paratus, I felt that any fathoming
for search was out of the question.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE BLACK ARCH.

Dreadful place indeed!

"They cannot have thrown any treasure down there," I mentally exclaimed
the next moment. "It must be somewhere recoverable."

"Say, Mas'r Harry," said Tom then, "hadn't we better get back?"

"Are you afraid, Tom?" I said.

"Well, no, Mas'r Harry, I ain't afraid; but I am nearer to being so than
ever I was in my life. 'Taint fear, only one of my knees will keep
going shikery-shakery, and my teeth have took it into their heads to
make believe it's cold, and they're tapping together like the lid of a
kettle in boiling time. But I ain't a bit afraid."

"It's an awful-looking place, Tom," I said, "and enough to make any one
shudder."

"'Tis that, Mas'r Harry--'tis that indeed!" said Tom earnestly. "And if
I believed in ghosts and goblins I should say as this was the shop where
they was made. But--but, Mas'r Harry, what's that?"

I turned round hastily to look in the direction in which we had come, to
see plainly a shadowy-looking form flitting, as it were, out of sight in
the dim obscurity, and a feeling of tremor came over me as I thought of
our peril should we be attacked now, standing, as we were, with certain
death behind and on either side; and determined that, if we were to
encounter an enemy, it should be upon less dangerous ground, I called to
Tom to follow me; and holding my dim light well in front, began to
retrace my steps in the direction of the entrance, when there was a loud
echoing cry from behind. I felt a violent blow in the back which dashed
me to the ground, and in an instant our candles were extinguished and we
were in darkness.

For a few moments I felt paralysed, expecting each instant that I should
have to grapple with an enemy; but, save for the whisperings and the
distant roar of water, all was silent till Tom spoke.

"Have you got the flint and steel, Mas'r Harry?"

"Yes," I whispered. "But what was the meaning of that blow and that
cry?"

"It was me. I stumbled, Mas'r Harry," said Tom, "for there was a black
thing like a devil's imp flew up out of the big hole and hit me in the
face. But pray get a light, Mas'r Harry!"

That Tom's imp was some huge bat I did not for a moment doubt; but after
seeing a shadowy figure in front I knew that it was possible that danger
awaited us, so, hastily dragging flint and steel from my pocket, I was