"Who wants to go in first?" asked Amy, her tone low and awed in the
presence of the unknown. "The boys will have to stoop to get in."
"I'll go," said Will, pushing his way past them, and in his tone was a
ring of command. "Come on, anybody that wants to. I'm going to find
what's in this place before it disappears again."
The place had a damp and earthy smell, and Amy drew back uncertainly.
"The rest of you go first," she said. "I'll come--later."
Nothing loath, Mollie, Betty and even Grace pressed into the opening
after Will, the boys standing aside--this last bit of self-control
proving that chivalry was not all dead yet. The first temptation had
been to run pell-mell after Will, regardless of girls or any other
disturbing element that might be about.
However, as has been said, they allowed the girls to go in first and
followed them as closely as they dared, Amy, however, going last of all.
After several feet of back-breaking progress the girls came out into
another portion of the cave, where the roof was high enough to admit of
an upright position. As they stood up, nerves aquiver with suppressed
excitement, Will rushed back to them.
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