“Black night,” said Panton.
“Then what is it now?”
“The sun was just upon rising as we left the crater lake and came in,” said the mate, “and that’s two hours ago, full.”
Smith gave his leg a slap to express his astonishment, and the mate offered them both food and water, which had been thoughtfully provided.
“By-and-by,” said Oliver. “I’m not hungry now. Come on, and try and find that poor fellow.”
He held out his hand for one of the lanterns, and leading the way, which was comparatively light now, as the sailors who had been brought held their lanterns well up, he soon reached the corner, passed it, and saw that they were in a very spacious cavern. Then the second stream was reached, and they all stood together gazing out toward where the cascade formed by the union of the two rivers plunged down.
But nothing was visible save blackness and wreathing vapour, which gleamed in a grey ghostly way some distance in front, and to try and see better some magnesium wire was burned.
This vivid white light showed that there was a black dripping roof some fifty feet overhead, and the water of the two streams gliding rapidly away from below the angle on which they stood, covering one whole side of the visible cavern with water, and increasing in speed till it disappeared beneath the rising mist caused, of course, by the falls.
There the lanterns were swung about over the water, and shout after shout was sent forth to be lost in the torrent’s roar, till at last the mate turned away and signed to the party to follow him.
He led them back to where the noise grew hushed, and they could speak once more.