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143 



" 'What are you doing there?' he asked. 

"I felt angry at having been tricked by so elaborate a story as that which he had 
told me. 'I was admiring your fuller's-earth,' said I; 'I think that I should be better 
able to advise you as to your machine if I knew what the exact purpose was for 
which it was used.' 

"The instant that I uttered the words I regretted the rashness of my speech. His 
face set hard, and a baleful light sprang up in his grey eyes. 

" 'Very well,' said he, 'you shall know all about the machine.' He took a step 
backward, slammed the little door, and turned the key in the lock. I rushed towards 
it and pulled at the handle, but it was quite secure, and did not give in the least to 
my kicks and shoves. 'Hullo!' I yelled. 'Hullo! Colonel! Let me out!' 

"And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my heart into 
my mouth. It was the clank of the levers and the swish of the leaking cylinder. 
He had set the engine at work. The lamp still stood upon the floor where I had 
placed it when examining the trough. By its light I saw that the black ceiling was 
coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but, as none knew better than myself, with 
a force which must within a minute grind me to a shapeless pulp. I threw myself, 
screaming, against the door, and dragged with my nails at the lock. I implored the 
colonel to let me out, but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my cries. 
The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head, and with my hand upraised 
I could feel its hard, rough surface. Then it flashed through my mind that the pain 
of my death would depend very much upon the position in which I met it. If I lay 
on my face the weight would come upon my spine, and I shuddered to think of 
that dreadful snap. Easier the other way, perhaps; and yet, had I the nerve to lie 
and look up at that deadly black shadow wavering down upon me? Already I was 
unable to stand erect, when my eye caught something which brought a gush of 
hope back to my heart. 

"I have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron, the walls were of 
wood. As I gave a last hurried glance around, I saw a thin line of yellow light 
between two of the boards, which broadened and broadened as a small panel was 
pushed backward. For an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed a door 
which led away from death. The next instant I threw myself through, and lay half- 
fainting upon the other side. The panel had closed again behind me, but the crash 
of the lamp, and a few moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs of metal, told 
me how narrow had been my escape. 

"I was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist, and I found myself 
lying upon the stone floor of a narrow corridor, while a woman bent over me and 
tugged at me with her left hand, while she held a candle in her right. It was the 
same good friend whose warning I had so foolishly rejected. 

" 'Come! come!' she cried breathlessly. 'They will be here in a moment. They 
will see that you are not there. Oh, do not waste the so-precious time, but come!' 

"This time, at least, I did not scorn her advice. I staggered to my feet and ran 
with her along the corridor and down a winding stair. The latter led to another 
broad passage, and just as we reached it we heard the sound of running feet and the 



ADVENTURE IX. THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER 'S THUMB