. "Isn't it the natural cave hole?"

"Yes--enlarged," said Mr Temple, letting the light play on the wet
sides. "Here are the marks of the pick and hammer, looking pretty fresh
still. But we shall gain nothing by going in there except wet jackets.
How the water drips!"

For, as they listened, they could hear it musically trickling down, and
in another part falling with a regular _pat, pat, pat_ on the rocky
floor.

"But where does the water go?" asked Dick. "It ran out of the other in
a little stream."

"Far behind us somewhere, I daresay," replied his father. "Don't you
see how this floor upon which we stand has been covered with great
pieces of rock that have fallen from above? All, Dick, since men worked
here. Perhaps this place was worked as a mine a hundred years before
the smugglers used the cave, and they have not been here, I should say,
for two or three generations. Now let's get out into daylight once
more. You would not be scared again about entering a dark cave, eh,
Dick?"

"No, father--Oh! the light!"

"I'm glad of that," replied Mr Temple, "for the lamp has gone out. The
wick was too small," he added, "and it has slipped through into the
oil."

"A mussy me!" groaned Josh. "And in this gashly place!"

"Now, then, who'll lead the way out?" said Mr Temple sharply.

"Let me," cried Dick.

"Go on then, my boy. There's nothing to be afraid of but broken shins.
No. Let Will guide, or--pooh! what nonsense! there's the light. We
shall almost be able to see as soon as our eyes grow accustomed to the
place."

Will went to the front, slowly feeling his way along with outstretched
hands towards a faint reflection before them; and, the others following
slowly, they were about half-way back, with the task growing easier each
moment, when all at once they heard Arthur's cry for help. Forgetting
his caution, Will began to run, and Dick after him, stumbling and nearly
falling two or three times, Mr Temple and Josh hastening after him as
eagerly, but with more care, till they rounded a huge mass of stone
which shut out the sight of the sea, when they also ran, and joined Dick
and Will.

"There isn't much the matter, father," said Dick, as Mr Temple came
running to the boat, "he has only got the hook in his leg."

"Why, I thought he was 'bout killed," grumbled Josh.

"Let me look," said Mr Temple; and Arthur, as his leg was lifted,
uttered a piteous moan, and looked round for sympathy.

Mr T