ce affair. His idea of danger was in the sight of
enemies thirsting for his blood. Now that they were out of reach, and
he believed that he had thrown them off the scent, he was perfectly
content, and ready to smile at the perfection of the hiding-place he had
sought.

"Can you hear me, Jem?" said Don at last, after they had sat on the wet
stones for some time, watching the falling water and listening to the
thunderous roar.

"Yes, if you shout quite close?"

"Isn't it an awful place?"

"Ay, 'tis."

"Do you think we shall escape?"

"I was thinking what a good job it was that we had managed a good feed."

"How are we to get away again?"

"Dunno. P'r'aps there's another way out."

"I hope so. It will be horrible to have to go back as we came."

Jem nodded, and began to nibble the dry skin at the side of his finger
nails, looking up thoughtfully at the translucent arch.

Then he nodded to Don as if he wished to speak, and Don put his ear
close to Jem's lips.

"Think there's much more on it to come down?"

"More, Jem?"

"Yes. 'Cause when it's all run out, they'll be able to see us."

"I should think it is always falling like this, Jem."

"Oh!"

No more was said, and they sat patiently waiting for danger or freedom,
whichever might be in store for them. Ngati held out his great fist
from time to time to shake hands in a congratulatory way, and the hours
glided on till it began to grow dark, and another horror assailed Don.
It was evident that they must pass the night there in the cold and damp,
for to attempt to escape in the dark would be madness, and how would it
be if they dropped off to sleep and slipped?

He shuddered at the thought, and sat in silence gazing at Ngati, who
waited calmly till the shadows of evening had quite filled the chasm,
when he rose, and it was evident that he did not consider escape in the
darkness impossible, for, grasping Don's arm, he uttered the one word
"Come!" and led the way out from beneath the watery arch, to stand, as
soon as they were quite clear, shading his eyes and gazing through the
transparent gloom in search of their enemies.

Apparently satisfied, he tapped both on the shoulder, and with a shudder
of dread Don followed him along the side of the gulf.

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

NGATI'S DISGUISE.

The return journey proved to be less perilous than the descent. The
awful chaos of water was beneath them, but invisible, the darkness being
so intens