"He may be home already. Anyway, I don't believe he drifted into
this gulch behind us. He missed us somehow."

Just the same she kept going to the mouth of the tunnel to try to
look out. And it was for more than merely to discover if the rain
had ceased. Secretly she, too, was worried about Walter.

Gradually the rain ceased falling. Nor did the water rise any
farther in the tunnel's mouth. But the heavens must still be
overcast, for it continued as dark outside the cave as in.

Finally Nan had an idea that was put into immediate practice. She
broke the crystal of Bess's watch and by feeling the hands
carefully made out that the time was half past six.

"That's half past six at night, not in the morning, I suppose,"
said Bess lugubriously. "But, oh, my! I am as hungry as though it
were day-after-to-morrow's breakfast time."

"Oh, we'll get out of here after a while," said Rhoda cheerfully.
"We shall not have to kill and eat the horses--"

"Or each other," sighed Bess. "Isn't that nice!"

Again they ventured out to the mouth of the tunnel. The strange
screaming back in the cave had begun again, and all four of the
girls secretly wished to get as far away from the sound as
possible. The water had fallen, and the rain had entirely ceased.
There was only a puddle in a little hollow at the mouth of the
cave. The roaring of the stream through the gorge was not so loud.