spot to prevent her seeing the deadly nature of the peril
to which they had been exposed, and then removed the bandage from her
eyes.

"There," he said cheerfully, "we are past the chasm at last, and now you
may have the use of your eyes once more."

Lighting another match, the imprisoned pair now pressed forward as
rapidly as circumstances would permit, taking care to keep a match
always alight in order that they might not stumble unawares upon a
possible second chasm or other danger. They pressed forward in silence,
except for an occasional word of caution or encouragement from Lance,
both being far too anxious to admit of anything like a connected
conversation.

Suddenly Lance stopped short. To his sense of hearing, acutely
sharpened by the long-continued death-like silence of the place, there
had come _a sound_, fainter than the breathing of a sleeping infant, a
mere vibration of the air, in fact, but still--a sound.

What was it? He knelt down and placed his ear close to the ground.
Yes; now he caught it a trifle more distinctly; the faintest murmur
still, but with something of individuality appertaining to it. It rose
and fell rhythmically, swelling gradually in volume, and then subsiding
again into silence.

"Hurrah!" he shouted joyously. "The sea! the sea! I can hear it.
Courage, Blanche darling, our journey is nearly at an end. One short
half-hour at most, and, with God's help, we shall be free."

Again they pushed eagerly forward; with high hopes and grateful hearts
now, and with every yard of progress the gladdening sound rose clearer
and clearer still until there could no longer be any possible mistake
about it; it was indeed the regular beat of surf upon the shore.

At length a faint gleam of light became perceptible upon the rocky walls
in front; gradually it strengthened, until the more prominent
projections of the rock began to stand out bold and black against the
lighter portions beyond; and at last, as the path curved gently round,
their eager eyes were gladdened by the sight of an opening into which
the sea was sweeping with a long lazy undulating motion until it curled
over and plashed musically upon a narrow strip of sandy beach.

They both paused for a moment, with one consent, to feast their eyes
upon the gladsome sight, and to restore their disordered faculties.
Then they saw that the long passage or gallery within which they stood
terminated at its outer end in a cavernous reces