me from
the depths of the cave, and the sound was so weird and strange that Don
stopped short.

The noise was not repeated, but the peculiar hissing went on, and, as if
from a great distance, there came gurglings and rushing sounds, as if
from water.

"I know we shall get in somewhere, and not get out again, Mas' Don.
There now, hark at that!"

"It's only hot water, the same as we heard gurgling in our bath," said
Don, still progressing.

"Well, suppose it is. The more reason for your not going. P'r'aps this
is where it comes from first, and nice place it must be where all that
water's made hot. Let's go back, and wait close at the front."

"No; let's go a little farther, Jem."

"Why, I'm so hot now, my lad, I feel as if I was being steamed like a
tater. Here, let's get back, and--"

"Hist!"

Don caught his arm, for there was another whistle, and not from the
depths of the dark steamy cave, but from outside, evidently below the
mouth of the cave, as if some one was climbing up.

The whistle was answered, and the two fugitives crept back a little more
into the darkness.

"Ahoy! Come up here, sir!" shouted a familiar voice, and a hail came
back.

"Here's a hole in the rocks up here," came plainly now.

"Ramsden," whispered Don in Jem's ear.

They stole back a little more into the gloom, Jem offering no opposition
now, for it seemed to them, so plainly could they see the bright
greenish-hued daylight, and the configuration of the cavern's mouth,
that so sure as any one climbed up to the shelf and looked in they would
be seen.

Impressed by this, Don whispered to Jem to come farther in, and they
were about to back farther, when there was a rustling sound, and the
figure of a man appeared standing up perfectly black against the light;
but though his features were not visible, they knew him by his
configuration, and that their guess at the voice was right.

"He sees us," thought Don, and he stood as if turned to stone, one hand
touching the warm rocky side of the cave, and the other resting upon
Jem's shoulder.

The man was motionless as they, and his appearance exercised an effect
upon them like fascination, as he stood peering forward, and seeming to
fix them with his eyes, which had the stronger fancied effect upon them
for not being seen.

"Wonder whether it would kill a man to hit him straight in the chest,
and drive him off that rock down into the gully below," said Jem to
himself. "I shou