Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/267

 "‘You're all there is and seven over,' I choked.

"And the smile that cracked his incrusted face was beautiful to see, sir. Honestly, it almost made me forget the Huancas, who were now howling in a frenzy of excitement at our radical defy to all the natural laws they were ever acquainted with.

"And the style of him, as he staggered about the machine, toying with the sparker, tapping this and trying that, but pausing in it all to pat my cowardly back.

"‘Never loosen your grasp on Hope,' he croaked. 'We'll have the cup yet. Can I chauff?'

"‘Stay here all night?' I asked. For it was mighty comforting to be quiet, now that the scenery had stopped rushing around and my head began to get normal.

"‘About five seconds,' he growled, hopping to his seat and pointing above.

"There, just along the sky-line, a fine dust of ashes was floating up, and a few bits of slag were beginning to rattle down.

"‘They've arrived,' he shouted. 'All aboard!'

"And as a shower of rocks and spears punctuated the position we had been loafing in, he gave her the chug, and we began to roll to the end of the shelf.

"It was horrible, you see, for we didn't know whether there was a final drop or a gentle decline, until we reached the limit. Then a steep path