nion's words buzzing in his ears, just as if they were spoken
close by, and listening as he descended to the peculiar, trickling,
rushing noise of the scraps of disintegrating slate which he dislodged
in passing, and which fell rapidly before him.

"Keep talking," said Fred from above.

"There's nothing to talk about," cried Scarlett. "I'm only sliding down
a slope, and--yes, now I'm hanging clear, and turning round. Hold the
rope: it's twisting so."

"I am holding it tight," came back; "but I can't help its turning round.
What's it like now?"

"Just like day beginning to break, and I can see something shining down
below."

"Is it the water?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Shall I go down any lower?"

"Yes, of course."

"It isn't water that's shining," said Scarlett, after turning slowly
round two or three times, as he descended another twenty feet.

"What is it, then?--gold or silver?"

"It's only a reflection, I suppose; but I can't quite see."

"Aren't you at the bottom yet?" cried Fred, impatiently.

"No."

"Make haste, then."

"Yes, I am at the bottom," cried Scarlett, directly after, as his feet
touched firm rock.

"Look out, then," cried Fred. "Down I come."

"No, no; wait a moment," was the reply. "I want to try and find out
what it's like."

_Whirr, whizz_!

"What's the matter?" cried Fred, as he heard his companion utter a loud,
"Oh!"

"Something rushed by me."

"What was it?"

"I couldn't see. Ah! there it is again."

"Hold tight; I'm coming," cried Fred. "I dare say it was an owl or a
bat. Oh my! doesn't it scrape you?"

Scarlett's response was a sharp ejaculation and a jerk at the rope.

"Here, what are you doing?" cried Fred.

There was no answer, only a panting noise.

"Don't swing the rope about like that, Scar! Do you hear? I won't come
down, if you don't leave off."

"Hah! that's it," came from below.

"What's the matter? What are you doing?" cried Fred, who had paused at
the bottom of the first slope, holding tightly by the rope, which
Scarlett seemed to be trying to jerk out of his hand.

"It's all right now," panted Scarlett. "You sent down a lot of slate
and earth, and it came on my head."

"Well, I couldn't help it. Why didn't you stand on one side?"

"I did," cried Scarlett, "and stepped back off the edge. Fortunately, I
had tight hold of the rope, but slipped down ever so far, and had to
climb up again. Come along down, now."

There was a serious