There was no one to hear the short dialogue that ensued between the two men standing close together at the head of the well. Apparently it was of agreeable tenor, for both smiled, though hardly with amusement. Doubledick took from his pocket a strip of something soft and black, removed his hat, and tied to his face a mask of crape. Then, with no light to guide his footsteps, he made his way downward into the shaft as the boys had done. When he had entirely disappeared, Trevanion shouldered his gun, and sauntered towards the road. Crossing this, he tramped over the moor towards Nancarrow’s farm. Rather more than an hour later he was overtaken on the Truro road by Mr. Carlyon, who was riding his cob towards the village. [Illustration: "THERE WAS NO ONE TO HEAR THE SHORT DIALOGUE THAT ENSUED AT THE HEAD OF THE WELL."] "Fine birds, vicar," said Trevanion, holding up a brace of woodcock and a moor-hen. "They’ll look smaller on my table a few hours hence." "Good morning, Mr. Trevanion," said the parson, and rode by. CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH Across the Pit All unconscious of what was happening behind them, the boys, on reaching the foot of the well, passed through the open doorway into the narrow passage. "These be rare doings," began Sam; but Dick silenced him. "Don’t speak, Sam," he whispered. "We don’t know who is here, or how near." They passed on their left the passage where Dick had been checked by the landfall on his first approach from the cave. Moving slowly and with great caution, stopping every now and then to listen, they uttered never a word until they arrived at the point where the transverse gallery struck off to the right. Here they halted. It was necessary to decide whether to go straight on, and come by-and-by to the seal cave, or to turn into the passage, which they had never as yet traversed. A moment sufficed for coming to a decision. The light from Dick’s candle showed that this passage was strutted, like that along which they had already come. "This must be the way," whispered Dick, and low as was his tone, the words echoed and re-echoed strangely in the narrow gallery.