Part 4 (1/2)
”Martin could not see you,” she went on ”He atching the road that leads above But I ran down--to help”
”Mart watching?” I asked ”Watching for what?”
”I--” she hesitated oddly ”I think I'd rather tell you before hih the broken portal and into the fortress It was ht The floor of the vast chah the breaks light strea the debris to a wide cru ahead We caainst it, perched high upon a pile of blocks, I recognized the long, lean outline of Ventnor, rifle in hand, gazing intently up the ancient road whose windings were plain through the opening He had not heard us
”Martin,” called Ruth softly
He turned A shaft of light fro it out from the semidarkness of the corner in which he crouched I looked into the quiet gray eyes, upon the keen face
”Goodwin!” he shouted, tu --you're the et here?”
”Just wandering, Mart,” I answered ”But Lord! I'm sure GLAD to see you”
”Which way did you come?” he asked, keenly I threw h that hollow?” he asked incredulously
”And soh,” Drake broke in ”It cost us our ponies and all my ammunition”
”Richard Drake,” I said ”Son of old Alvin--you knew hi dick's hand ”Wanted et some confounded sort of stuff for one of his devilish experiments Is he well?”
”He's dead,” replied dick soberly
”Oh!” said Ventnor ”Oh--I'reat s, my encounter with Drake
”That place out there--” he considered us thoughtfully ”daas--of a sort If it hadn't been for it we'd have been out of this hole two days ago I'as And it , for then we ain--and couldn't”
I was hardly listening Ventnor had certainly advanced a theory of our unusual syht indeed be a pocket into which a gas flowed; just as in the mines the deadly coal daes It as of unknown qualities; and yet--
”Did you try respirators?” asked dick
”Surely,” said Ventnor ”First off the go But they weren't of any use
The gas, if it is gas, seeh the nose and mouth We just couldn't make it--and that's all there is to it But if you made it--could we try it now, do you think?”
he asked eagerly
I felt o white
”Not--not for a little while,” I staly
”I see,” he said ”Well, we'll wait a bit, then”
”But why are you staying here? Why didn't youfor, anyway?” asked Drake