"No: he's off." For, after catching, the grapnel gave way again.
The second time he missed; but the third he got another hold, and told Vince to climb first.
This he did, and in a very few seconds he was two-thirds of the way up, when with a scrape the grapnel gave way, and Vince came down flat on his back in the sand, with the iron upon him.
"Hurt ?" cried Mike.
"Not much," said Vince, rubbing one leg, which the iron had struck.
"Try again." Mike threw once more, got a hold, and, to prove it, began to climb, and reached the opening safely.

Then the lanthorn was drawn up, Vince followed, and this time taking the rope with them, they went along through the peculiar zigzag free from doubts and dread of dangers unknown, so that they could think only of the various difficulties of the climb.
Upon nearing the open end of the fissure they kept back the lanthorn and advanced to peer down cautiously; but, save a few pigeons flying in and out, there was no sign of life.

Everything was just as they had seen it before; the footprints all over the trampled sand, which had probably been made ages before, so they thought; the boat mast, sails, and ropes, were at the side, and in the shadowy upper part there were the stacks of bales and the carefully piled-up kegs.
"Well ?" said Mike; "shall we go down ?" "Of course." "But suppose there is any one there ?" "We'll soon see," said Vince; and, placing his hands to his mouth, he gave vent to a hullo! whose effect was startling; for it echoed and vibrated about the great cave, startling a flock of pigeons, which darted out with a loud whistling of wings.
Then the sound came back in a peculiar way from the barrier of rocks across the bay, for there was evidently a fluttering there among the sea-birds, some of which darted down into sight just outside the mouth of the cave.
"Nobody at home," said Vince merrily, "and hasn't been lately.

Now then: may I go first ?" "If you like," said Mike; and, after securely hooking the grapnel in a crevice, Vince threw the rope outward from him into the cavern, where it touched the sand some twenty feet below.
"There we are!" he said; "that's easier than throwing it up." "Yes, but look sharp down.

I want to have a good look." "After me," said Vince mockingly; and, taking the rope, he lowered himself out of the crack, twisted his leg round the hemp, and quickly dropped hand over hand to the flooring of the cave.
"Ever so much bigger than ours, Mike," he shouted, and then turned sharply round, for a voice said plainly: "Ours, Mike." "I say, what an echo!" "Echo!" came back.
"Well, I said so." "Said so." "Hurrah!" cried Mike, as he too reached the floor, and a soft "Rah" came from the other side.
Their hearts beat fast with excitement as they stood in the middle of the cave, looking round, and pretty well taking in at a glance that it was far larger and more commodious than the one they had just quitted, especially for the purpose of a store, having the hinder part raised, as it were, into a dais or platform, upon which the little barrels and packages were stored; while behind these they were able now to see through the transparent gloom that the place ran back for some distance till flooring and roof met.