In the cave, Tom and Becky wander around with the others for a while, and then they meander off by themselves. Seeing some other places, Tom plays at being a discoverer and investigates new paths with Becky following him. They find wonderful natural stairs, waterfalls, springs, stalactites, and finally, they run into some bats from which they flee, failing to mark their whereabouts. They try to find their way out and can't. First Tom and then Becky realize that they are lost. Becky falls to the ground and cries while Tom tries to comfort her by telling her it is all his fault.
They begin to wander again, hoping to find a familiar landmark. Tom takes Becky's candle and blows it out to conserve that source of light. After a while, Becky has to sit down, and she falls asleep. When she awakens, she and Tom stumble on until they find a spring: Tom explains to Becky that they must stay close to water because their candles are almost gone. They are both very hungry, and Tom shares a piece of cake that he had saved from the picnic. Suddenly, Becky realizes that her mother will think she is spending the night at the Harper's house and that they won't be missed until sometime Sunday. They sleep again and then share the last bite of the cake. Suddenly, they hear voices in the background. The two begin shouting, but to no avail, and the sounds fade away.
Tom decides to explore side passages, leaving Becky sitting by the spring. At the end of one corridor, he sees a human holding a candle; he shouts loudly and to his horror it is Injun Joe. The shouting has also frightened Injun Joe, who runs away. After some time, Tom is so hungry and Becky is so weak that he leaves her and explores other passages. Becky feels that she will now die, and she makes Tom promise to return to her soon and hold her during her final moments. Acting as bravely as he can, he leaves her to try to find an exit.
