Part 26 (1/2)
”What is it?” asked Larry, eagerly
”Put the torch behind ye, lad, an' look ahead Perhaps my eyes deceive me,” answered the old sailor
Larry did as requested, and gave a searching look up the passageway
No, there was nofroave a shout, and both set off on a run
As they sped onward the light becahter, until the torch was hardly needed They were running side by side, each trying to gain the outer air first
”Look out!” suddenly yelled Leroy, and caught Larry by the arm The old sailor could hardly stop, and had to throw hi the boy down on top of hi twelve to fifteen feet wide, running fro were perpendicular, and the hole was so deep that when a stone was dropped into it they could scarcely hear the thing strike botto into the pit ”We can't juht,” answered Larry ”But I shouldn't want to try it The other side seems to slope doard the hole What's to be done?”
Ah, that was the question It looked as if their advance in that direction was cut off completely
CHAPTER XXVI
BOXER THE SCOUT
Much chagrined, azed at the other side It was sloping, as Larry had said, and hich orse A jump, even for a trained athlete, would have been perilous in the extreme
”Looks like ere stumped,” remarked Leroy, laconically
”And just as ere so near to yonder opening!” cried Larry, vexed beyond endurance ”If we only had a plank, or so was at hand but the bare stone walls, with here and there a patch of dirt and a loose stone He walked to one end of the hole
”A fellowyonder shelf if he were a cat,” he said dis could do it”
”No, and don't you go for to try it,” put in the old sailor ”If you do, you'll break your neck, sure as guns is guns”
”Well, we've got to do so, Leroy”
”So we have; an' I move we sit down an' eat a bite o' the stew Maybe eatin' will put some new ideas into our heads”
”I'd rather wait until we gain the open air”
”But we can'tto know thet the blue sky is beyond”
They sat down, and soon finished one-half of what re tasted sweeter, and it was only by the exercise of the greatest self-control that they kept back a portion of the food
”Perhaps we'll have to go back, remember that,” said Leroy, as he put the cover on the kettle onceover first”