or less till, all at once, there was a flash, so short, quick, and
brilliant that it dazzled their darkness-becurtained eyes like
lightning.

"Hoo-ray!" shouted Dick, stamping his feet on the bottom of the boat.
"Now, all together--hip-hip-hip hooray!"

Arthur, Will, and Josh joined in making the cave echo as there was
another and another flash of light, and soon after the arch at the mouth
of the cave began to open more and more; and at last the boat floated
out into the dazzling afternoon sunshine, and was rowed steadily back.

"Been shut-up in a zorn!" cried Mrs Marion, who declared that the
dinner was spoiled; "then it was all the fault of that great idle Josh
and that stupid, good-for-nothing boy."

"No, Mrs Marion," said Mr Temple gently, "the fault was entirely
mine."

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

MR. TEMPLE TAKES WILL INTO HIS CONFIDENCE AND ASTONISHES UNCLE ABRAM.

"Dick," said Mr Temple one morning, as he looked up from the table
covered with specimens of ore and papers.

"Yes, father."

"Is Will Marion at home?"

"Yes, father. Hark!" He held up his hand to command silence, and from
the back garden came the sound of a shrill voice scolding, and the deep
rumble of Uncle Abram, apparently responding.

"You idle, good-for-nothing, useless creature. I wish we were well rid
of you, I do."

"Softly. Steady, old lady, steady," growled Uncle Abram.

"Oh! it's no use for you to take his part. I say he's a lazy, idle,
stupid, worthless fellow, and he sha'n't stop here any longer. There:
get out of my sight, sir--get out of my sight, and don't come back here
till you're asked."

"Easy, old lady, easy," growled Uncle Abram. "What's the lad been doing
now?"

"Nothing," cried Aunt Ruth, who was suffering from the effect of what
people call getting out of bed the wrong way--"nothing, and that's what
he's always doing--nothing. I'm sick of the sight of him--eat, eat,
eat, and sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, and grow, grow, grow, all the year
round. I'm sure I don't know what we do having him here. I hate the
sight of him."

"Will," said Uncle Abram, "go down and see that the boat's cleaned out;
perhaps Mr Temple will want her to-day."

"Eat, eat, eat, and grow, grow, grow," cried Aunt Ruth.

"Which it is the boy's natur' to," said the old man good-humouredly.
"There, be off, Will."

"Run out now and you'll catch him before he goes," said Mr Temple.

Dick hurried out by the front to waylay Will,