This cleft or fissure they entered, and having proceeded ten or fifteen feet they came to what appeared to be a deep well or pit.
Here the party halted, and Captain Flint lighted a torch, and producing a light ladder, which was concealed in the bushes close by, the whole party descended.
On reaching the bottom of the pit, a low, irregular opening was seen in the side, running horizontally into the mountain.
This passage they entered, Indian file, and bending almost double.
As they proceeded the opening widened and grew higher, until it expanded into a rude chamber about twelve feet one way by fifteen feet the other.
Here, as far as could be seen, was a bar to all further progress, for the walls of the chamber appeared to be shut in on every side.
But on reaching the further side of the apartment, they stopped at a rough slab of stone, which apparently formed a portion of the floor of the cave.
Upon one of the men pressing on one end of the slab, the other rose like a trap door, disclosing an opening in the floor amply sufficient to admit one person, and by the light of the torch might be seen a rude flight of rocky stairs, descending they could not tell how far.
These were no doubt in part at least artificial.
The slab also had been placed over the hole by the pirates, or by some others like them who had occupied the cave before this time, by way of security, and to prevent surprise.