in bags--more than
we can carry. I have, too, the furs that mother and father wore."

She ran into another room and returned with a great pile of fur
garments, which we examined and found to be in good condition.

"Now is the time," Ray said. "I'd like to know more about the big
crabs, but there'll be a chance for that, later. Mildred is the
important thing, now. We must get her out. Then we can tell the world
about this place and come back with a bigger expedition."

"You think we can reach the coast?"

"I think so. It might be hard on Mildred. But we will have food; we
can probably find fuel for the stove in Meriden's plane, if the tanks
were well sealed. And Captain Harper should have a relief party landed
and sent to meet us. We should have only three or four hundred miles
to go alone."

"Three or four hundred miles, over country like we've been crossing in
the last week, with a girl! Ray, we'd never make it!"

"It's the only chance."

I said nothing more. I knew that I could stand no such march on my
frozen feet, but I resolved to say nothing about it. I would help them
as far as I could, and then walk out of camp some night. Men have done
just that.

Mildred brought out sacks of the little cakes, and of a red powder
that seemed to be the dried and ground flesh of a crimson mushroom. We
made a pack for each of us, as heavy as we could carry.

* * * * *

Just before we were ready to start Ray took off my footgear and
treated my feet from his medicine kit. I had feared gangrene, but he
assured me that there was no danger if they were well cared for.
Walking was still exquisitely painful to me as we slipped out through
the arched door and into the fungoid forest beyond the three blue
cylinders.

As rapidly and silently as possible we hastened through the brilliant
fungous forest, across the river of opalescent liquid, to the foot of
the fall of fire. A weird and splendid sight was that sheer arc of
shimmering white flame, roaring into a pool of opal light, and
surrounded with a mist of moon-flame.

We reached the foot of the metal ladder spiked to the rocks beside the
fall and started up immediately. The going was not easy. The packs of
food, heavy enough when we were on level ground, were difficult indeed
to lift when one was scrambling up over rungs four feet apart.

Ray climbed ahead, with a piece of rope fastened from his waist to
Mildred's, so that he could help her