s
seen recently by a lady explorer.]

It was indeed fortunate that Jack was so well acquainted with every nook
and crevice in the caves, and had made the discovery of the secret
himself. The drop into the Treasure Cave was sheer; nevertheless, after
securing the rope, he took the little girl in his arms and slid down
with the ease of a sailor. They found themselves in a high cave into
which the daylight came but dimly. There appeared to be no entrance
except the one by which they had come. There was no getting away,
therefore, until the tide went down. Casks, large cases, and other
relics of old smuggling days were scattered about; some piled against
the walls, others more in the centre, where the soft looseness of the
sand testified to the dryness of the cave. These latter looked
surprisingly fresh and neat, as if but recently stored there, and
presented a great contrast to the sea-stained memorials of ancient days.
There seemed to be small room for doubt that the Treasure Cave was not
without its uses even yet.

The boy and girl were, however, in no condition to notice anything.
Julien, whom Jack had carried to this place of refuge first, had
returned to consciousness, and now lay shivering on the sand, with pale
face and chattering teeth. Estelle, soaked to the skin, was placed by
his side. Jack could attend to both at once in that way, and he
proceeded to use vigorous measures to restore their vitality. Diving
into a recess between the cases, he produced a couple of brown blankets,
no doubt left there by smugglers. Very soon Estelle and Julien found
themselves well wrapped up, and the warmth made a glow of returning life
flow through their shivering frames.

'The sea-water will not hurt you,' said Jack, reassuringly, as they
looked up gratefully at his cheerful face. 'Lie there and keep warm.'

'How long shall we have to remain?' asked Julien, in a forlorn tone.

He was already looking less pale, and his teeth had ceased to chatter.

'A matter of two or three hours. Not more. The tide runs out as fast as
it comes in. When you are a bit warmer we'll take a sharp run round the
cave. It's a large one, you see, and you will be in a fine glow before
we have been round it many times. How is your shoulder, Missie?'

'Oh, it doesn't hurt much now.'

'A good thing for you your clothes were thick,' said Jack, smiling, as
she stretched out her arm, to show she could move it quite easily.

'What happened?' asked Julie