I call to you to stop."

The sergeant obeyed, and the call came directly after. For there was a
splash and the lights disappeared--not extinguished, but they seemed to
glide under a black projection that stood out plainly as a rugged edge
against the light, which made the water flash and sparkle as it could be
seen gliding swiftly by.

"Well?" shouted Roby again.

"Hold on with the rope," came up. "The water's close up to the foot of
the lanterns. If you let it any lower they will go out."

"Right, sir," roared Sergeant James.

"Now," shouted Roby; "see him?"

"No; the water goes down here in a whirlpool, round and round, and I can
feel it sucking at me to drag me below."

"Yes, sir; I can feel it along the rope. Look at my arms," growled the
sergeant.

There was a quick glance directed at the sergeant, and those who were
nearest could see that, while his arms jerked and kept giving a little,
the rope was playing and quivering in the light.

"Can't you see anything?" cried Roby wildly.

"Place like a big well ground in the rock," came up in hollow tones;
"the water all comes here, and goes down a great sink-hole. Shall I cut
myself free and dive?"

"No!" came simultaneously, in a hoarse yell, from a dozen throats.

"Madness!" shouted Roby. "Look round again; he may be clinging to the
rocks somewhere."

Dickenson uttered a strange, mocking laugh, so loud and thrilling that
it made his hearers shudder.

"There's nothing but this hole, smoothed round by the water. I can see
all round."

"Yah!" roared the sergeant. "Haul!" For suddenly his arms received a
heavy jerk which bent him nearly double, and the light which glowed down
by the water disappeared; while, but for the rush made to get a grip at
the rope by Roby and a couple more men, the sergeant would have gone
down.

As it was, the sudden snatch made dragged him back; and then, without
further order, the men hauled quickly and excitedly at the rope till
Dickenson's strangely distorted face appeared in the light.

"Hold on!" shouted the sergeant, and stooping down, he got his hands
well under his young officer's armpits, made a heave with all his
strength, and jerked him out of the horrible pit on to the hard rock.

Roby had helped by seizing the sergeant and dragging him back as soon as
he had a good hold, and it was his captain's eyes that Dickenson's first
met in a wild, despairing look, before, dripping with water from the
chest dow