第11部分(第1/7 页)

pit；　if　necessary；　to　find　Harry；　and　with　him　was　sure　to　be　the　engineer　James　Starr。

〃They　haven't　turned　up　again；〃　said　he　to　himself。 〃Why？ Has　anything　prevented　them？ Could　any　work　of　importance　keep　them　still　at　the　bottom　of　the　mine？ I　must　find　out！〃　and　Ryan；　hastening　his　steps；　arrived　in　less　than　an　hour　at　the　Yarrow　shaft。

Externally　nothing　was　changed。 The　same　silence　around。　Not　a　living　creature　was　moving　in　that　desert　region。　Jack　entered　the　ruined　shed　which　covered　the　opening　of　the　shaft。　He　gazed　down　into　the　dark　abyss……nothing　was　to　be　seen。　He　listened……nothing　was　to　be　heard。

〃And　my　lamp！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃suppose　it　isn't　in　its　place！〃　The　lamp　which　Ryan　used　when　he　visited　the　pit　was　usually　deposited　in　a　corner；　near　the　landing　of　the　topmost　ladder。　It　had　disappeared。

〃Here　is　a　nuisance！〃　said　Jack；　beginning　to　feel　rather

uneasy。 Then；　without　hesitating；　superstitious　though　he　was；　〃I　will　go；〃　said　he；　〃though　it's　as　dark　down　there　as　in　the　lowest　depths　of　the　infernal　regions！〃

And　he　began　to　descend　the　long　flight　of　ladders；　which　led　down　the　gloomy　shaft。 Jack　Ryan　had　not　forgotten　his　old　mining　habits；　and　he　was　well　acquainted　with　the　Dochart　pit；　or　he　would　scarcely　have　dared　to　venture　thus。　He　went　very　carefully；　however。 His　foot　tried　each　round；　as　some　of　them　were　worm…eaten。　A　false　step　would　entail　a　deadly　fall；　through　this　space　of　fifteen　hundred　feet。　He　counted　each　landing　as　he　passed　it；　knowing　that　he　could　not　reach　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　until　he　had　left　the　thirtieth。　Once　there；　he　would　have　no　trouble；　so　he　thought；　in　finding　the　cottage；　built；　as　we　have　said；　at　the　extremity　of　the　principal　passage。