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Instead,itwasathingsomockinglynormalandsounerringlyfamiliarizedbyourseadaysoffVictoriaLandandourcampdaysatMcMurdoSoundthatweshudderedtothinkofithere,wheresuchthingsoughtnottobe. Tobebrief—itwassimplytheraucoussquawkingofapenguin.
Themuffledsoundfloatedfromsubglacialrecessesnearlyoppositetothecorridorwhencewehadcome—regionsmanifestlyinthedirectionofthatothertunneltothevastabyss. Thepresenceofalivingwaterbirdinsuchadirection—inaworldwhosesurfacewasoneofage-longanduniformlifelessness—couldleadtoonlyoneconclusion;henceourfirstthoughtwastoverifytheobjectiverealityofthesound. Itwas,indeed,repeated,andseemedattimestocomefrommorethanonethroat. Seekingitssource,weenteredanarchwayfromwhichmuchdebrishadbeencleared;resumingourtrailblazing—withanaddedpapersupplytakenwithcuriousrepugnancefromoneofthetarpaulinbundlesonthesledges—whenweleftdaylightbehind.
Astheglaciatedfloorgaveplacetoalitterofdetritus,weplainlydiscernedsomecurious,draggingtracks;andonceDanforthfoundadistinctprintofasortwhosedescriptionwouldbeonlytoosuperfluous. Thecourseindicatedbythepenguincrieswaspreciselywhatourmapandcompassprescribedasanapproachtothemorenortherlytunnelmouth,andweweregladtofindthatabridgelessthoroughfareonthegroundandbasementlevelsseemedopen. Thetunnel,accordingtothechart,oughttostartfromthebasementofalargepyramidalstructurewhichweseemedvaguelytorecallfromouraerialsurveyasremarkablywell-preserved. Alongourpaththesingletorchshowedacustomaryprofusionofcarvings,butwedidnotpausetoexamineanyofthese.
