Mother Carey's Chicken Part 66

"All right!" cried the major; "there's good bottom. It's a lovely sulphur cave. Coming in?"

"No," said the captain, sitting down; "I'll wait for you. Make haste, and then we'll go back another way."

"Can you see the sides, Mark?" said the major.

"Yes, sir. Lovely!" replied the lad. "I should like to take a basketful. I'll break a piece or two off."

"Wait a bit," said the major; "there is a lovely piece here. What's that?"

Mark listened, as he stood close to the major, where the cavern went right in like a narrow triangle with curved sides.

A low hissing noise saluted their ears, apparently coming from a great distance off.

"Snakes!" whispered Mark.

"Steam!" said the major. "Why, Mark, this pa.s.sage must lead right into the centre of the mountain. There, listen again! You can hear a dull rumbling sound."

"Yes, I can hear it," said Mark in an awe-stricken whisper.

"I dare say if we went on we should see some strange sights."

"Without lights?" said the captain, who had approached them silently.

"Perhaps we should get subterranean fire to show us the interior of the mountain. What do you say?--shall we explore a little further? One does not get a chance like this every day."

"I'm willing to come another time with lights, but it would be madness to go on in the dark. How do you know how soon you might step into some terrible chasm?"

"Without the slightest chance of being shot out again, like Billy Widgeon!" said the major. "You are quite right; it would be a terribly risky proceeding."

They listened, and this time there came a low boom and a roar as if there had been an explosion somewhere in the mountain, and the roar was the reverberation of the noise as it ran through endless pa.s.sages and rocky ways echoing out to the light of day.

"No, it does not sound tempting," said the major. "I don't want to go far. But I must get a specimen or two of this sulphur for the ladies to see."

He walked on cautiously.

"Mind!" said the captain.

"Oh, yes, I'll take care," came back out of the darkness. "I can see my way yet, and the sulphur is wonderful. These will do."

A tapping noise followed from about fifty feet away; then the fall of a piece or two of stone, followed by a low hissing sound.

"Hear the steam escaping, Mark?" said the captain. "Ah, that's a good bit, as far as I can see. Come, major."

There was no answer.

"O'Halloran!" cried the captain, and his voice went echoing away into the distance, the name being partly repeated far in, as if whispered, mockingly by some strange denizen of the cavern.

"Major O'Halloran!" shouted Mark excitedly. "What's that?"

"What, my lad?" cried the captain.

"That curious choking sour smell. Ah!"

"Back, boy, for your life!" cried the captain, s.n.a.t.c.hing at his son's arm and half dragging him towards where the cave was open to the sky.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, father," panted Mark, who was coughing violently. "Is--is-- Oh, father! the major."

The captain had taken a handkerchief from his pocket and loosely doubled it, and this he tied over his mouth and nostrils.

"Hold my gun, Mark," he whispered; and then hoa.r.s.ely, as if to himself, "I can't leave him like that, come what may."

He paused for a moment to breathe hard and thoroughly inflate his lungs, and then, regardless of the risk of falling, he ran rapidly in, while Mark stood horror-stricken listening to his retiring footsteps.

His next act saved the lives of the two men.

"Small!--Widgeon!" he cried. "Here, quick!"

The two men ran to his side, ready to help.

"My father has gone in to help the major. As soon--as he comes--near enough--go and help."

The men stood listening; and then, as they heard the coming steps, made a dart in, but returned.

"You can't breathe. It chokes you," cried Billy Widgeon.

"Take a long mouthful, my lad, and hold your breath," growled the boatswain. "Ha, he's down! Come on!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

HOW MARK AND BILLY WIDGEON WENT WRONG.

Mark did as the others did; inflated his lungs and rushed into the darkness, till they nearly fell over the captain; and then how it was done the lad hardly knew, but the two insensible men were dragged out to where there was pure air to breathe, and the rescuers sank down beside them, panting and exhausted. "Too late!" groaned Mark.

"Not we, my lad," growled Small. "I know. It's bad gas."

"It's the sulphur," cried Mark piteously.

"Well, aren't that bad gas? I know. They're just the same as if they was drowned, and we've got to pump their chesties full of wind till they begins to breathe as they ought to."

Small's ideas were doubtless quite correct, and fortunately but little effort was needed to bring the sufferers to their senses, for the fresh air soon recovered them, and they sat up looking wild and confused.

With the help of an arm to each they were soon able to walk back to the open mountain side, and after a rest declared themselves ready to proceed.

"I think we'll go back away north of the hot springs," the captain said.

"Certainly," exclaimed the major with quite a sound of contrition in his voice.