h as the first, but with the stairs much more worn,
apparently by the washing of water, of which a good deal trickled out of
the sides of the shaft. Another difficulty was that the air rushing up
from below made it hard to keep the lamps alight.

Toward the bottom of this section there was scarcely any stair left, and
the climbing became very dangerous. Here, indeed, Joshua slipped, and
with a wail of terror slid down the shaft and landed with his legs
across my back in such a fashion that had I not happened to have
good hand and foot hold at the time, he would have propelled me on to
Maqueda, and we must have all rolled down headlong, probably to our
deaths.

As it was, this fat and terrified fellow cast his arms about my neck, to
which he clung, nearly choking me, until, just when I was about to faint
beneath his weight and pressure, the Mountaineers in the third party
arrived and dragged him off. When they had got him in charge, for I
refused to move another step while he was immediately behind me, we
descended by a ladder which the first party had set up, to the second
level, where began another long, eastward sloping passage that ended at
the mouth of a third pit.

Here arose the great question as to what was to be done with the Prince
Joshua, who vowed that he could go no farther, and demanded loudly to be
taken back to the top of the cliff, although Shadrach assured him that
thenceforward the road was much easier. At length we were obliged to
refer the matter to Maqueda, who settled it in very few words.

"My uncle," she said, "you tell us that you cannot come on, and it
is certain that we cannot spare the time and men to send you back.
Therefore, it seems that you must stop where you are until we return,
and if we should not return, make the best of your own way up the shaft.
Farewell, my uncle, this place is safe and comfortable, and if you are
wise you will rest awhile."

"Heartless woman!" gobbled Joshua, who was shaking like a jelly with
fear and rage. "Would you leave your affianced lord and lover alone in
this haunted hole while you scramble down rocks like a wild cat with
strangers? If I must stay, do you stay with me?"

"Certainly not," replied Maqueda with decision. "Shall it be said that
the Child of Kings is afraid to go where her guests can travel?"

Well, the end of it was that Joshua came on in the centre of the third
body of Mountaineers, who were practically obliged to carry him.

Shadra