aid.

"The holes. If you step into one of them there's no knowing how deep
they are. They must be just like wells."

"How do you know?" I said gruffly; and he was silent, giving me time to
look to right and left and forward, as far as the light of the lanthorn
would allow.

There was not much to see--only a faint halo of light, with reflections
sometimes from dripping rocks; but it seemed that there was no shore to
the river on either side such as would afford footing, while as far as I
could make out the stream was about the same width as it was outside.

There was the dancing light on ahead, playing strangely on the surface
of the gliding waters, and all around black darkness, while the vast
cavern in which we were, seemed to be filled with strange sounds,
splashings, ripplings, whisperings, and their echoes.

"Hear that, Master Nat?" said Pete, getting close beside me and grasping
my arm.

"Of course I can," I said pettishly, for it was bad enough to suffer
from one's own feelings, without being troubled at such a time by
others.

"But--oh, there it goes again," he whispered.

"What goes again?" I said.

"That, sir. I dunno what it is, but there seems to be lots of 'em.
Bill Cross stirs 'em up with the stick and the light, and they swims off
both sides, and then you can hear 'em splashing with their tails as they
come back again."

"Nonsense!" I said. "That's all imagination."

"Oh, no, it aren't, sir," he whispered. "I say, what did you say was
the name of them big snakes that lives part of their time in the water?"

"Anacondas."

"That's them, sir. We've got all amongst 'em here, and they'll be
having one of us directly."

"Pooh! There's nothing alive in this dark place," I said scornfully.

"What! Why, wasn't it alive with birds and bats?"

"Oh, yes, but I don't believe there's a fish in these dark waters."

"Fish! Oh, I don't mind fish, sir, as long as they aren't sharks. It's
them conders I can't bear. It wouldn't so much matter if we were in the
dark, but we've brought a light to show 'em where we are."

"There are no snakes here," I said angrily.

"It's all very well for you to say so, Master Nat," he replied; "but you
just listen. There! Hear that?"

"Yes, the splash against the side of the wave we make in wading."

Pete was about to say something more, but just then my uncle turned his
head.

"Use your bamboo well, Nat," he said, "in case of there being any
cracks