Part 15 (1/2)
”But it's sober truth,particularly revolting in the thought of being eaten; the disadvantage of it lies in the fact that one must die first We all want to live; Heaven knohy And we stand a chance
”We kno that there is food to be had here and sufficient air It is nearly certain that on't get out, but that can coists that would give their degrees for it I can feelenthusiastic about it”
”But what if they--they--”
”Say it Eat us? We can fight It will be strange if we can't outwit these verin Listen hard--hard!
The brutes are noiseless, but if they are near we can hear their breathing”
”But, Paul--”
”No more talk Listen!”
We lay silent for htest sound reached our ears through the profound darkness; utter, intense silence Finally I reached over and touched Harry on the shoulder, and arose to h! We're alone We'll have to crawl for it Keep close behindis to find a sharp stone to cut through these thongs Feel on the ground with your hands as we go”
It was not easy to rise at all, and still harder to etherourselves along I was in front; suddenly I felt Harry pull at , Paul Sharp as a knife Look!”
I groped for his hand in the darkness and took from it the object he held out to ht; let s which bound his ankles I was convinced that they were not of leather, but they were tough as the thickest hide
Twice erness caused the tool to slip and tear the skin from my hand; then I went about it more carefully with a muttered oath
Another quarter of an hour and Harry was free
”Gad, that feels good!” he exclai to his feet ”Here, Paul; where's the stone?”
I handed it to hi away at my feet
What followed happened so quickly that ere hardly aware that it had begun when it was already finished
A quick, pattering rush ofbodies caround, buried beneath the for breath; there must have been scores of them Resistance was iive a despairing cry, and the scuffle followed; I s which bound h Not a sound ca
I re on my head and chest and body, I noted their silence with a sort of impersonal curiosity and wondered if they were, after all, human Nor were they unnecessarily violent; they htly than before, and departed
But--faugh! The unspeakable odor of their hairy bodies is in my nostrils yet
”Are you hurt, Paul?”
”Not a bit, Harry lad How do you like the perfume?”
”To the deuce with your perfume! But we're done for What's the use?
They've lived in this infernal hole so long they can see in the dark better than we can in the light”
Of course he was right, and I was a fool not to have thought of it before and practised caution The knowledge was decidedly unpleasant
No doubt our everywatched by a hundred pairs of eyes, while we lay helpless in the darkness, bound even htly than before