Free The Girl In the Cave by Anthony Eaton

envelope, made of thick waxed paper, designed to protect its contents from time and moisture.

    Picking up the envelope, Kate turned it over and over. There was no writing on it, no name or address. Should she open it? Inside might well be the answer to all these mysteries but on the other hand, perhaps it would be better to wait until she had some help from the police.
    She didn’t get a chance to make up her mind, however, because the most awful splintering, crashing sound came rumbling into the cave from the direction of the house. The walls shook and her candle fell off the old desk onto the sandy floor and went out, plunging Kate into total darkness.
    For a couple of minutes she stood there, dead still, until her eyes grew used to the dark. She could just see the dim glow where a tiny amount of sunlight crept in up the tunnel entrance to the cavern. Slowly she picked her way towards the light, and then along the tunnel and through the cave, to see what had caused the crashing noise.
    Following the path, Kate slipped through the thorn bushes and out onto the back lawn of the house.
    Only there was no house there anymore. Just a huge pile of rubble: bricks, bits of timber, broken glass, a gigantic pile where once Uncle Dermott and Aunt Tina’s house had stood. Dust still floated around in the air, settling over everything.
    Kate stood there aghast. Uncle Dermott and Aunt Tina must still be inside, somewhere under that enormous heap of bricks and timber. What to do? She was about to run across the paddocks to the roadway and flag down a passing car when she heard a noise, just the faintest of sounds, coming from the depths of the pile.
    â€œHelp! Dermott!”
    â€œAunt Tina!” yelled Kate. “Can you hear me?”
    â€œGirl? GIRL! Is that you?” Uncle Dermott’s voice seemed to be coming from over to her left, so Kate scrambled across a pile of broken tiles towards the noise.
    â€œYes, Uncle Dermott. Are you all right?”
    â€œAll right? Don’t ask preposterous questions, you silly child. Of course we’re not all right. Your aunt and I are trapped down here.”
    â€œDermott, I’m hungry!” wailed Aunt Tina.
    â€œIf you want, I can go and get the police,” Kate called into the hole from where their voices floated out.
    â€œNo! Whatever you do, don’t call them. You’ll have to dig us out yourself.”
    â€œBut Uncle Dermott, there’s far too much wreckage. I’ll never be able to move it all.”
    â€œStop wasting time and get to work, then. We haven’t got all day, you know.”
    Kate took a deep breath.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWHAT!” Uncle Dermott thundered from the basement.
    â€œI said no,” Kate repeated, yelling herself now. “I’m sick of being pushed around by the two of you. If you want me to go and get some help, then I will, but otherwise you can dig yourselves out.”
    There was silence from the hole.
    â€œAnd by the way,” she added, “I’ve found Great Aunt Penelope’s fortune. I knew where it was all along.”
    That was a lie, but she figured she could get away with it for the moment.
    â€œYou WHAT?”
    From deep inside the rubble came the sound of things being thrown aside.
    â€œDermott, what are you doing?”
    â€œBe quiet and help me dig, you large lump! Girl, when I get out of here, you are in so much trouble. I’ll call Miss Pincushion to come and take you off our hands once and for all. But not before I skin you alive myself! I’m going to beat your behind, young lady, I’m going to …”
    Kate had had enough of listening to Uncle Dermott’s threats. Calmly she took the bottle of chloroform from her pocket, removed the lid, and poured just a little of it down the hole and into the basement.
    A couple of minutes later the only sound she could hear was Aunt Tina snoring.

Chapter Eleven
    A Surprise

    â€œWell, Miss Pincushion, I have