Part 12 (2/2)

”Turn to your left and proceed carefully along the edge I'll turn to ht Go easy, lad; feel your way”

I crawled onevery inch of the ground The surface et and slippery, and in places sloped at an angle thatoff into space

Meanti to Harry and he to ress, it was half an hour or more before we discovered that the distance between us was being increased instead of lessened

He let fly an oath at this, and his tone was dangerous; no wonder if the lad was half crazed! I steadied hieht of his original position I, also, turned to the left

Our hope of e surrounded a circular body of water and was continuous At some point, of course, was the entrance of the stream which had carried us, and at some other point there was almost certainly an outlet; but we trusted to luck to avoid these Our chances were less than one in a thousand; but, failing that, some other means must be invented

The simplest ould have been foron his voice as a guide; but the conflicting echoes produced by the slightest sound rendered such an atte that wet, slimy, treacherous surface, it see; everything was black void; it was hard to appreciate reality in such a nighters; on the other, the unseen, bottoh, surely, to take a man's nerve My fear for Harry killed anxiety on :

”Harry!”

”Yes”

”Steady”

”Yes I' I say, we're closer, Paul”

I hesitated to agree with hier any doubt of it His voice began to reach me alh for the vibrations to carry without interference from the walls

Nearer still it caave a cry of joy, and iasp of terror and the sound of his wild scraotten caution and had slipped to the edge of the water

I dared not try to go to his assistance; so I crouched perfectly still and called to him to throw hily as I cursed the pitiless darkness! Then the scraht, Paul! All right! Gad, I nearly went!”

A minute later I held his hand in le, and we lay flat on our backs Forhands; Harry was treue, and I th is there in co before succumbed to the strain of our horrible situation; but we both took hope and courage from that hand-clasp

Finally he spoke:

”In Heaven's name, where are we, Paul?”

”You know as much as I do, Harry This cursed darknessto Felipe, we are being entertained by the devil”

”But where are we? What happened? My head is dizzy--I don't know--”

I gripped his hand

”And no wonder 'Tis hardly an every-day occurrence to ride an underground river several h, beneath us a bottomless lake, round us darkness Not a very cheerful prospect, Hal; but, thank Heaven, we take it together!

It is a grave--ours and hers I guess Desiree knehat she was talking about”

There came a cry from Harry's lips--a cry of painful memory: