n washed off the raft. If they did not
reach the open air in two or three days starvation was certain.

"No," cried the Greek suddenly, "all hope is not gone. Look! here is a
bag that was lying partly under me. It is half full of crackers."

"And I have three torches in my pocket," added Sir Arthur. "Bless me if
I know how they got there but here they are, anyhow."

"That scant supply of food may last us to the journey's end, if used in
moderation," said Guy solemnly. "God grant us a speedy passage to the
mouth of the river."

In spite of Chutney's brave attempts to cheer them up, the spirits of
the party sank very low.

That meager bag of crackers must feed six mouths until they reached the
end of the cavern. That event might be in a week, and it might be in a
month. The uncertainty and the suspense were terribly trying.

It was some consolation to discover that the river was still flowing
very rapidly. The possibility of encountering more rapids they now
dreaded but little, for it was very improbable that worse places could
exist than that which the raft had navigated so stanchly.

"We must travel night and day," said Guy, "and in darkness. We have
four torches left. Only when we hear the sound of rapids dare we light
one of them."

He emphasized his words by putting out the torch that was burning, and
instantly they were plunged in total darkness.

This marked the commencement of a period in which all trace of time was
lost. Huddled together on the few remaining rugs, they drifted on and on
with the current, alternately asleep and awake.

At certain intervals a torch was lit for a few moments while they ate
the pitiful scraps of food that Guy distributed with rigorous
impartiality.

The short periods of light were taken advantage of by the colonel to
record in his diary the brief incidents of the journey.

A few extracts from it, made with his permission, will make sufficiently
clear to the reader in what gloomy monotony that part of their cruise
was spent which began with the departure from the lake and terminated
abruptly in a misfortune remarkable for the utter despair that followed
on its track:

_First stage_.--This is the second day since leaving the lake. We
received three crackers apiece. Twice a torch was lit to aid us in
passing rapids. They proved to be insignificant.

_Second stage_.--We slept by turns. Had three crackers apiece. All
complain of hunger. Bildad clamors for food. Current st