man-made
rooms unless they are designed, as very few are, for total darkness.
Rick never had experienced it before, and it was frightening. He had to
take a firm grip on himself to keep from getting panicky.

But if the underground caverns were completely without light, they were
not completely without sound. As Rick sat quietly he began to hear the
slow drip of water. It was the slow drip of centuries that had produced
the weird limestone formations of the caves.

He began to talk quietly to himself, and the sound of his own voice was
better than listening to the slow dripping of water.

"I can't stay here. The others wouldn't have any more chance of finding
me than I have of finding them. But if I leave here, I'm taking a
chance. I might go so deep into the caves that I'd never find my way out
again, or see any of the others again."

He had visited some of the limestone caverns of Virginia, and he had
read of the New York and Kentucky caverns. He knew that even in America
there were endless series of caves that never had been fully explored.
This fabled Tibetan place might extend on forever.

"On the other hand," he continued to himself, "if I keep moving, I might
stumble on the big cave under the Black Buddha again. It's less than a
fifty-fifty chance. A whole lot less. But it's a chance and I'd better
take it."

He didn't let himself think of what would happen if he failed to find
his way back. He got to his feet and switched on his light again. By
contrast with the total darkness, the reflection of the beam on the
limestone walls was brilliant sunlight. He had to wait while his eyes
adjusted themselves to the light. Then he flashed the beam around. There
were passages going in every direction.

"Which way do I go?" he asked himself.

It was a tossup. He remembered an old trick and spat into the palm of
his hand. Then, with the forefinger of his other hand, he slapped the
spittle sharply. The biggest drop flew between two limestone
hour-glasses that formed one passage. He hitched up the camera case on
his shoulder, picked up his rifle, and started forward.

The caverns were endless. Walking slowly, to conserve his strength, he
wandered through countless incredible rooms of gleaming stone. The
dripping water had formed all manner of things. He saw animals, ships,
mountain scenes, waterfalls, and cataracts, fairy grottoes, fish,
distant houses ... all carved of shining stone by millions upon
countless mill