For a minute Holman breathed hungrily of the hot air, then he attempted
to discover our exact position in the crater.
"We must be somewhere near the top," he declared. "Don't you remember
that the colour of the walls darkened rapidly below the Ledge of Death?"
"I remember," I answered. "We must be nearly on a level with the Ledge."
"If we could look out from under this projecting piece of rock,"
muttered the youngster.
"It's risky."
"I'll make a try, Verslun. Hold my legs. I'm going to hang out of this
burrow and take a peep around to get our bearings."
I gripped his legs, and turning upon his back he pushed himself slowly
out over the edge of the passage till he was able to look up in front of
the piece of rock that projected like the peak of a cap above the
opening.
Clinging to this peak with his two hands, the upper part of his body
being out over the abyss, he stared upward, and as I watched his face I
noticed the look of joy and amazement that spread across it.
"What is it, Holman?" I cried. "Are we saved? Tell me!"
He slid hurriedly back to safety and pounded the rock above his head
with his bare fists.
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