They went down and peered through the low arch into the narrow way between the rocks, and onward into the other chamber, which looked black and dark to them as they entered from the well-lit outer cavern. But in a few minutes their eyes were accustomed to the gloom, and the place seemed filled with a soft, pearly light which impressed Mike, who was the poetical lad of the pair.

"I say," he said softly, "isn't this one beautiful?"

"Not half so beautiful as the other," said Vince bluntly.

"Oh yes, it is so soft and grey. It's just as if it was the inside of a great oyster-sh.e.l.l."

"And you were a pearl," cried Vince, laughing. "Never mind; it is very jolly, though, and if ever we slept here this place would do for bedroom, but I don't think that's very likely. Well, I suppose we'd better go. We've been here a precious long time, and I shall be late for tea."

"Never mind: come home and have tea with me. I don't feel in much of a hurry to go up through that black hole."

"We shan't mind it if it hasn't tumbled in since we came, and shut us up."

"I say, don't!" cried Mike, with a look of horror. "That might be true, you know."

"Yes; but pigs might fly," cried Vince, laughing. "I say, what a chap you are to take fright! Puzzle a stone place like that to tumble in. A few bits might come off the roof, but even then we could crawl over them, for they must leave a hole where they come from. Ready?"

"Yes," said Mike unwillingly, and they walked to the foot of the slide.

"I'll go first," cried Vince; and, seizing the rope, he held on by it, and, shortening his hold as he went, contrived to walk right up to the top, in spite of the great angle at which it stood.

"Try that way, Mike: it's as easy as easy."

The boy tried, and after a slip or two managed to reach the top pretty well. Here it was found that the candle had burned right out, but without injuring the socket; and a fresh piece having been set up, a light was soon obtained, and they started back, after deciding to leave the rope where it was, ready for their next visit, as they did not antic.i.p.ate any difficulty about climbing back up the various step-like falls.

There was plenty to have detained them during their return journey, for the pa.s.sage of the little underground river presented a wonderfully different aspect from the new point of view, and often seemed dimly mysterious by the feeble yellow light of the horn lanthorn; but there were no difficulties that a couple of active lads ready to help each other did not readily surmount; and they went on turning curves and loops and corners, mounting places that were once waterfalls, and steadily progressing, till Mike was horrified by one of his companion's remarks.

It was just as they had paused breathless before beginning to climb one of the great step-like impediments.

"I say, Ladle," he cried, "suppose the water was to come back all of a sudden, and begin rushing down here! What should we do?"

But Mike recovered his balance directly.

"Pooh!" he cried; "how could it? I don't believe there has been water along here for hundreds of years."

He began to climb, and they went on again, till it struck Vince seriously that they were a very long time getting out, and he cried, in alarm,--

"I say, we haven't taken a wrong turning, have we?"

His words struck a chill through both, and they stood there speechless for some moments, gazing in each other's dimly seen faces.

"Couldn't," cried Mike at last. "We did not pa.s.s a single turning."

"Didn't see a single turning?" said Vince. "No, we did not; but we might easily have pa.s.sed one going sharply off to right or left, and come along it without noticing."

"I say, don't say that," whispered Mike hoa.r.s.ely; "it sounds so horrible. Why, we may be going right away from the daylight into some horrible maze of a place underground."

"Seems as if that's what we are doing," said Vince sadly, "or we should have got out by now. We must have borne off to right or left, and--here we are."

"Yes; here we are," chorused Mike, rather piteously; "but it's no use to be dumpy, is it? Let's go back to the cave and start again, unless we can find out where we turned off as we go."

Vince did not reply, but opened the lanthorn, and raised his finger and thumb to his lips to moisten them before snuffing the candle, which was long-wicked, and threatened to gutter down.

"Mind!" cried Mike warningly, as he thought of their former fright.

"Well, I am minding. Didn't you see that I wouldn't wet my fingers?

There! that's right."

He cleverly snuffed the candle, which flashed up brightly directly, and seemed to illumine the boy's brain more clearly, as well as the glittering roof and sides of the water-worn pa.s.sage, for he spoke out sharply directly after.

"Look here, Ladle," he cried, "I don't believe we can have come wrong."

"Don't be obstinate," replied Mike; "we must have come wrong, or we shouldn't be here now."

"I don't know that."

"But I do. See what a while we have been climbing back."

"Yes; because it has all been uphill, and we had so much to think of going that we did not notice how far we went."

"But we've been hours coming back."

"Not we. You were tired, and that's made it seem so long. Come on: the way must be right."

"No; let's turn back. I'm tired, and don't want to do it, but it's the best way."

"But it will take so long," cried Vince.

"It'll take longer if we're going on walking we don't know where," said Mike ominously.

"Oh, come, I say, don't go on like that," cried Vince. "Fellows who are mates ought to try and cheer one another up, and you're doing nothing but cheer one down."

"I must speak the truth," said Mike gloomily.

"Here! do leave off! Why, you're as bad as that old raven out over the Scraw--all croak, croak, croak!"

"I don't want to croak; I only want for us to find the way out. Let's go back and make a fresh start."

"I shan't," said Vince: "we're right now, I'm sure, only we went wrong just now."

"There! I knew it! How far was it back?"

"Just where we took fright and began to fancy we were wrong. Now then, forward."

"No," said Mike firmly; "we'll go back. You are always so rash, and will not think."

"Yes, I will; I'm thinking now!" cried Vince warmly, "and I think that you're about the most pig-headed fellow that there ever was. Now, look here, Ladle, don't be stupid. I'm as sure as sure that we are going right after all, and all we've got to do is to go straight on."