CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
A SPY ON THE WAY.
Punctual to the time the lads met; and Vince, who was full of old Daygo's proposal, laid it before his companion.
"What!" cried Mike; "go with him, when we've got such an adventure before us! You wouldn't do that!" "Why not?
We can go to the caverns any day, and this will be a chance to sail round and see what the outside of the Scraw is like." "Did he say he would take us there ?" cried Mike eagerly.
"No; but we'd persuade him." "Persuade him!" cried Mike, bursting into a mocking laugh.

"Persuade old Joe! Why, you do know better than that." Vince frowned and said nothing, for he did know better, and felt that he had let his desires get the better of his judgment.
"Very well," he said.

"You'd rather not go ?" "Well, wouldn't you rather go and have a look at those old things than see a few fish in a net ?" "Yes, if Joe wouldn't sail round where I want to go." "Well, he wouldn't, and you know it.

Why, this is a chance.

You felt sure he was watching us; and he'll be off to sea, where he can't." "Off, then!" said Vince; and, full of anticipations, they made for the oak wood, and were soon at the opening, into which, without pausing to look round, they leaped down quickly; and, after lighting the lanthorn, descended as rapidly as they could to the rope.
The place looked as beautiful as ever, as they slid down to the sandy floor of the inner cavern, and more than ever like the interior of some large shell; while the outer cave, with its roof alive, as it were, with the interlacing wavings and quiverings reflected from the sunny surface of the sea, would have made any one pause.
But the boys had no eyes for anything that day but the wonders of their new discovery; and, quickly getting to work with the rope and grapnel, Mike threw it up.
"Got a bite!" he cried.