Chapter VIII: The Mystery of the Cave

DUKE was rather pleased than otherwise when he discovered that the morning was wet.

"I know what I mean to do this morning," he said to Noel as they dressed. Noel thought he knew too, and his heart sank within him.

At breakfast Duke talked a great deal about the storm. He was confident that his warning light had proved of good service to seamen.

"I should like to know how many hours that candle burned," he said. "King Alfred used to measure the time by candles."

"I wish we did now," said Noel; "it would be much easier than telling the time by a clock."

A scornful laugh from his brother made him aware that he had said a foolish thing.

"Never mind, Noel," said his mother, "you will soon be able to read the clock easily."

"May I have another candle, mother, to put in the tower?" Duke asked.

Mrs. Bryden gave him a candle. A little later the boys went off to play in the deserted rooms.

As soon as they were alone, Duke said to his brother—

"Did you guess why I asked mother for this candle?"

"To put in the tower," replied Noel; "you said so."

"Of course I said so, stupid, because I did not want mother to know about the secret staircase," replied Duke; "but I thought you would guess that I wanted it to light us down those steps."

"Oh, Duke, then you told mother a story?"

"No, I didn't; for I mean to use it for the tower as well! We are not likely to burn up the whole candle there."

Noel earnestly hoped that they would not. He shivered as he thought of what lay before him; but it never occurred to him to try to dissuade Duke from going. He was sure it would be of no use, and he did not want Duke to suspect that he was afraid.

Having made a hasty visit to the tower, and discovered that the candle had burned right out in the most satisfactory manner, Duke hurried to Mr. Alan's room.

"Have you brought matches?" Noel asked.

"Of course," Duke replied, showing the corner of a box protruding from his jacket pocket. "Now then, to open this door."

It did not prove so easy as he expected. By accident he had touched the right spot on the previous day; but now it was not till after many knocks and pushes had been given, and when Noel was beginning to hope that it would not yield, that the picture swung back with startling suddenness and showed the steps behind.

"Hurrah!" cried Duke. "Come along, Noel." He knew that Noel was trembling at the thought of descending that dim, narrow stairway; but he did not care. Indeed, he rather found pleasure in making Noel do what he feared to do.

Without a word Noel followed Duke. There was no light on the other side, save what entered through the doorway.

"Now I'll light the candle," said Duke, "and then we must close this door all but the tiniest crack, or someone may come in and discover the secret."

"No one will come," said Noel. "Don't shut the door, Duke."

He spoke too late. As Duke gave the door what he intended to be but a slight push it sprang back and closed with a sharp snap.

A cry broke from Noel.

"Oh, Duke, open it, open it!" he screamed.

But this was more than Duke could do. The door was fast shut, and no pushing or knocking from this side was of the least avail. There was no handle. Examining it by the light of his candle, Duke discovered a small keyhole, but what was the good of a keyhole without a key?

Noel burst into tears.

"Oh, Duke, we shall never get out, never! Mother does not know where we are, and she'll never guess that that picture is a door."

The prospect was appalling. The candle shining full on Duke's face showed it quite white. The adventure was turning out very differently from his expectations. He could hardly keep back his tears.

Curiously, the sight of his distress roused Noel's courage.

"Don't cry, Duke," he said softly. "Mother is sure to come and look for us, and if we shout very loud she'll hear us."

"I'm not crying," said Duke stoutly. "I dare say mother knows all about the picture, and if not, there must be another way out. Come along. Let's see where these steps lead to."

Duke led the way, holding the candle high that Noel might see each step. Thus they went down a long, narrow, crooked flight of steps, which seemed to lead down into the heart of the earth. It ended in a low, arched passage, just wide enough for the boys to walk side by side. They could walk upright, but most men would have had to stoop. The passage was not damp, but it had a strange earthy smell. It inclined slightly downwards, and as they went on the air grew fresher till presently a breeze blew in their faces which brought a smell of the sea.

"Does the sea come up here?" asked Noel, inspired with a fresh fear.

"Of course not," said Duke. "Can't you see it doesn't? Oh!"

The exclamation was caused by the fact that the tunnel had brought them out on to a broad platform of rock, enclosed by cliffs. But ere they had time to see more a sharp gust of wind blew out Duke's candle, while wild shrieks and flapping of wings showed that they had invaded a haunt of sea-birds.

Noel clung to Duke in terror.

"Never mind," said Duke hoarsely, "I'll soon light it again," But his teeth chattered as he said it, and the next moment the match-box slipped from his trembling fingers and was lost in the gloom.

Now indeed their situation seemed terrible, and they clung to each other in despair. The birds they had disturbed had flown away, and the sense of utter loneliness was appalling. Then they remembered that there was One Who would not fail to hear their cry, and from each childish heart there went up a prayer to the "Eternal Father, strong to save."

"Don't be afraid, Noel," Duke said in a quavering tone. "It's not really dark. I can see the path before us, and there's light at the end. Give me your hand."

At first Noel resisted his brother's effort to lead him forward; but as his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, he could distinguish the platform on which they stood and see across it to where the path wound on with light at the far end. So they moved forward very slowly and carefully. The path curved downwards and the light increased as they went on.

At last, to their great relief, they came into the light of day, and found themselves in a small rock chamber with an opening on one side which looked into a larger cave that had a window-like aperture, exactly opposite their little cell, through which the sweet sunlight came to them.

After a minute Duke recognised the spot. They were looking into the cave which he and Noel had explored two days before. The spot on which they stood was the very rock chamber he had foolishly boasted he could climb into if he chose! The problem now was how to climb down from it. At present it was impossible, for the cave was full of water.

"We can do nothing till the tide goes out," Duke said.

"It won't come up here, will it?" Noel said fearfully.

"No. You can see that it never comes as high as this," replied his brother.

"I am so tired," Noel said, sinking on to the rock floor with a sigh that was almost a sob, "tired and hungry. Don't you think it must be dinner-time, Duke?"

"I dare say," was Duke's response. It seemed to him ages since breakfast-time.

"Mother will be sure to look for us all over the old house," he said after a minute. "P'raps if we went back to the door and shouted she would hear us."

"But we could not go all that way back in the dark," said Noel with a shiver. Duke assented gloomily.

He began to examine more closely the place in which they were. It was evident that sea-birds were wont to lodge there.

"I wonder if gulls' eggs are good to eat," he said, and began to search for them. A pale greyish plant with prickly leaves growing from a crevice attracted his attention. He gave it a pull, and it came away in his hand, bringing with it a great stone which nearly struck Noel's head as it fell. This revealed a hole behind which lay a deep niche.

Duke put in his hand and pulled away another stone which guarded the entrance to what seemed a sort of natural cupboard. Standing on tiptoe, he thrust his arm as far as possible into the recess. His fingers came into contact with a hard substance which gave forth a peculiar sound as he pressed it. Tugging at it till it slowly yielded to his pull, he dragged into the light a bulky bag made of rough canvas and securely tied at the mouth.

"Whatever can this be?" he said.

"I hope it's something to eat," said Noel.

But the metallic sound they heard as they shook the bag was not suggestive of food.

It took Duke's nimble fingers but a few moments to unfasten the bag. To their amazement it was full of gold pieces.

"It must be Mr. Alan's money," said Duke, as they looked at each other in astonishment. "There must be hundreds of sovereigns here."

"I wish it was full of biscuits," said Noel.

"Or that there was a shop at hand," said Duke.

"If there was, the money is Mr. Alan's, and it would be stealing to take it," said Noel.

"Would it not be just as much stealing to take someone else's biscuits?" asked Duke.

Noel was silent.

"Well, as we can't do anything with it, and ought not if we could, I'll put the bag back," said Duke. "What a hoard! and what a miser! See, I have stuck in the plant, and it looks just as it did. I don't believe it was really growing there."

Noel paid little heed to his words; he was far too unhappy to get excited over the miser's gold.