eet sank deep in the leaves.
The forest was undulating with deep hollows and steep banks, which tried
us a good deal. It soon became evident that we could not keep up the
pace. Monica was tiring visibly, and I had had about enough; Francis,
too, seemed done up. We slackened to a walk. We were toiling painfully
up on of these steep banks when Francis, who was leading, held up his
hand.

"Charlemagne's Ride!" he whispered as we came up. We looked down from
the top of the bank and saw below us a broad forest glade, canopied by
the thick branches of the ancient trees that met overhead, and leading
up a slope, narrowing as it went, to a path that lost itself among the
shadows that were falling fast upon the forest.

Francis clambered down the bank and we followed. Twilight reigned below
in the glade under the lofty roof of branches and our feet rustled
softly as we trod the leaves underfoot. It was a ghostly place, and
Monica clutched my arm as we went quickly after Francis, who, striding
rapidly ahead, threatened to be swallowed up in the shadows of the
autumn evening. He led us up the slope and along the narrow path. A path
struck off it, and he took it. It led us into a thicker part of the
forest than we had yet struck, where there were great boulders
protruding from the dripping bushes, and brambles grew so thick that in
places they obscured the track.

The forest sloped up again, and in front of us was a steep bank, its
sides dotted with great rocks and a tangle of brambles and undergrowth.
Francis stooped between two boulders at the foot of the slope, then
turning and beckoning us to follow, disappeared. Monica went in after
him, and I came last. We were in a kind of narrow entrance, scooped out
of the earth between the rocks, and it led down to a broad chamber,
which had apparently been dug beneath some of the boulders, for,
stretching out my hand, I found the roof was rock and damp to the touch.

Francis and Monica were standing in this chamber as I came down.
Directly I entered I knew why they stood so still. A glimmer of light
came from the farther end of the cave and a strange sound, a sort of
strangled sobbing, reached our ears.

I crept forward in the dark in the direction of the light. My
outstretched hands came upon a low opening. I stooped and, crawling
round a rock, saw another chamber illuminated by a guttering candle
stuck by its wax to the earthen wall. On the floor a man was lying,
sobbing as thoug