A sudden idea came to him, and he began fighting his way towards the barrier.

As he reached it the glare came to an end.
In a moment he had thrown off the great cloak that not only impeded his movements but made him conspicuous, and had slipped it from his shoulders.

He heard someone trip in its folds.

In another he was scaling the barrier and had dropped into the blackness on the further side.

Then feeling his way he came to the lower end of an ascending gangway.