They were
pitched together in a heap, and held tight to one another as they
went down, first a distance of fifteen or twenty feet and then
twice further.
"We are in water!" gasped Shep, when he could speak. The water
was up to their ankles, but speedily it reached their knees.
At last, when the downward movement had come to an end, the boys
drew long breaths and tried to gaze around them. They were in
a mass of brushwood, and this brushwood seemed to be floating on
the water. All was pitch dark around them, for they had not come
down straight, but in something of a zig-zag fashion.
"Well, of all things!" came from Whopper. "Are we going down to
the center of the earth?"
"It looks like it." answered Giant, with a groan.
"One thing seems to be certain, fellows---we are not meant to get
those deer."
"That looks to be true," answered Snap.
"This is about as bad as being down that hollow tree," said Shep.
He was more than glad that he was not alone.
Having recovered their breath a little, the young hunters tried to
decide upon what would be the best thing to attempt next.
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