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289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
22
After
hundreds
of
twists
and
turns
and
interminable
straight
galleries
the
cleft
turned
more
sharply
upward,
and
they
had
a
period
of
stiff
climbing.
They
must
have
gone
several
miles
and
climbed
at
least
20,000
feet.
The
air
became
noticeably
thin,
which
only
exhilarated
Gunga,
but
slowed
the
Earth
man
down.
But
at
last
they
came
to
the
end
of
the
cleft.
They
could
go
no
further,
but
above
them,
at
least
500
feet
higher,
they
saw
a
round
patch
of
sky,
miraculously
bright
blue
sky!
"A
pipe!"
Forepaugh
cried.
He
had
often
heard
of
these
mysterious,
almost
fabulous
structures
sometimes
reported
by
passing
travelers.
Straight
and
true,
smooth
as
glass
and
apparently
immune
to
the
elements,
they
had
been
occasionally
seen
standing
on
the
very
tops
of
the
highest
mountains--seen
for
a
few
moments
only
before
they
were
hidden
again
by
the
clouds.
Were
they
observatories
of
some
ancient
race,
placed
thus
to
pierce
the
mysteries
of
outer
space?
They
would
find
out.
The
inside
of
the
pipe
had
zigzagging
rings
of
metal,
conveniently
spaced
for
easy
climbing.
With
Gunga
leading,
they
soon
reached
the
top.
But
not
quite.
"Eh?"
said
Forepaugh.
"Uh?"
said
Gunga.
There
had
not
been
a
sound,
but
a
distinct,
definite
command
had
registered
on
their
minds.
"Stop!"
They
tried
to
climb
higher,
but
could
not
unclasp
their
hands.
They
tried
to
descend,
but
could
not
lower
their
feet.
The
light
was
by
now
relatively
bright,
and
as
by
command
their
eyes
sought
the
opposite
wall.
What
they
saw
gave
their
jaded
nerves
an
unpleasant
thrill--a
mass
of
doughy
matter
of
a
blue-green
color
about
three
feet
in
diameter,
with
something
that
resembled
a
cyst
filled
with
transparent
liquid
near
its
center.
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