AFTER toiling up a rugged and steep ascent, encumbered with blocks of
gray stone, of which the island seemed to be formed, forcing his way over
fallen trees and through the tangled undergrowth of a species of wild
vine, which abounded on the mountain-side, Hazel stopped to breathe and
peer around as well as the dense foliage permitted. He was up to his
waist in scrub, and the stiff leaves of the bayonet plant rendered
caution necessary in walking. At moments, through the dense foliage, he
caught a glisten of the sea. The sun was in the north behind him, and by
this alone he guided his road due southerly and upward. Once only he
found a small cleared space about an acre in extent, and here it was he
uttered the cry Helen heard. He waited a few moments in the hope to hear
her voice in reply, but it did not reach him. Again he plunged upward,
and now the ascent became at times so arduous that more than once he
almost resolved to relinquish, or, at least, to defer his task; but a
moment's rest recalled him to himself, and he was one not easily baffled
by difficulty or labor, so he toiled on until he judged the summit ought
to have been reached. After pausing to take breath and counsel, he
fancied that he had borne too much to the left, the ground to his right
appeared to rise more than the path that he was pursuing, which had
become level, and he concluded that, instead of ascending, he was
circling the mountain-top. He turned aside therefore, and after ten
minutes' hard climbing he was pushing through a thick and high scrub,
when the earth seemed to give way beneath him, and he fell--into an
abyss.
He was ingulfed. He fell from bush to bush-- down-- down-- scratch--
rip-- plump! until he lodged in a prickly bush more winded than hurt. Out
of this he crawled, only to discover himself thus landed in a great and
perfectly circular plain of about thirty acres in extent, or about three
hundred and fifty yards in diameter. In the center was a lake, also
circular. The broad belt of shore around this lake was covered with rich
grass, level as a bowling green, and all this again was surrounded by a
nearly perpendicular cliff, down which indeed he had fallen. This cliff
was thickly clothed with shrubs and trees.
Hazel recognized the crater of an extinct volcano.
On examining the lake he found the waters impregnated with volcanic
products. Its bottom was formed of asphaltum. Having made a circuit of
the shores, he perceived on the westerly side--that next the island--a
break in the cliff; and on a narrow examination he discovered an outlet.
It appeared to him that the lake at one time had emptied its waters
through this ancient water-course. The descent here was not only gradual,
but the old river-bed was tolerably free from obstructions, especially of
the vegetable kind.
He made his way rapidly downward, and in half an hour reached marshy
ground. The cane-brake now lay before him. On his left he saw the sea on
the south, about a third of a mile. He knew that to the right must be the
sea on the north, about half a mile or so. He bent his way thither. The
edge of the swamp was very clear, and, though somewhat spongy, afforded
good walking unimpeded. As he approached the spot where he judged the
boat to be, the underwood thickened, the trees again interlaced their
arms, and he had to struggle through the foliage. At length he struck the
smaller lagoon, and, as he was not certain whether it was fordable, he
followed its course to the shore, where he had previously crossed. In a
few moments he reached the boat, and was pleased to find her afloat. The
rising tide had even moved her a few feet back into the canal.
Hazel shouted to apprise Miss Rolleston of his return, and then proceeded
to restore the mast to its place, and replace the rigging and the oars.
This occupied some little time. He felt surprised that she had not
appeared. He shouted again. No reply.