pit.--"Unfasten the
rope from the lantern," he said, "and tie it tightly round your breast.
Don't be frightened now: we'll soon have you out."

There was no response.

"Tut, tut, tut!" went the captain again. "Some one will have to go
down. Who'll volunteer?"

"I will, sir," cried Lennox excitedly, before any one else could answer.

The captain was silent for a few moments, and then, in a way that seemed
to suggest that he had been trying to find some objection to giving his
consent, "Very well, Mr Lennox," he said.--"Here, sergeant, haul up the
light again."

This was rapidly done, the lantern set free, and the rope tied securely
just beneath the young man's arms.

"How will you have the lantern, sir?" said the sergeant.

"I will see to that, James," said the captain. "Unfasten your belt, Mr
Lennox, and pass it through the ring of the lantern so that it can hang
to your waist and leave your hands free."

"Just as if we didn't know!" said the sergeant to himself as he helped
in this arrangement.

"Sure the knot will not slip, sergeant?" said Lennox.

"Oh, it won't come undone, sir. If it moves at all, it will be to get
tighter."

"That is what I meant. I want to breathe."

"Less talking there," said the captain. "Recollect that a man's life is
in danger. If you feel any compunction about going, Mr Lennox, make
way for one of the men."

"Ready, sir, and waiting for your orders," said Lennox quietly.

"Very well. Now then, lower away."

The sergeant took a firm hold of the rope, and whispered "Trust me,
sir," to the explorer, who nodded and looked calmly enough in the
sergeant's eyes, and gave way as he felt himself lifted off the stones
upon which he stood and gently lowered down till he was half-hanging,
half-sitting, against the sloping side of the rock. Then a few feet of
the rope glided through the sergeant's hands, and Lennox stiffened
himself out, to hang rigidly, feeling his back rest against the wet
rock, over which he began to glide slowly, and then faster and faster as
he was let down hand over hand, seeing nothing but the black darkness
lit up like a quaint halo in front of him, and going down what he felt
to be a terrible depth. He fought hard against one horrible thought
which would trouble him: should he ever be pulled up again? And no
sooner had he mastered this than another gruesome idea forced itself as
it were out of the darkness in front, the words to his excited
imaginat