They retraced their steps with hearts that grew heavier at every step. The passage that had seemed most promising had yielded nothing but bitter disappointment. Only two other chances remained, and who could tell that they led anywhere but to death? At the juncture of the passageways, they hesitated for a moment only. There was absolutely nothing to indicate that they should take one of the remaining two paths rather than the other. Impenetrable blackness covered both. "Which shall it be, Ruth?" asked Drew. "You do the choosing, Allen," Ruth responded. At a venture he took the one leading to the left, but had not proceeded more than a hundred feet when he stopped abruptly on the very brink of a chasm that spanned the entire width of the passage-way. There was no ledge however narrow to furnish a foothold along its sides. Once more they were absolutely blocked. Drew checked a groan and Ruth stifled something suspiciously like a sob. The tension under which they were was fast reaching the breaking point. "Never mind," said Drew, stoutly recovering himself. "There's luck in odd numbers and the third time we win." "First the worst, second the same, last the best of all the game," responded Ruth with an attempt at heartiness. Again they went back and took the only way remaining. Upon the ending of that passage their life or death depended. But as they advanced steadily and no barrier interfered, their spirits rose. Then suddenly they cried aloud in their joy, for on turning a sharp bend in the path a rush of air almost extinguished the torch that Drew was carrying. A hundred feet ahead was an opening thickly covered with bushes, but large enough to admit of forcing a passage! Ruth dropped her load of surplus torches. Drew, grasping her arm, hurried her along. He forced the bushes apart and pushed her through. Then he followed. They heard a wild shout and the next minute Ruth was sobbing in her father's arms, while Tyke--hardy grizzled old Tyke--had thrown his arms around Allen in a bear's hug and was blubbering like a baby. CHAPTER XXVI HOPE DEFERRED There was a wild babble of questions and answers, and it was a long time before all had calmed down enough to talk coherently. The captain and Tyke in their frantic search had come just abreast of the outlet at the moment when Ruth and Allen had burst out into daylight and safety. Their hearts thrilled as they listened to the dreadful perils through which had passed the two who were dearest to them on earth and the narration was punctuated with expressions of consternation and sympathy. "Well now," suggested Ruth after a half hour had passed, "let's get back to work." "No more work this afternoon," ejaculated the captain. "You're going straight back to the ship."