further response.

"He knows it's wrong, sir," said Hardock, solemnly, "so let's hurry
after him."

"Go on, then," said Joe; and Gwyn reluctantly followed them through the
grotto, and then along a natural crack in the rock, which was painful
for walking, being all on a slope. But this soon came to an end, and
they found themselves in another grotto, but with a low-arched roof and
wanting in the crystallisations of the first.

"You have been all along here, Sam?" said Gwyn, suddenly.

For answer Hardock took a few steps forward, and held up his lanthorn to
display a roughly-brushed white arrow on the wall pointing forward.

"You can always tell where we've been now, sir," said the man. "This
bends in and out for nearly a quarter of a mile; now it's caverns, now
it's cracks, and then we come again upon old workings which lead off by
what I call one of the mine endings. After that we get to the big hall,
and that low wet gallery; I know my way right through now."

"But it's all a scare," said Gwyn, banteringly.

"I hope so, sir, but I feel unked like, and as if something's very
wrong."

"Think of old Grip playing the sneak," said Joe, as they finally cleared
the grotto-like cracks, and came upon flooring better for walking.

"Nay, sir, he's no sneak. He's only gone to see what's the matter."

"Without a light?" cried Gwyn.

"He wants no light, sir. His eyes are not like ours. Would you mind
walking a little faster?"

"No; lead on, and we'll keep up. But how long will it take us to get to
the foot of the shaft?"

"Two hours, sir."

"So long as that?"

"Every minute of it, sir--if we get there at all," said the man to
himself. And now they walked on at a good steady rate, only pausing
once to trim their lights, and at last came to a turn familiar to both
the lads, for it was the beginning of the passage where they had had the
scare from having to pass through water, but at the end farthest from
that which they had come by in the early part of the day.

"Won't go through here, Sam?" said Gwyn.

"Much the nighest, sir; but we don't want to be soaked. Would you mind
going a little way down here?"

"Not I," said Gwyn; and the man led on, Joe following without a word.

"Don't look like that, Jolly," whispered Gwyn. "I suppose everyone gets
scared at some time in a place like this. It's Sam's turn now. Hallo!"

"Can't go any farther, sir," said Hardock, huskily. "The water's right
up to here,