pid, Dean?"

"No," cried Dean, taking up his cousin's tone. "You might have been
sure, Dan, that as soon as we had gone the poor old fellow would have
crawled right in as far as he could go."

"Yes, sir; that's what I did think, sir."

"You went right in?" cried Mark. "Yes, sir; right to the very end, and
he warn't there."

"Where was he, then?"

"Oh, I don't know, sir."

"Did you look about well?"

"Yes, sir, as far as there was anywhere to look about."

"As far as there was anywhere to look about?"

"Yes, sir. Don't you remember you could only go right on into the hole
or come back again? You couldn't climb up the sides without somebody
had gone up there first with a rope and let it down to you."

"Yes, that's right, Mark," said Dean. "Yes, I suppose so," replied
Mark, "but I wanted that poor old fellow to have the soup. It might
have been the means of saving his life."

Dan shook his head solemnly. Mark made no observation about that, but
went on: "Look here, Dan, somebody must have been there and helped him."

Dan shook his head again solemnly. "Did you try to tell Mak about it?"

"Yes, sir, as well as I could."

"But do you think you made him understand you?"

"Yes, sir; I think he did."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing, sir. Only shook his head, just like that."

"Bother! Don't get wagging your head in that way," cried Mark angrily,
"or you will have it come loose. Well, what did you do with the soup?"

"Ate it, sir."

"What!" cried Mark sharply.

"Well, sir, I couldn't drink it, it was that thick and strong. It was
some of my best."

"And so you ate it?"

"Yes, sir; I was so precious hungry."

"Did you ever hear such impudence, Dean?"

"Well, I thought it a pity to waste it, sir, and I have always got
plenty more on the way."

"Bah!" cried Mark. "You couldn't have half looked."

"No, sir; I put my back into it and did it thorough. But he was gone;"
and Dan shook his head again.

"What do you mean by that?" said Dean.

"Same as black Mak did, sir."

"And what did black Mak mean?" cried Mark.

"Seems to me as he thought the poor old chap had dried up like and
gone."

"What nonsense!"

"Well, sir, it may be nonsense, but I had a good look at the poor old
chap when we had him out. Why, you see him, sir. Look what his face
was like. Walnut shell was nothing to his skin. I have been thinking
about it a deal, sir, and I have heard what you gentlemen have sa