k we did it as usual.

"We were never long in dropping off to sleep after we had composed
ourselves to rest for the night, and this particular night was no
exception to the rule. I don't know how long I had been asleep--but it
could not have been long, for our fire outside was still burning
brightly and the interior of the cave was brilliantly illuminated by
it--when I suddenly started up, broad awake, with my hair on end and the
sweat of terror literally streaming from my every pore, for I was
feeling more thoroughly scared than I had ever before been, and I was
trembling like a leaf, and my teeth were chattering; although at the
moment I had not the slightest notion what it was that had frightened
me.

"Then I heard Dirk muttering to himself, and looking round I saw that he
too was sitting up, looking as terrified as I felt.

"`Wha--what is it, mate?' he stammered. `What's happened?'

"`That is exactly what I want to know,' said I. `How come you to be
awake?'

"`Hush!' whispered Dirk, in a trembling voice. `Listen!' and he held up
his hand for silence.

"I listened; and--believe me or not as you please, it is the solemn
truth I'm telling you--that cave was full of queer little mysterious
noises, like people whispering, and the soft tread of feet all about us.
I looked, and Dirk looked, but we could see nothing; yet the sounds
continued, now seeming to come from the back of the cave, and then all
about us. I believe I should have been far less terrified if I could
have _seen_ anything to account for the sounds; but there was nothing.
Panic seized me; I sprang to my feet and rushed, shrieking, out of the
cave, dashing headlong right through our fire, and coming a terrible
cropper on the rough, sloping ground in front of the cave. In falling I
must have stunned myself, for I remember nothing more of what happened
that night, but--and this I consider the most extraordinary part of the
whole adventure--when I awoke next morning I found myself back in the
cave again, lying upon my grass bed, with Dirk close alongside."

"Ah!" I commented, "quite a queer dream. What had Van Ryn to say about
it? I suppose you mentioned it to him?"

"I said dot it vas no dream; for shoost vot happened to Svorenssen, the
same thing happened to me," answered Van Ryn, speaking for himself.

"Well, of course, that was very remarkable," I agreed. "Still, it could
have been only a dream, since you found yourselves, I understand,