we go first?" asked Scarlett.
"This way," cried Fred, and his voice sounded so strange and hollow,that as he stood there up to his knees in water, which glimmered andshimmered on the black surface, he hesitated and wished that he had notagreed to go.
For there before them lay a narrow path of light, ending in quite asharp point, and seeming to point to the end of their journey.
They both told themselves that they were not likely to meet anythingthat would do them harm, but, all the same, neither of them could helpwondering whether there would be any unpleasant kind of fish in thedepths as they neared the lake. That word depth, too, troubled them.It was easy enough to wade now, but suppose it should grow deepersuddenly, and they should step into some horrible hole. Suppose--
"Look here," cried Fred, suddenly, as they waded slowly on, listening tothe whisper and splash of the water, "I wish you'd be quiet with yoursuppose this, and suppose that. You don't want to frighten me, do you?"
"Why, I never spoke," cried Scar.
"Then you must have been thinking aloud, for it seemed to me as if youwere saying things on purpose to scare me."
"Well, it is enough to scare anybody, Fred; and I don't mind saying toyou that I don't like it."
"But we will not go back?"
"No."
"Only you might hold the light a little higher."
Scarlett obeyed, and they cautiously went on, with the water still aboutthe same depth, and for prospect above, before, and on either side,there was the arch of rugged stones, the dripping wall, and the gleamingwater.
That was all, and after going about fifty yards, Fred exclaimed--
"I say, this can never be of any use to us. Who's going to wade throughwater for the sake of having a secret place?"
"Nobody," replied Scarlett; "but let's go on, as we've gone so far."
"Ugh!"
"What's the matter?" cried Scarlett, stopping short suddenly.
"I thought something laid hold of my leg. Mind!"
Scarlett nearly dropped the lanthorn. "Oh, I say, Scar, that would betoo horrible. Do be careful. I don't want to be in the dark again."
"It was your fault, you pretending to be frightened."
"I didn't pretend. I was frightened. It did seem as if somethingtouched my leg. I say, how much farther do you think it is?"
"What! to the end? I don't know. Come along."
"Well, if anyone had told me that I should do such a thing as this, Iwouldn't have believed him," grumbled Fred. "How cold the water feels!"
"You wouldn't mind if it was one of the streams, and we were aftertrout."
"No; because it would be all light and warm there, and we could see whatwe were doing. Don't you think we might go back?"
"No. Let's go to the end now. I'm sure this is the way down to thelake, and we shall find the entrance. Perhaps we shall find the endblocked up, and then when we open it all the water will rush out, and weshall have a dry passage after all."
"Then you will not give it up?"
"No," said Scarlett, doggedly. "It's our place, and I want to be ableto tell father all about it."
"No, no; don't do that," cried Fred, in dismay.
"I don't mean yet. I mean when we've done with it."
"I've done with it now," muttered Fred. "I don't see any fun in goingsop, sop, squeeze, squatter, through all this cold, dark water. Eh!what's that--the end of it?"
"I think so," said Scarlett, holding the lanthorn up as high as hecould. "Here are some steps and a door."
"Of course; then that must be the door that opens on the lake."
"No, it can't be, for the steps are dry, and--I say, Fred!"
"What is it?"
"Look here," cried Scarlett. "This is strange. Here's a chamber orcellar."
"Just like the other we found."
"Like it," cried Scarlett; "why, it is it!"
"What nonsense! That one was toward the house. This one is toward thelake."
"Nonsense or no, there's the old armour in the corner."
The two lads stood with the lanthorn held up, staring at the heap, andthen at the rusty hinged door, and lastly at one another.
"Do you believe in enchantment, Fred?" said Scarlett, at last.
"No, not a bit. Enchantment, and witches, and goblins, and all thosesort of things, are nothing but stuff, father says."
"But isn't it curious that we should have found ourselves here? It isthe same, isn't it?"
"I think so. Yes, that's the way into the house," said Fred, staringalong the dark passage. "But I don't care whether it is or whether itisn't. My legs are so wet that I mean to get out as soon as I can."
Scarlett held the lanthorn up again, and had one more good look round.Then, without a word, he turned, descended the steps into the water, andbegan to wade back.
"Oh, I say, it is wet!" grumbled Fred, as he followed the lanthorn,watching their grotesque shadows on the wall, the flashing of the lighton the water, and the glimmering on the damp walls.
Neither of the lads spoke now as they waded on, for each was trying topuzzle out the problem of how it was that they should have journeyedbackward; but no light came.
"I shall make it out," said Fred, "as soon as we get in the sunshineagain. Go on a bit faster, Scar."
But there was no temptation to go faster, and the slow wading wascontinued, till a glimmering of light cheered them; and then quickerprogress was made, for the opening seemed to send down more and morelight as they approached, till they could see quite a fringe of roots,which had forced their way through the arch of rugged stones, and atlast make out how the roof of the passage had been driven in by the fallof the tree.
"Oh! there is something now," cried Scarlett, starting.
"What is it?"
"Something did touch my leg."
"Kick it!" cried Fred, huskily. "Look out, Scar! it's swimming towardsyou. Mind, mind!"
The boy had raised up his foot to kick, but placed it down again, forthe terror proved to be a piece of rotten wood floating on the surface.
"How easy it is to be frightened!" said Scarlett, drawing a long breath,as they stood once more at the opening.
"Yes, far too easy," grumbled Fred. "I wish it wasn't. Shall I go upfirst, or will you?"
"Isn't it a pity to go up without finding the way?" said Scarlett,hesitatingly.
"It does seem to be; but I've had enough of it. Let's go up now."
"Shall we? I know we shall want to come down again."
"Yes," said Fred, hesitating; "I suppose we shall. Do you feel to mindit so much now?"
"I don't think so."
"Let's go on, then."
"Shall we, Fred?"
"Yes; didn't I say so?" cried Fred, crossly. "Go on; you've got thelight."
Without another word, Scarlett held the light above his head.
"It seems very rum though, Scar. That must be the way to the house."
"Well, let's see."
Scarlett started once more with the lanthorn along the tunnel in theother direction, apparently toward the house, while, with a maliciouslymerry laugh on his face, Fred hung back, and half hid himself among thefallen wood and stones.
Scarlett went on quite a couple of dozen yards, talking the while, everyword he said coming back as in a loud whisper distinctly to the mouth ofthe hole.
"Don't seem to get any deeper, Fred. I'm glad we came, because we shallfind it out this time."
Fred chuckled and watched, and, to his surprise, he saw his companionand the light gradually disappear, leaving the tunnel in obscurity.
"Why, I shall have to go in the dark," cried Fred to himself. "Oh!"And, startled more than he had startled his companion, he hurried afterhim, so eager to overtake the light that he nearly went headlong in thewater, for his body went quicker than his legs.
"Hi! stop a minute, Scar!" he cried; and he noted, as he hurried on,that the passage made a great curve, though it was so gradual that hecould not tell its extent
.
"Why, I thought you were close behind me," said Scarlett, as he overtookhim. "Lean a little forward, and you'll find it easier to go alongthrough the water. It's getting just a little deeper now."
"Then this must be the way to the lake, after all."
They persevered, going steadily on for some time, and, with the watergradually creeping up and up till it was mid-thigh, and then higher