nd keeping his lantern hidden, he felt his
way onward toward the glow, keeping tightly hold of Mark's hand, till,
as they came nearer, they saw that the man must have been descending a
steep rift, and as the light came into sight again, they found that they
were standing on the very edge of this place, and that the light was
away to their left, twenty feet or so lower, and gleaming upon the
surface of a smooth far-spreading pool.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

NEARING DAWN.

The two lads stood there motionless for a time, wondering what the
lantern-bearer could be doing, for he evidently had no suspicion of his
being watched. Then as they saw that in place of gleaming over the
water, the lantern was once more in motion, they crouched down, with
their eyes alone over the edge of the clean-cut chasm, feeling that
whoever it was must pass just beneath them, when they would be able to
see which way he went, and so gain a clue to the robbers' hold.

The light came nearer, and it was plain that whoever bore it was coming
very slowly, but they grasped the reason directly, for he was passing
over a flooring of slippery crystals, and as he came on they could hear
him breathing hard.

As they had anticipated, he came very close beneath them, and Mark felt
that if he looked up they would be seen. But he whom they watched
walked stooping, and letting the light fall upon the glittering
ascending floor, so that at last he was not six feet below them, and
Mark said in a quick whisper: "Sir Morton!"

"Great Heavens!" came back in company with a sharp crash, as of an
earthenware pitcher falling in shivers upon the rocky floor.

"Hush!"

"Who is it?"

"Friends," whispered Mark.

"Thank Heaven! At last--at last," came up, with a piteous groan, and
they heard a heavy fall.

"Quick, Dummy," whispered Mark. "We must go down to him."

"Listen first," said the boy: "p'r'aps some one heard."

But as he spoke there was the sound of a hoarse laugh from a long
distance off, and Dummy whispered: "Didn't hear. Been to fetch water,
and broke the pitcher. I say, Master Mark, wasn't I right?"

Mark made no reply, for he was lowering himself down over the edge, and
directly after he dropped on to the crystals below.

"Show the light, Dummy," he whispered, and the boy lay face downward and
swung the lantern down as far as he could reach.

As Mark touched the fallen man's hand he began to recover consciousness.

"Not a dream--not a drea