Indian to come, he noted that the edges of the hole, and all the bushes
that over-hung its mouth were crusted thickly with white frost.
Carefully he laid flat on his belly and edged himself along until he
could thrust his face into the abyss. The air felt very warm--a dank,
damp warmth, such as exudes from the depths of a swamp in summer. He
peered downward but his eyes could not penetrate the Stygian blackness
out of which rose the monotonous wail of the voice.

"Strike a light down there!" cried the boy. "Or build a fire!"

"Light! Fire! Ha, ha, ha." Thin, hollow laughter that was horrible to
hear, floated upward. "I ain't had a fire in years, and years--an' no
light."

"Wait a minute!" called the boy, and began to collect dry twigs which he
made into a bundle. He lighted the bundle and when it was burning
fiercely he shouted, "Look out below!" And leaning far inward, he
dropped the blazing twigs. Down, down like a fiery comet they rushed
through the darkness, and then suddenly the comet seemed to explode and
a million tiny flames shot in all directions as the bundle burst from
contact with the rock floor. "Pile the sticks together and make a fire!"
called the boy, "and I'll toss you down some more!" He could see the
tiny red faggots moving toward a central spot, and presently a small
blaze flared up, and as more twigs were added to the pile the flame
brightened. Connie collected more wood, and calling a warning, tossed it
down. Soon a bright fire was burning far below, and in the flickering
light of the flames the boy saw a grotesque shape flitting here and
there adding twigs to the fire. He could not see the man clearly but he
could see that his head and face were covered with long white hair, and
that he was entirely naked except for a flapping piece of cloth that
hung from his middle.

'Merican Joe arrived with the _babiche_ lines, and as the boy proceeded
to uncoil and knot them together, he sent the Indian to the tent for
some blankets. When he returned the line was ready, with a fixed loop in
the end.

"All right!" called the boy, "here comes the line. Sit in the loop, and
hold on to the rope for all you're worth, and we'll have you out in a
few minutes!" He could hear the man talking to himself as he hovered
about the fire so closely that the flames seemed to be licking at his
skin.

The man looked upward, and Connie paid out the line. When it reached the
bottom, the boy noted that there was only abou