A landing was easily effected, and they walked toward the cavern, treading on thousands of beautiful little shells which strewed the sand beneath their feet.

There was a deep stillness everywhere--the island was so desolate that it seemed as though the very seabirds refused to make their homes in the black clefts of such steep and barren rocks.
At the entrance of the little cave Gueldmar looked back to the sea.
"There's a storm coming!" he announced.

"Those clouds we saw this morning have sailed thither almost as quickly as ourselves!" The sky had indeed grown darker, and little wrinkling waves disturbed the surface of the water.

But the sun as yet retained his sovereignty, and there was no wind.

By the pilot's advice, Errington and his friends had provided themselves each with a pine torch, in order to light up the cavern as soon as they found themselves within it.