The Boy Scout Treasure Hunters; Or, The Lost Treasure of Buffalo Hollow
Page 19
CHAPTER XIX
BURIED IN THE CAVE
The two boys looked suspiciously at Matt as he advanced, but neitherwords of cheer nor resentment came to their Lips. A few days ago Glen'sgreeting would have been quick and stinging. His silence spoke well forthe first lessons of self-control. Apple felt so keenly Matt's injusticeto Glen that the cordiality which was his natural offering to good andbad alike was completely choked.
But another splash caused all three to turn their looks again to theentrance and in a moment another head bobbed in sight. It wasChick-chick this time.
"'Lo, fellers!" he called out cheerfully. "D'ye know it's rainin' insolid sheets outside. Jest had to get in out of it. Old Matt, he'sfollerin' you. I's follerin' Matt. He dived. I dived. 'Tain't much drierin here than outside but anyway ye don't need umbrellas. Mighty littlebit of openin' ye came through there. Skinned me elbow, I did."
"Come up here, Chick-chick," invited Apple. "We can use you. It's dry uphere. And I don't know why you came, Matt, but since you're here youmight as well help, too."
"I came to see what you were doing," said Matt. "I knew you didn't goout of camp in your bathing suits just for nothing and anyway I wantedto see if I could track you."
"Didn't bring your bread-box 'long, did ye, Matt?" asked Chick-chickinnocently.
"Maybe I'd have better luck finding things if I was a confederate ofthose that hid them."
Was Matt trying to intimate that Glen had found the cave because of someconfederacy with the Jervice gang? Glen felt his anger rising.
"That's enough of that," said Apple. "If you fellows want to help youcan take turns one on top and one in the water. Come on up,Chick-chick."
With four pairs of hands they made quicker progress. Both the additionalworkers were strong and active, and Matt especially was urged on by thedesire to show that he could do as much or a little more than any oneelse. Suddenly he stopped in his work and looked about in evidentperplexity.
"What's the matter?" asked Apple. "Too much cold water? Maybe you'dbetter get out of it for awhile."
"Yes, there's too much of it, and it's too cold too. But what'sbothering me is why there's so much. It was up to my waist when I beganwork. Then I threw down a big rock a foot high and stood on it and nowit's more than waist high again. It must be rising."
"I thought we were getting this pile pulled down awfully quick," saidGlen. "That's what's made it. The water has risen up to cover it."
Chick-chick straightened himself up and looked around in the gloom. Thenhe lifted the lantern by the light of which he had been working andswung it far over his head.
"Where's the opening we came in at?" he shouted.
They all looked in the direction where they expected it to be but noteven the faintest glimmer of daylight shone in to tell of an opening.
"Do you suppose we've worked away here so long that it has got to bedark without our knowing it?" asked Apple.
"No. 'Tisn't more'n an hour since Matt and I invited ourselves in,"objected Chick-chick. "Wasn't much past four then."
"It's the rising water," said Matt. "I was so busy and it came up sogradually I didn't notice it. The creek must be rising from the heavyrain."
"Another thing is we've thrown so much rock and rubbish down there thatwe've probably choked up that outlet below. There's no sign of it now,"observed Glen.
"Say, fellers, I'm gettin' homesick," said Chick-chick. "Let's get outo' here."
"All right for me, Chick-chick," said Apple. "I'm not much of a swimmerin the dark. You lead the way."
"Not for Chick-chick. I'm no water-witch nor a pathfinder, I ain't.'Twouldn't do for humble bug-hunter to take such honor. Let Matt andBrick draw straws for it."
"I'm willing to try it," Glen volunteered.
"I'm not afraid of it," said Matt, his natural bravery pushing him tothe front at such a crisis. "Let me try."
"I hold big rock in one hand an' little rock in t'other. Fellow thatguesses big rock goes," said Chick-chick.
"Right!" said Matt.
"An' Brick guesses left," said Chick-chick for Glen. "Matt gets thetry."
Matt waited for no counsel.
"I know just about where the opening lies," he said, stepping on thepile of masonry. "I'll dive clear through the passage."
With a quick spring he disappeared beneath the turbid water.
The boys waited an anxious minute, swinging their lanterns far out overthe current. Suddenly Glen thrust the lantern he held into Apple's handand made a quick jump into the swirl of waters. He was up in a momentwith a heavy burden.
"It's Matt!" he cried. "I saw his hand sticking out of the water andjumped for it. He's hurt himself."
The boys were down by his side in a moment, Apple holding a lantern highabove his head.
"We must get him up on one of those ledges," said Glen. "He's breathing,but he isn't conscious."
It would have been a hard task under ordinary circumstances, but intheir excitement the three scouts made light work of it. One ledgeshelved down toward the water making their ascent easier, and from therethey managed to lift the injured boy still higher, well out of reach ofthe water.
Blood was pouring persistently from a wound in the scalp, but with hisknowledge of "first aid" Apple was able to stop this quickly by makingpressure. They had no bandage material of any description but they tookturns in making pressure with their fingers until the blood seemedinclined no longer to flow and the wound showed a tendency to be coveredby a firm clot. Matt came to himself for a few minutes, spoke a fewhalf-conscious words and then drifted off again into quiet; but thistime it seemed more like the quiet of sleep so they made no effort todisturb him.
"He must have hit his head against something pretty sharp when hedived," said Glen. "I'll go more carefully and just swim gently alongthe side where the opening ought to be and reach out with my hands forit."
But while they were attending Matt the water had made a very appreciablerise. It would scarcely be possible to feel along the edges now. Thewater was too high.
"I'll have to swim under water, fellows," said Glen.
"Don't ye do it, Brick," advised Chick-chick. "You don't want to chanceApple and me having to make another rescue, with Matt on our handsalready."
"You won't have to make any rescue. I'll swim easily and feel well infront of me."
"I don't like you to try it," said Apple. "We'd be in an awful fix ifanything happened to you. There's no danger of the water coming up onthese ledges, and it's bound to go down when the rain is over and thecreek drops."
"Cheerful lookout, waiting here for that," said Glen. "The folks at thecamp will go crazy if we don't show up by night. I've got to get out tocarry the news and get help for Matt."
He jumped into the water without further argument and soon they coulddimly see him feeling his way along the edge of the cave. It seemed aterribly long time before he came back.
"Haven't found it yet," he said with an attempt at cheer. "It seems asif it ought to be easy enough to find a two foot opening but the topshelves down pretty sharp just there and the opening is now probablyfive or six feet from the surface. It's mighty discouraging to swimaround under there and not find anything. I must rest up a bit."
"Why are you putting that light out, Chick-chick?" asked Apple.
"We c'n see jest's well with one as two, an' I've an idea we may needit wuss later on," replied Chick-chick, significantly.
"You're not getting scared, Chick-chick?" said Glen.
"No, I'm not gettin' scared. I'm just tryin' to use me thinker a bit. Wegot a boy here that may need 'tention. Won't do to be without light. Youfellers got any matches?"
"Yes, I have some," said Apple. "I've kept 'em dry, too."
"All right, then. If Brick has to quit experimentin' in the waterwithout findin' anything, we'll put out t'other light, too, an' just use'em when we need 'em. This water's goin' to go down sooner or later, butwhile we have to wait a light when we need it will be awfully handy."
Glen stayed away longer the next time, but he came back, shivering andexhausted.
"I'm afraid it's no good for awhile, fellows," he admitted. "Once Ithought I had it but a big log barred the way. Then I thought I'd feelwhere the current rushed in strongest and try there, but it's strongeverywhere."
Just then Matt stirred and tried to rise but was held back by Apple.
"My head aches!" he murmured. "I can't find it."
"All right, Matty, old boy. You did your best. Lie back and go tosleep."
"I've slept enough," he declared. "What's the matter? Didn't we get outof that cave?"
"No. But it's all right. We'll get out after awhile. You just lie back."
"I'm all right now. Let me up. I remember diving and that's all. Whopulled me out of the water?"
"It was Brick, and it's just as good you should know it," said Apple."He saw your hand waving around and jumped for you."
"It was easy enough," said Glen. "The water was only about shoulder highthen."
"I would have done it for you," said Matt. "But I don't know that youhad any cause to do it for me. It makes me feel pretty small after I'vebeen such a beastly prig. I'll get even with you some way but I don'tknow how. Let me try diving for that hole again."
"Too big hole in yer head," objected Chick-chick. "The water 'd washall your brains out. Awful strong current down there."
"Better not stir much," counseled Apple. "There's quite a bad cut you'vegot on top and we had a time getting the bleeding stopped. If you moveabout much you're likely to unsettle the clot and start it again. Betterlie still."
"But I'm not just going to lie down and die here. I want to get out."
"Easy now, Matt. You don't help us by acting that way and you won't helpus if you get your head started again either. Look at that water.Brick's worked in it till he's just about all in. You can't do anybetter than he."
"Who says I can't?" he cried, bristling at once.
"I'd say you can't if 'twould do any good," replied Chick-chick. "That'sno way to act at such time 's this. Ye ain't bein' like a man or aChristian. See, ye've started the blood again and it's trickling downyour face. Now lie down."
In the face of such conditions Matt had sense enough to desist fromfurther opposition. He lay down again and soon the bleeding stopped.
"Chick-chick," he said, in subdued tones. "I give you leave to kick meif I act the fool again."
"There wouldn't be any pleasure in it, now," said Chick-chick. "Holdyour offer till we get t' camp if ye want t' please me. What I say islet's put all lights out and everybody go to sleep."
"Suppose the water comes up on us," objected Matt.
"It won't. It can't rise much higher'n the creek level an' we're wayabove it now. Let's go to sleep."
"I can't," Matt still objected.
"What's matter? Head hurt ye?"
"Not so much. And I don't mind it so bad when we're all awake talking,but I'm afraid to have us go to sleep."
"You 'fraid, Brick?"
"No," said Glen. "I'm too tired."
"You 'fraid, Apple?"
"No, I'm scared, but I'm not afraid. But I don't wonder so much at Matt.I know how I'd be if I didn't know God had a firm hold of me, right now.Let's sing a little."
He started a familiar camp song, and from one song they went to another.When they were singing "Where He leads me I will follow" Chick-chickheld up his hand.
"Matt's asleep," he whispered. "I'll bet his head's made him 'bout halfcrazy. Hope he sleeps till morning."
How many hours they slept they could not tell, for there were notimepieces. They would rouse, turn over, and drop asleep again, for eachone was determined to sleep away as much of the waiting time aspossible. It was probably early morning when at last Glen arose,stretched himself and carefully lighted a lantern.
"It's going down, boys," he announced. "The opening isn't uncovered yet,but it's two or three feet lower than it was last night."
They were all wide awake now, and all leaned over the ledge to formtheir own opinion.
"The current seems to run differently," said Glen. "It acts as if therock we threw in has stopped up the old outlet and it was running backof the heap we pulled down instead."
"Yes, sir. Strikes me just that way," said Chick-chick.
"I'm going to take the other lantern and explore a little," said Glen."You fellows needn't come. I'll holler if I find anything."
He disappeared behind the ruined arch, swimming and wading, but he wasback in a minute, all excitement.
"There's a regular passage out this way, fellows. Seems to go clearthrough the Mound. The water's rushing down in a torrent. Come andsee."
They needed no invitation, for they were down before he finishedspeaking. Around the crumbled masonry he led them, and pointed to anopening like a natural tunnel which, seemed to lead far into the bowelsof the earth.