Part 21 (2/2)

”Nothing to fasten it to”

”Soon get over that,” said Vince; and, taking out the iron bar and the hammer, he found a crack in the rock directly, into which he drove the narrow edge till it was perfectly fir the blows of the hammer so rapidly that in a short time it sounded as if a dozen smiths were at work

”Stop a an to tie the end of the rope to the strong iron peg he had foret doant the rope for another place, what should we do if we leave it here?”

Vince took the lanthorn and held it out before hih-like slope

”I shouldn't like to trustto prevent our cli up Let's double the rope and hook the middle over the bar; then, e're doe can pull one end and get it free”

This was done, and, tying the lanthorn to his neck by means of his kerchief, Mike secured the doubled rope and let hi some thirty feet lower

A minute later Vince was by his side, and they looked about the fresh to see The roof was only a foot above their heads The width of the place averaged six or seven feet, and there was this to encourage the labyrinths If they had been overtaken by darkness there was nothing to prevent their feeling their way back into the sunshi+ne So, growing accustomed to the place, familiarity, if it did not breed conte over similar obstacles to those they had previously encountered, till all at once Mike stopped short, and held up the lanthorn beneath which he peered

”What is it?” said Vince anxiously

”Hark! What's that?” said Mike, in a whisper full of awe

A dull rushi+ng sound se way, that puzzled theht be

”I know,” said Vince at last: ”it's water”

”Think so?” said Mike dubiously

”Yes I've been puzzling ever so long tohere, and for there to be none now, but I see how it is This was once the channel of the streah the rock to a lower one, and that's it we can hear running somewhere below”

”Perhaps,” said Mike; but his words i the candle in the lanthorn, he led on, but very cautiously and slowly now, though the passage was easier, and the slope less broken by step-like faults in the granite, over which the water must once have flowed

At the end of a dozen yards Mike stopped again, and Vince quite as willingly, for the dull rushi+ng sound continued, and they looked at each other by the light of the lanthorn

”How far down are we, do you think?” said Mike

”I dunno Must be a long way below the sea”

Mike nodded, and Vince continued:

”I thought it led down into the Scraw cove, but we must be lower than that”

”Yes, ever so o on down and down for hours Haven't we done enough for this ti tone; ”only I should have liked to find out so on and on, just like in one of the caverns on the shore stretched out a tre more; but this is a curious place Old Deane would like to come down here and see those round stones in the holes”

”We'll bring hio back, for it seems to be all like this”