have been in it
when I was small. One gets there if one slides down a bank from the
Point, just as well as from the water. I would run away from my nurse,
and she would scold and call out, but she would not come after me,
because it is a very low roof. To get to the very end, one must go on
the hands and knees, but I _liked_ that the best of all. I tried to find
the treasure of Captain Kidd, which Larry told me about. But that was
only a child's thought. He would _nevaire_ have hidden it where one had
only to push through some bushes, then to crawl in and pull it out."

"No," said Jack, who had never put much faith in the treasure's tale,
much as he would have enjoyed doing so. "All the same, a cave's a big
attraction. Lots of people must have tried their luck exploring, in the
hope of some secret hidie-hole."

"Not so many know of the cave, that it is there," said Pat. "Some bushes
grow in front and hide the mouth. If not, you would have seen it
yourself. But Larry told all the people who came to stay this spring. He
thought it would amuse them to look for the treasure. And it was
promised--if there had not been the fire!--that when we came home from
our trip we would give a party to dig under the pines. Each one was to
have a spade; and it would be allowed to dig down some feet, but not
enough to hurt the pines. The gardeners were to decide on that. Larry
thought it would be fun. But I am not sure if _Mistaire_ Caspian would
not have persuaded him to forget the plan. He told me, if there were a
treasure, it would be best to keep it for ourselves."

"All in the family," said I. And to myself I added, "Catch him giving
something for nothing!"

"Shall I take a peep at that fellow down there?" suggested Jack. "He has
no right trespassing anyhow, whether he's prospecting for treasure or
waiting for his girl."

"Let's all three go and stare at him with calm reproach," I said. "The
moonlight will shine on our faces and turn us into accusing spirits."

We got up and walked across the lawn, threading our way among trees till
we came to the bank where we could look down to the water and straight
across to the Point. There was the boat, tethered to a bush, but the man
had vanished.

"By Jove! He _must_ be in the cave!" said Jack. "I'll go----"

"No, you won't!" I cut him short fiercely. "If you do I'll scream at the
top of my voice and yell for help. He may be a murderer!"

"Xantippe!" Jack retorted; but he couldn't h