Then they emerged upon a scene the like of which none of them had ever before beheld. It was wonderful.
They emerged upon a long gallery, from which they looked down into an internal crater full two hundred feet deep.
A mighty basin it was, covering acres with small islands of rock in a vast lake of fire and lava.
Great sheets of burning gas at times leaped a hundred feet into the air. Yet certain draughts of air made the gallery secure against the frightful heat.
For some while our explorers gazed upon the scene with wonder.
“Upon my word!” exclaimed Captain Hardy. “Inferno could not be worse than that!”
“You are right,” agreed Frank. “Certainly it is akin to it.”
“Begorra, I’d niver want to fall down there!” cried Barney, with a shiver. “Shure, it’s moighty quick yez would come to nothing.”
Nobody was disposed to contradict this logical statement. But Jack Wallis was impatient.
“If we are to save the captives I think we had better move,” he said.