“Barney has gone down with them.”
“He is likely killed.”
“Massy sakes alibe!” cried Pomp, wildly. “Dat am awful. We must do somfin’ fo’ to sabe Barney.”
But now as the dust cleared, a horrible realization dawned upon the explorers.
At their feet yawned a dark abyss.
How deep it was they could not guess, for the stairs and the floor beneath had succumbed and gone down with Barney.
The bottom of the abyss could not be seen.
It was safe to assume, however, that it was really a cellar underneath the building, and therefore not more than a dozen feet or more in depth.
Frank leaned over and shouted:
“Barney! If you are alive, answer me!”