I listened, but could get no clew as to where he was.

This puzzled me, and when I regained the outside I sat down to watch.
He never came out of the entrance, of that I was certain; yet at the end of several minutes he chuckled at my elbow.

Again I ran after him, and again he ran into the cave; but this time I stopped at the mouth.

I dropped back a short distance and watched.

He did not come out, yet, as before, he chuckled at my elbow and was chased by me a third time into the cave.
This performance was repeated several times.