found to exist further along the circular wall of the cavern.
The second, however, was the passage they wanted; for, on going a short
distance into it, Lance's and Blanche's footprints were distinctly
traceable in a thin coating of fine dust which was met with. The
identity of the passage being thus established, it was marked in a
similar way to the other, but with a _cross_ instead of a circle. The
marking of the two passages proved to be a long and tedious job, owing
to the hardness of the rock and the imperfect character of the tools,
but it was done at last; and then they set out to execute the real task
of their journey, namely, the erection of the sheers.

Now that they had lights the journey along the second passage to the
spot where the sheers were to be erected was accomplished in a trifle
less than an hour; but a shudder ran through them all as, following the
footprints, they saw that Blanche had twice or thrice walked for several
yards on the extreme verge of the yawning chasm without being aware of
it. And when at last they came to the narrowest part of the path--that
which Blanche had traversed blindfold--they felt their very hair rising
as they craned over the edge and heard the pebbles they threw in go
bounding down until the sound of their ultimate splash in the water was
so faint as to be hardly distinguishable. It was nervous work, the
passage along that narrow ledge, but it had to be done and they did it,
hauling the poles across afterwards with the aid of the rope; and this
part of the work successfully accomplished, the rest was not long in the
doing; another hour saw both pairs of sheers erect, properly stayed, and
the three-inch-rope bridge strained across, with the clip-hooks and
hauling-line attached, and, in short, everything ready for the
commencement of operations. The axes and other matters were then taken
back to the great central chamber, where they _were_ left for future
use, and the party made the best of their way into the open air, and
thence homeward, arriving finally at Staunton Cottage about an hour
before the great bell rang the summons for all hands to come forth to
another day's labour.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

BOB WANTS TO BE RICH.

The problem as to the working of the gold mine being so far
satisfactorily solved, it only remained to ascertain how the
arrangements would answer when put into practice, and this the ladies
did without loss of time. Their plan was that on