andhigher till it was almost to their hips, and then they stopped.
"I shan't go any farther, Scar," cried Fred. "I don't want to have toswim."
"Yes, it is getting deep," said Scarlett, thoughtfully.
"Couldn't get a boat down here, could we!"
"No; but we might get one of the big tubs," replied Scarlett. "It wouldhold us both. Shall we go back now?"
"Yes; we're so horribly wet; but hold the lanthorn up higher, and--Oh, Isay!"
Scarlett had obeyed, and raised it so high that the lanthorn struckslightly against the rough roof, and, as the candle happened to bealready burning away in the socket, this was sufficient to extinguishit, and for the moment they were in total darkness, or so it seemed tothem in the sudden change.
Then Fred cried exultantly, "Look! look!" and pointed to a bright,rough-looking star of light.
"Sunshine," cried Scarlett. "Then that is the entrance. Shall we goon?"
Fred had already squeezed by him, and was wading on toward the light,which proved to be not more than fifty feet away.
"Come along!" he cried; "it isn't very much deeper, only up to my middlenow. Here, I'm touching it. This is the end, and--it's--it's--no, Ican't quite make out where it is," he continued, as he darkened the holeby placing his face to it; "but I can see the lake, and I could seewhere, only there's a whole lot of ivy hanging down."
"Can you get your head through?"
"No; too small. Come and look."
Fred made way for his companion, and, while he was peering through, theother amused himself by feeling the flat surface which stopped fartherprogress, and soon made out that there was a wall of rugged stone, builtup evidently to stop the entrance; and this was matted together with ivystrands and roots which had forced their way in.
"Yes," said Scarlett, at last, as he drew away; "this is the entrance,and now we've got to find it from outside."
"Yes; but how?"
"Oh, we shall soon find it. Get the boat, and hunt all along till wefind a place that has been built like a wall, and then search for thishole."
"And how about the ivy all over it?"
Scarlett was silent for a while.
"I had forgotten all about the ivy," he said.
"If we could tell about where it was, I dare say we could soon find it."
"Yes, but we can't tell yet."
"And we shan't find out by stopping here, Scar; and oh, I say--"
"What's the matter?"
"The water's right up in my pockets. Come along back."
"But we've got to go in the dark."
"Can't help it. I don't mind so much now, for we can't go wrong. Comealong."
Fred took the lead now, and they went steadily back, feeling their wayalong by the damp wall, and casting back from time to time regretfullooks at the bright star of light, which grew less and less, and thendisappeared; but as it passed from sight, they saw to their greatdelight that there was a faint dawn, as it were, on ahead, and this grewbrighter and brighter, till they seemed to turn a corner, and saw thebright rays shooting down through the hole, which they reached with arather confused but correct notion that about here the passage took adouble curve, somewhat in the shape of the letter S; but they were tooeager to get out into the wood again to give much attention to theconfiguration of the place.
"Hah!" exclaimed Fred, taking a long breath, and then beginning tosqueeze the water out of his nether garment, "that's better. I say,hadn't we better hide this hole?"
"I don't think we need; nobody ever comes here. Let's go and have alook down by the lake."
CHAPTER NINE.
SOMETHING THE MATTER.
The two lads were so accustomed to rough country life and to makingwading expeditions for trout in the little rivers, or rushing in afterthe waves down by the seashore, that, after giving their garments athorough good wring, they soon forgot all about the dampness in theinterest of searching for the entrance to the secret passage down by thelake.
"I know how it must all have been," said Scarlett. "When our house wasbuilt, there must have been wars. I dare say it was in the War of theRoses, and that place was contrived, so that in case of need any onecould escape."
"Yes; and if the place was taken, the rightful owners could get inagain."
"And now it's all peace," said Scarlett, thoughtfully, "and we can makeit our cave, and do what we like there."
"But it isn't all peace," said Fred. "I heard father say that if theking went on much longer as he's going on now, there might be war."
"Who with--France?"
"No; a civil war."
"What Englishmen against Englishmen! They couldn't."
"But they did in the Wars of the Roses."
"Ah, that was when people knew no better, and there were different kingswanted to reign! Such things never could occur again."
"I hope not."
"There! this is where the entrance must be."
The two lads had reached the edge of the lake now, and began once moreto search along the most likely spots where the rocky banks wereperpendicular and high, and covered with ivy and overhanging trees.
But it was labour in vain, and at last, as the afternoon grew late, theysat down on a piece of slaty rock in the hot sunshine, swinging theirlegs over the side, gazing out at the bright waters of the lake.
"I don't care," cried Fred, pettishly; "I'm tired of it. I don't mindnow whether there's a way in or a way out. It's of no use, and I'mhungry. I shall go home now."
"No; stop and have supper with us."
"Very well. I don't mind; only let's go."
The two boys went straight up to the Hall, passing Nat on the way, readyto exchange a salute and a grin.
"What are you laughing at, Nat?" cried Fred.
"Only at you two, sir. You've been up to some mischief, I know."
The boys exchanged hasty glances, which, being interpreted, meant, "Hashe been watching us?"
"I always knows," said Nat, with a chuckle.
"No, you don't," cried Fred. "You're just like our Samson."
"So would you be, Master Fred, if you was a twin."
"I did not mean that. I meant being so precious cunning and sure abouteverything when you don't know anything at all."
"Ah, don't I, sir! Ha, ha, ha! I could tell Sir Godfrey a deal morethan you think for."
"Yes, you'd better," cried Fred. "You do, that's all, and I'll go homeand lead Samson such a life."
"Wish you would, sir, for he deserves it. A nasty, stuck-up, obstintfellow as never was. I never meet him without he wants to quarrel withme and fight. Thinks he's the strongest man there is, and that he cando anything. And talk about a temper!"
"Shan't," cried Fred. "What do we want to talk about tempers for? OurSamson has got as good a temper as you have."
"Nay, nay, Master Fred; now that aren't a bit true. And I beg yourpardon, sir: our Sampson's father was my father."
"Oh yes! and his mother was your mother. That's what you always say."
"Which it's a truth, Master Fred," said the gardener, reprovingly; "andMaster Penrose say as a truth can't be told too often."
"Then I don't think the same as Master Penrose. Do you, Scar?"
"No, of course not. Well, Nat, what were you going to say?"
"Only, sir, that Sampson's my brother; but I'm mortal sorry as he's thegardener for any friends of yours, for a worse man there never was in agarden, and I never see it without feeling reg'lar ashamed of theManor."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Fred. "Why, that's just what our Samson saysabout your garden."
"What, sir? Our Samson said that about the Hall garden?"
"Yes, lots of times."
Nat had a hoe in his hand, and he let the shaft fall into the hollow ofhis arm as he moistened his hands, took a fresh hold of the ash pole asif it was a quarter-staff, and made half a dozen sharp blows at nothingbefore letting the tool resume its place on the earth.
"That's what's going to happen t
o Samson Dee next time we meets, MasterFred; so p'raps you'll be good enough to tell him what he has got toexpeck."
"Tell him yourself, Nat," said Scarlett, shortly. "Come along, Fred."
The gardener stood looking after them till they disappeared through thegreat door of the Hall, and then went on hoeing up weeds very gently,