"For some reason, Sands and I felt better after the hurtling projectile
had lifted from the whirling pool and passed into the infinite. After
a short conference we decided to investigate the strange phenomenon we
had witnessed, and at the same time continue our search for Allie Lane
and her father, or whatever traces of them might remain. Our brains
were clear as bells now, our wits sharp in spite of so many strange
happenings that occurred since early that morning. After it all, we
thought, we could not be surprised at anything that might arise in the
future, and we might as well explore further, the weird circular cave
and the black hole which we noticed still retained its red glow. Sands
remarked that if the red glow continued to illuminate the cave from
which had come the whirling sphere, there would be no need of the small
carbide lamp I had in my pack still strapped to my shoulders. The only
thing that seemed to worry us was the absence of water. Our canteens
were practically empty and naturally we wanted to refill them if we
could. We seemed to have no thirst and a strange comfort appeased the
dryness of our throats.
"We single-filed along the edge of the pool toward the luminous red
cave. In several minutes we had reached the entrance to our glowing
objective. At the entrance of the cave with its glow of red radiancy,
Sands and I paused before entering. What we saw there caused Sands to
leap backward. I stood stock still, awed at the sight, not knowing what
to do.
"On either side of the cave, hung intact were the skeletons of two
human beings! With skulls grinning like green ghosts, the skeletons
hung against the side butts of the cave's entrance! Weirdly radiant
with the pale green hue, the bones stood out in high relief against the
red glow of the strange illumination as though to warn us that to go
further meant doom.
"I turned at the sound of Sands' getting to his feet. He stood at my
side, mouth agape.
"'That, pardner,' he said, softly, 'means the end of our search! I have
hoped for the best for Allie and her dad, but what we see now tells the
story of their deaths!'
"Sands doffed his hat and hung his head in reverence. I did likewise
for I was thinking along the same lines. Sadly I lifted my head and
again speculated on the skeletons. I was trying to figure who might
have hung those grisly relics on the wall of the cavern. Whoever it
was, I thought, had scant respect for the dead! The two could at least
have been given decent burials. I clenched my fists and swore. Sands
lifted his head suddenly at the oaths which escaped my lips. His hand
grasped my sleeve.
"'What's wrong, pardner?' he asked, with a trace of anger in his voice.
"'I'm just wondering, Sands,' I replied, 'how they came to be hung up
there like that. They couldn't hang themselves in suicide and the bones
remain intact. Let's look closer!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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