o. If we did we should come upon him directly. He's watching us, I'm
sure. Let's go to the cliff edge somewhere for a bit, and then go to
the other side of the island. We shan't get down to the cave to-day."

As far as they could tell they were unobserved the next afternoon, and
after exercising plenty of caution they reached the mouth of the little
river tunnel and dropped down out of sight one after the other in an
instant. In fact, so quick was their disappearance that it would have
puzzled the keenest searcher as to where they had gone. For one moment
they were standing upon a piece of lichen-covered granite, the next they
had leaped in among the brambles, which parted for them to pass through
and sprang up again, the lads dropping on to the old stream bed, which
they had carefully cleared of stones. They left no footmarks there, and
they were careful to preserve the thin screen of ferns and bramble, so
that a watcher would have credited them with having ducked down and
crept away.

This ruse, trifling as it may seem, added to their enjoyment of their
hiding-place, and as soon as they were in darkness they struck a light
and went on down to the caves, had a look round, and Mike immediately
began to get down the fishing lines which hung from a wooden peg driven
into a granite crack.

"Never mind the fish to-day," said Vince, who was busily fixing a fresh
piece of candle in the lanthorn.

"Why? We're not hungry now, but we shall be before we go back. Hullo!
what are you going to do?"

"Wait a bit, and you'll see," replied Vince, who now took a little coil
of rope from where it hung, and then asked his companion's assistance to
extricate something which he had placed in the belt he wore under his
jersey.

"Why, whatever have you got here?"

"Grapnel," was the reply; and Vince began to rub the small of his back
softly. "I say, how a thing like that hurts! It's worse than carrying
a hammer. I'm quite sore."

Mike laughed, and again more heartily upon seeing Vince begin to secure
the grapnel with a sea-going knot to the length of rope.

"Let those laugh that lose," cried Vince sententiously; "they are sure
to who win."

"Enough to make any one laugh," cried Mike. "What are you going to bait
with?"

"You, if you like," said Vince sharply, "Wonder what I should catch?"

"Here! no nonsense," cried Mike: "what are you really going to do?"

"What we've been talking about so long. Try and get up th