he other day? It seemed ages ago. Now he was trying vainly to struggle
up to level ground, to the friendly shelter of the Wilderness, and home.

He had come to the turn, and in his relief that the greater part of the
steps had been scaled, he sprang forward with renewed hope. The
momentary carelessness cost him dear. He stumbled and fell. The box was
shot out of his hand by a blow from a projecting angle, and as he spun
along the rocky ground, he suddenly felt himself falling, falling, till
he came a heavy thud on a soft, sandy floor.

He lay still for a while to collect his senses. Then the keen sting of
disappointment prevented him from realising his position. The box was
gone! All his labour had been thrown away! Whatever it contained was at
the mercy of the men. They had no one to prevent their carrying it off
beyond hope of saving. Oh, what a fool he had been! And he had been
priding himself on keeping ahead of them!

He could not get over his anger.

He was not badly hurt, however, and it was time to see where his folly
had landed him. The prospect was not cheering. He was lying in a 'round
hole,' as he called it afterwards, with a sandy bottom, while all around
him the mighty rocks towered to immense heights. A strip of sky was just
visible, and a star or two glimmered in the blue. He knew that stars
could be seen sometimes, even in daylight, from great depths, but the
remembrance of this was by no means comforting. Was he, then, at the
bottom of a deep, narrow shaft? If so, how was he to get out again? Not
a soul, except perhaps Thomas, knew of its existence, and Thomas was not
in the least likely to betray his knowledge. In all probability, too,
the men had fled with his box, and would be heard of no more, since they
were now aware that their doings were known to at least one person.

For some moments Alan felt appalled as he glanced again at the height of
his prison walls. The full force of his position came over him.

'Marjorie will give the alarm,' he thought, dismally, 'but they will
never know where to look for me. If I'm to get out, it must be by my own
efforts.'

He felt very unequal to the task of climbing those grim precipices,
frowning so blackly down on him; but the daylight would soon be on the
wane, and no time could be lost in vain regrets. Rousing himself, he got
up, but found he had not escaped without some severe bruises, which
would prove serious drawbacks to an awkward climb. It was mir