lly. "Shall
we go down again, and take your Samson with us this time?"
"I don't see that there's any good in it; and see what a mess we should
be in again. I was full of little tiny bits of slate all in my hair,
and down my back, and, after all, it wasn't worth the trouble."
"Made me feel a bit queer. I say, Scar, only fancy being shut up there,
and starving to death."
Scarlett gave an involuntary shiver.
"Don't talk about it."
"I say, starving to death makes you think about eating. When are your
people coming over again to supper?"
"I don't know," said Scarlett, with an uneasy sensation.
"What's the matter, Scar?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure. I think your father and mine have fallen
out again."
"What makes you think that?"
"Something I heard my mother saying to him."
"Well, they'll soon be friends again, I dare say."
"I hope so. But, Fred, how everybody seems to be talking now about the
troubles in the east."
"Well, let them," laughed Fred. "We don't want any of their troubles in
the west. What do you say to an afternoon's nutting?"
"The nuts are not half ripe."
"Well, let's get your Nat's ferret, and try for a rabbit."
"He would not lend it to us."
"Let's go down on the shore, and collect shells for your Lil."
"She has more than she wants now."
"Well, let's do something. I vote we go down and hunt out the way into
that passage. We can do that without getting our heads full of slate."
Scarlett acceded readily, the more so that ever since their adventure in
the passage, the place had had a peculiar fascination for both lads.
They often stopped in the middle of some pursuit to talk about the
curious idea of making a door to be entered by lying down, and
contriving it out of a stair. Then there were the ingenious
peculiarities of the old passage, and the strange gloom of the oak
chamber, and the dark vault, with its heap of old arms, which they
regretted not to have brought out to try and restore to something like
their former condition.
For, in spite of previous failure, the idea of discovering the second
entrance to that passage was often suggesting itself to the lads; and,
in consequence, they began to haunt the edge of the lake, feeling sure
that some day or another accident would direct them to the very spot
they had searched for so long.
Scarlett insisted that they would find the opening right down in the
water, while, on the other hand, Fred maintained
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