Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/223



" direction did those fellows who ran away take?" asked Dave.

"That's the way they went," answered one of the sailors, pointing to some heavy undergrowth behind the camping-out spot.

"Where does that lead to, do you know?" asked the senator's son.

"Leads to a spring o' fresh water an' half a dozen big caves," was the reply.

"Caves?" queried Dave. "Then perhaps the fellows, who ran away, took to one of the caves."

"Like as not, messmate. Them two chaps have been explorin' them caves ever since we came ashore."

"Let us walk back and have a look," suggested our hero. "We may be able to give Phil and Captain Sanders some assistance."

Without further delay, the two boys left the camp of the castaways and hurried along a small trail through the bushes. They soon came to a rocky depression in the midst of which was a tiny spring.