his hopes were
doomed to be shattered then and there, or allowed to blossom forth into
glorious buds of promise, the poor boy suddenly felt a weakness come
upon him. Only for his having such a staunch-hearted chum at his elbow,
ready to take the lead, there is no telling how long Aleck Rawson might
have hesitated there, before that mass of clinging vines, afraid to take
his courage in both hands, and push on to the goal.

But it was different with Thad. He strode up to the vines, and with
one sweep drew them aside. The act disclosed a fissure that was
several feet in width at its base, and running some distance up the
wall; although growing gradually smaller, until finally it merged
into the gloom that held sway aloft, back of the screen of vines.

Aleck gave a low cry of rapture.

"It's here, just as he said it would be, in this map I carry!" he
exclaimed, as he clutched the arm of the scoutmaster. "I hope I'm not
dreaming all this, Thad; tell me I'm not, please, that's a good fellow."

"Well," replied the other, laughing gently so as to convince Aleck
that he was perfectly cool and collected, and ought to know what he
talked about; "so far as it goes, your map is absolutely correct, Chum
Aleck; and I don't see any reason to doubt the rest of the story. In
my opinion we're going to discover something fine before a great many
minutes go past."

"What shall we do, Thad; you see, I'm so upset with it all, that
somehow I look to you to arrange things. Perhaps if I was alone, and
just _had_ to depend on myself, I'd do better; but it's so kind of you
to help me out, and you're so capable of doing it all. Please fix it
up as you think best."

"All right, then," returned Thad, readily. "First of all, I'll light
our little glim here; for if we're going to poke along into that black
hole, I reckon we'll be wanting some sort of light to see by. Don't
think I'd like to take a tumble down some precipice, myself; not to
speak of running across a wild beast."

"What makes you say that last, Thad?" demanded the other, quickly; "do
you get a scent of it, too?"

"I had an idea I did, and somehow it made me think of a menagerie.
Hold up just a minute, and we'll be able to see something."

As he spoke Thad struck a match, which he applied to the wick of the
lantern. It was a good type of its kind, and as soon as the wick had
been properly adjusted no one could reasonably complain about the
quality of the illumination produced.