CHAPTER XXII
SNOWED IN
Naturally, thirteen young folk in a cave could not be content to sitbefore the fire inactive. They played games, they sang songs, they made upverses, and finally Madge produced a pencil and a notebook and they wrotea burlesque history of "George Washington and the Cherry Tree."
The first author wrote a page of the history and two lines on the secondpage. Then the second read those last two lines and went on with thestory, leaving another two lines at the top of the next page, and so on.It was a wonderful piece of literary work when it was finished, and Madgekept it to read to the S.B.'s when they got back to Briarwood Hall.
"For, of course," she said, "we're not going to be forever shut up in thiscave. I don't want to turn into a 'cave man'--nor yet a 'cave woman'!"
"See if the snow has stopped--that's a good boy, Tommy," urged Helen.
"Of course it hasn't. Don't you see how dark it is, sis?" returned hertwin.
But he started toward the mouth of the cavern. Just then Bob looked at hiswatch in the firelight, and exclaimed:
"No wonder it seems dark--do you know it's half after four right now?"
"Wow! mother will be scared," said Ralph Tingley.
Just then there came a cry from Tom. Then followed a heavy, smotheredthud. The boys dashed to the entrance. It was pitch dark. A great mass ofhard packed snow filled the opening, and was being forced into the caveitself. In this heap of snow struggled Tom, fairly smothered.
They laid hold upon him--by a leg and an arm--and dragged him out. Hecould not speak for a moment and he had lost his cap.
"How did you do that?" demanded Bob. "What does it mean?"
"Think--think I did it on purpose?" demanded the overwhelmed youth. "I'mno Samson to pull down the pillars on top of me. Gee! that snow camesudden."
"Where--where did it all come from?" demanded his sister.
"From the top of the cliff, of course. It must have made a big drift thereand tumbled down--regular avalanche, you know--just as I tried to lookout. Why! the place out there is filled up yards deep! We'd never be ableto dig out in a week."
"Oh, dear me! what shall we do?" groaned Belle, who was beginning to getnervous.
"Have supper," suggested Heavy, calmly. "No matter what we have to face,we can do it better after eating."
They laughed, but took her advice. Nobody failed to produce an appetite atthe proper time.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Belle, "if only mother knew we were safe I'd becontent to stay all night. It's fun."
"And if we had some salt," complained Lluella. "I don't like fish withoutsalt--not much."
"You're a fine female Robinson Crusoe," laughed Tom. "This is real'roughing it.' I expect all you girls will weaken by morning."
"Oh, oh!" cried his sister, "you talk as though you thought we would beobliged to stay here, Tom."
"I don't just see how we're to get out to-night," Tom returned, grimly."Not from this end of the cave, at any rate. I tell you, tons and _tons_of snow fell into its mouth."
"But you know the other way out, Ruthie?" urged Lluella, half inclined tocry.
"I think so," returned the girl of the Red Mill.
"Then just hunt for the way," said Belle, firmly. "If it has stoppedsnowing I want to go home."
"Don't be a baby, Belle," advised her brother Ralph. "Nothing is going tohurt us here."
"Especially as we have plenty of fuel and grub," added Bobbins,thoughtfully.
But Ruth saw that it would be wiser to try to get through the tunnel tothe brookside. Nobody could dig them out at this end, that was sure. Soshe agreed with Tom and Ralph Tingley to try to follow the same passagesthat Jerry Sheming had taken her through upon the occasion of her firstvisit.
"How shall we find our way, though, if it's dark?" questioned Ralph,suddenly. "_I_ can't see in the dark."
"Neither can the rest of us, I guess," said Tom. "Do you suppose we couldfind torchwood in that pile yonder?"
"Not much," Bobbins told them. "And a torch is a smoky thing, anyway."
Ruth was hunting the dark corners of the big cavern in which they hadcamped. Although Jerry had been at the far end of the tunnel when he wascaptured by the constable and his helpers--outside that end of the tunnel,in fact--she hoped that he had left his lantern at this end.
As it proved, she was not mistaken. Here it was, all filled and cleaned,hidden on a shelf with a half-gallon can of kerosene. Jerry had been inthe habit of coming to the cave frequently in the old days when his uncleand he lived alone on the island.
So Tom lit the lantern and the trio started. The opening of the tunnelthrough the hill could not be missed; but farther along Ruth had a dimrecollection of passing cross galleries and passages. Should she know thedirect tunnel then?
She put that anxiety aside for the present. At first it was all plaintraveling, and Tom with the lantern went ahead to illuminate the path.
They came out into one of the narrow open cuts, but there was little snowin it. However, a flake or two floated down to them, and they knew thatthe storm still continued to rage. The moaning of the wind in the treetops far up on the hill reached their ears.
"Some storm, this," observed Tom.
"I should say it was! You don't suppose the folks will be foolish enoughto start out hunting for us till it's over; do you?" Ralph asked,anxiously.
"They would better not. We're safe. They ought to know that. Preston willtell them about the caves in this end of the island and they ought to knowwe'd find one of 'em."
"It's a wild spot, just the same," remarked Ralph. "And I suppose motherwill be worried."
"Ruth isn't afraid--nor Helen--nor the other girls," said Tom. "I thinkthese Briarwood girls are pretty plucky, anyway. Don't _you_ get togrouching, Rafe."
They pursued their way, Tom ahead with the lantern, for some rods further.Suddenly the leader stopped.
"Now what, Ruthie?" he demanded. "Which way do we go?"
The passage forked. Ruth was uncertain. She could not for the life of herremember having seen this spot before.
But, then, she and Jerry must have passed it. She had not given herattention to the direction at that time, for she had been talking with thebackwoods boy.
She took the lantern from Tom now, and walked a little way into first theleft-hand passage and then the right-hand one. It seemed to her as thoughthere were places in the sand on the floor of this latter tunnel which hadbeen disturbed by human feet.
"_This_ is the path, I guess," she said, laughing and so hiding her ownanxiety. "But let's take a good look at the place so we can find our wayback to it if we have to return."
"Huh!" grumbled Ralph Tingley. "You're not so awfully sure; are you?"
"That's all right. Ruth was only through here once," Tom spoke up,loyally. "And we can't get really lost."
In five minutes they came into a little circular room out of which no lessthan four passages opened. Ruth was confident now that she was "turnedaround." She had to admit it to her companions.
"Well! what do you know about that?" cried Ralph. "I thought you said youcould find the way?"
"I guess I can," said Ruth, cheerfully. "But we'll have to try each one ofthese openings. I can't be sure which is the right one."
Ralph sniffed, but Tom was unshaken in his confidence in his girl friend.
"Let me have the lantern, Tom, and you boys stay here," Ruth said,quickly. "I'll try them myself."
"Say! don't you get lost," cried Tom.
"And don't you leave us long in the dark," complained Ralph. "I don'tbelieve we ought to let her take that lantern, Tom----"
"Aw, stop croaking!" commanded young Cameron. "You're worse than any girlyourself, Tingley."
Ruth hated to hear them quarrel, but she would not give up and admit thatshe was beaten. She took the lantern and ventured into the first tunnel.Her carriage was firmer than her mind, and before she had gone a dozensteps she was nervously sobbing, but smothered the sounds with herhandkerchief.
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