"or we should
have got out by now. We must have borne off to right or left, and--here
we are."

"Yes; here we are," chorused Mike, rather piteously; "but it's no use to
be dumpy, is it? Let's go back to the cave and start again, unless we
can find out where we turned off as we go."

Vince did not reply, but opened the lanthorn, and raised his finger and
thumb to his lips to moisten them before snuffing the candle, which was
long-wicked, and threatened to gutter down.

"Mind!" cried Mike warningly, as he thought of their former fright.

"Well, I am minding. Didn't you see that I wouldn't wet my fingers?
There! that's right."

He cleverly snuffed the candle, which flashed up brightly directly, and
seemed to illumine the boy's brain more clearly, as well as the
glittering roof and sides of the water-worn passage, for he spoke out
sharply directly after.

"Look here, Ladle," he cried, "I don't believe we can have come wrong."

"Don't be obstinate," replied Mike; "we must have come wrong, or we
shouldn't be here now."

"I don't know that."

"But I do. See what a while we have been climbing back."

"Yes; because it has all been uphill, and we had so much to think of
going that we did not notice how far we went."

"But we've been hours coming back."

"Not we. You were tired, and that's made it seem so long. Come on: the
way must be right."

"No; let's turn back. I'm tired, and don't want to do it, but it's the
best way."

"But it will take so long," cried Vince.

"It'll take longer if we're going on walking we don't know where," said
Mike ominously.

"Oh, come, I say, don't go on like that," cried Vince. "Fellows who are
mates ought to try and cheer one another up, and you're doing nothing
but cheer one down."

"I must speak the truth," said Mike gloomily.

"Here! do leave off! Why, you're as bad as that old raven out over the
Scraw--all croak, croak, croak!"

"I don't want to croak; I only want for us to find the way out. Let's
go back and make a fresh start."

"I shan't," said Vince: "we're right now, I'm sure, only we went wrong
just now."

"There! I knew it! How far was it back?"

"Just where we took fright and began to fancy we were wrong. Now then,
forward."

"No," said Mike firmly; "we'll go back. You are always so rash, and
will not think."

"Yes, I will; I'm thinking now!" cried Vince warmly, "and I think that
you're about the most pig-headed fellow that there ever was.