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Fortunatelywehadasupplyofextrapapertotearup,placeinasparespecimenbag,anduseontheancientprincipleofhareandhoundsformarkingourcourseinanyinteriormazeswemightbeabletopenetrate. Thishadbeenbroughtincasewefoundsomecavesystemwithairquietenoughtoallowsucharapidandeasymethodinplaceoftheusualrock-chippingmethodoftrailblazing.
Walkingcautiouslydownhilloverthecrustedsnowtowardthestupendousstonelabyrinththatloomedagainsttheopalescentwest,wefeltalmostaskeenasenseofimminentmarvelsaswehadfeltonapproachingtheunfathomedmountainpassfourhourspreviously. True,wehadbecomevisuallyfamiliarwiththeincrediblesecretconcealedbythebarrierpeaks;yettheprospectofactuallyenteringprimordialwallsrearedbyconsciousbeingsperhapsmillionsofyearsago—beforeanyknownraceofmencouldhaveexisted —wasnonethelessawesomeandpotentiallyterribleinitsimplicationsofcosmicabnormality. Thoughthethinnessoftheairatthisprodigiousaltitudemadeexertionsomewhatmoredifficultthanusual,bothDanforthandIfoundourselvesbearingupverywell,andfeltequaltoalmostanytaskwhichmightfalltoourlot. Ittookonlyafewstepstobringustoashapelessruinwornlevelwiththesnow,whiletenorfifteenrodsfartherontherewasahuge,rooflessrampartstillcompleteinitsgiganticfive-pointedoutlineandrisingtoanirregularheightoftenorelevenfeet. Forthislatterweheaded;andwhenatlastwewereactuallyabletotouchitsweatheredCyclopeanblocks,wefeltthatwehadestablishedanunprecedentedandalmostblasphemouslinkwithforgottenaeonsnormallyclosedtoourspecies.
