that wonderful room; let us return and give it a thorough
exploration."

"No, no," said the chief, in alarm, "do not go, we have seen too much
already."

"I shall go, and so shall Jane," said Sidney, decidedly, "you can
return any moment you like; but your heathen prejudices shall never mar
our pleasure."

"Oh, yes, chief," said Edward, kindly, "we must explore the cavern. If
bad spirits preside there, they will not harm us; you need not go; we
shall think none the less of you for returning."

"We are desirous to give this cave a thorough exploration, and while
doing this, you get us some ducks for dinner," said the trapper. "We do
not desire you to accompany us since you have such a great repugnance
for doing so."

"Does the white chief think his brother is a coward, that he asks him
to desert him in the hour of danger? If you go and rouse their anger, I
go also to share your fate; though that be death!" So saying, the chief
caught up some broken rocks with which the floor was scattered in one
hand, and drawing his hunting knife in the other, cried out in a tone
of desperation, "lead on; I am prepared for them!"

This last act of the chief of arming with missile and knife to fight
invisible spirits was too much for Edward's risibility, and the
consequence was a shout of laughter in which they all joined save the
chief. The merry, mocking tones reverberated through the cavern,
swelling and gathering strength from a thousand echoes that threw back
the sound until it seemed as if a legion of demons were mocking them
from every crevice and niche of the passage. They were silent for the
moment, and glanced around them in terror. The superstition of the
savage had not been without its influence, although reason refused to
acknowledge it.

"You are not frightened at an echo, are you? why I believe you are all
cowards, scared out of your wits at your shadows!" said Howe, in a
subdued voice; for, in truth, he did not care himself to awaken the
echoes needlessly.

Entering the room they had left so unceremoniously, they found the vein
of ore had probably once covered the whole area and had been about
seven feet thick, as the vein of pure ore commencing about two feet
from the bottom of the cavern extended that height and then it was
mixed with quartz rock three feet further up. The whole cavern was
about eighteen feet high, and had the appearance of being entirely
artificial. The children could not repress a cry of as