to take long strides like leaps, and bounded with a hop, skip, and
a jump right into the wet basin, when the men set up a wild cry as, to
the horror of all, they saw the little sailor's feet glide from under
him, his hands thrown up wildly to clutch at something to save himself,
and then he seemed to glide down the narrow well-like hole and was gone.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

HOW THE SULPHUR CAVERN WAS FOUND.

For a few seconds every one stood still as if petrified by the horror of
the scene. Then with a hoarse cry the captain dashed to the opening,
slipped, and would also have gone down, had he not made a leap and
thrown himself headlong across to the other side.

Mark stopped short, with a horrified expression on his face, for in
those brief moments he suffered all the agony of having seen his father
disappear, but almost before the captain had regained his legs the men
uttered a warning shout, for there was the gurgling roaring below, a
vibration in the earth, and the hot fountain played again to the height
of twenty or thirty feet, descended almost as rapidly, and those on one
side of the basin, as the water descended, saw the captain on the other
side holding Billy Widgeon by the jacket, dragging him from the very
edge of the hole to some half a dozen yards away.

The next minute all were gathered round where the little sailor lay
apparently lifeless.

"Is he dead?" whispered Mark, catching at his father's arm.

"Not he," cried Small, stooping down and shaking the prostrate man.
"Billy, old chap; here, wake up, I say! How goes it?"

Billy Widgeon opened his eyes, stared, choked, spat out some water,
looked round, and shook his head to get rid of some more.

"Eh?" he said at last.

"How are you, my man?" said the captain.

Billy Widgeon stared at him, then looked all round, rubbed his eyes with
his knuckles, stared again, rose, and trotted slowly to the basin, into
which he stepped cautiously, and before he could be stopped peered down
the hole.

He came away directly thereafter shaking his head.

"It's a rum un," he said, rubbing one ear, and slowly taking off and
wringing his jacket to get rid of the water.

"You're not hurt, then?" said the captain, anxiously.

"Hurt, sir? No, I don't know as I'm hurt, sir, but I'm precious wet."

"How far did you go down?" cried Mark.

"How far did I go down?" said Billy, sulkily. "Miles!"

"Was it very hot, my man?" said the major.

"Hot! Well, if