He was
a bronzed, bright-eyed, happy-looking fellow of middle age, his
humorous intelligence appearing in a flow of gossip about things
local. We entered a narrow opening, some twelve feet high, which ran
perhaps twenty yards into the cliff. Lenormant supposes that this
was a quarry made by the original Greek colonists. If Cassiodorus
used it for the purpose mentioned, the cave must have been in direct
communication either with the sea or the river; at present, many
yards of sloping shingle divide it from the line of surf, and the
river flows far away. Movement of the shore there has of course
been, and the Pellena may have considerably changed the direction of
its outflow; our author's description being but vague, one can only
muse on probabilities and likelihoods.
Whilst we talked, the entrance to the cave was shadowed, and there
entered one of the men who had turned back half-way; his face
betrayed the curiosity which had after all prevailed to bring him
hither. Shouting merrily, my companion hailed him as "Brigadiere."
The two friends contrasted very amusingly; for the brigadiere was a
mild, timid, simple creature, who spoke with diffidence; he kept his
foolishly good-natured eyes fixed upon me, a gaze of wonder.
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