“Keep your gun handy,” Rogers advised as they started off. “You bet,” Bill called after them. Rogers and Gordon found that the tide had receded enough so that they could walk along close to the bottom of the cliffs and hurried along at a smart pace until they had reached the place where they had turned back that morning. “Now we’ll have to take it slowly,” Rogers said as he stopped and mopped his face as it was very hot. The face of the cliff reflected the rays of the sun and, as Gordon declared, made the place feel like a furnace. “The sun will be over it in a short time and then I guess it will be cooler,” Rogers told him. “Well, it doesn’t seem as though it could get much hotter,” Gordon sighed. Here the cliff was a little higher than it had been up to this point and they were determined not to miss anything. So they walked slowly along keeping their eyes fixed on the rocks. They had gone about an eighth of a mile from where they had stopped when they reached a rift in the cliff. The opening was not more than three feet wide but reached from the bottom to the top. “This isn’t a cave,” Rogers said, “but it’s possible that it’s the place.” “It doesn’t go back more than about fifty feet,” Gordon said as he stood in the entrance. “Well, it won’t do any harm to take a look at it now that we’re here.” “Of course we’ll look it over and thoroughly too.” So they worked their way slowly along the narrow pass climbing over huge rocks and stopping every minute or two to examine the ground as well as the walls. “Just as like as not this wasn’t here a hundred years ago,” Gordon grunted when they had covered about thirty feet. “Perhaps not,” Rogers agreed. “It’s cooler in here anyhow and that’s one thing to be thankful for.” “Yes, the shade after that hot sun is very grateful.” “I reckon the sun doesn’t get in here for a very long time each day,” Gordon said glancing up. “Great guns!” “What is it?” “Someone was watching us from up there,” Gordon whispered. “Nonsense.” “I tell you I saw him. He was right by that shrub there.” “You’re sure?” “Dead certain, although he dodged back mighty quick.” “Jap?” “I’m not so sure about that. I only had a glimpse of him, but I think it was.” “Think it was the same one?” “Don’t know.” “Well, he’s had time to get back all right, but I didn’t expect him so soon.” “Look out!” Gordon jumped to one side and not an instant too soon for a rock about the size of a man’s head struck the ground where he had been standing. Roger’s face was as white as a sheet of paper when Gordon looked at him and he felt, as he afterward told him, rather weak in the knees. “That was a bit too close for comfort,” he gasped. “Follow me,” Rogers said as he turned and ran for the entrance of the rift, and Gordon needed no urging. “That rock came mighty near getting you,” he said as soon as they were safely out on the sand. “But I don’t get his idea.” “His idea was plain enough: he meant to kill us.”