"Gad! We seem to have made an impression!" Harry grinned. On
the way down the passage we marched with the Prussian goose-step,
and felt the blood quickening to life in our legs and arms.
We had proceeded in this manner for some ten minutes when we
rounded a corner which I recognized at once by the peculiar
circular formation of the walls. We were on our way to the great
cavern--the cavern where we had first seen Desiree, and where
later she had won the toss for our lives and then preserved them.
Another minute and we had reached the steps leading to the tunnel
under the lake. Here our guards seemed in doubt as to just what
to do; those in front halted and stood hesitant, and it seemed to
me that as they gazed below down the stone stair their eyes held
a certain shrinking terror. Then one came up from behind and with
a commanding gesture ordered them to descend, and they obeyed.
Harry and I still found ourselves surrounded by a full company;
there were fifty or sixty ahead of us and at least twice that
number behind. The idea of a successful struggle was so patently
impossible that I believe it never entered our minds.
There was further delay at the bottom of the stairs, for, as I
have said before, the tunnel was extremely narrow and it was
barely possible to walk two abreast.
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