heir
heads. But their guide kept on without a pause, and presently, to
their great relief, they saw ahead a faint reflection of the light
upon a wet slab of rock. Hurrying on, they emerged from the passage
into a vast chamber, across which, though there was light enough to
distinguish each other, they could not see. Mr. Hume took a step
forward, with his face turned up, in an effort to see the roof
through the films of vapour that floated overhead.

"Stop, Ngonyama--see to your footing;" and the woman's hand
restrained him.

He started back involuntarily, for at his feet there was a yawning
abyss, out of which came the sound of rushing waters, and the
curling wraiths of vapours, but so deep and so dark that the eye
could detect no gleam of the flood beneath.

"Thanks, mother."

"Ohe! Ngonyama, remember I stood between you and death that time."

She moved away to the right, and they followed, going on a ledge
which skirted the yawning abyss.

It was a perilous passage, and both of them would have been glad to
turn back after they had gone a few steps, if the woman had
suggested it. A feeling of vertigo seized them, so that they had to
stop, leaning away from them for fear of falling over out of sheer
dizziness. When they did move again, they groped for a footing with
a complete feeling of helplessness, expecting every moment to slip
on the slimy rock, and the further they advanced the worse they
felt, for it would be as bad to turn back as go on. Looking back,
Mr. Hume at one pause saw a little splatter of flame. Venning had
groped for a match and struck a light; but before he could see
anything by its reflection, Mr. Hume blew it out, and placed his
heavy hand on the boy's shoulders to steady him.

"Worst thing you could do," he said.

"It's so dark," muttered the boy.

"Dark enough, but she's gone ahead safely enough."

They stood for some time, and seemed to gather comfort from the
touch of each other's hands.

"I am ready now," said Venning.

"That's good. Keep your eyes raised and your shoulder to the wall.
Forward!"

They crept rather than walked round that fearful gallery, traversing
the unknown height with the roar of waters coming up from the unseen
depth, and the silent wraiths of vapour making the darkness visible
as they curled upwards to disappear into the vast vault.

"If I can only get safe out of this," thought Venning at each step,
"I will never try to leave the valley again by this