earth was unfolding a
glimpse of its treasure-house.

Like a star! Yet that Eye, flashing, scintillating in its mysterious
bed--was it not in a measure diabolical, luring men to destruction? Of
the two who had sought to meddle with it, one had returned only to die;
the other--had they not but a few days since handled his bleached and
unburied skull?

These thoughts passing through Renshaw's mind could not but temper the
degree of wild exultation which he felt now that he had conquered at
last. Sellon, on the other hand, could hardly restrain the wild hurrahs
wherewith, but for the consciousness of probable peril, he would fain
have given vent to his feelings.

"How far down is it, old chap?" said the latter, eagerly.

"Impossible to say. We can go forward a little now, and explore. It's
not much of a moon, but there's light enough. But, for Heaven's sake,
Sellon, restrain that excitable temperament of yours, or we shall have
you plunging over one of these krantzes before you know where you are."

"All right, old boss. I'll keep cool. You can take the lead, if you
like."

The light was misty and uncertain. The ground here took an abrupt fall.
Proceeding cautiously for a little distance down, they halted. The Eye
had disappeared.

"Come on. We shall see it again directly," said Sellon, starting
forward again.

But the other's hand dropped on his shoulder like a vice.

"Stop--for your life!"

"Eh? What's up?--Oh, Lord!"

He stood still enough then. Three or four steps further and he would
have plunged into space. In the faint illusive light of the spent moon,
the treacherous cliff brow was well-nigh indistinguishable even to
Renshaw's tried vision. But the unerring instincts of the latter were
quick to interpret the sudden puff of cold air sweeping upwards, and
well for the other that it was so.

"Pheugh!" shuddered Sellon, turning pale as he awoke to the awful peril
he had escaped. "What a blundering ass I am, to be sure. But--look!
There's the Eye again--larger--brighter than ever--by Jove!"

"Yes; and I don't believe it's a couple of hundred feet below us either.
Let's see what sort of a drop there is here."

Lying full length on the edge of the cliff, he peered over. Then
loosening two or three stones, he let them fall--one after the other. A
single clink as each struck the bottom.

"We can't get down this side, Sellon. It's sheer--as I thought, even if
it doesn't overhang. The