dered beside the Dead Sea and the
Bottomless Pit; climbed Martha's Vineyard, where huge bunches of grapes
in stone looked as natural as life; took lunch in Washington Hall;
revelled in the snow-white crystals of Siliman's Avenue; crossed the
Rocky Mountains to Traveller's Rest, and there wrote their names upon
the extreme wall, that perpetual register of hundreds of sightseers.

Here some moments were given to recapitulating the marvels of the long
route; the rivers, lakes, hills, ravines and valleys; and above all,
another black, yawning chasm similar to that which had startled them on
the short route.

"Stephen, where does that lead?" was the query.

"That leads into the one we saw yesterday. We call this end Beersheba,
and the other Dan, because it is so much nearer the mouth of the cave.
I have explored the whole passage, but it has nothing worth showing
visitors. But I have no doubt there's miles that nobody has ever been
over. It's a big place, I tell you."

"Didn't you find the dead stranger?" asked the tall girl, who always had
something to say.

"Can't say as I looked for him, miss."

In high spirits the party retraced their steps as far as the Bottomless
Pit on the right, and the black chasm Beersheba, on the left, a distance
of about five miles from the entrance to the cave.

"Take care!" warned the guide; "it is wet and slippery here, and the
path is very narrow."

They were creeping on in single file when Stephen called back,--

"Mr. Hammond, you look pretty strong--would you help steady this
railing? It seems a little shaky."

Hammond came on ahead and stood bracing the bridge, which was one of the
very few man-made structures in the cavern, while the other escorts led
the girls, one at a time, around the abrupt and slippery ledge. In
consequence of this stringing out of torches, the light was dim along
the narrow way, so that even these few steps of advance had left the
Bottomless Pit in darkness.

Suddenly there was a rapid, rushing sound in the rear; a whirring echo;
a suppressed cry, and a heavy splash far below. The ladies screamed, and
the faces of the men grew pallid with horror.

"My God! What was it? Who was it?" burst from their lips.

"Don't go back, gentlemen!" shouted the guide. "It's no use! Come on
this side here--I'll go back. First, see who is missing. If anybody is
down there, the Lord have mercy on him, for man can't help him."

Soon the trembling, awe-struck party were