open passage, always about six feet wide, but
winding probably in following the course of the rock upon which the
place was built, so that we could not at any time look far along the
passage.

"This doesn't seem like the way to find water," said Denham.

"One never knows," I said. "Let's see where the passage leads to."

"Of course; but it seems waste of time. The old city, or temple, or
whatever it was, must have been built with two walls for security, and I
dare say once upon a time it was covered in so as to form a broad
rampart."

"Right!" I said eagerly, and pointed forward. For we had just come in
sight, at a bend, of a spot where great stones were laid across from
wall to wall; and on passing under them we found our way encumbered
beyond by numbers of similar blocks, some of which seemed to have
crumbled away in the middle till they broke in two and then dropped.

"Oh yes," said Denham, in reply to a remark, "it's very interesting, of
course, but we're not ruin-grubbers. I dare say the place was built in
the year 1; and the knowing old codgers who understand these things
would tell us that the people who built the place had dolly something,
or square heads; but we want to find out which was the market-place
where they kept the town-pump."

"And as the pump is most probably worn out," I said laughingly, "we'll
be content with the well."

"Oh, if we find the well the pump-handle's sure to be at the bottom,
and--Hullo! what have we got here?"

I shared my companion's wonder, for upon rounding a curve of the passage
we came upon an opening in the great stones of the inner wall--an
opening that was wonderfully perfect, being covered in by the
cross-stones, which were in place over the passage where the doorway
showed.

"Dark," I said as I passed in. "No; only just here. There's another
wall, and quite a narrow passage not above three feet wide, and then
it's light again."

"Let's look," said Denham. "Stop a minute, though. Don't go in, or you
may drop down some hole. Here, I'll strike a light."

The next minute a little match was lighting up the narrow place, with
the wall close in front and then a passage going off to the right.

"Why, it's like Hampton Court Maze done in stone," said Denham. "But
there, what did I say? Look at that hole."

He pitched the remains of the burning match to the right, and it dropped
down out of sight, lighting up the narrow way and then going out.

"That's t