Page 113 - Adventures in shadow-land

them ? N o ! it surely was no star, for the blue
spot became larger and still larger, and then the

cavern grew lighter and lighter, till, when she was
near enough, Eva saw that what she had taken for

a star was the arched entrance into the rock, and
the light it shed was the pure light of day pouring

into the darkness of the cavern.
But it did not look so very inviting when the
boat came nearer. Beyond the arch the air was

full of curling mists and vapors, like those which
Eva had seen at the foot of the precipice, and

through these mists and vapors site caught dim
glimpses of the same old hateful faces she had

seen so often before. Just before the boat
reached the arch, one of the six trout, putting his

head above the water, said to her:
" Stop the boat/*
“ How can I ? " Eva asked, in surprise.

11 Speak to her; she will obey you.1'
And, to Eva’s great astonishment, as soon as

the words, spoken very doubtingly, “ Little boat,
wait,” passed her lips, the little vessel stopped,

and lay without moving on the water.
Then the same trout which had spoken to her