hen you have heard nothing of poor Wriggs?" said Panton, who was one
of the group that surrounded them.

"Nothing," replied Oliver.

"And never will, I'm afraid," said Mr Rimmer.

"Don't say that," cried Oliver, who was full of excitement now. "Have
you just come?"

"Yes, and found you both lying here asleep, as if nothing were wrong,"
said Drew, who, like the others, carried a lantern. "We had a terribly
long struggle to get out of the cavern, for our last piece of candle
soon came to an end, and then it was very hard work to get back to the
ship in the dark."

"Dark? Was it evening?"

"Black night," said Panton.

"Then what is it now?"

"The sun was just upon rising as we left the crater lake and came in,"
said the mate, "and that's two hours ago, full."

Smith gave his leg a slap to express his astonishment, and the mate
offered them both food and water, which had been thoughtfully provided.

"By-and-by," said Oliver. "I'm not hungry now. Come on, and try and
find that poor fellow."

He held out his hand for one of the lanterns, and leading the way, which
was comparatively light now, as the sailors who had been brought held
their lanterns well up, he soon reached the corner, passed it, and saw
that they were in a very spacious cavern. Then the second stream was
reached, and they all stood together gazing out toward where the cascade
formed by the union of the two rivers plunged down.

But nothing was visible save blackness and wreathing vapour, which
gleamed in a grey ghostly way some distance in front, and to try and see
better some magnesium wire was burned.

This vivid white light showed that there was a black dripping roof some
fifty feet overhead, and the water of the two streams gliding rapidly
away from below the angle on which they stood, covering one whole side
of the visible cavern with water, and increasing in speed till it
disappeared beneath the rising mist caused, of course, by the falls.

There the lanterns were swung about over the water, and shout after
shout was sent forth to be lost in the torrent's roar, till at last the
mate turned away and signed to the party to follow him.

He led them back to where the noise grew hushed, and they could speak
once more.

"There is nothing more to be done, gentlemen," said the mate, sadly.
"The poor fellow must have gone over somewhere along that rocky edge. I
saw several places where it was as slippery as ice, and he has been
swept i