It was the Professor who broke the silence. The momentary awe which he
experienced when the strange freak of nature sprang up before his eyes
was dispelled by the vanity which prompted him to air his knowledge
concerning the cause of the vivid colours which seemed to radiate from
the walls. He prattled upon the effect of heat upon minerals till he
made us dizzy, and Holman broke in upon his chatter with a question that
he fired point blank at Leith.
"But what did we climb up here for?" asked the youngster. "Did we come
for the view alone?"
Leith grinned as he surveyed the questioner. "No, we didn't come for the
view," he answered. "It happens to be on the way to our destination."
Holman looked around at the basalt walls that hemmed us in on both
sides, and then glanced at the pit in front.
"But we can go no farther," he said.
Leith's smile spread across his ugly flat face. "You are too young to
know everything," he sneered.
The youngster's eyes opened as he looked again at the circular pit with
its brilliantly tinted sides. The answer perplexed him, and he waited
anxiously for an explanation.
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