y coming back to his side, lantern in hand, "Do you think you can
find your way back?" he asked.

"Yes, with my eyes shut," said the boy, smiling.

His tones chased away his master's feeling of uneasiness, and he went
on:

"That's a good boy; but what about your notion of this place leading
into the cavern where those ruffians are? We must be far past Ergles,
even if we are in the right direction."

"No," said Dummy confidently, as his father, who now came up, lantern in
hand, looked doubtful too.

"Why do you say no, boy?" said Sir Edward.

"Because we've got among the same sort of rock as you find at Ergles."

"Good, lad!" burst out Dan Rugg. "That's minding your teachings. But
are you right?"

"Yes, father: look," said the boy, holding up his lantern toward the
glittering roof of the hall in which they stood. "There it is: Blue
John."

Dan raised his lantern too, and drew his miner's pick from his belt.

_Chink_, _clash_.

There was a sharp blow from the pick, and Dan stooped to take up the
piece of rock he had struck off, and handed it to his lord.

"Boy's right, Sir Edward," he said. "Look at that."

"But what has Blue John, whoever he is--Oh, pish! I had forgotten the
name of the blue spar. Is there any of it in Ergles?"

"Only place about here where there is any, Sir Edward, and that's a
piece."

"Then we may be close to the cavern," said Sir Edward, lowering his
voice.

"Or in it, perhaps," said Mark excitedly.

He started, for at that moment Dummy clapped a hand upon his lips, and
pointed forward.

"Cover your lanterns," he whispered.

The word was passed along back, and the next moment they were standing
in darkness, watching a faint gleam of light in the distance.

It was playing upon the glittering prismatic crystals which covered
wall, roof, and floor, and these flashed as the light played upon them,
disappeared, and came into sight again from behind a Gothic pillar, was
again eclipsed, and once more came into sight; and now, plainly seen,
they made out that it was the light of a lantern, which shone upon a
man's face as he went slowly along what seemed to be an opening, which
led him past where they stood watching.

Then the light seemed to go down toward the floor, lower and lower, as
it went on till it passed out of sight, but left a faint glow.

"Let Dummy and me go," whispered Mark to his father.

"Yes. Cautiously. Don't be seen."

Dummy was panting to be off, a