The blind goatherd slipped down into the hole, hanging deftly on to the rope. Down he went, and down, and came at last to the little cave below. He explored it carefully with his hands stretched out in front of him, going round the rocky, irregular walls.
He soon found the opening that led into the narrow, rocky passage. He went down it, feeling before him and beside him with his hands. Down and down went the passage, curving as it descended.
Beowald came out into the cave of the waterfall, and stood there, deafened by the roar. Water swirled over his feet. At first he was so deafened by the terrific noise that he heard nothing more.
And then, to his extreme astonishment, he heard his name called.
“Beowald! Beowald!”
“Look — it’s Beowald! Beowald, help us, quickly!”
Beowald the goatherd stood at the entrance of the waterfall cave, his blind eyes seeing nothing, his ears hearing voices he could hardly believe in!
But even more astonished were the five captives! Beowald had appeared before them, like a wizard, just as they had given up all hope of being saved!
Beowald to the Rescue!
“Beowald! Quick! Set us free!” shouted Ranni. The water was already high, and more and more was flooding into the cave. It had increased a great deal in the last few minutes. Ranni was afraid that the whole roof might give way beneath the terrific weight of water — and then there would be no hope for the little company at all.
“What is it? Where are you? What is this water?” cried Beowald, lost in this strange new world of roaring and wetness.
“Beowald! Listen to me!” shouted Ranni, urgently. “Listen carefully. You are standing at the entrance to a cave, where I and the others are, all bound tightly, so that we cannot walk, or free ourselves. Water is pouring into our cave, and we shall be drowned if you do not hurry. Step down, Beowald, walk towards my voice. Do not be afraid.”
“I will come,” said the blind goatherd. He stepped further into the water, and then stopped, afraid. He was never afraid in his own mountain world. He knew every inch, every rock, every tree. But this was all new to him and strange to him, and it frightened him.
“Hurry, Beowald, hurry!” cried Ranni. “Come to me, quickly. Get our your knife. Cut my bonds.”
Beowald stumbled through the water and felt about for Ranni. His hands brushed the big Baronians face. Ranni was half-lying, half-sitting. On his head was an enormous bump where he had struck it against a rock. Beowald’s fingers felt the bump, and he wondered what had caused it. His hands ran down Ranni’s body and he felt that the man had his arms tied behind his back.
He took out his knife and, with a careful stroke, cut the leather thongs that bound Ranni’s hands together. The big man stretched out his arms gladly, trying to get some strength back into them for they were stiff and swollen with being bound so tightly.
He snatched Beowald’s knife from him and cut the thongs that bound his ankles together. He stood up, and at once over-balanced, for the thongs had cut into his legs, and for the moment he could not stand on them. He rose again, and went to Paul.
In a trice the small boy was free, and was trying to get to the entrance of the passage. “Quick, quick!” he cried. “Set the others free, Ranni. They will be drowned!”
As quickly as he could Ranni cut the thongs that bound the others, and set them free. They tried to stagger out of the water that now swirled above their knees. The cave was rapidly filling.
Ranni picked up the torch that was still lying on the rocky ledge, shining brightly into the cave. He held it so that everyone could see how to get into the narrow passage that led upwards to the other cave, away from the water. Beowald had already gone into the passage, anxious to get back to the mountain-side he knew. He felt so strange and so lost underground.
Ranni swung his torch round the cave of the waterfall for the last time — and then he saw that what he had feared might happen, was about to happen! The whole roof of the big cave was giving way! The pressure and weight of the water above it, trying to find its way out of the already enlarged hole, was too much for it. It had to give way. The rain that had fallen in torrents on the mountain-top, had to get away somewhere, and it had found the ordinary channels in the mountain too small for it. It was forcing and pressing everything in its way — and now the roof of the cave had to give in to its enormous pressure.
With a terrific roar the roof fell in, and after it poured the biggest volume of water that Ranni had ever seen. He gave a shout of terror and rushed up the narrow passage after the others. He was afraid that the water might flood even that passage, and trap them before they could get into the other cave!
“What’s the matter, Ranni, what’s the matter?” cried Paul, hearing the terrified shout.
“Hurry! Hurry! The roof has fallen in and the cave is nothing but swirling water!” panted Ranni. “It will find its way up this passage, before it can get its own level and drain away downwards. Hurry, Paul; hurry, Mike!”
The five in front of him, frightened by the fear in his voice, hurried on as swiftly as they could, stumbling over the rough, rocky way. Beowald was terrified. He was afraid of falling, afraid of the unknown, afraid of the roaring of the water behind him.
The water had found the narrow passage and was making its way up there too. Ranni felt sure he could hear it lapping behind him! He pushed the others on, shouting and yelling, and they, full of panic, went staggering through the dark and winding passage.
“Thank goodness the passage goes upwards all the way,” thought Ranni, thankfully, as he came to a steep piece. “Now we are safe! The water cannot reach us here. We are too high. Never will anyone be able to get down into the cave of the waterfall again. There will always be water there now that the roof has fallen in.”
They came out into the cave below the temple at last. All of them sank down on the floor, trembling in every limb. Surely there had never been such a narrow escape.
“If Beowald had not come when he did, we should all have been drowned by now,” said Paul, in a choking voice. “Oh, Beowald — however was it you came down there just at that moment?”
Far away, down the passage, the muffled roar of the water could still be heard. Beowald’s voice rose clearly above it:
“The search party went down to this cave and to the waterfall cave, but they could not find you. They are seeking for you still out on the mountain. I was anxious, and when I came into the temple-cave, I felt that I must come down by myself, though I was afraid. That is how I found you.”
“We have had such adventures!” said Mike, beginning to feel quite a hero. “We’ve been to the Secret Forest, Beowald!”
“That is marvellous,” said the blind goatherd. “Surely no man has even set foot there before!”
“Oh, yes!” said Paul. “The robbers live there, Beowald. They must have lived there for years and years. Ranni, will the robbers ever be able to come up the mountain river now, climbing along that ledge, to get to Killimooin this side?”
“Never,” said Ranni. “We are well rid of them!”
Little by little the boys stopped trembling from their exertions, and their hearts beat less fast. They began to feel able to stand. Mike got up and found that he was quite all right again.
“I want to get back to the castle,” he said. “I want to see the girls and tell them all that has happened to us. My word, won’t they be jealous of our adventures!”