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           Thattheirpresenthabitatwasthevastabysswesought,wasnotforamomenttobedoubted;andthisevidenceofthegulf’scontinuedwarmthandhabitabilityfilleduswiththemostcuriousandsubtlyperturbingfancies. 

           Wewondered,too,whathadcausedthesethreebirdstoventureoutoftheirusualdomain. Thestateandsilenceofthegreatdeadcitymadeitclearthatithadatnotimebeenanhabitualseasonalrookery,whilstthemanifestindifferenceofthetriotoourpresencemadeitseemoddthatanypassingpartyofthoseothersshouldhavestartledthem. Wasitpossiblethatthoseothershadtakensomeaggressiveactionortriedtoincreasetheirmeatsupply? Wedoubtedwhetherthatpungentodorwhichthedogshadhatedcouldcauseanequalantipathyinthesepenguins,sincetheirancestorshadobviouslylivedonexcellenttermswiththeOldOnesanamicablerelationshipwhichmusthavesurvivedintheabyssbelowaslongasanyoftheOldOnesremained. Regrettinginaflare-upoftheoldspiritofpuresciencethatwecouldnotphotographtheseanomalouscreatures,weshortlyleftthemtotheirsquawkingandpushedontowardtheabysswhoseopennesswasnowsopositivelyprovedtous,andwhoseexactdirectionoccasionalpenguintracksmadeclear. 

           Notlongafterwardasteepdescentinalong,low,doorless,andpeculiarlysculpturelesscorridorledustobelievethatwewereapproachingthetunnelmouthatlast. Wehadpassedtwomorepenguins,andheardothersimmediatelyahead. Thenthecorridorendedinaprodigiousopenspacewhichmadeusgaspinvoluntarilyaperfectinvertedhemisphere,obviouslydeepunderground;fullyahundredfeetindiameterandfiftyfeethigh,withlowarchwaysopeningaroundallpartsofthecircumferencebutone,andthatoneyawningcavernouslywithablack,archedaperturewhichbrokethesymmetryofthevaulttoaheightofnearlyfifteenfeet. 

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