This done, he took the rope in his hands, and, beginning to descend, found himself in a narrow cleft widening into a cave.

His rope was not very long, and would not do much to lessen the force of his fall--he thought to himself--if he should have to drop into the water; but he was not more than a couple of yards below the dungeon when he spied an opening on the opposite side of the cleft: it might be but a shadow hole, or it might lead them out.

He dropped himself a little below its level, gave the rope a swing by pushing his feet against the side of the cleft, and so penduled himself into it.

Then he laid a stone on the end of the rope that it should not forsake him, called to Lina, whose yellow eyes were gleaming over the mattock grating above, to watch there till he returned, and went cautiously in.

It proved a passage, level for some distance, then sloping gently up.