' thin,
bluish-looking steam come up out of that bit of a split there."

Panton forgot all about his companions' firing, and ran to the edge of
the rift to find that it was not above a foot across, and that a hot
flush of steamy air was being forced out with a faint singing noise,
while, to his astonishment, the narrow crack which ran to right and left
quite out of sight was now gradually and quite perceptibly closing up.

He could see down for a few yards and noted an efflorescence of sulphur
rapidly forming on the sides, but this grew fainter and fainter, and was
soon lost in the bluish darkness.

"Wonderful! wonderful!" he muttered, as he sank upon his knees and laid
the barrel of his gun across to watch the rate at which the crevice
closed up, while he bent over from time to time to gaze down, the act
necessitating the holding of his breath to avoid inhaling the hot fume.

"I should just like to see one o' them charcoal chaps do that, Billy,"
said Smith.

"Yah! Them!" exclaimed Wriggs, contemptuously. "Why, matey, I'm
ashamed o' mysen. That's what's the matter with me."

"'Shamed, what on?"

"Being afeard on 'em. For allus speak the truth, Billy, my poor old
mother used to say, and I will now, that I will, and I don't care who
hears me."

"Spit it out, then, Billy. There's nothin' like the truth nowheres.
What are you been saying as warn't true?"

"Same as you did, messmate. I said as it was my legs as run away,
'cause they was feared."

"Well, so they was, warn't they? I know mine was."

"Nay, not you, Tommy. It warn't my legs as run away with me, it was me
as run away with my legs from them black-looking tar-swabs, and I'm
ashamed on it, that I am. Now, then, what have you got to say to that?"

"Nothin' at all, Billy," said Smith. "But just look, she's shutting her
mouth again."

"Who is?" said Wriggs, staring about. "I can't see no she's here."

"Old mother earth, arter trying to swaller that lot o' niggers, only
they was too quick for her."

There, plainly enough as he spoke, was the opening, but it was closing
more rapidly now, and a minute later the two sides touched after a
violent hissing noise, while one edge was several inches above the
other, marking where the rift had been.

"Ready?" said Oliver just then.

Panton rose to his feet, and, shouldering their guns, the little party
marched steadily back toward the brig, which they reached without
adventure soon after dark, the