Yes," said Lennox coolly; "it looks awkward, but come on."

As he spoke he pushed by, sword in hand, and began to explore the
suspicious-looking rift.

"Oh, come; play fair," cried Dickenson. "I was first."

"Come along," said Lennox, with his voice sounding smothered.

"Oh, very well," grumbled Dickenson. "Bring the lantern, sergeant. We
may as well see ourselves skewered."

He plunged in hastily, closely followed by the lantern-bearer, and as it
seemed to be an extremely likely hiding-place, the rest of the party
were halted ready to give assistance. But at the end of a minute the
lantern had shown that it was a blind lead, and the explorers hurried
back, and the advance was continued through narrow crack and rough
opening, till the lights threw up the blank stone where the rift
suddenly contracted.

"Why, here's the end of the cave!" cried Captain Roby. "We must have
passed him somewhere."

"Then he is hiding somewhere high up on a shelf by the roof."

"No, no; look here," cried Lennox, stepping in advance. "Lantern--
quick!"

Sergeant James stepped forward to where the young lieutenant was
standing by a rough opening in the floor of the cavern, and upon the
light being directed downward, to the surprise of all, the rugged branch
of a small tree could be seen lowered down into a sloping position, with
its boughs cut short off to form rough steps, their regularity
suggesting that they were near akin in their growth to those of a fir,
and affording good foot and hand hold to any one wishing to descend.

"We're on his track, sure enough," said Lennox, letting his blade hang
from his wrist by the sword-knot, and beginning to descend quickly, the
sergeant with the light closely following.

The next minute the leaders of the party were in a wide and spacious
chamber, fairly level as to its floor, with the sides running into
rugged niches and holes, all of which were well searched, without avail,
a couple of men being left, sentry-like, at one which ran down like a
sloping passage into some lower place.

Along this, as soon as the big chamber had proved to be empty, Lennox
hurried. The descent was very steep and rugged, and necessitated his
lowering himself down by his hands in two or three places, till a lower
story, so to speak, was reached, in the shape of a vast chamber of the
most irregular form, the whole party assembling about the entrance,
where the lights were held-up, to show dimly what seemed