Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-19
CHAPTER XI-Continued

LIT HESITATED about following this un-
L known man into so strange place con-
tinued Andrew 'but his manner was so per
fectly courteous and friendly and theh
thought that behind all this mystery 'neIe
might be something to help us ma WI,
Meudon-that I made up my nina 10 Weep
with him as long as possible crouched down.
therefore, as | had seen him DO, iorceu my
way through the narrow opening IN 'ne roch,
and presently. after a little dithcultF, lou'u
myself in dark passage that aHor"eo nv,
room to stand upright and move torWaro'
I could dimly perceive my guide waikihs
at some distance in front or me- anu
hastened as well as ! could TO reacn MN
In this | did not succeed, and so we io'ioweo
the passage, he leading and after him
for a hundred yards or more until we came
to an abrupt angle in the wall where 'he
uneven path made a sharp DIP DOWNWARD
Here I stopped, having completely lost s'eht
of my guide, and after waiting snort u'he
l called to him. NO answer ca',1 ,h,t t'''I s,,r-
could hear, and in the darkness that sur
rounded me | began to grow confused ana
alarmed. 1t seemed to me ] had eeeh iureo
into some sort of trap. Repentlng OF my
folly for having ventured so far INTO SUCH
a dismal hole | determined to get out OF II as
quickly as possible. This, l thought, would
be easily done because, to the best OF III!
knowledge | had followed along straisht
corridor and If / turned back would soon
come within sight of the opening that leo
to the lake. 49, IT.,
put either had scalculated the dis
tance | had walked else. in turning 10
20 out started in the wrong direction. AZ
any rate had not gone very far betore l
found myself in labyrinth OF passages l.
perceived this by feeling along the wall
And so--there ! was. without any clew TO
helm me in choosing the right passage
II scarcely know what ] did when real
ized that I was hopelessy lost in TINS pitch
black cavern. For one thing, shouted ior
might hear me. But the echoes from my
voice were more terrifying than the silence.
The air was sitting; the ground appeared
to move beneath my feet the darkness was
like a heavy veil winding closer ana closer
obout me- Then unable. as II seemed to me-
to move or breathe any longer. everything
vent from me- I sank to the floor uncon-
scious And that's all remember
"But-how you say that? You are here
,eete fellow" blurted Miranda. you are
all right
ives am here" Andrew assented Woe
fmlv But I don't know how | got here.
when | came to myself again l was lying
on the shore of the lake. 1t was quite DARK
NV horse had gone
"That Is right; take him." corroborated
Miranda with satisfaction.
81 don't know how l succeeded In doing
it-I suppose it was instinct-but managed
to follow the trail on foot, and after
desperate struggle l reached the village
where the people helped me to get back TO
Bogota."
Andrews story was variously received. No
one could doubt his honesty. With such
transparent simplicity as his, 1t would De
difficult to suppose him capable OF draw
ing-conscously at least-upon his tancy'
Doctor Miranda suggested that he merely
dreamed what he afterwards took to be
reality But the others, discredittng TINS
theory were apparently inclined to accept the
story, so far as it went, in spite OF its IAN
tastic and well nigh incredible features.
Raoul Arthur appeared particularly I'M
pressed and proposed immediate action.
"I know the cleft in the rock he said. II
have been over a small part of the passage
to which it gives entrance. 1t was there,
tbree wears ago, In our attempt to under
mine Lake Guatavita. that a charge of dyna-'
mite exploded. after which David Meudon
disappeared. l had no idea that this passage
extended back into the mountain as far as
1t does according to Mr.. Parmelee's story.
But now.--it strikes me. Mr. Leightoa. that
chance has given us the clew you were seek
ing last night. If you are still anxious to
trace Davids whereabouts the path lies
down the passage entered by Mr. Parmelee
and his togaed, sandaled guide"
"You want to explore it?" demanded
Leighton.
II do"
But why, If it was already known to you
have you not done this before%'
'The natives have always fought shy of
going icto II further than our mining opera
lions made necessary. Besides, l never had
any reason to suppose that It was more than
a mere natural formation of rcck-as 1t prob
ably is--extending short distance into the
main body of the mountain"
.And now?"
"I have theory to advance. But" he
added Significantly, 't was in this unex-
plored tunnel that David disappeared three
years ago."
The reminder had its effect This linking
1 up Of the mysterious tunnel that had so nearly
proved fatal 10 Andrew. with David's first