It seemed madness to
venture out into it, yet they had been driven
from the cave by those who had every right of
discovery to say who, and who should not, partake
of its hospitality.
"We can't go out into that blow!" cried Ned.
"It's enough to loosen the very mountains!"
"Let's stay here and defy them!" murmured Tom.
"If the--if what we seek--is here we have
as good a right to it as they have."
"We must go out," said Professor Bumper simply.
"I recognize the right of my rival to dispossess us."
"He may have the right, but it isn't human,"
said Mr. Damon. "Bless my overshoes! If
Beecher himself were here he wouldn't have the
heart to send us out in this storm."
"I would not give him the satisfaction of
appealing to him," remarked Professor Bumper.
"Come, we will go out. We have our ponchos,
and we are not fair-weather explorers. If we
can't get to the lost city one way we will
another. Come my friends."
And despite the downpour, the deafening
thunder and the lightning that seemed ready to sear
one's eyes, he walked out of the cave entrance,
followed by Tom and the others.
"Come on!" cried Tom, in a voice he tried to
render confident, as they went out into the
terrible storm. "We'll beat 'em yet!"
The rain fell harder than ever. Small torrents
were now rushing down the trail, and it was only
a question of a few minutes before the place
where they stood would be a raging river, so
quickly does the rain collect in the mountains and
speed toward the valleys.
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