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316 She went to him.

"Did you find the way out?"

"No," she said, surprised, and fancying he was going to release her.

"Well, I'd better show you—just that it is no use hoping to get away— in case you tried to-night. Come with me."

He had a tiny lantern in his hand, and she followed him. At one end, the larger cave, hollowed inward—she had not reached so far when the horror of her discovery had burst upon her. He led her here, and along a high narrow passage into which only the faintest glimmer of light came from what was evidently the larger cave, into which they had first come yesterday. She knew now that it must have been in this narrow passage he had chloroformed her. He came to a stop and flashed his lantern against a black excrescence, which she saw was a large projecting rock. She saw also beside it an iron tipped staff, which looked as if it had been a cart pole. "Look at me," he said ; "I am a very large and powerful man."

"Yes," she answered, bewildered.

"Well. Do you mind holding the lantern?" She took it from him, and he seized the pole and fixed it in a groove of the rock, using it as a lever and exerting all his strength to turn the mass outward. He was a long time at it. The sweat poured down his forehead. "It takes two of us," he said. "Do you think you could do that?"

By inches he moved the block, and she now saw that it was a stone that must have been dragged sideways from the outside, no doubt by a horse, which when placed across in a perpendicular position completely barred the passage.

"That's the door of your prison," he said. "There's only this entrance to the cave. You have my full leave to hunt for any other. You are not likely to escape."

"No," she answered, submissive in her bewilderment. He led her back again, lighted the fire, and proceeded with his preparations for supper. She tried to eat a little of the salt beef he had boiled, and even told him his johnny-cakes were excellent. It was all so grim, so extraordinary. In