern with me,” he said. “Jack is sure to have taken one if he went to get more gold, and that I suspect is what he has been after; if he has a light, I shall see it, but I don’t.”
“Jack! Jack!” he again shouted out; but the cavern only echoed with his voice.