s no place
where Karl himself could get down,--and he turned to go back to the
point where he had ascended, with a feeling of apprehension that he was
not going to get down at all!

On proceeding along the ledge, he had not yet bent his eyes upon the
cliff that rose behind,--his attention being altogether occupied with
the part that lay below; on going back, however, his eye ranged more
freely, and he now noticed a dark hole in the rock, a few feet above the
level of the ledge. This hole was about as big as an ordinary doorway,
and upon closer examination, Karl perceived that it was the mouth of a
cave. He noticed, moreover, that it appeared to grow wider beyond the
entrance, and was no doubt a cavern of large dimensions. He had no
further curiosity in relation to it; only that the reflection crossed
his mind that he might be compelled to pass the night there. This was
probable enough; unless, indeed, Ossaroo or Caspar should come in search
of him before nightfall, and relieve him from his elevated prison. But
it was just as likely they might not; for frequently one of the party
was out for hours together, without causing any uneasiness to the rest,
and it would be after night before they would feel any apprehension
about his absence. In the darkness, too, they might go in the wrong
direction to search for him, and might wander about through the woods a
long time before coming near the place where he was. He was in the very
farthest corner of the valley, and shut up in the ravine, with rocks and
high woods between him and them; and thus his shouts could not be heard
at any great distance.

These were the reflections that passed through his mind, as he returned
along the ledge to the point where he had climbed up. He did not enter
the cave to examine it--as he would certainly have done under other
circumstances--but his curiosity was now controlled by the apprehension
he very naturally felt in the dilemma in which he was placed.

That he could do nothing to free himself from it was clear enough to his
mind. He must wait, therefore, until either Caspar came, or Ossaroo, or
both; and, summoning all his patience, he sat down upon the ledge and
waited.

Of course, he did not wait in silence. He had the sense to know, that
if he kept silent they might not find him at all; and therefore, at
short intervals, he rose to his feet, and shouted at the top of his
voice, causing the cliffs to reverberate in numberless e