Part 54 (1/2)

She nodded her head with a very hard look in her eyes

Co wrath at this ominous speech

”Very well, et about my work, if ye order that I am left in silence”

”I will see to that,” she answered; ”and see to it that you do all I have asked, lest you also go to those wizards you spoke of to the ly, and went on with her escort

Coht, then ran to hisout the canes, he split thehly reasy, but he hoped suitable for his venture One he fixed in the socket of the torch, the others he packed away carefully in an oilskin bag Then slinging on his carbine, bandolier, haversack, anda belt over all, he crept through the opening at the far end of the cave, replaced the rock, and lit his candle After ht, and he started on his tour, breathing a fervent hope that it would lead him to his lost friends

CHAPTER XXII

A TERRIBLE NIGHT

We will return now to Mr Hu on the brink of the rushi+ng river, with the vast vault above hi at intervals through the hollows As he stooped over his young co the boy on the ground with a pillow made by his rolled-up coat, he unfastened the littlerestorative Then he chafed the cold hands, took off the wet shoes, and did the same to the feet, which were likeregained his colour, and suddenly looked about hirew a little dizzy, but you're all right”

”What's that noise?” asked the boy, breathlessly Mr Hume picked hinificent, isn't it? Aren't you glad we caot the crow over dick this tihed ”It's rather awful,” he rand! See how the water juts out like a coluht falls upon it in a thousand hues, as the fine spray falls”

Venning's eyes opened wide as they looked up ”Like golden rain at a display of fireworks”

”The very thing, lad,” answered the hunter, enthusiastically

Venning's eyes ranged slowly down to the well of green water arching out from the black wall, and then to the snohite flood where the foaiddy descent

”Where is she?”

”She'll be back soon But we cannot wait for her here---there is too et back to a drier place”

Still carrying the boy, he reat cha colu Venning on the ground, he struck aon a piece of driftwood

With his Ghoorka knife he soon split it up, and in a short ti a red reflection on the stalactites It was an eerie place, echoing to the thunders of the explosions, with pitch-dark cohts, but Mr Hume would not allow his patient ti cheerfully all the tiht nerves of the lad quieted in sleep Then the anxiety that had filled him all the time appeared in the expression of his face, and he stepped away a few yards to send a call for the wo up into the vault The cry ran awayechoes, but no answer came, and he looked to his weapons, built up the fire with other fragments of wood that had been evidently borne in at tin of the woman anywhere, but he found three exits

Relinquishi+ng any idea of following the was fit to walk, he returned to the fire, and sat doith his back to the rock waiting for the woainst it, resolving that, come ould, his first care was to save his companion, but that there was cause for doubt he knew very well froht, the secret of the underground was hers only, and sheto preserve that secret even at the sacrifice of their lives Full of these thoughts, he began another exa hi down on hands and knees, and carrying a lighted stick, he minutely inspected the thin layer of dust which had settled since the last flood-waters had rushed through Traversing slowly the width of the cave, he found his own spoor and the spoor of the wo which of the three openings she had taken on leaving, he caoats'-skin The calabash, fro the fire-stick to mark the spot to which he had carried his search, he went back to place the kaross over the sleeping boy Then taking another stick fro from the place he had left off, and crawled inch by inch, till he caether with the footprints of the woman, both very plain from the mud which had adhered to their feet The woman, however, had not passed out That, at any rate, was one point settled, and he went on with a feeling of distinct relief at the thought that there ht be another way out than by the fearful track they had followed on entering On nearing the second exit he paused, startled by what seemed to him the sound of shrill voices borne suddenly in a pause between the bellowing of the water-jets in the neighbouring vault When he listened he could, however, distinguish no sound in thea desire to cry out, he groped along up to the second exit Here, however, there were no footprints The surface was s about the rock attracted his attention again Leaving one of the sticks again to guide hi end, he returned to the fire, rebuilt it, waited till it was fairly blazing, then with another glaring torch he ran to continue his search He found what he had half expected, that the rock had been polished by the passage of many feet, which had worn out quite a marked depression He also satisfied himself that the woman had not passed out there, for as her feet had been wet she must have left some trace on the smooth surface There reed away to the left, he saw that the beaten track also led in the sa with his right hand, and, colad, but not surprised, to make two discoveries, first, that the well-, and second, that the woman had also passed that way There was the spoor of one foot clearly outlined in particles ofup ”But I don't like the look of that path Means people But what sort of people? And the kaross and the goats'- risks”

He went back to the fire, drew the sticks away, thrust the burning ends into crevices, and left the co with his rifle across his knees and waited

He had no thought ofwas fit to move; he would let him have his sleep out, and if he was no better, well, then, he would carry hi to the hoarse rus which all the time ascended from below, and to the tre wall, ht,of the sheen on the stalactites, until softly the shadows sank andvisible but a faint gleam where the nearest sulphur cone stood