and on this they stood to catch their breath. The water was all around them.
"Which way did we come, Tom?" asked Sam, after a moment of silence, during which both did what they could to get back their breath.
"I don't know. I can't see a thing, can you?"
"No."
"I don't believe Dick is here."
"Neither do I, Tom. I believe somebody fooled us."
"That's it! And we fell right into the trap!"
"But where can Dick be?"
"Most likely a prisoner of our enemies," muttered Tom, bitterly.
Tom's surmise was correct, Dick was indeed a prisoner of their enemies. He had his hands and his feet bound tightly, and he had been dragged by Tad Sobber towards the campfire that was burning at the further end of the big cave. In the meantime the fellow who had been followed by Dick went off to make sure that Tom and Sam would turn to the left and fall into the water.
"Well, Dick Rover, this is what you get for following us!" cried Tad Sobber, in tones of triumph. "Perhaps, some day, you'll learn enough to keep your hands out of my affairs."
"Sobber, tell me, what have you done with Mrs. Stanhope?" asked Dick, quickly. Even though he
