cauldron; you feel there's 'double, double,
toil and trouble' going on down there."

"People must have been fearfully superstitious about these holes in
olden times," remarked Gabrielle.

"Rather! They attributed them to His Satanic Majesty--thought they were
the blowholes of the nether world, in fact. I don't suppose any of the
natives here would care to go near them at night," said Percy.

"Come along! It makes me dizzy to stare down," said Gabrielle. "I feel
as if something were drawing me in."

"The wizard who lives at the bottom!" laughed Dorothy. "We're certainly
in a very peculiar part of the country. Is it far to the cave now?"

"No, we're quite close. I have my bearings, and I'm pretty sure that
it's just round the other side of that crag."

"How exciting! Do let us be quick!"

The mouth of the cave proved to be a small, narrow opening in the side
of the hill, no taller or wider than the little postern gate of an old
castle. For a few yards inside there was a brown glimmer, but beyond lay
inky darkness. The girls, after a first peep, drew back with a shudder,
half of real fear, and half of delighted anticipation of a new
experience. Percy had taken out the candles and was busy lighting them.

"There's one for each of us," he said. "And we must each have some
matches in our pockets, in case of emergencies."

"What emergencies?" asked Gabrielle.

"Well, suppose we got separated?"

"Separated! Don't talk of it. You're not going to lose me, I can tell
you. I shall hold on to your coat the whole way. I shan't go in at all
if you mean to play hide-and-seek. Promise you won't lose me!"

"Don't be silly! Nobody wants to lose you," said Percy. "I'm only taking
proper precautions. There! Are you ready? Eric and I will go first, and
you and Dorothy can follow."

"Shades of Pluto, it's spooky!" exclaimed Eric, leading the way.

The passage ran level for about fifteen yards, then began abruptly to
descend into the hollow of the mountain. The walls were jagged and
uneven, there were frequent turnings and windings, and the floor was
rough with small stones or lumps of rock. In two or three places it was
very damp. Moisture dripped from the roof and oozed in limestone tears
down the walls, forming slimy, milky pools under foot. In the distance
they could hear the gurgling of water. The two boys, as pioneers, walked
slowly, holding their lights so as to examine well the ground in front.
The girls followed them c