forward, he took hold of Arthur's
hand and pressed it.

"Don't be alarmed, my boy," he said. "There is no more danger now than
when it was light."

"I'm trying to be brave, papa," said Arthur softly.

"That's as good as being brave," whispered back Mr Temple. "What?" he
said, as the boy clung to his hand and leaned forward till his lips
nearly touched his father's ear.

"I want to tell you something," whispered Arthur. "I was too great a
coward to tell you before. That cigar-case was not Dick's, but mine."

Mr Temple was silent for a few minutes, and then he said:

"Better late than never, my boy. If you had come frankly to me, and not
let your brother take that bit of blame, I should have felt that you
could not be a coward. Arthur, my boy, you have a good deal to master
yet. Well, Dick," he said aloud in a cheery tone, "how are you?"

"Capital, father," said Dick, "but so dreadfully hungry."

"Well, we can't be prisoners much longer."

"Hours yet," growled Josh--"eh, Will?"

"I don't think so, Josh. You must have been asleep a long time, and
don't count that."

"G'long," cried Josh. "Don't talk gashly nonsense."

"Strike another light," said Mr Temple after they had listened once
more to the horrible gurgling and washing of the incoming water, and the
hardly less startling sounds it made as it escaped. "Hand the light to
me directly."

Josh struck a match and passed it to Mr Temple, who had just time to
see that his last mark was covered, and the boat far higher up the sides
of the cave before he had to drop it in the water.

"Still rising," he said quietly. "This will be a curious adventure to
talk of, boys, in the future."

Neither Dick nor Arthur spoke, for Dick was wondering whether they would
ever get out alive, and Arthur dared not trust himself to utter a word,
for he was finding it terribly hard work to be brave at a time like
this.

All at once Josh began to whistle an air--a doleful minor melody, that
sounded so strange and weird there in the darkness that Will stopped
him.

"Don't do that, Josh," he said softly.

"Why not? One must do something."

"It annoys them," whispered Will.

"Ho!" said Josh. Then he was silent, and for quite half an hour all sat
listening to the gurgling, hissing, and rushing noises made by the
water.

Then, when it seemed to Dick, who had tight hold of his brother's hand,
that he could bear it no longer, his father asked for another match.