"Now, then, where are we going to look for water?"
"Right up at the narrowest end of the cave."
"Why?"
"Because what there is always seems to make for the sea."
"That"s right," said the middy; and, taking the lead, he began to pick his way along by the side of the ca.n.a.l-like pool, whose clear waters reflected the lights as if it were a river.
"Water"s higher now," said Aleck.
"Yes, and it looks good enough to drink; but it"s salter than the sea, I suppose. I say!"
"Well?" said Aleck.
"This place gets narrower. It seems to me that if the roof fell in it would make another of those caves you have all along this coast. I shouldn"t wonder if in time all the top of this comes in and opens the mouth so that the waves can rush in and wash it bigger and bigger."
"Very likely," said Aleck. "Look here!"
He held down the candle to show that they had come to the end of the deep water, which was continued farther in by a series of pools, which were probably only joined into one lane of water at very high tides.
The middy said something of the kind, and then pointed out, as they progressed slowly, that the pools grew smaller and smaller till they came to an end, where the cavern had grown very narrow and seemed to be closing in, and where a huge ma.s.s of stone blocked the way.
"How are we to go now? Climb right over that big lump? I don"t believe there"s room to crawl between that and the roof."
"I say," replied Aleck, excitedly, "it"s wet right up."
"All the worse for our clothes," was the reply; "but is it any use to go any farther?"
Aleck"s answer took the shape of action, for he sank upon his knees, set the piece of slate which formed his candlestick upon the rock floor, and going down upon his chest reached out and scooped up some of the water of the pool in his palm and raised it to his lips.
"Don"t swallow it," said his companion; "it will only make you horribly thirsty."
"No," cried Aleck, exultantly, "it"s all right--fresh and sweet. Look here; you can see how there"s water trickling very slowly down."
"So there is," cried the middy. "You were all right about that."
"Yes," said Aleck, "and I believe we shall find ships" stores enough amongst those barrels to last us for months."
"Let"s see!" said the middy. "Oh! this is getting too jolly," he added.
"Let"s open some of the boxes too. Why, the next thing will be that I shall be finding a new uniform all ready for putting on, but--oh, dear!"
he added, dolefully.
"Well, of all the fellows," cried Aleck. "Here have we just found out that things aren"t half so bad as they seemed, and now you"re breaking out again. What is the matter now?"
"I was thinking about the uniform, been lying here perhaps for months; it"s sure to be too damp to put on."
"Bah!" cried Aleck. "Dip it right into the big pool and make it salt.
It won"t hurt you then."
"Right," shouted the middy. "Now, then, what next? I believe if we keep on we shall find a fresh way out."
"Like enough. Let"s try."
They tried, but tried in vain. The middy held the light, and Aleck climbed up the wet face of the huge ma.s.s which blocked the way, and then began to crawl on beneath the roof.
"How do you get on?"
"Splendid. It goes upward, and I could almost stand."
"How are you getting on?" said the middy, after listening to the scrambling noise made by the climber.
"Middling. Just room to crawl now." Five minutes later the middy shouted again:
"Look here; hadn"t I better come up now?"
"Yes, if you like."
"Is there plenty of room?"
"No."
"Then what"s the use of my coming?"
"Only to keep me company. Better still, come and give a pull at my heels."
"Pull at your heels?"
"Yes, it"s like a chimney laid on its side, and I"m quite stuck fast."
"Oh!" cried the middy; and then, "All right, I"m coming."
"No, no, don"t!" came to him in smothered tones, as he began to climb; "I"ve got room again. Coming back."
There was a good deal of shuffling and sc.r.a.ping, and then Aleck"s feet came into the light over the top of the block. The next minute he was on his feet beside his companion, hot, panting, and with the front of his clothes wet.
"There"s a tiny stream comes trickling in there," he said, brushing himself down softly; "but there isn"t room for a rat to get any further than I did. My word, it was tight! I felt as if the water had made me swell out, and it didn"t seem as if I was going to get back."
"Phew!" whistled the middy. "We should have been worse off then. I say, Aleck, you"d have had to starve for a few days to get thin, and then I could have pulled you out. Here, I say, though, old fellow, I"m not going on the grump any more; things might be worse, eh?"
"Ever so much," said Aleck, cheerfully. "Let"s have a good drink now, and then go and examine some of those barrels. If one of them turns out salt beef or pork we"ll go back and finish our stores, for we shall be all right for provisions."
"Without counting the fish I mean to catch. I"m sure there"ll be some come in with the tide."
"Very foolish of them if they do," said Aleck, wiping his mouth after lying down to take a long deep draught, in which action he was imitated by his companion. "Now, then, I want to be satisfied about flour and meat."
Within half an hour he was satisfied, for a little examination proved to the prisoners that some unfortunate vessel had gone to pieces outside and its stores had been run in by the smugglers.
"Yes," said the middy, as they returned to their resting-place, to begin making a hearty meal, "things do look a bit more rosy, but you mustn"t be too chuff over it. I"ll bet sixpence, if you like, that the tackle in those tubs is as salt as brine."