rk height on whose summit
the moon shone whitely. He walked towards it, and as he approached he
saw that it was less like a bridge than a sort of ladder, and that it
rose to a giddy height above him. It seemed to rest on a rock far up
against dark sky, and the inside of the rock seemed hollowed out in one
vast dark cave.

[Illustration: Beyond it he could see dim piles that looked like
churches and houses.]

And now he was close to the foot of the ladder. It had no rungs, but
narrow ledges made hold for feet and hands. Philip remembered Jack and
the Beanstalk, and looked up longingly; but the ladder was a very very
long one. On the other hand, it was the only thing that seemed to lead
anywhere, and he had had enough of standing lonely in the grassy
prairie, where he seemed to have been for a very long time indeed. So he
put his hands and feet to the ladder and began to go up. It was a very
long climb. There were three hundred and eight steps, for he counted
them. And the steps were only on one side of the ladder, so he had to
be extremely careful. On he went, up and on, on and up, till his feet
ached and his hands felt as though they would drop off for tiredness. He
could not look up far, and he dared not look down at all. There was
nothing for it but to climb and climb and climb, and at last he saw the
ground on which the ladder rested--a terrace hewn in regular lines, and,
as it seemed, hewn from the solid rock. His head was level with the
ground, now his hands, now his feet. He leaped sideways from the ladder
and threw himself face down on the ground, which was cold and smooth
like marble. There he lay, drawing deep breaths of weariness and relief.

There was a great silence all about, which rested and soothed, and
presently he rose and looked around him. He was close to an archway with
very thick pillars, and he went towards it and peeped cautiously in. It
seemed to be a great gate leading to an open space, and beyond it he
could see dim piles that looked like churches and houses. But all was
deserted; the moonlight and he had the place, whatever it was, to
themselves.

'I suppose every one's in bed,' said Philip, and stood there trembling a
little, but very curious and interested, in the black shadow of the
strange arch.

CHAPTER II

DELIVERER OR DESTROYER

Philip stood in the shadow of the dark arch and looked out. He saw
before him a great square surrounded by tall irregular buildings. In the
mi