about the two blacks, of whom they had seen nothing
since they had plunged in amongst the ruins of what seemed to have been
the huge fortified temple, and in spite of the two lads devoting a good
deal of time to discovering some opening through the old walls by which
they might have reached the open country, their efforts were quite
without success. It was certainly possible that they might have helped
one another to reach the top of the lowest stretch of wall, and lowered
one another down the other side, but Mark argued that they would not
have done this. There must be some secret opening or slit through which
they could have squeezed, one well known to them.

"I feel that if we keep on searching," he said, "we shall find it sooner
or later."

This was said in the hearing of Buck Denham, who suddenly exclaimed,
"But look here, gentlemen; you don't think, do you--" He stopped short,
and the boys waited for nearly a minute, before Mark burst out with,
"Yes, we do, Buck--lots."

"Yes, I suppose so, sir," said the man, rather sulkily.

"Well, go on. What were you going to say?"

"Only that Mr Dean here slipped down that hole."

"Well, we know that," said Dean shortly. "You needn't bring that up."

"No," cried Mark. "Why did you?"

"Didn't mean any harm, sir. I was only going to say that if you two
gents met with an accident like that, mightn't them two niggers have had
one too?"

"Ay, ay, messmate," growled Dan, "and being blacks not have the pluck
and patience of our two young gentlemen here as helped theirselves and
got out."

"Pluck and patience!" thought Mark, as he stole a glance at his cousin.

"Patience and pluck!" said Dean to himself, as he met his cousin's eye.

"Why, Buck," cried Mark, "you have regularly spoilt my day."

"Me, sir?" said the big fellow wonderingly. "Not spoilt yourn too, Mr
Dean?"

"Yes, you have," said the lad addressed. "You have set me thinking that
the poor fellows have tumbled down somewhere and been drowned, or else
are regularly trapped in some deep cellar-like passage underground,
where they have lost their way."

"Well, that means, gentlemen, that what we ought to do is to go for a
big hunt in and out amongst the ruins till we find them, or something
else."

"Yes," said Dan, "something else; and that would be like killing two
birds with one stone."

"Come on, then," cried Mark, "only this time we will take two ropes and
a lantern, and we will go at once. L