This was the first difficulty that faced us, but it was soon overcome by inserting the settle when the stairs were pushed apart, thus keeping them open. To the stout oak pillar which formed the head of the banisters Pickering fixed the rope-ladder firmly, and with Marvin tried its strength. "I'll go down first, sir," volunteered Edwards. "You've got the lantern. Will you light it and let it down by the string after me?" So with all of us breathlessly excited the silken ladder was thrown across to Edwards, whose round face beamed at the project of subterranean exploration. Then, when the lamp was lit and tied upon the string, he put his foot into the ladder, swung himself over the edge of the stairs and descended into the darkness, Pickering lowering the lamp after him. We stood peering down at his descending figure, but could discern but little save the glimmering of the light and the slow swinging of the ladder, like a pendulum. "Great Moses!" we heard him ejaculate in amazement. Yet down, down, down he went until it became apparent that he must have reached the end of the ladder, and now be sliding down the extra length of rope which Pickering had attached. "All right, sir!" came up his voice, sounding cavernous from the pitch darkness. "It's a jolly funny place down here, an' no mistake. Will you come down? I'm releasing the lantern. Send down another, please. We'll want it." Pickering hauled in the string, attached Marvin's bull's-eye to it, and let it down again at once. The pit was of great depth, as shown by the length of cord. Then with an agility which would have done credit to a much younger man, he swung himself over on to the ladder. "If you'd like to come down, Mr Hughes, you can follow me," he exclaimed, as he disappeared into the darkness. "Horton, hold your light over me. You two stay here. If anybody enters the place, arrest them quickly." "Very well, sir," answered the man Horton, and the inspector went deeper down until only the trembling of the ladder betokened his presence there. "All right, Mr Hughes. Come down, but be careful," he cried up presently, his voice sounding far away. "You'll have to slide down the rope for the last twelve feet or so. Cling tight, and you'll be all right." I grasped the ladder, placed my foot into the first loop, and then with the light held over me, went down, down, first into a place which seemed large and cavernous, and presently down a kind of circular well with black slimy walls which seemed to descend into the very bowels of the earth. Below I could hear the sound of rushing waters, but above them was the inspector's encouraging voice, crying, "All right. Now then, take the rope in your legs and slip straight down." I did so, and a moment later found myself up to my knees in an icy cold stream, which swept and gurgled about me. Pickering and his assistant stood at my side, their lamps shining upon the dark subterranean flood.