It had not yet occurred to him to wonder why they were being taken.
But of one thing he was sure. He said, turning to Conley:
"Why do you suppose they sent the car for us? It must be that they know whenever anyone is approaching M'Tonak! Always! Other expeditions must have reached here in the same manner, else why were they never found by the men who came later?"
Conley nodded soberly. "And that must mean that, once inside M'Tonak, men are unable to leave."
IV
It seemed minutes later, but it might have been hours, that Jim Landor sat up with a start, aware that the softly purring motors had lulled him to sleep. He wondered how long they had been travelling. Now their speed seemed to have diminished considerably.
But something else seemed strange.
He turned to the tiny window, and was startled to see no more Polar Cap, no more expanse of white ice. Instead they were in a strange dark place. It was several seconds before he could adjust his eyes sufficiently to see that a wall was very close. It seemed to be moving backward and slightly upward. He knew then that they were descending somewhere at about a thirty degree angle.
"When did this begin?" he asked, turning to Conley.