And
I found this hole."
"The air gets in and it's clean and fresh," he went on. "We couldn't
hope for better."
"The walls are so close," whispered Betty, with a little shudder.
"They give one the feeling they're going to press in and crush you."
"They widen a bit in a minute." He groped on ahead, came again to the
outthrust knob and pressed by. "Here we turn a little to the right and
here's room for a dozen people."
Betty hurried and stood close to him. In vain her eyes sought to
penetrate the absolute dark; no slightest detail of floor or wall was
offered save vaguely through the sense of touch.
"It's dark enough to smother you," she whispered. "I wonder what's
ahead of us? I wish we dared have a light!"
He was silent a moment.
"Maybe we do dare," he said thoughtfully. "The crookedness of this
place ought to shut off any glow from the outside. Let's go on a
little further and we'll try."
He went on slowly, feeling a cautious way with his feet, his hand on
the wall of rock at his side, Betty pressing on close behind him. Thus
they continued another dozen paces or so. Then they stopped because
they could find no means of continuing; so far as they could tell by
groping with their hands the fissure narrowed again until it was no
wider than the original entrance, and its irregularities presented
difficulties to blind progress.
"Stand here," said Kendric.
Pages:
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261