Part 32 (1/2)

Wrapping the end of the rope about his arm, Guy called loudly, ”Throw the hook far into the air, colonel Do you understand?”

”All right,” was the i over their heads, a heavy sound was heard beneath

”It reaches the bottom,” cried Guy joyfully ”The rope is slack”

He hauled on it eagerly, until ten yards or more lay in coils at his feet Then it became taut The bottom of the cliff was fifty feet below

The roar of the water was now loud and fierce, but it lay round

With a tree Claie, and a joyful hail announced that he had reached the bottom in safety

Melton stuck his torch in a crevice of the rock and started after hiround Guy lit a fresh torch and the light revealed a level space of white sand, streith rocks

Overhead was the glow of Melton's torch on the ledge, and far beyond on the dizzy suht that the colonel held

”We are on the bottoain and again through the cavern A reply came back, but it was als that it would be difficult to describe they now advanced along the sand, bearing the torches high over their heads

With each step the sound grew louder It was not the harsh, spas sunken rocks, but rese over a smooth, unbroken bed

”Here we are,” cried Chutney ”I nearly stepped in the water without seeing it”

He held his torch out with one hand, and its glowing radius revealed a strange sight

Twenty yards to their left a rapid, unbroken sheet of water burst with terrific force from a dark archway in the very face of the smooth cliff It was the outlet of the lake

In width it was about forty feet, though the opposite side of the river was shrouded in darkness On the spot where they stood a reflux current had worn an inlet into the sandy shore, and here a stretch of co eddies, a startling contrast to the furious sweep of the torrent beyond

Yes, there was no doubt of it, here was the continuation of the underground river, the way that led to safety and hope

With strange e froht the sandy shore seemed to spread away smoothly into the darkness, but before they could scrutinize their surroundings h the vaulted roof of the vast cavern, succeeded by a faint shout

”It was the report of the Greek's rifle,” exclaiton who shouted So with fear, they hastened back to the edge of the cliff

Melton clutched the dangling rope

”Stop!” cried Guy, in tones of agony ”My heavens, Melton, we are lost, doomed to the most horrible of deaths What blind, desperate fools ere We can never get back to the lake, and our companions can never reach us here We could not bebetween us”

”What do you mean?” cried Forbes ”Are you mad, Chutney?”