DOWN THE SHAFT
Frank Hardy swung the flashlight, and the wolf before them sprang back,
snarling ferociously, into the darkness. The pattering of feet at the
back of the huge cavern became more insistent. The boys were conscious
of those greenish eyes all about them. The wolves were circling around
the cave.
Another wolf joined the animal that barred the entrance. By some animal
cunning, they seemed to realize that by so doing they could entrap
their prey. The Hardy boys knew that they had wandered into a veritable
den of timber wolves who had found in this abandoned mine an ideal
refuge and shelter, who had probably made the place their own for years.
The wolves drew closer. The circle was narrowing. The animals were
beginning to pace about the cave in long strides, drawing in toward the
boys as the circumference of the circle grew smaller.
"Keep the flashlight on," said Joe. "They're afraid of the light."
Frank kept turning slowly about, keeping the glare of the flash full on
the circling wolves, and every time its radiance illuminated a gaunt
grey form the animal would leap back, snarling, into the shadows.
But as quickly as the light was turned away from one side, the wolves
on the other side of the circle would grow bolder and come closer. It
was inevitable that in a few minutes the lads would be torn to pieces.
Suddenly Frank thought of the revolver they had seized from Slim
Briggs. It was still in his pocket and he had forgotten all about it
until this time. With his free hand he reached for the weapon.
Slowly he withdrew it. Then, turning the flashlight directly on one of
the snarling beasts, he took aim and fired.
The animal dropped in his tracks with a yelp of pain, and instantly the
ranks of the wolves were broken as they fled howling to the darkest
corners of the cavern. The stricken wolf writhed and snarled wretchedly
for a moment, then lay still.
The boys edged back toward the entrance, but before they could reach it
a grey form shot across the circle of light and barred the way with a
snarl of defiance. Again they were trapped. Frank fired at the animal.
The shot went wide and the brute slunk back, but still remained in the
passageway. Two or three of the other animals came rushing out of the
darkness and pounced on the body of the dead wolf, tearing at the flesh
with savage jaws. For a while the cave echoed with growls and snarls as
the animals set about their hideous meal, and then the revolver crashed
forth again and another wolf toppled over dead.
"Three shells left," said Frank.
"Save them. We'll take a chance on getting out."
But the chance appeared to be a slim one. More wolves had joined their
leader at the entrance, and it seemed impossible that the boys could
ever make their escape that way.
The wolves began to advance. The leader came forward, showing his
teeth. His eyes glowed like spots of green flame.
Step by step, the boys retreated.
The animals appeared to have overcome their fear of the flashlight.
They no longer slunk into the shadows when its fierce glare was turned
on them. Instead, they came forward boldly, with dripping, gleaming
jaws.
"I'm afraid we're trapped," declared Frank.
"We'll die fighting, anyway. I wish I had a gun."
"Wouldn't be much use against this pack."
"Turn your flash and see if there isn't any other way out of this place
except the way we came in."
Frank turned the light swiftly about toward the walls back of them and
in the radiant gleam the boys saw a narrow passage, like a dark splotch
against the rock, just a few feet away.
"That looks like our only chance."
"We'll try it, anyway. It seems to lead back into the wall quite a
distance."
"It may be all right--as long as we don't run into another wolf den."
"Those brutes will follow us."
"The whole pack can't get into that narrow tunnel, at any rate. We'll
have a better chance of fighting them off." Frank turned the light
swiftly on the dark passage again. "You try it first. They may try to
rush us when they see us getting away."
They backed up as close to the opening in the rocks as they could.
The wolves were very near now. Three of them had thrust their cruel
heads directly into the circle of light from the flash. Their vicious
snarling echoed throughout the cave. Frank sensed that they were
preparing to spring.
"Quick!" he urged his brother.
Joe leaped and scrambled into the opening.
At the same instant the foremost wolf crouched for a spring. There was
not a second to lose. Frank leveled the revolver and fired.
His aim was true. Halfway in the air the animal gave a convulsive twist
of its body and crashed on to the rocks. It writhed in its death agony,
snarling ferociously and snapping at everything within reach, until it
finally lay still.
The respite was just what the boys needed. The other wolves slunk back,
discouraged by the loss of their leader. Frank knew, however, that it
would be but for a moment. He backed into the passage with Joe.
The tunnel was narrow, but high enough to permit them to move about
without crouching. They were unable to light their way, as Frank needed
the flashlight turned before him in order to frighten back the wolves.
For a moment the animals seemed to hesitate, as though fearing a trap
and then the foremost wolf cautiously entered the tunnel in pursuit of
its prey.
The boys backed slowly down the tunnel, which descended on a slope.
They did not know where it led, they could not see, but they knew they
must keep backing away from the wolves.
"We're up against it if this is a blind alley," declared Joe, in a low
voice.
"We're up against it if we stop and try to fight it out."
Step by step they moved backward, and step by step the foremost wolf
pursued them.
The animal was more cowardly than the leader that had been killed. He
did not advance boldly, but slunk along, pressing to the side of the
tunnel as though trying to evade the dazzling gleam of light that shone
in his eyes. Now and then he snarled viciously, showing his teeth.
"Are any of the wolves following him?" asked Joe, from the darkness.
"I can't see any. This brute seems to be alone."
"How about taking a shot at him?"
"What's the use? Even if I did kill him, we'd only run into the rest of
them when we went out into the cave again. I'm not going to use this
gun again unless I absolutely have to."
The brothers continued their weird journey. The tunnel was damp and
chilly. The floor was rocky and uneven, and Frank was in constant dread
lest he trip and fall. It would be all up with them then. The wolf
would not lose a second in taking advantage of such an opportunity. So,
stepping backward, they retreated farther and farther down the passage,
watching the grey form that constantly followed, never gaining on
them, but never falling back.
"I wonder how long this tunnel is?" Frank muttered.
"Can't last forever," said Joe, with an attempt at cheerfulness. "I
think I feel a draft of cold air at my back."
"It doesn't lead outside, that's certain. If it did it would be sloping
upward."
There was a low snarl from the wolf. It advanced farther into the
circle of light. The brute had evidently decided that the light was not
particularly dangerous, and was growing bolder.
Frank tightened his grip on the revolver. The animal was preparing for
a rush.
The gaunt grey form gathered itself together and came directly at him.
Frank pressed the trigger.
The revolver crashed forth, awakening thunderous echoes in the narrow
tunnel. The wolf gave vent to a howl of pain and fury, but although its
onward course was checked for a moment and it swerved to one side it
did not fall back. The bullet had not found a vital spot. Maddened by
pain, the animal came on again.
The boys scrambled back. The wolf leaped. Frank flung himself to one
side and the great body brushed against him. He struck out with the
revolver and felt the weapon strike against flesh. Again he pulled the
trigger, with the barrel of the weapon directly against the animal's
hide, and then he sprang farther back into the tunnel.
Behind him he heard a shout. It seemed curiously far away. He retreated
another step.
His foot did not find the solid rock. Instead, he stepped back into
space. For an instant he wavered, clutching vainly at the air. Then he
lost his balance, staggered backward, and then felt himself falling on
downward into utter darkness.