Part 28 (2/2)

ster

”It's risky”

”I'llout of this burrow and take a peep around to get our bearings”

I gripped his legs, and turning upon his back he pushed hie till he was able to look up in front of the piece of rock that projected like the peak of a cap above the opening

Clinging to this peak with his two hands, the upper part of his body being out over the abyss, he stared upward, and as I watched his face I noticed the look of joy and amazement that spread across it

”What is it, Holman?” I cried ”Are we saved? Tell me!”

He slid hurriedly back to safety and pounded the rock above his head with his bare fists

”Do you knohat this is?” he yelled ”Do you know?”

I tried to utter the words that caue, but I could not I could see the joy in the youngster's eyes, but I was afraid to speak

”It is the Ledge of Death!” he shouted ”There is only six inches of rock above us!”

”Then we're saved!” I cried

”Sure! If you put the rope around me I can crawl up on it, and once there I can haul up the others Do you knohat So into this infernal pit?”

I nodded my head I was unable to speak at that moment

”Well, the Wizards of the Centipede fixed that! Don't you see? This was their seat! They leaned out of this place as I leaned out just now, and they gripped the ankles of any poor devil they had a grouch against It was devilish----”

I put my hand across his mouth and he became instantly mute We held our breath and listened intently From above us came the faint sound of footsteps and a cold perspiration broke out upon us Soe of Death!

The sounds ceased when the unknoas iuilty look cae had probably heard the youngster's voice, and he was puzzled to knohere the sounds had co a muscle The silence convinced us that the unknoas listening We knew that he hadn't cli of his shoes against the rock would have co to discover from what direction the voice had come that caused him to pause and listen

Theyears The man above wore shoes and the two men ore shoes, outside our own party, were Leith and the one-eyed man Somehoe felt that Maru and Kaipi had settled with One Eye, so there was only one person on the Isle of Tears who could possibly be listening

Ten s I understood the sign and gripped his ankles My head was bursting with the terror inspired by the thought that our escape ht be cut off after the miraculous manner in which the way out had been shown to us

Without noise, yet with incredible swiftness, the youngster turned upon his back and wriggled forward till his head and shoulders were again out over the pit His body was tense, everyas he stiffened himself Into my mind flashed a picture of the bloodthirsty Wizards of the Centipede stretching out in exactly the same manner centuries before a white man sailed into the Pacific!

The silence seeth I watched Holman with eyes that were half-blinded by the perspiration that rolled down e, and the fingers of the youngster were reaching slowly--slowly upward

It was a yell of horror that shattered the awful quiet--a yell that went up through the hot air like the shriek of a lost soul It swirled around and around like a lariat of brass It was a terrible yell It wrenched o out of me for an instant, and I returned to consciousness to find ed into the depths below

It was the youngster's voice that sees In an instant's pause in the torrent of blaspheht, Verslun!” he cried ”Hold ht, ht, Verslun!” he cried ”Hold ht, man!

_I have him!_”]