Page 192 (1/1)

Never pausing to answer, I crept between the spreading wooden limbs, and, with the expenditure of no s into the narrow hole beyond It was a cra in fired to advance, until I finally eer excavation, rese the tunnel we had previously traversed

"Now, Master Cairnes," I spoke back encouragingly, "it is only a short distance to good footing; so take fresh breath and coht of the narrow opening, and I heard heavy breathing as the fellow squeezed his broad shoulders through the hole There followed sounds of violent struggle during his slow and painful advance

"By all the prophets and the patriarchs," he groaned wearily, "'tis not inI could have slipped through, scarcely touching either side But now I a for the feast Baste me, friend Benteen, but I can move neither forward nor back in this accursed place; I aress without aid"

I reached down until I laid firers

"Find soustedly

"Fervently will I endeavor to dig in, and thus render all assistance in ood works Would it not be wise to test the potency of prayer? Verily the prayer of the righteous availeth much"

"I try earthly power first," I returned testily "So lay to it, and ill have you out"

I braced th I possessed There followed a series ofcloth, and the disgruntled Puritan came forth with a suddenness of exit which landed us both in a heap on the floor

"May all the spawn of hell be your player "By the bones of Moses! you have scraped every bit of skin off me, and half odly, blaspheasped wildly for breath as I throttled hirip of ed like a bear preparing for Winter, or you would have passed through even as I did," I muttered, heedless of his effort to release my clutch "Lie still now, or, by all the devils in the pit, I 'll shut down harder on your throat Ah, so you can keep quiet, friend? Then I will let you go, for I would be free to explore this passage"