"Are they coming?" she asked again, presently.
"Yes, they are close to us," I replied, for at that moment they had passed the rock by which we had at first stood.
I DISCOVER ANOTHER CAVE, AND HEAR A CONVERSATION BETWEEN RICHARD TRESIDDER AND HIS SON
"I am sure I saw a man and woman," I heard Nick Tresidder say.
"I thought I did, too," replied his father; "but we must have been mistaken, I suppose. Of course, they could have got behind Great Bear and then kept along under the cliff."
"Then they must have gone past, for they are nowhere to be seen."
"Perhaps they wanted to hurry to be before the tide."
"Yes; I suppose that must be it," replied Nick, doubtfully.
"Still, I don't know that it matters. We should not have troubled at all if we hadn't thought it might be Naomi."
"She's a strange girl, Nick. She doesn't seem to feel happy at Pennington, neither does she make friends with Emily. She's always roaming among the woods or along the beach. I shouldn't wonder at all if she hasn't lost herself among the woods. You must be careful, my lad."
"Oh, it's all right, there's no danger. I say, do you know that Jacob Buddie told me he believed he saw Jasper Pennington in the lane outside Betsey Fraddam's house last night?"
"I don't believe it; we've got rid of him effectually. But we must hurry on, Nick, we've just time to get to Granfer Fraddam's path before the tide gets in."
"Yes, it's a good way on. Isn't Granfer Fraddam's Cave here somewhere?"
"I've my doubts whether there is such a place. There may have been such a cave in the old man's time, but lots of ground has fallen in during the past fifty years. Anyhow, I've often searched along the coast and could never find it."
"But it's around here that the noises have been heard. You know people say it's haunted by the old man's ghost."
They hurried on, and I gave a sigh of relief.
"Yes, they are gone; they don't know anything. It will take them a long while to get home. It's a long way to Pennington by Granfer Fraddam's path. The cliff is steep, too."
"But I must go now," she said, anxiously.
"You shall get home before they can," I said, eagerly.
"I will take you through another opening. You will know another secret of this cave then. You see, I trust you wholly, and you will know my hiding-place almost as well as I know it myself."