e?"

He had spoken all in a low whisper, evidently fearing spying ears even
here, and so I answered him in the same subdued tone.

"Lead back to Shador, my friend," I whispered. "Xodar, the black, is
there. We were to attempt our escape together, so I cannot desert him."

"No," said the boy, "one cannot desert a friend. It were better to be
recaptured ourselves than that."

Then he commenced groping his way about the floor of the dark chamber
searching for the trap that led to the corridors beneath. At length he
summoned me by a low, "S-s-t," and I crept toward the sound of his
voice to find him kneeling on the brink of an opening in the floor.

"There is a drop here of about ten feet," he whispered. "Hang by your
hands and you will alight safely on a level floor of soft sand."

Very quietly I lowered myself from the inky cell above into the inky
pit below. So utterly dark was it that we could not see our hands at
an inch from our noses. Never, I think, have I known such complete
absence of light as existed in the pits of Issus.

For an instant I hung in mid air. There is a strange sensation
connected with an experience of that nature which is quite difficult to
describe. When the feet tread empty air and the distance below is
shrouded in darkness there is a feeling akin to panic at the thought of
releasing the hold and taking the plunge into unknown depths.

Although the boy had told me that it was but ten feet to the floor
below I experienced the same thrills as though I were hanging above a
bottomless pit. Then I released my hold and dropped--four feet to a
soft cushion of sand.

The boy followed me.

"Raise me to your shoulders," he said, "and I will replace the trap."

This done he took me by the hand, leading me very slowly, with much
feeling about and frequent halts to assure himself that he did not
stray into wrong passageways.

Presently we commenced the descent of a very steep incline.

"It will not be long," he said, "before we shall have light. At the
lower levels we meet the same strata of phosphorescent rock that
illuminates Omean."

Never shall I forget that trip through the pits of Issus. While it was
devoid of important incidents yet it was filled for me with a strange
charm of excitement and adventure which I think I must have hinged
principally on the unguessable antiquity of these long-forgotten
corridors. The things which the Stygian darkness hid from my objective
eye c