large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb_44
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb
English
10361
By craning his neck the officer could look between the pendent icicles of rock and see a fire burning on a huge oblong block of stone. BY CRANING HIS NECK THE OFFICER COULD LOOK BETWEEN THE PENDENT ICICLES OF ROCK AND SEE A FIRE BURNING ON A HUGE OBLONG BLOCK OF STONE
gular cave openings, apparently leading downward. They were apparently the entrances to one of the native cavern colonies, or possibly of a meeting place. No Earthman had ever entered one, but it was thought they had underground openings into the river. As the cave openings were obviously natural, Olear conjectured that there might be others that were not used. After an anxious search he found one, narrow and irregular, well hidden under the broad, glossy leaves of some uncatalogued vegetation. As it showed no evidence of use, Olear unhesitatingly slid down into it. It was very narrow and irregular, so that often he was barely able to squeeze through. The roots of trees choked the passage for a dozen feet or so, requiring the vigorous use of a knife. Bathed in sweat, his uniform a filthy mass of rags, Olear at last saw light. The passage ended abruptly near the roof of a large natural cavern. Lights glistened on stalactites which cut off Olear's larger view, and voices came from below. CERN A NUMBER OF IRREGULAR CAVE OPENINGS APPARENTLY LEADING DOWNWARD THEY WERE APPARENTLY THE ENTRANCES TO ONE OF THE NATIVE CAVERN COLONIES OR POSSIBLY OF A MEETING PLACE NO EARTHMEN HAD EVER ENTERED ONE BUT IT WAS THOUGHT THEY HAD UNDERGROUND OPENINGS INTO THE RIVER AS THE CAVE OPENINGS WERE OBVIOUSLY NATURAL O'LIE CONJECTURED THAT THERE MIGHT BE OTHERS THAT WERE NOT USED AFTER AN ANXIOUS SEARCH HE FOUND ONE NARROW AND IRREGULAR WELL HIDDEN UNDER THE BROAD GLOSSY LEAVES OF SOME UNCTALOGUED VEGETATION AS IT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF USE O'LIER UNHESITATINGLY SLID DOWN INTO IT IT WAS VERY NARROW AND IRREGULAR SO THAT OFTEN HE WAS BARELY ABLE TO SQUEEZE THROUGH THE ROOTS OF TREES CHOKED THE PASSAGE FOR A DOZEN FEET OR SO REQUIRING THE VIGOROUS USE OF A KNIFE BATHED IN SWEAT HIS UNIFORM A FILTHY MASS OF RAGS O'LIER AT LAST SAW LIGHT THE PASSAGE ENDED ABRUPTLY NEAR THE ROOF OF A LARGE NATURAL CAVERN LIGHTS GLISTENED ON STALE TITES WHICH CUT OFF EARLIER'S LARGER VIEW AND VOICES CAME FROM BELOW
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