Lost in the Cave

At the end of summer, the town organised a large picnic for the schoolchildren. Tom and Becky had made up their quarrel — Tom had taken Becky's punishment at school to protect her, and she had forgiven him completely.

After the picnic, the children went to explore McDougal's Cave — a vast, dark cave in the hillside with hundreds of branching tunnels going deep into the rock. Tom and Becky wandered farther and farther in, holding their candles up to admire the rock formations.

When they tried to return, every passage looked the same. They were lost.

Their candles burned lower. Tom explored each tunnel carefully, marking the walls with candle smoke. Becky was exhausted and frightened and wanted to stop. Tom kept moving.

At one turning, Tom came face to face with Injun Joe, who was also sheltering in the cave. Tom pulled back into the shadows before the man saw him. He said nothing to Becky.

For two terrible days they wandered in the dark. Tom shared the last piece of cake from his pocket with Becky. He tied the end of a kite string to a rock and walked as far as the string would reach into each new passage before coming back, trying every direction in turn.

Then, far ahead — a tiny point of light.