第11部分(第2/7 頁)

Jack　Ryan　went　on　thus　until　he　got　to　the　twenty…sixth　landing；　and　consequently　had　two　hundred　feet　between　him　and　the　bottom。

Here　he　put　down　his　leg　to　feel　for　the　first　rung　of　the　twenty…seventh　ladder。 But　his　foot　swinging　in　space　found　nothing　to　rest　on。　He　knelt　down　and　felt　about　with　his　hand　for　the　top　of　the　ladder。　It　was　in　vain。

〃Old　Nick　himself　must　have　been　down　this　way！〃　said　Jack；　not　without　a　slight　feeling　of　terror。

He　stood　considering　for　some　time；　with　folded　arms；　and　longing　to　be　able　to　pierce　the　imperable　darkness。　Then　it　occurred　to　him　that　if　he　could　not　get　down；　neither　could　the　inhabitants　of　the　mine　get　up。 There　was　now　no　munication　between　the　depths　of　the　pit　and　the　upper　regions。　If　the　removal　of　the　lower　ladders　of　the　Yarrow　shaft　had　been　effected　since　his　last　visit　to　the　cottage；　what　had　bee　of　Simon　Ford；　his　wife；　his　son；　and　the　engineer？

The　prolonged　absence　of　James　Starr　proved　that　he　had　not　left　the　pit　since　the　day　Ryan　met　with　him　in　the　shaft。　How　had　the　cottage　been　provisioned　since　then？　The　food　of　these　unfortunate　people；　imprisoned　fifteen　hundred　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　ground；　must　have　been　exhausted　by　this　time。

All　this　passed　through　Jack's　mind；　as　he　saw　that　by　himself　he　could　do　nothing　to　get　to　the　cottage。 He　had　no　doubt　but　that　munication　had　been　interrupted

with　a　malevolent　intention。 At　any　rate；　the　authorities　must　be　informed；　and　that　as　soon　as　possible。

Jack　Ryan　bent　forward　from　the　landing。

〃Harry！ Harry！〃　he　shouted　with　his　powerful　voice。

Harry's　name　echoed　and　re…echoed　among　the　rocks；　and　finally　died　away　in　the　depths　of　the　shaft。

Ryan　rapidly　ascende