carefully took it in hand, "but then it's no use to them, and I may as
well keep it out of their reach while I can."

He gently pulled it, to test whether it was free.

No one at that juncture seemed to have hold of it, and, fearful that it
would not remain so, the lad gave it a sudden jerk, which brought it far
beyond the reach of any one who might be gathered on the sand below.

"That upsets all my calculations," said Fred, with a sigh. "The chance of
getting out of here is poorer than ever. I am afraid Mickey is in a scrape
where there ain't much show of his helping himself!"

The lad remembered, however, that his friend still had one resort--the
last one--at his command. When it became absolutely apparent that no other
way was open, he would make the plunge down the stream, and risk all in
the single effort to dive from the inside to the outside of the cave.

"I don't want him to try that, just yet," added Fred, as he lay upon the
ground, carefully considering the matter; "for I think that will wind up
the whole thing."

The boy seemed to be considering every phase of the question, and he
debated with himself for a long time whether he couldn't do something for
his friend. He thought of going back to the entrance by which he had
escaped--thanks to the assistance of the wolf--reenter it, without going
to a distance which would cause any danger of losing his way, and signal
to him. The great obstacle to this was that, as he could readily see from
the distance he had gone over since emerging therefrom, it would be
utterly impossible to send a signal so far, through such a chamber of