us--though it may have been ever so long before.

We approached the trunk then to examine it more closely.

As we came near, we observed that the lines were very deep--as if they
had been cut into the wood--but beyond this there was nothing
remarkable. There was no other carving, as we had expected,--nothing
but this oblong figure, which had something of the shape of a small
window or door. In fact, as we stood gazing at it, it suggested to us
the idea of a little door that opened into the side of the tree, for the
crack all round its edge looked black, as if we could see into some dark
cavity beyond it.

This idea occurred to me as I stood gazing at it, and Ben had a similar
fancy.

"Dang it, Will'm!" said he, stepping nearer to it, "it be a door, I
believe," and then, leaning forward, and striking it with his fist, he
exclaimed: "Shiver my timbers, if 'tan't a door! Listen, lad! d'ye hear
that? it sounds as hollow as a empty cask!"

Sure enough, the stroke of the sailor's knuckles on the bark gave back a
hollow report--quite unlike that which would have been made by striking
the solid trunk of a tree. Moreover, we saw that the part which had
been struck shook under the blow. Beyond a doubt the tree was hollow,
and the part that had attracted us was neither more or less than a door
cut in its side.

This point was at once settled; for Ben with another "shiver my
timbers," raised his foot, and bestowed a lusty kick upon the part that
was loose. It instantly caved in, and exhibited to our astonished eyes
a door in the side of the tree leading into a dark cavity beyond!

Ben immediately ran back to the fire; and taking up several of the
blazing faggots--and placing them side by side, so as to form a torch--
returned with them to the trunk. Holding the torch before the mouth of
the cavity, we peeped in, when a sight met our eyes that produced
something more than astonishment--something very near akin to terror.
We both shared this feeling; and my companion, though a man, and a very
brave man, was quite as much terrified as I. In fact, I saw that his
frame shook all over, and his hands trembled in such a manner, that
several of the faggots fell from his fingers, and he appeared for some
seconds to hesitate whether he would not fling the torch away and take
to his heels!

It is hardly to be wondered at, when one considers the strange sight
that was revealed to our eyes. It would have tried the nerves of the