"Sure," assented Lake cheerfully. "And we may bump into trolls and gnomes in yonder tunnel. It looks sinister enough. Stop talking, Ramey. You're wasting time. If anything should happen to you, there ought to be another earthman at Kohrisan's side. Anyhow--" He grinned--"I'd rather walk to Lanka than ride one of those junky boats. I get seasick easy." Ramey surrendered, not without a secret pleasure at the gay O'Brien twin's insistence. He turned for the last time to Red Barrett. "Got everything straight, Redhead?" Barrett nodded. "Check, pal! We let you get a half hour's start. Then me and Syd pile the other divisions of native soldiers into the boats and row slowly toward Lanka, making as much of a fuss as we can. That'll attract their attention, make 'em split up their forces, and relieve some of the pressure on old Vibby-what's-his-name." "Right! And don't attempt a landing. Stay out of bow-range until you get some sort of signal from us. We'll try to clear a landing-port for you. Well--" Ramey took a deep breath, glanced at Kohrisan--"I guess we're set. Give the command, Captain." And with the voluble little jungle-creature beside them, chattering, guiding, he and the ape-captain led the way into the underground passage. * * * * * Had Ramey Winters been in exploring, rather than expeditionary, mood he would have found much to marvel at during the ensuing march. Kohrisan had not exaggerated when he had called his Burrower brethren magnificent artificers. This tunnel, Ramey Winters was forced to concede, was as great an accomplishment as any ever wrought by supposedly superior Man. For a short space it dipped downward into the earth, out under the lake-shallows, on a gentle cline. Then it straightened, became a passage smooth and straight and true as if bored by a gigantic drill. It did not provide quite enough head-room for Ramey and Lake. Six-footers each, they soon found their shoulders aching under the strain of walking with heads lowered beneath an arched roofway built to accommodate dwarfish figures. But this was the only inadequacy of the tunnel. In every other respect it was perfect. Its floor was smooth and dry. Its walls were hewn to glassy perfection, and by the light of the torches the wayfarers bore shone with a strange, azure glow. How this wonder had been wrought was a question that perplexed Ramey, but his one effort to learn met with scant success. Kohrisan could not tell him, and the Burrower would not. Incessant chatterer the ape was, but he refused to tell this secret of his clan. So Ramey shelved the problem for the time being, resolving that at some later date he would try again.[13] [Footnote 13: The accompanying news-clipping might have helped Ramey solve the mystery--or might have only furthered his confusion. One truth shines clearly through the webwork of half-knowledge to which man is heir: That there exist in this world many ancient secrets as yet unsolved.--Ed.]