At first no one seemed
greatly to desire the honor of touching it off. The boys stood and joked
one another about it, while the girls looked on from a safe distance.
"I shan't feel offended if any one gets ahead of me," Addison remarked
carelessly.
"I'd just as soon have some one else do it," Ben said, smiling.
I had no idea of claiming the honor myself. Finally, after more
bantering, Rufus Darnley cried, "Who's afraid? I'll light it. Two
minutes is time enough to get out."
Rufus was not largely endowed with mother wit, or prudence. His brother
Newman and his sister Adriana did not like the idea of his setting off
the blast--in fact, none of us did; but Rufus wanted to show off a bit,
and he insisted upon going in. Thereupon Ben, the oldest of the young
fellows present, said quietly that he would go in with Rufus and light
the fuse himself while Rufus held the lantern.
"I'll shout when I touch the match to the fuse," he said, "so that you
can get away from the mouth of the cave."
They crept in, and the rest of us stood round, listening for the signal.
Several minutes passed, and we wondered what could be taking them so
long.
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