Читать книгу A West Point Treasure; Or, Mark Mallory's Strange Find онлайн

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It was some minutes after that even before they said a word. Finally Mark spoke.

“Fellows,” he said, “there’s a mystery. Who can solve it?”

The Parson heaved a sigh and raised his voice.

“There were once,” he began, “six counterfeiters, who did their work in a lonely cave. That cave had two entrances, one of which we know of.”

“And the other lies at the end of the passageway,” said Mark.

“It was a way of escape,” went on the Parson, “in case the other entrance was discovered by outsiders. But subsequently that entrance became blocked——”

“And they were caught in their own trap,” finished Mark. “That door slammed as it did on me, and they were suffocated. And that is all. Let us go home.”

Still awe-stricken and silent, the rest arose and started to follow him. But suddenly Texas, the excitable, irrelevant Texas, stopped and began to gasp.

“Say!” he cried. “Fellers——”

“What is it?”

“D’ye know I never thought of it! That air cave is our’n!”

“How do you mean?”

“There ain’t any one else to own it, that’s what I mean. An’ ef ever we want a place to hide in——”