The savages hurried Ivan along as rapidly as they could; and soon
entered a deep and narrow ravine, which about the middle parted into
two. The narrowest path was selected, and the dwelling of the natives
soon reached. It was a cavern, the narrow entrance of which they
crawled through; Ivan followed the leader, and soon found himself in
a large and wonderful cave. It was by nature divided into several
compartments, and contained a party of twenty men, as many or more
women, and numerous children. It was warmed in two ways--by wood-fires
and grease-lamps, and by a bubbling semi-sulphurous spring, that
rushed up through a narrow hole, and then fell away into a deep well,
that carried its warm waters to mingle with the icy sea. The acrid
smoke escaped by holes in the roof. Ivan, his arms and legs bound, was
thrust into a separate compartment filled with furs, and formed by a
projection of the rock and the skin-boats which this primitive race
employed to cross the most stormy seas. He was almost stunned; he lay
for a while without thought or motion. Gradually he recovered, and
gazed around; all was night, save above, where by a narrow orifice
he saw the smoke which hung in clouds around the roof escaping.
He expected death. He knew the savage race he was among, who hated
interference with their hunting-grounds, and whose fish he and his
party had taken. What, therefore, was his surprise, when from the
summit of the roof, he heard a gentle voice whispering in soft accents
his own name. His ears must, he thought, deceive him. The hubbub close
at hand was terrible. A dispute was going on. Men, women. and children
all joined, and yet he had heard the word "Ivan." "Kolina," he
replied, in equally low but clear tones. As he spoke a knife rolled
near him. But he could not touch it. Then a dark form filled the
orifice about a dozen feet above his head, and something moved down
among projecting stones, and then Kolina stood by him. In an instant
Ivan was free, and an axe in his hand. The exit was before them. Steps
were cut in the rock, to ascend to the upper entrance, near which Ivan
had been placed without fear, because tied. But a rush was heard, and
the friends had only time to throw themselves deeper into the cave,
when four men rushed in, knife in hand, to immolate the victim. Such
had been the decision come to after the debate.

The lamps revealed the escape of the fugitive. A wild cry drew all the
men together, and then up