They were pretty close to the shore, close enough for all to distinguish that the officers from the steam launch had got into a little boat and were being rowed to land. Chryseis was standing on the top of a big stone, when she slipped on the pine needles which covered it, and suddenly disappeared from view as entirely and completely as though a trap door had opened and swallowed her up. "Chryseis!" screamed Andromache, "Chryseis, where are you?" And the boys and Pavlo rushed to the spot. The stone had been on the edge of a sheep track, and as they looked fearfully over, they saw Chryseis lying on her elbow on a little ledge a few feet below. "I am not hurt," she called up at once, "not at all; but do not any of you climb down this way; there are a lot of prickly pears and I have got some of the thorns in my hand. Come round by those arbutus there!" When they got round to her she was picking the tiny thorns out of her hand, and wetting it in a little stream which seemed to come out of the gray rock. "Look!" she said, "there is water here!" She put her finger to her mouth, "and it is fresh water, too. How funny! It is coming round this side of the rock. See!" "Why!" said Iason, leaning both hands on the top of the rock, and bending his whole body round the corner, "why it is...." And it was. When they all clambered on the big rock and slipped down to the other side, they found Iason lifting up with all his strength a tangled mass of wild ivy and other creepers which fell over it like a thick curtain. And there was a hole; big enough for anyone to pass through if he stooped a little. It looked dark inside, and there was a step going down. "No one need come," said Iason, "if he feels afraid!" And of course everyone said, "I am not afraid!" Pavlo first of all. And he really and truly was not. He was far too excited to think of being afraid. The children went down two steps, bending their heads low, and then stood upright. They were in a high narrow cave; so long that it was impossible to tell the depth. A cave like those of which they had often read, and often dreamt of discovering, but in which they had very certainly never before found themselves. "It is quite a real cave!" said Nikias in an awestruck whisper. And the others looked round in silence. It seemed a moment too great for ordinary words. Their adventurous hearts were beating quickly. Then Iason triumphantly produced a bit of candle and a box of matches from his pocket, and when he lighted it the tiny flame cast rounds of light and mysterious shadows over rough gray walls. This was for the first moment after coming in from the blinding sunlight, but as soon as their eyes got accustomed to the green darkness, Iason threw the candle away and the flame sputtered as it fell into the little stream of water which seemed to trickle down one end of the cave near the wall. The whole place smelt rather nasty and musty, but as Chryseis said,--