"

"Bedad, and it don't matter, for we've found you again. Ugh! you ugly
young ruffian! to go frightening your father into fits."

"It was an accident, sir."

"That's what your father said. He would have it that you had gone down
a hole to see what made the mountain burn, and couldn't get out."

"If you wouldn't mind, Mr Mark, sir, I'd like to shake hands," said
Small, "afore I punch Billy Widgeon's head."

"It wasn't his fault, Small," cried Mark, shaking hands heartily with
the boatswain before turning to the captain.

"Was my mother very much frightened, father?"

"I hope not, my lad."

"Hope not! What! haven't you been back to camp?"

"Not likely, my boy. We found you did not come back so we went off from
the mud-stream path to the right and searched for you till we could not
see, and have fired off half our ammunition for signals."

"But we went off to the left, father," said Mark.

"And so we got farther and farther apart, so no wonder we did not find
you."

"Did you shout?"

"Shout!" cried the major, who sounded very Irish that morning. "Why,
can't you hear, boy, how dumb we are with yelling after you!"

"Never mind, you are found, so now for camp. They must be very anxious.
But you are none the worse?"

"No, father, not a bit; only hungry."

"But did you hear that roar soon after daybreak?"

"Hear it! Yes," cried Mark; "it came out of the cave in which we
slept;" and he related their experience.

The captain looked at the major without speaking.

"Oh, I'm ready," said the latter with a look of determination. "Let's
have the rest of what we have to eat, and then set the matter at rest."

"We will," said Captain Strong, "and then we shall have a better right
to face those in camp. I don't like for our visit to be purposeless."

Billy Widgeon's eyes glistened as they found a level place to sit down
and make a fairly hearty meal, supplemented by some fruit picked by the
men during the laborious search, which had only ceased on the previous
night when they were quite exhausted.

As they made their sylvan breakfast the question was discussed as to the
possibility of finding the cave again. Mark felt that he could not but
express his willingness to try, and soon after, with guns loaded ready,
they rose and set off in quest of the monster that threatened to make
their life a penance.

CHAPTER FORTY.

HOW THE ROAR PROVED TO BE--A ROAR.

The task proved more simple than Mark h