t
rustle, and Chet realized again how cautious his own advance must be.
It came toward him, soft, scuffing, followed the wall where he
stood ... and Chet felt that approaching presence almost upon him before
he stepped silently out and away.

And in the darkness that blotted out his sight he sensed with some inner
eye the passing ape-man with arms rigidly extended, while a wave of
thankfulness flooded him as he realized that in the dark the brute was
as blind as himself and that the terrible thing that had sent him could
see at a distance only with the ape-man's eyes.

Here was something definite to count on. As long as he remained silent,
as long as he kept himself hidden, he was safe.

The scuffling footsteps had gone to nothing in the distance when Chet
reached out for the wall and went swiftly, carefully, on. The messenger
had come this way; he could hurry now that he knew there was safe
footing in the dark.

The wall ended in a sharp corner; it formed a right angle, and the new
surface went on and away from him. Chet was debating whether he should
follow or should cast out into the darkness when his staring eyes found
the first touch of light.

* * * * *

It came from above, a wavering line that trembled to a flame which
seemed curiously cold. The line grew: a foot-wide band of light high up
on the wall, it thrust itself forward like a tendril of the horrible
plants he had seen. It grew on and wrapped itself about a great room,
while, behind it, cold flames flickered and leaped. And Chet, so
interested was he in the motion of this light that seemed almost alive,
realized only after some moments that the light was betraying him.

He glanced quickly about and found himself within a chamber of huge
proportions. Walls that only nature could form reared themselves high in
the putrescent air of the room; they curved into a ceiling, and from
that ceiling there hung a glittering array of gems.

Chet knew them for great stalactites, and, even as he cast about
desperately for some secluded nook, he marveled at the diamond
brilliance of the display. But on the smooth floor of stone, where
corresponding stalagmites must have been, were no traces of crystal
growths, from which he knew that though nature had formed the room some
other power had fitted it to its own use.

Chet's eyes were darting swift glances about. There was no single moving
thing, no sign of life; he was still undiscov