bt of it, here was the continuation of the
underground river, the way that led to safety and hope.

With strange emotions they watched in silence the dark flood pouring
from its natural archway in the face of the cliff. To their right the
sandy shore seemed to spread away smoothly into the darkness, but before
they could scrutinize their surroundings more closely a strange, sharp
sound echoed through the vaulted roof of the vast cavern, succeeded by a
faint shout.

"It was the report of the Greek's rifle," exclaimed Melton, in
horror-stricken tones, "and it was Carrington who shouted. Some calamity
has happened."

Staggering with fear, they hastened back to the edge of the cliff.
Melton clutched the dangling rope.

"Stop!" cried Guy, in tones of agony. "My heavens, Melton, we are lost,
doomed to the most horrible of deaths. What blind, desperate fools we
were. We can never get back to the lake, and our companions can never
reach us here. We could not be more widely separated were the world
itself rolling between us."

"What do you mean?" cried Forbes. "Are you mad, Chutney?"

"Mad? No. I wish I were. You are blind, Melton. _How can we get that
rope up the seventy feet stretch from the ledge to the summit of the
cliff?_"

CHAPTER XXXII.

GOOD-BY TO THE LAKE.

Melton dropped the rope and staggered back from the cliff, his face
deadly pale.

"Yes," he said hoarsely, "you--you are right, Chutney. How could we have
done such a foolish thing? From that narrow width of the ledge one could
not throw a rope twenty feet in air. We are hopelessly cut off from our
companions."

"Hullo, down there!"

It was Carrington hailing them from the top of the cliff, and they could
make out his figure dimly in the torchlight.

"What is the matter?" shouted Guy lustily, making a trumpet of his
hands.

In a moment the reply came distinctly to their ears.

"Canaris hears a strange cry from the lake. You had better come up."

"We are cut off," Guy shouted back. "We cannot get the rope back to the
top of the cliff. Go tell Canaris"--his voice sank to a whisper, and he
dropped on the sand beside Melton.

The colonel did not answer. The torch moved off along the cliff and then
stopped, no doubt directly above the raft.

"He has gone to aid Canaris," said Guy. "I would like to know what is
taking place on the lake."

"Ah!" said Forbes, "here he comes back now."

The torch moved along until it was directly over thei