"We gotta try," Johnny said firmly. He felt hollow inside when he thought Baba might go away for good, but he was convinced now that this was the only way to keep him safe.
"Let's try farther down." Johnny turned around and a few minutes later they were going down one of the curving main corridors again.
This corridor gradually straightened out. Soon it hardly slanted down at all. It finally turned into what seemed to be a long underground tunnel. Johnny had to stoop over to keep from hitting his head on the ceiling.
The passageway was no longer going through solid rock, and its walls and floor were a sticky clay. Johnny's and Baba's feet made squishing noises as they walked. It seemed as if the tunnel would never end. They walked on and on.
"I think we're going away from New Plymouth Rock," Baba clicked.
"I think so, too," Johnny answered. "We must've already gone 'most a mile."
The walls had narrowed until Johnny and Baba had to walk single file. Suddenly the passageway slanted upward and a faint glow of light could be seen far away. As they began to climb toward the light the ceiling became so low Johnny had to crawl on his hands and knees. It was a long, sticky climb.
As they approached within a few yards of the light, Baba stopped, blocking Johnny's way.
"This cave must end up in the jungle outside the colony wall," the little bear clicked. "Maybe we ought to stop." He sounded worried.
But Johnny was not going to let this chance pass.