When it had first been raised, it was likely that a dozen slaves had seized it and forced it into an upright position.  The captain pushed up bravely, and, a few inches at a time, he elevated the end of the great lever.  Frequently he stopped to rest, and it was over an hour before the bar stood up as it had been when first he felt it under the water.

When this was done, he went into the other caves, looked about to see that everything was in the condition in which he had found it, and that he had left nothing behind him during his many visits.  When he was satisfied on these points, he went back to the lake cave to see if any water had run in.  He found everything as dry as when he had left it, nor could he hear any sound of running or dripping water.  Considering the matter, however, he concluded that there might be some sort of an outside reservoir which must probably fill up before the water ran into the cave, and so he came away.

“I will give it time,” he thought, “and come back to-morrow to see if it is flooded.”

That night, as he lay on his little pallet, looking through the open front of his tent at the utter darkness of the night, the idea struck him that it was strange that he was not afraid to stay here alone.  He was a brave man,—­he knew that very well,—­and yet it seemed odd to him that, under the circumstances, he should have so little fear.  But his reason soon gave him a good answer.  He had known times when he had been very much afraid, and among these stood preeminent the time when he had expected an attack from the Rackbirds.  But then his fear was for others.  When he was by himself it was a different matter.  It was not often that he did not feel able to take care of his own safety.  If there were any danger now, it was in the daytime, when some stray Rackbirds might come back, or the pilferer of the mound might return with companions.  But if any such came, he had his little fort, two pistols, and a repeating rifle.  At night he felt absolutely safe.  There was no danger that could come by land or sea through the blackness of the night.

Suddenly he sat up.  His forehead was moist with perspiration.  A shiver ran through him, not of cold, but of fear.  Never in his life had he been so thoroughly frightened; never before had he felt his hands and legs tremble.  Involuntarily he rose and stood up in the tent.  He was terrified, not by anything real, but by the thought of what might happen if that lake cave should fill up with water, and if the ancient valves, perhaps weakened by his moving them backward and forward, should give way under the great pressure, and, for a second time, a torrent of water should come pouring down the Rackbirds’ ravine!