in the existing circumstances.
As my face dropped level with the Pit edge, he licked me, right across
the mouth; and then, seizing my sleeve between his teeth, began to pull
back, strongly. It was very evident that he did not want me to go. Yet,
having made up my mind, I had no intention of giving up the attempt;
and, with a sharp word to Pepper, to release me, I continued my descent,
leaving the poor old fellow at the top, barking and crying like a
forsaken pup.

Carefully, I lowered myself from projection to projection. I knew that
a slip might mean a wetting.

Reaching the entrance, I let go the rope, and untied the gun from my
shoulders. Then, with a last look at the sky--which I noticed was
clouding over, rapidly--I went forward a couple of paces, so as to be
shielded from the wind, and lit one of the candles. Holding it above my
head, and grasping my gun, firmly, I began to move on, slowly, throwing
my glances in all directions.

For the first minute, I could hear the melancholy sound of Pepper's
howling, coming down to me. Gradually, as I penetrated further into the
darkness, it grew fainter; until, in a little while, I could hear
nothing. The path tended downward somewhat, and to the left. Thence it
kept on, still running to the left, until I found that it was leading me
right in the direction of the house.

Very cautiously, I moved onward, stopping, every few steps, to listen.
I had gone, perhaps, a hundred yards, when, suddenly, it seemed to me
that I caught a faint sound, somewhere along the passage behind. With my
heart thudding heavily, I listened. The noise grew plainer, and appeared
to be approaching, rapidly. I could hear it distinctly, now. It was the
soft padding of running feet. In the first moments of fright, I stood,
irresolute; not knowing whether to go forward or backward. Then, with a
sudden realization of the best thing to do, I backed up to the rocky
wall on my right, and, holding the candle above my head, waited--gun in
hand--cursing my foolhardy curiosity, for bringing me into such
a strait.

I had not long to wait, but a few seconds, before two eyes reflected
back from the gloom, the rays of my candle. I raised my gun, using my
right hand only, and aimed quickly. Even as I did so, something leapt
out of the darkness, with a blustering bark of joy that woke the echoes,
like thunder. It was Pepper. How he had contrived to scramble down the
cleft, I could not conceive. As I brushed my ha