The searchers' way was now a narrow crack such as might have been formed by some mighty convulsion of nature which tore apart a gigantic mass of stone, the fracture running here and there where veins of some softer material had yielded, to be separated sometimes only two or three feet, and at others opening out to form rugged chambers as much as twenty feet in extent, whose roofs ran up so high, that the dim light from the lanterns failed to reach them. Here and there were niches and crevices which were carefully searched in the expectation of their proving to be hiding-places; but the men, who forced their way in without hesitation, failed to obtain any result. Upon reaching one which seemed to be the deepest, Dickenson, who was first to notice it, paused to shout, "Now, Dirck, old chap, come out and surrender before we fire." "No, no," cried Lennox; "how do we know but what there may be quite a store of powder farther in?" "But it looks such an awkward place," said Dickenson. "A fellow with a bayonet might keep a regiment at bay." "Yes," said Lennox coolly; "it looks awkward, but come on." As he spoke he pushed by, sword in hand, and began to explore the suspicious-looking rift. "Oh, come; play fair," cried Dickenson. "I was first." "Come along," said Lennox, with his voice sounding smothered. "Oh, very well," grumbled Dickenson. "Bring the lantern, sergeant. We may as well see ourselves skewered." He plunged in hastily, closely followed by the lantern-bearer, and as it seemed to be an extremely likely hiding-place, the rest of the party were halted ready to give assistance. But at the end of a minute the lantern had shown that it was a blind lead, and the explorers hurried back, and the advance was continued through narrow crack and rough opening, till the lights threw up the blank stone where the rift suddenly contracted. "Why, here's the end of the cave!" cried Captain Roby. "We must have passed him somewhere." "Then he is hiding somewhere high up on a shelf by the roof." "No, no; look here," cried Lennox, stepping in advance. "Lantern-- quick!" Sergeant James stepped forward to where the young lieutenant was standing by a rough opening in the floor of the cavern, and upon the light being directed downward, to the surprise of all, the rugged branch of a small tree could be seen lowered down into a sloping position, with its boughs cut short off to form rough steps, their regularity suggesting that they were near akin in their growth to those of a fir, and affording good foot and hand hold to any one wishing to descend. "We're on his track, sure enough," said Lennox, letting his blade hang from his wrist by the sword-knot, and beginning to descend quickly, the sergeant with the light closely following.