They had then decided to eat, telling each other they were hungry, when actually they weren’t. The meal had been unhurried, almost leisurely, until each wondered if the other was deliberately putting off their descent down the shaft.

Steve told himself repeatedly that there was nothing to be frightened about. He really wasn’t frightened. Well, perhaps just a little, he admitted to himself. There was always something frightening in the unknown. They didn’t know where the shaft led, if indeed it was a shaft as Pitch thought. The darkness below made it worse. If it were light, it would be different. One could do all sorts of things in the daylight. That’s why everything else they’d done today was different from what faced them now. Yet, Steve argued with himself, wouldn’t it be much easier than climbing over the slippery rock and scaling the cleft? All they had to do now was to slide down a rope. But it was black, terrifyingly black, below—and that made all the difference in the world.

Pitch left the shaft and walked toward him. There was nothing else to do now. There was no more equipment to be brought up to the ledge. They’d eaten. Everything was put away. They couldn’t just sit there. It would be raining soon.

Pitch started to say something, paused to clear his throat, then began all over again. “Shall we lower the packs?”

“We’d better go down first and see what’s there,” Steve said slowly. “No sense lowering the stuff if we’re not going to stay. We’d just have to haul it up again.”

Pitch nodded without saying anything. After a few minutes, he picked up one of the ropes and went over to the shaft. Steve followed.

Pitch drew the rope around the top of the shaft, tied one end, then pulled hard, tightening the knot. Satisfied that it wouldn’t slip, he threw the coil down the shaft. The rope disappeared into the darkness of the hole, uncoiling like a brown snake until the end struck the bottom with a dull thud.

“At least we know the rope reaches the bottom,” Pitch said.

Steve said quietly, “I’ll go down now, and when I get to the bottom I’ll let you know whether to lower the packs or not.” He reached for the flashlight Pitch was holding in his hand.

“I’m going first,” Pitch said, just as quietly as Steve.

“But it’s easier for—” Steve began.

Pitch already had hold of the rope and one foot was resting on the edge of the shaft.

“Pitch, it’s so much easier for me to climb up, if it’s necessary. I can make it fast, Pitch!”