He stopped, and his voice betrayed his uneasiness as he asked: "How far do you think we have come ?" Mukoki had gone a few steps ahead, and before Wabi answered he called softly to them from close up against the chasm wall.

They hurried to him and found him standing beside the rift.
"Here!" Wabi handed his rifle to Rod.
"I'm going up first," he announced.

"If the coast is clear I'll whistle down." For a few moments Mukoki and Rod could hear him as he crawled up the fissure.

Then all was silent.

A quarter of an hour passed, and a low whistle came to their ears.