ed on, till a distant murmur,
ever increasing, forced itself upon my notice, and in a voice of despair
I exclaimed:

"Oh, Tom, Tom! we are going back, my lad!"

"Mas'r Harry," he exclaimed, "don't be down-hearted. 'Tis so, though;
and I've been thinking it for the past quarter of an hour, but I
wouldn't say it for I wasn't sure. Never mind, let's turn back. That's
the big waterfall we can hear, sure enough. But we can step out bold
now, as we know there's no danger; and when we are in the big place
where we slept, a little powder will show us the way."

A weary walk and we were once more upon the soft earth of the cave where
we had slept--the bird-chamber we called it--when, by means of flashing
off powder, we arrived at a pretty good idea of the size of the place,
and, better still, discovered a fresh outlet.

Danger and disappointment had made me now cautious, and I would not
proceed until, by the expenditure of more powder, we had made sure that
there was no other passage; alarming the birds too, so that they swept
round us like a hurricane.

"Right this time, Mas'r Harry," cried Tom.

Then we were once more on the way, crawling as to pace, as we felt our
way cautiously along.

"If it ever fell out, Mas'r Harry, that we wanted a hiding-place, what a
spot this would be!" said Tom, little thinking that the day was to come
when it should prove the salvation of those who were our truest and best
friends. "Why, I don't believe there's an Indian ever had the pluck to
come a quarter as far, and we know it now well, every foot of it."

"Except the way out, Tom," I said sadly.

"Oh, that's right enough now, Mas'r Harry," he cried. "Cheer up: here's
the birds flying along by the score. Can't you hear their wings
whistle? They're some of those we frightened out coming back again."

I could hear the soft flap of wings plainly enough, and I could not help
feeling hopeful as we toiled on, till suddenly Tom exclaimed:

"Keep back!"

"What is it?" I exclaimed, our voices echoing in a way which told us
that the cave had once more opened out.

"My leg goes down as far as I can reach here, Mas'r Harry. There's a
hole of some kind. Stop till I flash off a bit of powder."

I stood firm, while Tom was busy for a few moments, during which I heard
the click of his flask. Then there were sparks as he snapped off his
flint-lock pistol, but for a few times without effect; but at last he
started a train of powder wh