"You benighted girl! What you've missed! It's the most gorgeous tale that was ever written. The goblins lived in a mountain just like this; they had a great underground hall, and dwellings in mysterious corners and caves. They wanted to steal the little Princess Irene, to marry her to their Prince, only Curdie outwitted them. I feel as if we're following Irene's thread at present." "I hope you're following me," said Eric. "We're coming to a bad place, so you'd better go carefully." The floor of the passage, which had been growing more and more uneven and rugged, suddenly shelved down like a ladder. "Yes, this is a bad bit," muttered Percy. "It will certainly need care. What a good thing I brought the rope!" "Are you sure it's safe to venture?" asked Gabrielle. "Yes; it's difficult, but it's safe enough. Dr. Shaw told me about this place. It's called 'The Chute'; it's something like a long smooth slide. We must lower one another with the rope." "Who is to lower the last?" said Dorothy. "Oh, I'll manage to climb down all right without. Eric can go first, then he can help you two girls at the bottom." Eric, with the rope tied round his waist, and his candle held well overhead, started cautiously down the incline in a sitting posture. "It's as smooth as a slide," he called. "Don't pay out the rope too fast, old chap. Let me down gently. That's better. I'm getting along famously now. I can steady myself with one hand on the wall. Whew! That was a scorcher! There's a nasty twist here. Steady! Let go a bit! Right-o! Here I am!" The tension on the rope stopped, so he had evidently reached his goal. The others, peering into the darkness, could just see the glimmer of his candle round a piece of projecting rock. "Where are you?" they shouted. "In a much wider passage. Come on! I've untied the rope, so you can wind it up. It isn't really difficult at all going down, if you're careful of this corner at the end. I'll climb up and give you each a hand as you come round." "You go next, Dorothy," said Gabrielle. It was rather a horrible experience, Dorothy thought, after the rope was tied round her waist, to start on that steep, dark descent, even though Eric was waiting to help her at the bottom. The chute was moist, and as slippery as ice; she felt dreadfully helpless, and if it had not been for the staying power of the rope, she would have shot down as if she had been tobogganing. She managed to aid herself a little by grasping angles of the wall, though one hand was incommoded by holding the candle. "It's all right. Don't squeak--you've got over the worst now," said Eric, extending a welcome grip at the awkward corner. "Put your foot against that ledge; now then, swing yourself round.--Hi! More rope, up there!--Let yourself slide now--it's only a few feet. You've done it! Hooray!"