"His helmet!" cried Lennox excitedly, and he too passed it back to where Roby and Dickenson were, and they examined the recovered headpiece. "Oh, there's no doubt about it," said Dickenson. "Look here," he cried as Lennox and the sergeant came back; "what do you make of this?" "Oh! it's the poor fellow's helmet, gentlemen," said the sergeant. "Look at his number, sir." "Then where is he? Is there any opening in yonder?" "Not room for a rat, sir. Seems as if he must have been left behind and felt his way in there to sleep. Look here, sir; I found these too." The speaker held out a short black pipe with a little blackened, lately-smoked tobacco at the bottom, and a tin box containing plenty of matches. "Why, he had all these and never said a word when I was so hard pushed," cried Dickenson. "I expect he was in too much of a stoo to remember them, sir," said the sergeant. "He must have been precious queer, or he wouldn't have left these and his helmet behind." "He was nearly off his chump, sergeant, with having to come down," said the man with the short memory. "Then he has been here!" cried Captain Roby. "But where is he now?" As if moved by one impulse, every one present turned sharply round to look in the direction of the archway beyond which the sloping continuation of the entrance-pit went on down to the running water. No one spoke, but all thought horrors; and Lennox acted, for, snatching a lantern from the nearest bearer, he ran as fast as the rugged floor would let him, back to the archway, took hold of the tree-trunk, and leaned over the horrible hole, swinging the light downward, while those who watched him, looking weird and strange in the distance, heard him shout loudly, and listened to hear, very faintly rising from far below, a faintly uttered, hollow moan. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. FISHING WITH A ROPE. "Forward!" cried Captain Roby loudly. "Forward!" said a wonderfully exact echo from the pit, and the cavern chamber seemed to burst into strange, echoing repetitions of the confused trampling and rushing and thundering of feet, as, with the dancing lanterns, the men sprang forward to render help. "He's down here," cried Lennox in excitement. "Silence, all of you!" Captain Roby looked annoyed at the way in which his subaltern officer seemed to take the lead; but he said nothing then, only stood frowning, while in the midst of a breathless silence Lennox leaned over the dangerous-looking place and hailed again. "Corporal! Are you down there?" There was no response, and once more he hailed. "Corporal May!" This time there was a piteous moan. "Oh! there's no doubt about it," cried Lennox. "Tie a lantern to the rope and lower it down. Let's see where he is." "Thank you, Mr Lennox," said Roby coldly. "I will give the necessary orders."