_Murmur, murmur, murmur_--and then silence.

The speakers had evidently turned away from the mouth of the seal hole, and the boys did not hear the end of the sentence.

"Oh!" groaned Mike faintly.

"I say, Ladle, if you make a noise like that they'll hear you, and come and fetch us out."

"I couldn't help it. How horrid it sounds!"

"Yes," said Vince very softly, "but he has got to catch us yet. Who's old Jarks? Here, I know: they mean the Frenchman: Jacks--Jacques, don't you see?"

"Yes, I see," said Mike dismally.

"He's the skipper, of course. French skipper with an English crew.

They must be a nice set. I say, do you feel cold?"

"Cold? I don't feel as if I had any feet at all."

"We must have some exercise," said Vince grimly; and he uttered a faint chuckling sound. "I say, though, Mike don't be down about it. He's only a Frenchman, and we're English. We're not going to let him catch us, are we?"

"It's horrible," said Mike. "Why, he'll kill us!"

"He hasn't caught us yet, I tell you, lad. Look here: we know everything about the caves now, and we can go anywhere in the dark, can't we?"

"Yes, I suppose so," said Mike dismally.

"Very well, then; we must wait till it's dark, and then creep out and make for the way out."

"Is no way out now: it's either stopped up or watched."

"Well, then, we'll get out by the mouth of the smugglers' cave, and creep up on to the cliffs somewhere."

"Current would wash us away; and if we could get to the cliffs you know we shouldn't be able to climb up. We're not flies."

"Who said we were? Well, you are a cheerful sort of fellow to be with!"

"I don't want to be miserable, Cinder, old chap, but it does seem as if we're in a hole now."

"Seem? Why we are in a hole, and a good long one too," said Vince, laughing softly.

"Ah, I can't see anything to joke about. It's awful--awful! Cinder, we shall never see home again."

"Bah! A deal you know about it, Ladle. That French chap daren't shoot us or drown us. He knows he'd be hung if he did."

"And what good would it do us after he had killed us, if he was hung? I shouldn't mind."

"Well, you are a cheerful old Ladle!" said Vince. "Why don't you cheer up and make it pleasanter for me?"

"Pleasanter?" said Mike. "Oh!"

"Be quiet, and don't be stupid," said Vince. "Look here: don't forget all you've read about chaps playing the hero when they are in great difficulties."

"Who's going to play the hero when he's up to his knees in cold water?"

cried Mike bitterly.

"Well, he has a better chance than if he was up to his neck; same as that fellow would have a better chance than one who was out of his depth."

"I say," cried Mike excitedly, "does the tide run up here and fill the cave?"

"No. It was high water when we came in, wasn't it? We never saw it more than half-way up the arch. Now look here, Ladle: we're in a mess."

"As if I didn't know!"

"And we've got to get ourselves out of it, because n.o.body knows anything about this place or our having come here. Think Lobster will say he has seen us come this way once? He's sure to hear we're missing and that they're looking for us."

"I don't suppose he will," said Mike dismally. "If they came this way they wouldn't find the hole. They'll think we've gone off the cliff and been drowned. What will they say! what will they say!"

These words touched Vince home, and for a few minutes a peculiar feeling overcame him; but the boy had too much good British stuff in him to give way to despair, and he turned angrily upon his companion:

"Look here, Ladle," he said: "if you go on like this I'll punch your head. No nonsense--I will. I don't believe that French skipper dare hurt us, but we won't give him the chance to. We can't see a way out of the hobble yet, but that's nothing. It's a problem, as Mr Deane would say, and we've got to solve it."

"Who can solve problems standing in cold water? My legs are swelling already, same as Jemmy Carnach's did when he was swept out in his boat and nearly swamped, and didn't get back for three days."

"You're right," said Vince. "I can't think with my feet so cold. Let's get into a dry place."

"What, go out?"

"No," said Vince; "we'll go in."

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A STRANGE NIGHT'S LODGING.

Mike shrank from attempting to penetrate farther into the narrow hole; but Vince's determination was contagious, and, in obedience to a jog of the elbow, he followed his companion, as, with the lanthorn held high enough for him to look under, the cudgel in his right-hand, he began to wade on, finding that the pa.s.sage twisted about a little, very much as the tunnel formed by the stream did--of course following the vein of mineral which had once existed, and had gradually decayed away.

To their great delight, the water, at the end of fifty yards or so, was decidedly shallower; the walls, which had been almost covered with sea anemones, dotted like lumps of reddish green and drab jelly, only showed here, in company with live sh.e.l.ls, a few inches above the water, which now, as they waded on, kept for a little distance of the same depth, and then suddenly widened out.

Vince stopped there, and held up the lanthorn, to see the darkness spread all around and the light gleaming from the water, which had spread into a good-sized pool.

"Mind!" cried Mike excitedly: "there's something coming."

He turned to hurry back, but Vince stood firm, with his cudgel raised; and the force of example acted upon Mike, who turned towards him, grasping the conger bat firmly, as the light showed some large creature swimming, attracted by the light.

But the boys did not read it in that way. Their interpretation was that the creature was coming to attack them; and, waiting till it was within reach, Vince suddenly leaned forward and struck at it with all his might.

The blow only fell upon the water, making a sharp splash; for the lad's movement threw the lanthorn forward, and the sudden dart towards the animal of a glaring object was enough. The creature made the water surge and eddy as it struck it with its powerful tail, and went off with a tremendous rush, raising a wave as it went, and sending a great ring around to the sides of the expanded cavern, the noise of the water lapping against the walls being plainly heard.