d be; but he followed up the mental speech with the audible remark
that he had better take some weapon with him.

"No, no; com! Me git you spear, hatchet very quick; but com."

So saying, she dragged rather than conducted March to the little opening
which led into her dormitory. He had to stoop on entering; and great
was his amazement on finding himself on the brink of a black yawning
gulf, that seemed to descend into the bowels of the earth. The end of a
narrow plank rested on the edge of this gulf, and appeared to bridge it
over, but the other end of the plank, and all beyond, were lost in
impenetrable darkness.

"Com after me," said Mary, passing rapidly across the gulf, and
disappearing--absolutely like a vision.

March hesitated. He tried to steady his somewhat giddy head, but the
single word "Com" issuing from darkness in a very commanding tone
settled the point. He staggered across, held out his hands, and almost
tumbled over his fair guide, on reaching the other end of the plank much
sooner than he had expected.

"Now, wait. I will com agin," said Mary, recrossing.

The view back was a very different thing from the view forward. As he
stood there, on the brink of the yawning gulf, March could see right
through into the cavern he had just left, and could observe everything
that took place there. Mary hastily loaded herself with a rifle and the
blunderbuss, also with powder-horn, bullet-pouch, and a bag containing
buffalo tongues. With these she returned quickly, and, brushing past
her companion, carried them farther into the cave.

"Now, help me pull," she said, laying hold of the end of the plank.

March obeyed; and obedience cost him much, poor fellow, for it seemed as
if, in the act, he had rent asunder every muscle in his right shoulder.
The plank being thus drawn away, an impassable gulf was left between the
inner and middle cavern, which, even in the event of its being
discovered, presented no particular temptation to induce any one to
explore farther. Mary drew the plank into the long natural passage
which led to her private apartment; and as this passage turned abruptly
to the right, there was no possibility of any one on the other side of
the gulf being able to see into it. Indeed, a light in it was not
visible from that point of view, and their voices could not be heard
unless they spoke loudly.

Just as the plank was withdrawn, the Indians discovered the mouth of the
cavern, and in