perceived that the phaen had aer head in a cavity and was
scrutinising something, and waited for aer to reappear.

Ae emerged, looked up to Maskull, and called out in aer hornlike
voice, "The entrance is here!"

"I'm coming down!" roared Maskull. "Wait for me!"

He descended swiftly--without taking too much care, for he thought
he recognised his "luck" in this discovery--and within twenty
minutes was standing beside the phaen.

"What happened?"

"The rock you dislodged struck this other rock just above the spring.
It tore it out of its bed. See--now there's room for us to get in!"

"Don't get excited!" said Maskull. "It's a remarkable accident, but
we have plenty of time. Let me look."

He peered into the hole, which was large enough to admit a big man
without stooping. Contrasted with the daylight outside it was dark,
yet a peculiar glow pervaded the place, and he could see well enough.
A rock tunnel went straight forward into the bowels of the hill, out
of sight. The valley brook did not flow along the floor of this
tunnel, as he had expected, but came up as a spring just inside the
entrance.

"Well Leehallfae, not much need to deliberate, eh? Still, observe
that your stream parts company with us here."