smugglers back step by step into what they expected to find to be a
cavern crammed with treasure; but now that the end was reached they
could feel nothing in the dark but the flat face of the rock, and this
seemed to slope somewhat over their heads, and that was all.

Billy Waters' surprise had now evaporated along with his alarm, and
pushing to the front once more he set himself to work to find how the
enemy had eluded them.

They could not have gone through the rock, he argued, and there was no
possible way that he could feel by which they had climbed up. Neither
was ascent possible by scaling the rock to right or left, unless they
had had a ladder, and of that there did not seem to have been any sign.

For a few moments the gunner stood as if nonplussed. Then an idea
occurred to him.

Taking a pistol from his belt he quickly drew out the bullet and a
portion of the powder before flashing off the other over some which he
laid loose upon the rock.

This lit up the place for the moment, but revealed nothing more than
they knew before, and that was that they were walled in on either side
by rock, and that a huge mass rose up in front.

"It's a rum 'un," growled Tom Tully; and then again, "It's a rum 'un. I
say, Billy Waters, old mate, what's gone o' them chaps?"

The gunner felt ready to believe once more that there was something "no
canny" about the affair, but he shook off the feeling, and began
searching about once more for some sign or other of his enemies; but he
sought in vain, and at last he turned to his companions to ask them what
they had better do.

Such a proceeding would, however, be derogatory to his dignity, he
thought, so he proceeded to give his opinion on the best course.

"Look here, my lads," he said in a whisper; "it seems to me that we
ought to have come on this trip by daylight."

"That ere's what I said," growled Tom Tully.

"All right, Tommy, only don't be so precious proud of it," said the
leader. "I says we ought to have come on this trip by daylight."

"As I says afore, that's what I did say," growled Tom Tully again; but
this time his superior officer refused to hear him, and continued:

"As we didn't come by daylight, my lads, we ought to have had lanterns."

"Ay, ay," said one of the men.

"So I think," said the gunner; "we'd best go back and get the lanterns,
so as to have a good search, or else come back and do the job by
daylight."

"Ay, ay," was chorussed by thr