Part 12 (2/2)

”Catch,” he called; placed one hand beneath the beast's belly, the other under its throat; his shoulders heaved--and up shot the pony, laden as it was, landed softly upon four wide-stretched legs beside aped up, ludicrous in their amazement

”Follow,” cried Norhala

Ventnor leaped wildly for the top, Drake beside hi led; struck upward; clutched froh; held us fast--men and beast

Aept the block that bore Ruth and Norhala; I saw Ruth crouching, head bent, her arms around the knees of the woman They slipped into thecurrent, we, too, dipped beneath the faintly luminous vapors

The cubes moved with an entire absence of vibration; so sly, indeed, that had it not been for the sudden wind that had risen when first we had stirred, and that now beat steadily upon our faces, and the cloudy walls streaht ourselves at rest

I saw the blurred forh wading I essayed to follow hi the

Also the force, whatever it was, that held me seemed to pass h up to h a closely woven yet fluid mass of cobwebs I had the fantastic idea that if I so willed I could slip over the edge of the blocks, crawl about their sides without falling--like a fly on the vertical faces of a huge sugar loaf

I drew beside Ventnor He was staring ahead, striving, I knew, to pierce the limpse of Ruth

He turned to me, his face draith anxiety, his eyes feverish

”Can you see theo like that? Why did I let her go alone?”

”They'll be close ahead, Martin” I spoke out of a conviction I could not explain ”Whatever it is we're bound for, wherever it is the woether--for a time at least I'm sure of it”

”She said--follow” It was Drake beside us ”How the hell can we do anything else? We haven't any control over this bird we're on But she has What she meant, Ventnor, is that it would follow her”

”That's true”--new hope softened the haggard face--”that's true--but is it? We're reckoning with creatures that ination never conceived--nor could conceive And with this--woht--never How then can we tell--”

He turned onceeyes

Drake's rifle slipped froed with both hands The rifle lay immovable

I bent and strove to aid hiht have been a part of the glea surface on which it rested The tiny, deepset star points winked up--

”They're--laughing at us!” grunted Drake

”Nonsense,” I answered, and tried to check the involuntary shuddering that shook reat nets--that's what holds the rifle; what holds us, too”

”I don't hts--the eyes--”

There cahtened Our head shot above the mists like those of swi out of the theold tresses stea; and close beside her were the brown curls of Ruth At her brother's cry she turned and her aresture

Ain the valley's ed crevice, no nature split fissure; it gave the iantic doorway