b again now."

"No, no; don't try yet," cried Mark.

"All right; but what are you going to do?"

"Come down to you as soon as I can breathe more easily. I am all of a
quiver, and just as if I had been running a race."

"All right, then, wait; but it's of no use for you to try to get down.
What good could you do?"

"I don't know yet," replied Mark. "All I know is that I can't leave you
like this. I must come and help you."

"No, you mustn't," said Dean. "You would only be in the way, and I am
getting more and more all right. I felt just like a little child in the
dark for the time; but that nasty sensation has all gone now. Why,
Mark, old man, you seem to be worse than I was."

"I am," said Mark emphatically.

"You couldn't be, old fellow. I should be quite ashamed of it, only I
couldn't help it a bit. It was very stupid, but I had got a sort of
idea that I had slipped down into a place full of bogeys, and I daren't
let you shout again for fear that it would be telling all those--what's
his names--that made the echoes where I was. Ugh! It was horrid! But
the queer part of it is that though I must be in a very awkward place,
with water down below, I don't seem to mind; but I don't want to get
wet. It would be rather awkward if I went down, though; but I don't
think it's far, and it would be better to fall into water than on to
stones. One would come to the surface again directly and get hold of
the walls somewhere."

"But it would be very horrid," said Mark hoarsely.

"Oh, when you come to think of it," said Dean coolly, "that's only
fancy. Water's water, and it's only because it's dark that it seems so
horrid; for it is only seems, you know, because if the sun were shining
right down here we should think nothing of it."

"'M-m-m-no," said Mark dubiously. Then speaking more firmly, "Look
here, Dean."

"Can't; it's all black," replied the lad coolly.

"Well, you know what I mean. Can you hold on?"

"Oh, yes; I am standing upright on a big piece of stone that sticks out
of the side."

"Yes. Go on."

"I am," said Dean quite calmly. "But wait a minute; I want to see--no,
no, I mean find out--how far it is to the water."

"What are you going to do?"

"Drop this piece of stone in that I am touching. It is quite loose."

"No, no; don't!" cried Mark excitedly. "It will raise up all those
horrible echoes again."

"Well, let it. Who's afraid?"

_Plosh_!

"There!" cried Dean. "Why,