nd we don't know that it would lead us out. The other way
would."

"It makes me ill to think of the other way," said Venning,
vehemently.

"It looks like a rabbit-hole."

"I'll go first."

"It may mean another night, if it takes up much time."

"I'm sure it's right," persisted the boy.

"Very well, here goes;" and the Hunter submitted against his
judgment, because he feared beyond anything the breakdown of the
boy's nerves.

He was obliged to slide down this black opening, and when he found a
footing in a dark, cellar-like place, he at once struck a match
under the belief that he stood in a mere pit and nothing else, but a
puff of wind blew the match out.

"Come along; there is an opening."

The opening they found, and, as they entered it, they heard a
shuffling noise behind.

"It's that hag gone up into the room," cried the Hunter, "and she'll
give the alarm. We must go after her."

Venning, however, pushed on. "This is the way," he said wildly; and
Mr. Hume could do no less than follow, frowning as he went.

But it did seem that the boy was right. The little black hole of a
passage suddenly opened out into light that almost blinded them by
its brilliancy. It was a broad track. On the right was the wall of
the cliff pierced with little holes, through which they looked down
again on the canon itself, the opposite walls seeming very near.

"Wasn't I right?" asked Venning, with an excited laugh. "We can't be
very far above. I fancy I can hear the river."

"Well, there is this about it, if the worst comes, and we can't find
a way out, we can signal from one of these holes to people in the
valley."

"And Dick would find a way to rescue us--Dick and Muata. Hurrah!
Then we won't have to go down into that awful darkness."

"No; but we may as well see where this leads to."

They had to skirt a Y-shaped fall in the track, and this
accomplished, their course, after many windings, terminated at a
totally unexpected spot, no less than a point high up the face of
the cliff rising sheer up from the Deadman's Pool. They stepped out
from the passage into broad day, and raised their hats to let the
wind blow upon them, but they found that they were as far off from
escape as before. Below, the cliff sank hundreds of feet; above, it
rose like a wall without foothold; but they were thankful for the
sunlight, for the far view over the dark forest, for the privilege
to look once more on the unruffled sky. Now that