cited I couldn't keep still and I just stumbled into the
cave and stood there for a couple of seconds, holding the lantern. It
was as dark as pitch and smelled like earth. I kind of had a feeling
that it was a grave. I was sorry I had ever shouted down to Bert Winton
that maybe the passageway came out there. Anyway, I held the lantern
into the passage way. It was a sort of an opening between two big rocks
inside. Then I squeezed myself in and went ahead about thirty or forty
feet, I guess. And that was every bit as far as I could go. The
passageway just fizzled out against a great big rock. It didn't lead
anywhere at all.

Then, all of a sudden, a cold feeling came over me and my fingers just
loosened and I dropped the lantern. It sort of scared me when I heard
the glass crash on the ground. For about half a minute I couldn't
budge; I just couldn't go out and tell Westy and Uncle Jeb that it was
all up with Bert Winton--I just couldn't do it. Because I knew I was to
blame for shouting that down to him like a fool.

If I had been a good scout I would have _known_ that passage didn't
lead anywhere. Look how Bert was always finding things out and how he
knew all about the country around there. I could just kind of see him
poking around with his stick. And I just couldn't call and I felt sick,
as if I was going to fall right down.

"It was me that killed him," I cried, and I heard a voice say, "_killed
him_."

It was just an echo, I guess.

CHAPTER XXXIII

TELLS ABOUT HOW WESTY AND I WAITED

Uncle Jeb and Westy came in and saw how it was and there wasn't
anything more to do, so we went back to the boat. The fellows who were
waiting around in the other boats said it wasn't my fault, but anyway,
I knew it was.

Uncle Jeb said, "Wall, naow, you take it kinder hard, Roay. Remember
thars two strings ter this here bow, as the feller says. We got another
party uv good scouts ter hear frum yet. You jest come over ter camp 'n
get a cup uv hot coffee."

I said I didn't want any hot coffee and that I was just going to wait
around with Westy. I just wanted to be with Westy. So Uncle Jeb went
back in one of the other boats and Westy and I just rowed around
together. At the spot where the others had started up the mountain, a
couple of boats were pulled up so that the fellows could cross when
they got back. It was pitch dark up the mountainside and I looked up to
see if I could see any lights that might be their lanterns.