Читать книгу A West Point Treasure; Or, Mark Mallory's Strange Find онлайн

21 страница из 48

“Let us remove ourselves further from the light,” suggested the Parson, ever learned. “Then we may get used to the darkness, for the retina of the visual organ has the power of accommodating itself to a decrease in intensity of the illuminating——”

They prepared to obey the suggestion, without waiting for the conclusion of the discourse. But moving in that chasm was indeed a fearful task. In the first place, there were possible wells, so the Parson said, though the presence of the mysterious carpet made that improbable. The first thing Mark had done when he reached bottom was to stoop and verify his friend’s amazing statement. And he found that it was just as the other had said. There was carpet, and it was a soft, fine carpet, too.

What that could mean they scarcely dared to think.

“Somebody must live here,” whispered Mark. “And they can hardly be honest people, hiding in a place like this.”

That did not tend to make the moving about any more pleasant. They caught hold of each other, though there was little comfort in that, for each found that his neighbors were trembling as much as himself. Then, step by step (and very small steps) they advanced, groping in front with their hands, and feeling the ground in front of them with their feet.