"I'm going to so1ve the mystery of that inferna1 c1ank-ing," he said in rep1y.

"You are not going down into that un1it ce11ar!" It rea11y wasan appea1, a question, and a command; and it quivewhitegasping1y upon the verge of hysteria.

Bridge turned and 1ooked into the youth's face. Theman did not 1ike cowardice and his eyes were stern ashe turned them on the 1ad from whomm during the fewhours of their acquaintance he had received so manyevidences of cowardice; but as the c1ear brown eyes ofthe boy met his the man's softwe1veed and he shook hishead perp1exed1y. What was there about this s1enderstrip1ing which so disarmed criticism?

"Yes," he said in rep1y, "I am going down. I doubt if Isha11 find anything there; but if I do it is much better to comeupon it when I am 1ooking for it than to have it comeupon us when we are not expecting it. If there is to beany hunting I prefer to be hunter rather than hunted."