But come along." There was a certain excitement in penetrating the dark region, with its hills and descents, passages and chambers, deep cracks and chasms, down in which water was running, and strange ways, formed either by the settling or opening of the rock, or literally cut away by the rushing water; and every step was made interesting by the weird shapes around, formed by the dripping of water from the roof.
Earth there was none, the stalactites and stalagmitic formations were of the cleanest stone, pale drab, cream, or ruddy from the solution of iron; and at last, when they must have been walking, climbing, forcing their way through narrow cracks, or crawling like lizards, for hours, the boy stooped by a little pool of crystal water in the floor, and said: "Don't you think a bit o' bread and cheese would be nice, Master Mark ?" "Yes; that's what's the matter with me," cried the lad.

"I was beginning to feel poorly.

It's because I did not have a proper breakfast." The next minute they had stuck their twice renewed candles in a crack in the rock wall, and were seated upon a dry stalagmite looking like the top of a gigantic mushroom, eating ravenously, and moistening their dry food with copious draughts from the crystal pool.

There was water, too, below them, a low rushing gurgle announcing that they were still following the course of the subterranean stream running through a wide crevice in the floor.
"How much farther does it go, Dummy ?" The boy shook his head.
"May be for miles; but we'll see now, won't we ?" "Let's finish our eating first, and then see how we feel," said Mark.
"If we don't now, we will some other time.

I say, if that water was not running, how quiet it would be!" "Yes," said Dummy, with his mouth full.