"I fear," said the voice of the Sly Old Codger, "that I have lost my hat." They could see that they were in a great chamber, whose walls they could make out dimly on each side. They could not see the top of the water-fall, but they could see its lower part very plainly. Through the tumbling water of the fall, near the bottom, sunlight was shining. Behind the water was an opening some six feet high, and as the water fell across this opening the sunlight from without shone through it, making it glow with green and sparkle with white. The water-fall hung over this opening like a curtain. "Well," said Aunt Amanda, "I'm pretty near drowned, and my clothes are a sight to behold. But I'm the captain of this expedition, and my orders is, that we go ashore." The water proved to be shallow all about them, and they waded to a strip of dry ground beside the wall which rose at their left as they faced the fall. Aunt Amanda, whose cane was gone, was assisted by Mr. Toby and Mr. Punch. "Blamed if my hat ain't gone too," said Toby. "She was a good hat, I'll have to say that for her." The party walked along the edge of the water, and came to the end wall of the chamber, opposite the fall. There lay the wreck of the raft, with the tail of the great fish sticking out from beneath. "I fear," said the Sly Old Codger, "that the faithful creature has departed this life." "He's dead as a doornail," said Toby. "Poor thing," said Aunt Amanda. "Anyway, my orders is to explore this cavern, and see what we can find." At this end of the cavern the water was slipping away under the wall, and this outlet explained why the water inside remained so shallow. The party commented on it, and then walked along the side wall towards the other end where the fall was. When they were midway along this wall, a cry from Toby, who had left Aunt Amanda to the care of Mr. Punch, startled the others. "What's this?" he cried. "Look here!" He was stooping over something, and as the others gathered round, they saw that he was stooping over a pile of small square boxes, standing in several long rows along the wall. Mr. Hanlon lifted one of the boxes, with a great effort, and shook it. A jingling sound came from within. "Aha!" said the Sly Old Fox. "That beautiful music! It is the sound, dear friends, the sound of--of Money!" "Bless my soul!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Is it?" "My opinion is," said the Churchwarden, "that there is gold in that box." "Then open it!" said Aunt Amanda. Mr. Hanlon shook his head. The box was locked tight, and it was bound with iron bands. All the boxes were locked, and they were all bound with iron bands. "Come along this way," said Toby. "There's something more here." Further along the wall, leaning against it, was a row of large coffee-sacks, each bound around the mouth by strong twine. One of these sacks Mr. Hanlon quickly opened. He tilted it over and poured out its contents on the ground. The party of onlookers gasped with astonishment.