Tom Tiddler's Island, стр. 28

They came upon a second pit, and the passage through it offered a slight change from the monotonous corridor-pacing. But then the succession of rectangular turns began again. The track wound on hither and thither through the bowels of the earth, confusing Colin’s brain^by its intricacy. The actual distance he had traversed was less than half a mile; but the snail’s pace at which they covered it made it seem like leagues.

A third pit opened before them; and beyond it the maze recommenced. At last, as Colin turned a corner, his flash-lamp showed a long, straight tunnel vanishing into darkness at the far end. It proved, on exploration, to be only a cul-de-sac; but as they returned along the second wall, their system led them into a fresh alley which the lamp failed to pierce. Northfleet halted, and took a bearing at the mouth of it.

“This may be the end of the labyrinth,” he observed as he replaced his note-book in his pocket. “I hope so, anyhow, for the stock of thread’s nearly run out.”

“Better be turning back, then,” Colin suggested, hopefully.

He had no stomach for exploration beyond the thread clue’s range. Completely confused in the network of the labyrinth, he had come to look on the thread as his only means of extricating him from this man-made molehill. His intellect assured him that the one-hand-on-the-wall method was perfectly sound; but something more powerful than reason was working to persuade him that these theoretical notions didn’t always work out correctly. Already he had seen that the vaunted method did fail in certain cases. That initial circumnavigation of the island site had been a very plain example.

Then another uncomfortable hypothesis flitted across his mind. Suppose the flash-lamp battery gave out? Or the lamp might fall and get smashed. Nice state of affairs that would be. Even with the thread to guide them, still they had these pits gaping in their path. It would mean crawling through the darkness on hands and knees, feeling for sure ground at every inch of advance. Not for Colin, he decided firmly.

Colin’s courage was of the sort which demands daylight for its display, or, if not daylight, at least elbow-room. After his experience underground, he was suffering unconsciously from a slight attack of claustrophobia. He wanted to get up to the surface again and feel the fresh air about him. And yet, he shrank from betraying his feelings to Northfleet, who evidently suffered no such pangs.

“Damn it!” Colin concluded irritably, “I can’t suggest turning back if he means to go on. Feeble, that. Make me look like a funky kid. If this passage is straight, I’ll go down it till the twists begin again. Then I’ll really strike.”

Not far down the new passage Northfleet called a halt.

“This is the end of the thread supply,” he announced casually. “Wait till I tie the end to a piece of paper, so that we can find it easily as we come back.”

He did so; and then, taking Colin’s consent for granted, he started forward once more. Colin, acutely uncomfortable at the thought that they had left their Ariadne’s clue behind them, kept his hand firmly on the left-hand wall of the passage and held himself on the alert for crosscorridors. The first sign of anything of that sort, he had determined, would mark the end of his explorations, no matter what Northfleet thought of him.

The tunnel continued unbroken in a straight line for some distance; and then, without branching, it turned sharp to the right. After pacing along this new stretch for a time, they came upon a doorway on their left which opened into a moderately spacious chamber.

“Where the old Chief lived, perhaps, when he was hiding down here after the ’45,” Colin surmised for Northfleet’s benefit.

The room offered nothing of interest to them, and they returned to the passage. Fortunately for Colin’s self-respect, it continued straight on, with no side-alleys. Evidently they were now outside the labyrinthine tract. One or two changes in direction occurred, which necessitated fresh readings with the prismatic compass.

Then, at last, Colin gained some relief. They came upon a newly-erected wall of brick and mortar which blocked the passage completely.

“So that’s that!” Colin ejaculated. “None too soon, either, for my taste. I’m beginning to feel a bit stuffy down here. Glad to get some fresh air into my lungs again.”

Northfleet, busy with his final notes, made no reply; but when he slipped his note-book back into his pocket, he invited Colin with a gesture to retrace his steps. Beyond the door of the old Chief’s chamber, Northfleet picked up the thread clue once more; and Colin felt easier in his mind. But when they reached the exit from the labyrinth, Northfleet disturbed him by a fresh suggestion.

“What about going back through the other half of the maze for a change’ Stick to the left-hand wall as before, instead of going home the way we came?”

And leave the thread behind! Colin didn’t even weigh the matter. His mind was made up.

“I’m all for getting up above ground again,” he admitted frankly. “The air of this place is a bit too stuffy for my taste.”

Northfleet gave in without ado.

“Very good. I hate to leave a job half-done, though,” he confessed in a regretful tone. “I’ve mapped about half of this place, I believe, and I’d like to finish it. Any objection to my coming down again on my own, some time?”

“Of course, if you want to,” Colin agreed at once. “Just tell the Dinnets any time you feel drawn this way. But d’you thank it’s safe—coming down into this hole all alone?”

“Quite,” Northfleet decided. “And if I don’t turn up, you and Dinnet can fish me out. I’ll leave a clue behind me as I go. But you needn’t worry. If you give me five minutes to study my notes, I’m prepared to bet I could find my way out of here