id not succeed; for his eyes were so much swollen with weeping
that his frequent attempts only resulted in a series of violent and
altogether idiotical contortions of the face, that were very far from
expressing what he intended. However, I knew what the poor fellow meant
by it; so I smiled to him in return, and endeavoured to make believe
that he was winking.

"Now, lads," said Jack when we were composed enough to listen to him,
"yon green object is not a shark; it is a stream of light issuing from a
cave in the rocks. Just after I made my dive, I observed that this
light came from the side of the rock above which we are now sitting; so
I struck out for it, and saw an opening into some place or other that
appeared to be luminous within. For one instant I paused to think
whether I ought to venture. Then I made up my mind and dashed into it;
for you see, Peterkin, although I take some time to tell this, it
happened in the space of a few seconds, so that I knew I had wind enough
in me to serve to bring me out o' the hole and up to the surface again.
Well, I was just on the point of turning--for I began to feel a little
uncomfortable in such a place--when it seemed to me as if there was a
faint light right above me. I darted upwards, and found my head out of
water. This relieved me greatly, for I now felt that I could take in
air enough to enable me to return the way I came. Then it all at once
occurred to me that I might not be able to find the way out again; but
on glancing downwards, my mind was put quite at rest by seeing the green
light below me streaming into the cave, just like the light that we had
seen streaming out of it, only what I now saw was much brighter.

"At first I could scarcely see anything as I gazed around me, it was so
dark; but gradually my eyes became accustomed to it, and I found that I
was in a huge cave, part of the walls of which I observed on each side
of me. The ceiling just above me was also visible, and I fancied that I
could perceive beautiful, glittering objects there; but the farther end
of the cave was shrouded in darkness. While I was looking around me in
great wonder, it came into my head that you two would think I was
drowned; so I plunged down through the passage again in a great hurry,
rose to the surface, and--here I am!"

When Jack concluded his recital of what he had seen in this remarkable
cave, I could not rest satisfied till I had dived down to see it; which
I did,