Pausing to rest a moment, the three gazed back. The opening of the cave appeared as a circle of light.
“Everything’s okay!” Mr. Hatfield shouted to reassure Mr. Holloway and the Cubs who waited anxiously at the cave’s mouth. “We can’t see the end yet.”
His voice echoed weirdly in the cavernous depths.
Losing his balance, Dan grasped a jagged projection of rock for support. The walls at this point were slimy and covered with clusters of lichens. Farther on, the explorers passed an oozing icicle-like stalagmite which dangled from the roof.
“Need any ornaments for your Christmas tree?” Dan joked.
Brad’s line had become twisted. Without answering Dan, he halted to try to straighten it.
Unaware that the two boys had stopped, Mr. Hatfield moved on some distance ahead. Suddenly they heard him shout:
“I think we’re coming to the end of the tunnel! Or at least to a larger chamber. I’m out of the water.”
Brad hastily adjusted his rope and the two Cubs splashed on. Mr. Hatfield was waiting for them on a narrow ledge to the right of the stream.
Before the amazed eyes of the two boys spread a large chamber, nearly circular in shape. Occupying a large portion of the cathedral-like room was a round pool, which in earlier years obviously had been ground out of the rocks by whirling waters.
The underground river sought an exit at the extreme end of the chamber, beyond view of the Cubs.
A rocky ledge extended on three sides around the chamber. The shelf was barely two feet wide where Mr. Hatfield stood. Farther on, Dan and Brad could see that it widened to a sizeable floor.
“Be careful,” Mr. Hatfield warned as the Cubs came on. “There’s a sharp drop-off here at the entrance into the chamber. I couldn’t probe it with my stick. The pool must be over a man’s head.”
“Is this the end of it?” Brad asked, pausing.
“It’s as far as we’re going today. Maybe it’s as far as we’ll ever go. I’m satisfied now that the underground stream empties into James Lake. The tunnel through to the lake may be too small for exploration. I suspect it is, but at any rate, our curiosity is satisfied.”
“And we’ve found ourselves a cave!” Dan said. He caught himself talking in a half whisper. “Won’t the Cubs be jarred when we tell ’em about this!”