Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/280

262 They walked on, soon coming to a spot where a place between the rocks was covered with a matting of long vines, much intertwined.

"Keep quiet!" suddenly exclaimed our hero. "I know where they are—behind those vines. There must be a cave there, and the vines make a curtain for the entrance."

"Who is it?" asked Merwell.

"I don't know yet. Wait, all of you remain here, behind the rocks, while I investigate."

As silently as possible, Dave crawled forward, keeping close to the rocks on one side of the cave's entrance. Soon he was up to the curtain of vines, and cautiously he thrust his hand forward, making a small opening.

At first our hero could see little, but as his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he made out two forms lying on couches of vines, smoking. The forms were those of the two Englishmen, Pardell and Rumney.

"Well, Geswick ought to be coming back," Dave heard Rumney say. "He said he wouldn't waste any time."

"Maybe he had some trouble with that young fellow," returned Pardell. "Say, do you know he's a queer stick? Where did he get those diamonds he offered for his passage?"

"I don't know, but I rather think he stole them."