ildly, and Mark responded by making
a snatch in the direction he felt that his cousin must be, and caught
him fast, throwing himself backward. There was a rush and the fall of a
heavy stone with a tremendous splash; then no sound but a hoarse
breathing from two chests.

"Hah!" ejaculated Dean. "That last stone must have grown mouldy, and
gave way; but it's all right. Now for a rest. Shouldn't like to do
that again."

Then there was profound silence for the space of a few minutes as the
two lads knelt there clinging to each other in the profound darkness,
thinking of many things; and the thoughts of both had the same trend,
the grips of their hands involuntarily growing tighter the while.

How long they knelt there, communing, giving their better feelings full
sway, neither knew, but at last the silence was broken by Mark
whispering, "Dean, old fellow; what an escape!"

"Don't, don't!" was whispered back. "Don't speak to me, or I shall
break down."

"Ah!" sighed Mark, and there was silence again, broken this time by
Dean.

"I can't help it, Mark, old fellow. I have been trying so hard; but I
must be a terrible coward. Tell me, oh, do tell me! Am I safe?"

The answer came faintly from apparently some distance away, in the shape
of a sailor's, "Ahoy-y-y-y!"

"Yes," cried Mark excitedly. "That's old Dan's voice. They are looking
for us. Ahoy-y-y-y!" he shouted, with his voice sounding strangely
cracked and wild.

Quite a minute elapsed before they heard another hail, and by this time
the two boys had pulled themselves together a bit, enough to respond
with double the vigour of before, while ere many minutes had passed a
steady interchange of calls made the task of the searchers so easy that
the gleam of a lantern appeared, to be followed by the report of a gun,
and this time there was a perfect volley of the strange echoes.

"Hear that?" cried Dean, in his natural voice.

"Hear it? Yes?"

Dean uttered a gasp as if he were swallowing something that was hard,
and then with a laugh he said, "Mark, old chap, isn't it queer! That
seems to be the jolliest sound I ever heard in my life."

"Yes," said Mark coolly; "but we have got a long walk before us, and no
end of stones to climb, and I expect we shall get into a precious row."

"Never mind the row, old fellow. I wonder what they've got for supper!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

THE PIGMY'S DIVE.

The party were seated in their shelter close under