Stopping before the slits, Pitch flashed on the light again, and Steve saw that they had reached the end of the tunnel. Pitch stood flat against the wall to enable Steve to get beside him. Two of the slits were on either side of the tunnel and the other was directly between them. They were at eye height and each slit was about three feet deep and a foot wide. But as Steve looked through one of them he saw that the sides of the slit were tapered and that the opening outside was less than an inch wide. Looking through the slit, Steve could see the ocean to the right of the ledge overhead.

“Look through the middle one now,” Pitch said.

Through this slit, Steve saw a continuation of the view from the first slit.

“Now the next one,” Pitch said.

Curiously, yet suspecting what he’d find, Steve looked through the slit on the far left of the tunnel. Again he saw a continuation of the view from the middle slit; and he also was able to see the large rock behind which the dory still lay, as well as the narrow ledge below that led to the cleft in the wall.

Pitch said, “A man with a gun could cover every possible approach from this point, Steve.”

“Then they’re gun slits,” Steve said quickly.

“Exactly,” Pitch replied. “They’re wide enough in here to slip the barrel of a gun through, but the tiny opening on the outside of the wall makes them a very difficult target for anyone firing from the sea.”

“And that’s what makes you so certain it was the Spaniards who used this tunnel?” Steve asked.

“Who else would have been attacked from the sea, Steve? Remember that in those days Spain’s armies ruled the New World, but they were in constant danger of attacks by pirates. I told you,” he added, “how Antago was sacked by pirates in 1669. The Spaniards could have had ready just such a place as this to flee to when they were driven from Antago.”

“Then what do you actually think we’ll find here, Pitch?” Steve asked excitedly.

“Most anything, Steve. Most anything,” Pitch repeated quickly. “Come on.” Taking small, hurried steps, he moved back down the tunnel, followed by Steve.

Arriving at the shaft again, they were able to stand upright. They remained there for a few minutes, resting their backs. Then Pitch said, “We’d better get on, Steve.”

They placed the packs upon their shoulders and as Pitch flung the second coil of rope about his neck, the beam from the flashlight fell upon the pick and shovel.

“You still want to take them along?” Steve asked. “It’s going to be trouble enough with just the packs.”

Nodding, Pitch said, “I don’t dare leave them behind now.” Reaching for the shovel, he added, “If you’ll just carry the pick, Steve.”