Oliver Lane was dreaming of pleasant gushing streams, in which swam fish
of glistening colours, deep down in the soft shades, when the sun
appeared to come out suddenly and dazzle his eyes, so that he could not
bear it, and he sprang up to find Mr Rimmer leaning over him, holding a
lantern.
"That's better, sir!" he cried. "I was beginning to be afraid that you
had breathed bad air."
"I--I--what time is it?" said Oliver confusedly. "Anything the matter?"
"Matter!" said the mate. "Here, Smith, my lad, rouse!"
"Rouse up it is, sir!" cried the man, scrambling to his feet. "My
trick? Eh? Oh, all right. Just dropped asleep."
"I couldn't for the moment recall where I was," said Oliver, "Thank
goodness you have all come. We could do nothing, and sleep overcame us
at last."
"Then you have heard nothing of poor Wriggs?" said Panton, who was one
of the group that surrounded them.
"Nothing," replied Oliver.
"And never will, I'm afraid," said Mr Rimmer.
"Don't say that," cried Oliver, who was full of excitement now. "Have
you just come?"
"Yes, and found you both lying here asleep, as if nothing were wrong,"
said Drew, who, like the others, carried a lantern. "We had a terribly
long struggle to get out of the cavern, for our last piece of candle
soon came to an end, and then it was very hard work to get back to the
ship in the dark."
"Dark? Was it evening?"
"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.
"There is nothing more to be done, gentlemen," said the mate, sadly.
"The poor fellow must have gone over somewhere along that rocky edge. I
saw several places where it was as slippery as ice, and he has been
swept into the depths. Ugh, the whole thing makes me shudder."
He was right: they all knew nothing more could be done, and they tramped
back over the smooth lava stream.
"And I feel to blame for it all," said Panton, as he walked between his
friends. "Who could have foretold that such a terrible calamity would
happen to us? It is too horrible to bear."
At last there was a faint gleam of light upon the water, followed by a
flash, and then the lanterns were extinguished, for the blaze of
sunshine could be seen playing upon the lake and the Gothic archway of
the cavern's mouth fringed with creepers and ferns, while like some
curious silhouette, there for a few moments upon one of the rocks just
level with the water, those which had served for stepping-stones, was
the figure of a large graceful leopard as it stood gazing into the
cavern, but turned and bounded away directly.
The light was hardly bearable for a few minutes, as the party issued out
to climb the walls of the ancient crater, and then descend on the other
side, but eyes soon grew accustomed to the change, and Smith uttered a
deep sigh full of mournfulness.
"I never see nothing look so beautiful before," he said to Oliver, "but
oh, if poor old Billy Wriggs was here to see it. He wouldn't say to me,
`Speak the truth, Tommy, speak the truth,' for them's the truest words,
sir, as I ever said."
They reached the side of the brig, hot and weary, to find all well, and
as they parted on the deck Smith turned to Oliver.
"I'm a-goin' down to have a good heavy wash, sir, 'fore I has any
breakfast, and then I don't think as I shall eat any, for it's hard
lines to ha' lost one's mate."
"Hard indeed, Smith," said Oliver, sympathetically. "Poor fellow! but I
think we did all we could."
"Heverythink, sir, I say," replied the man, who then went slowly below
into the forecastle and rushed out again, looking horrified, scared, and
yelling loudly.
"Hallo!" cried Mr Rimmer, running forward. "What's the matter now?"
Smith could not speak, but stood with his lips quivering and his eyes
round and staring.
"Do you hear?" cried the mate, angrily. "Why don't you speak?"
The reason was patent to all. The poor fellow could not utter a word,
but stood pointing wildly down through the forecastle hatch.