After the first jerk as I reached the end of the rope that had been paid out to let me fall below the pit's edge they lowered me quickly but smoothly.
The pit, which my imagination had pictured as bottomless, proved to be not more than a hundred feet in depth; but as its walls were smoothly polished it might as well have been a thousand feet, for I could never hope to escape without outside assistance.
For fifteen days the noble Hor Vastus has languished in the darkness of the pits, but not in vain.
"It took me but a short time to locate the plans of the pits of Helium among thy official papers.
"Love in the pits of O-Tar!" he cried, and again his thin laughter jarred upon the silence of the subterranean vaults.
"Few there are who visit the pits other than the dead, except my pupils--ey!
Decision and action usually occurred simultaneously in the life of the ape-man, and now he was away through the leafy branches ere the realization of the pit's purpose had scarce formed in his mind.
At the pit's verge the ape-man dropped to the ground in the center of the trail.
At that he stood irresolute for a moment, then turned, scrambled out of
the pit, and set off running wildly into Woking.
The rope came in tight and strained; and ring after ring was coiled upon the barrel of the windlass, and all eyes were fastened on the pit. The sobered man was brought up and leaped out briskly on the grass.
As these were made, they were hung upon an arm of the pitman who had last come up, with instructions how to use them: and as he stood, shown by the light he carried, leaning his powerful loose hand upon one of the poles, and sometimes glancing down the pit, and sometimes glancing round upon the people, he was not the least conspicuous figure in the scene.
The soldiers dragged it awkwardly from the post and began pushing it into the pit.
Pierre glanced into the pit and saw that the factory lad was lying with his knees close up to his head and one shoulder higher than the other.
Coming to the ground at the side of
the pit, he examined the stakes and as he did so was rather surprised to note that Numa gave no evidence of anger at his approach.
Therefore we tarried only a short time at
the pit. We rested the horses and ourselves, and felt for a few minutes the blessed shade of the ancient buildings.