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rofesso - being. “willing, Van ‘led
the way out into, the open caverns oe ode eg
.He had scarcely done:so when, he gave a startled cry.
° ‘What’ is the matter? ? _asked his ‘three friends in.a..
breath, : :
"DT see Jack and Joe! Pr our ir hero ‘exclaime
they, go... The dwarfs haye cut. them off from: escape and
surrounded them.”° | ~~
“We. must get: there ; as. soon as Possible,”
Pestle, i ina plucky tone of voice..
“Sure!” echoed “Lank Edwards,
“at ‘the. “same.
me
tightening his belt in. order to. be ready. for. the fight: that
was sure. to come.
‘The dwarfs who were conveying Clancy. and his com-.
panion along were now running in the direction of the
crowd where Van had seen Jack and Joe a moment before. .
But, before: they. reached them our friends saw the
whole crowd enter a passage,’ similar to the one through |
which.they had reached the place. ,
Though they were unable to catch a glimpse “of them,
they ‘knew that Jack and Joe were among the crowd.
Van conjectured that. they would most likely lead the
way into the same passage Jack and Joe had been taken., , “
In this he was right, for.by the time he and _his three
“friends had made half the distance across the open space
_ the last. dwarf. had: entered. the passage. . eer
. The’four,now started forward on.a run, and a: ‘couple
of..minutes later they were at the spot where the mys-.
terious. underground. “dyellers had disappeared with their ,
prisoners...
But they had scarcely entered. ‘the passage when they
heard the. dwarfs coming back, as thought: i ina combined ,
rush. noe
; There was.a-niche close ‘at, hand, and, ‘noticing this,
~ Van quickly motioned his companions, to follow him into ,
it. -
They had ‘scarcely ‘sought seclusion :i in the niche when
the foremost of the dwarfs went.rushing by.. wee
In the semilight that prevailed in ‘that part. of the
cavern our-hero noticed that Doc ‘Clancy and ‘his. ally
were in their midst, still being carried. valong, as.. :priss:
® oners.
“ +. mt
“He watched the curious. ‘crowd : as: “they. filed” past, ex-.
pecting every moment’ to See: Jack. and. Joe: being brought
back. - po ritisy 1
But no such sight ‘greeted his ey es, “and at Tength. the
entire crowd .of ‘dwarfs who had ‘entered the passage
- a.few, minutes before had left it and returned to the burs
ing fires in. the cavern.
“They have left Jack and Joe somewhere back hice j in.
-this.passage,” said: Van, in a tone of deep | concern, , when
the dwarfs. were out of hearing. .
“They have, sure, if they took ’em in ere,”
Lank. Edwards. .
“IT know they took’ them: in here,” returned our hero.’
“I saw them; and as they are still here, and not far
away, I should judge, I propose we look for them.’””
“I. agree swith you!” exclaimed Dr. Pestle, .warinly..
“Come.on; there-is enough leit of the torch t manufac:
th: red to light us on our way.” >
“Suppose the little fiends have killed our two com-
' observed
~ parfang"
. ‘See! ! there .
sald Dr, -
a” dragging Toe across:
ae
wie
“what then? 2
“If such a. thing: has happened | they'll be dead,” » replied
iP I wager a plug of ter-.
Lank Edwards. “But, ,come.on ;
backy: that we'll find ’em.”
.Dr. Pestle struck: a: ‘match and lighted. the rudely, con-
structed’ torch, and thie four started: along the passage.
“It. was slimy, and damp i in the place, and lizards could
be.seen crawling about in, all shapes. ae
“Ugh!” grunted the professor ; “‘a nasty. place, this,”
“For. that. reason we should. be more anxious. to: get
Jack and Joe out of it,” said Van,
He had scarcely . spoken when the smothered. report of
‘a.revolver was heard. from a point. directly. ahead of them.
Feeling that they had” come upon their two friends,
they made.a rush forward... ° .
But the next: instant. “they were. checked by a huge
bowlder. *
They came to a halt, ‘completely +
non lused.
“Why, here is the way,’ :
* said the doctor, sadly, hold-
_- ing his torch’ to the left. as he spoke...
The four were now hurrying swiftly along in the wake -
of the dwarfs who had Doc Clancy-and the other fellow. -
“Sure chough,
closed! a :
“Well,” observed our hero,
to. det. ‘them know, we are, coming, and then we will go
on.”
Pointing ‘the. weapon in ‘the air, he pulled the trigger.
A; hundred - echoes followed, the report, and then an
answering shot was heard.
The next instant all four darted. Linto the passage. ees
They had hardly taken a dozen’ steps when. their heels
flew from beneath.them, and they went. ‘shooting down: a
slippery decline with the speed of the wind, :
_ But ina-very .few. seconds _ they brought: ‘Up, ina con-
fused heap on a rocky floor. :
“Thunder!” ejaculated : Lank Edwards,
. happened now ?”
ne scrambled to. us feet, followed by his companions. .
t.” Pestle’s torch had become |
hastened to light it again. extinguished, ands
: As the feeble flame. flared. au
; th
wore in what appeared :to be a they i found. tat they
around them. the behel 51
sing skella y d piles of bones. and grin
The professor’s teeth. began to chatter. ee
wet us 8 get out of here!” he exclaimed... :
ou forget,” said Van. “\W. 1 here
scarey of Thee ata Toe, a Ve came down here i in
‘As he-finished ‘speaki ing, he fir
K ed of , 1
_ began shouting | ‘Jack! as loud as he sis ev ees an
o the jo
close ath ic y of all hands, an answering cry was, heard
“This - way!” a voice “shouted.
got more than I can attend to here!”
That is Jack,” said: our hero
some sort of trouble ” .
a: continuance of the: passage was dis:
“Hurry, for I have
. : ‘ -
ce _
%
. CHAPTER XIV.
INA PERILOUS Postrion,
“As Jack: Howard beheld the hid:
the floor of the
of horror left his lips, * cave
; faltering: tone;
ng _
Sf <..
“—p 11 fire off my: ‘revolver .
“What. has
“Come on; he is in
LOus,, ‘crablike monster:
, an exclamation :
Sy
re