ning, he cast a swift, sidelong glance down the beach, toward the
big-mouthed cave. He saw nothing--which was what he expected.

"I must have been mistaken," he thought. "It must have been a trick of
imagination."

He brushed past the man who had the watch-tackle coiled over a
shoulder, and fell in behind Ichi. The last sound he heard from the
outer world was the clear, vibrant sound of the ship's bell. Five
bells!

CHAPTER XIX

THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS

During the voyage Martin had listened to many discussions between
Little Billy and Captain Dabney concerning the formation of Fire
Mountain, and their descriptions of the strange features of the island
had made him impatient to see with his own eyes the grotesque
sculptures, and with his own feet explore the mysterious caverns.

In some long past age, argued the captain, the volcano had erupted
during the Arctic winter, and the flowing lava had been quickly chilled
by the intense cold, and in the hardening formed the odd sculpting and
the numberless caves. But, urged the captain, this lava cloak could
not be very thick, and while the caves existed from base to summit and
all the way around the mountain, it was unlikely that any of them
penetrated into the heart of the mountain.

Little Billy disagreed. He cited John Winters's log in disproof; and
he and Martin made plans to thoroughly explore the Island. The
prospect charmed Martin. He felt he could hardly wait to reach Fire
Mountain beach, and enter the gloomy depths through the portal of the
Elephant Head on his errand of discovery.

And here at last he was on the very beach, stepping through the very
opening! How different was reality from his bright dreams? Instead of
friendly company, he was surrounded by alien, hostile figures; instead
of Ruth's little hand snuggling confidingly in his, his arms were bound
behind him; instead of inspecting his path with carefree, curious gaze,
he looked about him with eyes of desperation.

He had little interest in discovery as he stepped through the Elephant
Head. The details of the physical appearance of the passageway were
sharply impressed upon his mind, but they were subconscious
impressions. His active mind was at the moment wholly concerned with
his arms. They ached cruelly. Would they fail him? When he jerked
them free, would he be able to use them? Or would they drop numb and
useless by his sides? No, he decided after cautious experiment, th