go, old chap!"

"Very well, then," said Joe, "if you say so, I'll go."

"Well, I do--so that settles it."

I knew Joe well enough to be sure he would be eager to be the first, and
though I should have liked very much to take the lead myself, it seemed
to me only just that Joe, as the original discoverer, should, as I had
said, be given the choice.

This question being decided, we tied one end of the rope around a big
stone, heavy enough to hold an elephant, and dropped the other end into
the hole. The descent at first was very easy, for the walls being only
three feet apart, and there being many rough projections on either side,
it was not much more difficult than going down a ladder, especially as
I, standing a little to one side, lowered the lantern bit by bit, that
Joe might have a light all the time to see where to set his feet.

Arrived at the bulge, Joe stopped, and standing with one foot on either
wall, looked up and said:

"It opens out below here, Phil; I shall have to slide the rest of the
way. You might lower the lantern down to the bottom now, if you please."

I did so at once, and then asked:

"Can you see the bottom, Joe?"

"Yes," he replied. "The crevice is much wider down there, and the floor
seems to be smooth and dry. I can't see any sign of water anywhere, but
I can hear it plainly enough. Good-bye for the present; I'm going down
now."

With that he disappeared under the bulge in the wall, while I, placing
my hand upon the rope, presently felt the strain slacken, whereupon I
called out:

"All right, Joe?"

"All right," came the answer.

"How's the air down there?"

"Seems to be perfectly fresh."

"Can you see the water?"

"No, I can't; but I can hear it. There's a heap of big rocks in the
passage to the south and the splashing comes from the other side of it.
I'm going to untie the lantern, Phil, and go and explore a bit. Just
wait a minute."

Very soon I heard his voice again calling up to me.

"It's all right, Phil. I've found the water. You may as well come down."

"Look here, Joe," I replied. "Before I come down, it might be as well
to make sure that you can come up."

"There's something in that," said Joe, with a laugh. "Well, then, I'll
come up first."

I felt the rope tauten again, and pretty soon my companion's head
appeared, when, scrambling over the bulge, he once more stood astride of
the crevice, and looking up said:

"It's perfectly safe, Phil. The only troub