th.

"No, man, go!" cried Oliver, and without a word, Drew led off with the
others following and the faint rays from the candle shining on the rocky
wall, with a very feeble gleam. Then as Oliver watched, it appeared
like a faint star on the surface of the water, making the young man
shudder at the thought of some terrible subterranean creature existing
there ready to attack him as soon as the last rays of the candle and the
steps had died out.

This did not take long, for roused to make quick effort by those stern,
emphatic commands, the sadly diminished party hurried on, with Oliver
watching them as he stood still for a few minutes, and then moved slowly
farther away from the little whispering river, extending his hands till
they touched the rocky wall against which he leaned.

He listened to the footsteps growing more and more faint, and watched
the faint yellow star, until it died right away, gleamed faintly into
sight once more, and then was completely gone, leaving him in total
darkness, and face to face with despair, and the knowledge that the fate
which had snatched away his companion so suddenly, might at any moment
be his.

For what was it? Had he slipped and fallen into the stream, and been
swept away before he could rise to the surface, and cry for help? Had
he inhaled some mephitic gas which had overcome him? Or was he to let
superstitious imagination have its play and believe that some dragon or
serpent-like creature had suddenly raised a head out of the dark waters,
seized him, and borne him down? It was possible, and a shudder ran
through the young man's frame as he pictured the great serpent-like
object suddenly darting itself at him, wrapping him in its folds as he
had seen the constricting sea-snakes seize their prey, and at once drag
them out of sight.

He shuddered at the thought, and in spite of a strong effort to command
his nerve, the horror of thick darkness was upon him for a few minutes,
and a mad desire came over him to shriek aloud, and run frantically in
what he believed to be the direction of the entrance, though a movement
or two which he had made had robbed him even of that knowledge, and for
the moment he felt that he had lost all count of where he was.

He came to his natural self again, with his hands tightly over his mouth
to keep back the cries which had risen to his lips.

"As if I were a frightened child in dread of punishment," he said, half
aloud, in his anger again