Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/75

Rh coal-mine, thought he heard a slight noise in the interior of the rock. He stopped his picking and listened. Again the sound reached his ear.

To get out of the hole, and tell Gordon and Baxter, who were standing at the entrance, was the work of an instant. "It is an illusion." said Gordon. "You imagined you heard it."

"Take my place, then put your ear to the wall and listen."

Gordon got into the hole, and stayed there a few minutes.

"You are right," said he, "I hear a sort of distant growling."

Baxter went in, and confirmed this. "What can it be?" he asked. "I cannot think," said Gordon, "We must tell Donagan and the others." "Not the youngsters," said Briant, "it would give them a scare."

But as they all came in to dinner at the moment, the secret could not be kept.

Donagan, Wilcox, Webb, and Garnett, one after the other, went into the cavity and listened. But the sound had ceased, probably, for they heard nothing, and concluded that their comrades had been mistaken. Mistake or no mistake, it was resolved to continue the work, and as soon as the meal was over, the digging recommenced. During the afternoon no noise was heard, but about nine o'clock in the evening the growling was distinctly heard through the rock. Fan ran into the hole, and immediately came out again with unmistakable signs of anger, her coat bristling, her lips showing her teeth, and barking loudly, as if in reply to the growling in the rock. And then the alarm, mingled with surprise, that the smaller boys had hitherto felt, gave place to fear. In vain Briant tried to soothe Dole, Costar, and even