ly standing up to his
shoulders in water, was some one gazing straight into the narrow cavern,
and Vince felt that they must have been heard and a sentry placed there
to watch for their coming out.

"But it is impossible for him to see us," thought Vince; and he stood
there pondering on what it would be best to do, while a feeling of hope
cheered him with the idea that perhaps after all they had not been
heard, and that it was by mere accident that the man was gazing in.

The next moment he felt again ready to utter an exultant cry, for there
was a sudden movement of the watching head, a dive down, and the water
rose and fell, distinctly seen against the light.

"Bother those old seals!" he said: "they're always doing something to
scare us. I really thought it was a man."

"Looked just like it," said Mike, making a panting sound, as if he had
been holding his breath till he had been nearly suffocated.

"That chap must have been able to see us though we are in the dark.
What wonderful eyes they have!"

"Perhaps the light shines on us a little," replied Mike.

"Very likely; but it's curious what animals can do. I wonder at their
coming and lying down so near us."

"That was because we lay so still, I suppose. But we oughtn't to talk."

"No; come along: but what are we going to do? We shan't be able to
stand in the water very long."

They waded very slowly on, hardly disturbing the surface, and straining
their ears to catch the slightest sound; but the faint roar of the
currents playing among the rocks, and the screams and querulous cries of
the sea-birds which flew to and fro across the mouth of the cavern were
all they could hear.

They were pretty close to the entrance now, but they hesitated to go
farther, and remained very silent and watchful, till a thought suddenly
struck Vince, who placed his lips close to Mike's ear.

"I say," he said, "oughtn't it to be this evening?"

"Of course."

"Then it isn't. It's to-morrow morning."

"Nonsense!"

"Well, I mean it's morning, and we've slept all night."

"Vince!"

"It is, lad. Look--the sun can't have been up very long; and oh, Mike,
what a state they must have been in at home about us!"

Mike uttered a faint groan.

"It's horrid!" continued Vince passionately. "What shall we do?"

Mike was silent for a few minutes, and then said sadly,--"They won't
have slept all night."

"No," said Vince wildly; "and they've been wandering about the place