Menhardoc Part 68

"There's lots of room, sir," said Josh. "No fear o' knocking your head.

You see, there wouldn't be anything to be afraid of round our coast if there were no rocks."

"I say, Josh, where shall we find the seals?" said d.i.c.k as they slowly approached the low arch in the face of the cliff, the boat being backed in so that its rowers could pull strongly away should a dangerous wave come in and threaten to dash them against the rocks--a mishap that occurred sometimes on the calmest days.

"Oh! if there be any, Master d.i.c.k, sir, they'll keep going farther and farther away, right into the end of the cave, where it be so small you can't follow unless you wade."

"Will seals bite, Josh?" cried d.i.c.k.

"Well, sir, they say they will, and fine and sharp, and fight too; but I never see 'em do it. Only thing I ever see a seal do was try to get away as fast as she could; that's all I ever see."

"But have you ever seen seals in here?" said Arthur, who, in spite of himself, looked rather white.

"Six or seven times, sir," replied Josh. "I've been with gentlemen as come shooting seals, and with a couple of gentlemen who went right in with clubs to kill 'em."

"And did they shoot and kill any?" said d.i.c.k eagerly.

"No, sir; not as I see," replied Josh. "One of 'em shot at a seal out on a rock, but I don't think he hit her, for she only looked up at us like a human being and then dived into the water and--but, look!"

Josh, who was about thirty yards from the entrance, ceased rowing; and as d.i.c.k and his father followed the direction of his eyes, and Will's pointing hand, they saw a curious, grey-looking creature rise up out of the water and begin to scramble up on to one of the rocks by the cave entrance, but on seeing the boat it gave a wallow, something like a fish, and turning, dived off the rock with a dull plash into the deep water.

"She's gone in," said Josh, propelling the boat towards the rugged arch.

"We've seen one. P'r'aps we shall see more seals to-day."

"But won't it be dark?"

"Will's brought the big lantern, sir," said Josh.

"And I," said Mr Temple, "have brought some magnesium wire."

A good-sized wave came in just then, carrying the boat forward upon its swell right up to the archway; and then, as the wave retired, Josh managed to give a touch here and a touch there with his oars, and the next minute the sunshine seemed to have gone, and they glided in beneath a fringe of ferns and into a dark grotto, where the trickling drip of falling water came musically upon the ears.

It was a wonderful change--from the brilliant light outside, to the soft, greenish obscurity of the cave, whose floor was of pellucid water, that looked black beneath the boat, and softly green where some rock came near the surface.

It was of no great size as to width, resembling more a rugged pa.s.sage or subterranean ca.n.a.l made by nature, regardless of direction or size, than a cavern; but to the boys it was a weird, strange place, full of awe and mystery. Every time oar or boat-hook touched the rocky side, there was a strange, echoing noise. Now and then the keel of the boat grated on some unseen rock, or was lifted by the water and dropped softly, as it were, upon some portion of the stony bottom as the water rose and fell.

The opening was left behind, and it seemed horrible to Arthur that calm coolness with which his father sat still and allowed Josh to thrust the boat along farther and farther till it became too dark for them to see, and Josh laid his boat-hook down. As he did so there was a silence for a few moments, in the midst of which, heard beneath the dripping musical tones of the falling water, came a curious hissing, whispering sound from beyond them farther in the cave.

"What's that?" said Arthur in a low voice as he spasmodically caught at his brother's arm.

Truth to tell, the mystery of the place had impressed d.i.c.k, who suffered from a half self-confessed desire to get out into the daylight once more; but now came this evident display of dread on his brother's part, and its effect was to string him up at once.

Laughing at Arthur meant laughing at himself, and he s.n.a.t.c.hed at the opportunity as Arthur whispered once more, "d.i.c.k--d.i.c.k--what's that?"

"That?" said d.i.c.k in the same low tone. "That's the bogle-b.o.o.by breathing. He's asleep now, but when he wakes he'll roll about so that he'll fill the place with foam."

"Don't you take any notice of him, Master Arthur," said Will gently.

"He's making fun of you. That whispering noise is made by the water as it runs gurgling up the cracks of the rock and comes back again."

"Cr-r-r-ack!"

Arthur uttered a shrill cry, and d.i.c.k burst out laughing.

"Why, it was only a noisy match, Taff," he exclaimed, as, after a loud cracking scratch, there was a flash of light, and then a clear glow was shed around by the lantern, whose lamp Josh had just lit, its rays showing dimly the rugged walls of granite, all wet with trickling water, while the shadows of the boat and its occupants were cast here and there.

"Now, Master d.i.c.k, if you'll take the lantern and hold it up I'll send the boat farther in, so as if there be any seals you'll have a chance of seeing 'em."

"You think there are some then?" said Mr Temple.

"Ay, I do, sir. They won't have got out either. The only way, you see, would be under the boat, and they won't try that way yet so long as there's plenty of room forward."

d.i.c.k took the lantern, and as the light spread about the boat and glimmered on the surface of wet rock and water Arthur made a brave effort to master his dread; but all the same he gazed doubtfully forward as the boat was thrust more and more along the waterway among the rocks.

"I don't hear any seals yet," said Mr Temple.

"Oh, you won't hear 'em p'r'aps, sir," said Josh, "till we are close on to them, and then there'll be a splash and a rush. If there be any of 'em they're huddled up together, wondering what this here lantern means."

"Then there is no other way out?"

"Not for them, sir. There's a bit of a hole up towards the end, where a bird might fly out, but there's no way for the fish."

All this time Josh and Will were propelling the boat along with an oar or a boat-hook, and when the way was very narrow and the rocks within reach thrusting it forward with their hands.

"There, there, there's one," cried d.i.c.k, as there was a heavy rushing noise which came whispering and echoing past where they were.

"Ay, that be one, Master Richard," cried Josh, mastering the boy's name for once. "She'll go right to the end and come up again."

"How far is it to the end?" said Mr Temple.

"Six or eight fathom," said Josh; "not more, sir. If the light was stronger you could see it."

"Then we'll have a stronger light," said Mr Temple. "Open that lantern, d.i.c.k."

The boy obeyed, and his father ignited the end of a piece of magnesium wire, which burst out into a brilliant white light, showing them the roof and sides of the narrow cave, flashing off the water, and, what was of greater interest still, displaying the heads of a couple of seals raised above the surface at the end of the channel, and the dark-grey shiny body of another that had crawled right into a rift but could get no farther, and was now staring timidly at them.

The light sputtered and glowed, and dense white fumes floated in a cloud above their heads, while the boat was urged softly closer and closer towards the seals, the effect being that as the animals saw the light and the curious objects beneath advancing towards them the two in the water swam to the end and began to crawl out upon the rock, forcing themselves towards their companion in the rift.

"Go right on, sir?" said Will in a low voice.

"Yes. Close on, my lad," said Mr Temple. "Have a good look at them, boys, before they go."

"You're not going to catch one, are you, father?"

"Oh no! We'll have a good look at them. Wild creatures are getting far too scarce about the coast as it is."

He kept manipulating the wire as he spoke, sparks and incandescent pieces falling the while with a loud hiss in the water, making Arthur start till he was prepared for what was to come. And as Mr Temple managed the light and stood up in the boat its pale dazzling rays made the cave as light as day; and at last they were within three or four yards of the seals, which suddenly, after gliding and shuffling one over the other in utter astonishment, made Arthur and d.i.c.k start back, falling over into the bottom of the boat.

For, evidently frantic with dread, and helpless as far as relief was concerned, the three seals, as if moved by one idea, gave a wallowing movement, and dashed from the rocks together, seeming for the moment as if they were bent on leaping into the boat, but of course falling short and plunging into the water with a tremendous splash, which sent the spray all over those who were nearest; and at the same moment there was a hiss, and they were in total darkness.

"I won't be afraid," said Arthur to himself; and he clenched his teeth as his father said loudly: