before his eyes.

"Yes, alone here, Gwyn! Ydoll, old chap, it's horrible. Can we ever
find our way back?"

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

TO THE BITTER END.

If ever an awful silence fell upon two unfortunate beings, it was upon
those lads, deep down in the strange mazes of the ancient mine. For
some moments neither could speak, but each stood gazing at his
companion, with the two shadows strangely mingled upon the rugged,
faintly-glittering wall.

Joe was the first to speak again, for his passionately-uttered question
was not answered.

"He warned us to beware of the holes and places, and he must have
slipped down one."

"Not he," said Gwyn, bitterly, as he stood scowling into the darkness.
"He warned us when he was making up his mind to hang back and leave us.
A miserable coward!"

"You think that?"

"I'm sure of it. A sneak! A miserable hound! Oh, how could anyone who
calls himself a man act like this!"

"Perhaps he is close at hand after all. Let's try," cried Joe, and he
uttered a long piercing hail, again and again, but with no other result
than to raise the solemn echoes, which sounded awe-inspiring, and so
startling, that the lad ceased, and gazed piteously at his companion.

"Feel scared, Joe?" said Gwyn at last.

Joe nodded.

"So do I. It's very cowardly, of course, but the place is so creepy and
strange."

"Yes; let's get back. We can't do any more, can we?"

Gwyn made no reply, but stood with his brows knit, staring straight
before him into the darkness beyond the dim halo cast by the lanthorn.

"Why don't you speak? Say something," cried Joe, half hysterically;
but, though Gwyn's lips moved, no sounds came. "Gwyn!" cried Joe again,
"say something. What's the good of us two being mates if we don't try
to help each other?"

"I was trying to help you," said Gwyn at last, in a strange voice he
hardly knew as his own; "but I was thinking so much I couldn't speak--I
couldn't get out a word."

"Well, think aloud. Keep talking, or I shall go mad."

"With fright?" said Gwyn, slowly.

"I don't know what it is, but I feel as if I can't bear it. Say
something."

"Well, that's just how I feel, and I want to get over it, but I can't."

There was another pause, and then, as if in a rage with himself, Gwyn
burst out,--

"We're not babies just woke up in the dark, and ready to call for our
mothers to help us."

"I called for mine to help me, though you could not hear," said Joe,
si