ed at her intently. Then he nodded his bald head three times and
said in a gurgling voice:

"Mighty good, Trot; mighty good! We didn't reach Davy Jones's locker
that time, did we? Though why we didn't, an' why we're here, is more'n
I kin make out."

"Take it easy, Cap'n," she replied. "We're safe enough, I guess, at
least for the time being."

He squeezed the water out of the bottoms of his loose trousers and felt
of his wooden leg and arms and head, and finding he had brought all of
his person with him he gathered courage to examine closely their
surroundings.

"Where d'ye think we are, Trot?" he presently asked.

"Can't say, Cap'n. P'r'aps in one of our caves."

He shook his head. "No," said he, "I don't think that, at all. The
distance we came up didn't seem half as far as the distance we went
down; an' you'll notice there ain't any outside entrance to this cavern
whatever. It's a reg'lar dome over this pool o' water, and unless
there's some passage at the back, up yonder, we're fast pris'ners."

Trot looked thoughtfully over her shoulder.

"When we're rested," she said, "we will crawl up there and see if
there's a way to get out."

Cap'n Bill reached in the pocket of his oilskin coat and took out his
pipe. It was still dry, for he kept it in an oilskin pouch with his
tobacco. His matches were in a tight tin box, so in a few moments the
old sailor was smoking contentedly. Trot knew it helped him to think
when he was in any difficulty. Also, the pipe did much to restore the
old sailor's composure, after his long ducking and his terrible
fright--a fright that was more on Trot's account than his own.

The sand was dry where they sat, and soaked up the water that dripped
from their clothing. When Trot had squeezed the wet out of her hair she
began to feel much like her old self again. By and by they got upon
their feet and crept up the incline to the scattered boulders above.
Some of these were of huge size, but by passing between some and around
others, they were able to reach the extreme rear of the cavern.

"Yes," said Trot, with interest, "here's a round hole."

"And it's black as night inside it," remarked Cap'n Bill.

"Just the same," answered the girl, "we ought to explore it, and see
where it goes, 'cause it's the only poss'ble way we can get out of this
place."

Cap'n Bill eyed the hole doubtfully

"It may be a way out o' here, Trot," he said, "but it may be a way into
a far worse place than