shing through the branches of
the trees, which were thickly interwoven overhead and across the path;
but the latter was distinctly marked out, being well trodden as if it
had been a regular pathway of communication at some previous time.

The bay below, to which this road led, was on the other side of the
point of land that stretched past the ship; and as we descended the hill
we could see the blue sea peeping through the trees.

Half-way down, the pathway abruptly terminated in front of what seemed a
mound of earth, although this was now overgrown with trees, covered with
orchilla weed, that enveloped their trunks and gave them quite a
venerable aspect.

"Hillo!" cried Hiram, "hyar's enuff o' thet orchilla weed thet they
vall'ys so in 'Frisco to make airy a nan's fortin' ez could carry it
thaar, I guess!"

"Is that the orchilla?" I asked. "I was wondering what Mr Steenbock
meant when he spoke of it."

"Aye," replied Hiram, dragging off a great bunch of it from what looked
like the decayed trunk of one of the oak trees, hollowed out by age and
exposure to the heavy tropical rains of the region, "thet's what they
calls the orchilla weed, I guess. Hillo! though, what's this?"

"What?" exclaimed Tom Bullover and I, pressing up to where he was
stooping, scraping away at the timber; "what is it?"

"I'm durned ef it air a tree at all," said Hiram, all excitement, and
his voice thick with emotion and eager exultation. "It's a door o' some
sort or t'other."

"Really," I said, as eager as he, helping him to pull away the fungus
growth from the now partly-exposed woodwork which, certainly, looked
like a door, as he said, "do you think so?"

"Aye, Cholly. I'm jiggered if we ain't found the cave at last!"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

RIVAL APPARITIONS.

"By Jingo!" said Tom, with a deep breath, bending down and helping Hiram
to clear away the weeds and debris from the rotten old door, now clearly
disclosed to view. "Jest fancy our lighting on it like this!"

"Perhaps it isn't a cave at all," said I, likewise breathless with
excitement, but not wishing to place my hopes too high, lest I should be
disappointed; "it's too far from the sea, I think."

"Nary a bit," retorted Hiram, doggedly. "I'll bet my bottom dollar it's
the place sure enuff. Hyar goes, anyhow, fur a try."

So saying, rising from his stooping posture, he administered a thumping
kick with his heavy seamen's boot against the rotten woodwork.

This