Laughing, talking, jesting, the merry party went in.

“Jerusalem!  What’s that?” ejaculated a young fellow, with more vigor than polish, as he fought right and left an unknown foe.

“That?  Oh, that’s only bats flying around.  They don’t stay in much further.  They’ll hit you in the face if you don’t look out,” explained the guide.

“Yes, I think they will,” said the victim, still spluttering and flourishing his handkerchief.  “A little more of that sort of thing and I’ll turn back now.”

They soon reached the avenue that leads to the Side Saddle, where more than one merry lass took a seat for effect.  They heard how an explorer named Goren had once stood idly talking and pecking against the wall with a sharp stone when, lo! it broke through.  He continued to widen the opening till, upon throwing down a blue light, there stood revealed a perfect dome, exquisitely filagreed.  It has been known ever since as Goren’s Dome, and a good-sized window, jagging the wall, admits one or two lookers at a time.  On their knees they crawled through the Valley of Humility, and out into almost endless space, so varied are the landmarks of this underground miracle.  Here is a chamber too vast to be lighted by the torches; there, a defile so narrow as to be passed only in single file.  Now they traverse a level valley to emerge at the foot of a mountainous region that must be attacked with alpenstocks and helping hands.

“Oh, look at that awfully dark place!  It might be Pluto’s hallway,” said a girl.

“Don’t go that way,” called the guide; “you must just follow me.  There is where that stranger strayed off and was never heard of again.  He was in bad health and came in here to breathe the pure air for a few hours.  He never came out.”

“Goodness!” thundered a dozen voices; “let’s move on before his ghost appears.  I hear the rattle of dry bones now.”

“The Star Chamber!” shouted the guide, who, being in front, had often much ado to send his voice to the rear of the party.  “Ladies and gentlemen, walk in, take your seats, and let me have your torches.”

He was obeyed with much fluttering and chattering.  He extinguished all the lights but his own, and disappeared behind a ledge of shelving rock.  They were in total darkness.  Gradually a ray of blue, then of red, then of white light, flashed upon the vast concave roof, showing myriads of star-like points resembling the Milky Way, a crescent moon, and finally a comet appearing in full sail.  The effect was magical.

“It is usual to have a song here, if you would like it,” suggested the guide.

“By all means,” was the universal response.  “A chorus! a chorus!”

Then the voices swelled upon the air in a thousand reverberating echoes.  At the close the guide reappeared and lit the torches.  Once more they sallied forth.

“Where is Minnie Dare?” suddenly asked a tall girl, whose tongue was too voluble for the guide’s equanimity.