按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Thank God！〃 gasped Marquez as the beam from the halogen dive light refracted and danced off the ceiling and walls of the chamber just before Pitt's head broke water。 〃You came back！〃
〃Was there ever a doubt？〃 Pitt asked lightly。
〃Where is Pat？〃 demanded Ambrose； as Pitt's eyes met his through the plate of the dive mask。
〃Safe；〃 Pitt said briefly。 〃There's a dry shaft about eighty feet down the tunnel。〃
〃I know the one；〃 acknowledged Marquez； his words barely intelligible。 〃It leads to the next level of the Paradise。〃
Identifying the obvious signs of hypothermia in the miner； the drowsiness； the confusion； Pitt elected to take him instead of Ambrose； who was in the better shape of the two。 He had to be quick； because the numbing cold had tightened its grip and was draining the life out of them。 〃You're next； Mr。 Marquez。〃
〃I may panic and pass out when I'm submerged；〃 Marquez moaned。
Pitt gripped him on the shoulder。 〃Pretend you're floating in the water off Waikiki Beach。〃
〃Good luck；〃 said Ambrose。
Pitt grinned and gave the anthropologist a friendly tap on the shoulder。 〃Don't go away。〃
〃I'll wait right here。〃
Pitt nodded at Marquez。 〃All right； pal； let's do it。〃
The trip went smoothly。 Pitt put all his strength into reaching the shaft as quickly as possible。 He could see that unless the miner got dry soon； he would lose consciousness。 For a man afraid of water； Marquez was game。 He'd take a deep breath from the regulator and dutifully pass it back to Pitt without missing a beat。
When they came to the ladder； Pitt helped push Marquez up the first few rungs until he was pletely out of the cold water。 〃Do you think you can make it up to the next tunnel on your own？〃
〃I'll have to；〃 Marquez stammered； fighting the cold that had seeped into his veins。 〃I'm not about to give up now。〃
Pitt left him and returned for Ambrose； who was beginning to look cadaverous from the effects of the icy water。 Hypothermia from the cold water had lowered his body temperature to ninety…two degrees。 Another two…degree drop and he would be unconscious。 Five more minutes and it would have been too late。 The water was only inches away from the chamber's ceiling。 Pitt didn't waste time in talk； but shoved the mouthpiece into the anthropologist's mouth and pulled him down into the cleft and out into the tunnel。
Fifteen minutes later； they were all grouped around a fire that Pat had managed to ignite from scraps of wood she'd found in a nearby crosscut passage。 Scrounging about； Pitt soon discovered several old； fallen timbers that had remained dry over the years the mine had been abandoned。 It wasn't long before the tunnel was turned into a blazing furnace and the survivors from the inundated chamber began to thaw out。 Marquez began to look human again。 Pat rebounded and was her old happy self as she vigorously massaged Ambrose's frozen feet。
While they treasured the warmth of the fire； Pitt busied himself with the puter； planning a circuitous route through the mine to the ground above。 The Telluride valley was a virtual honeyb of old mines。 The shafts； crosscuts； drifts； and tunnels totaled more than 360 miles。 Pitt marveled that the valley hadn't collapsed like a wet sponge。 He allowed everyone to rest and dry out for close to an hour before he reminded them that they weren't out of the woods yet。
〃If we want to see blue skies again； we'll have to follow an escape plan。〃
〃What's the urgency？〃 shrugged Marquez。 〃All we have to do is follow this tunnel to the entrance shaft and then sit it out until rescuers dig through the avalanche。〃
〃I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings；〃 Pitt said； his voice grim； 〃but not only were rescuers finding it impossible to get their heavy equipment through twenty feet of snow up to the mine on a narrow road； they were pulled from the search because of rising air temperatures that were increasing the chances of another avalanche。 There is no telling how many days or weeks it will take for them to clear a path to the mine entrance。〃
Marquez stared into the fire； picturing the conditions topside in his mind。 〃Everything is going against us；〃 he said quietly。
〃We have heat and drinking water； however silty；〃 said Pat。 〃Surely； we can exist without food for as long as it takes。〃
Ambrose smiled faintly。 〃Sixty to seventy days is what it generally takes to starve to death。〃
〃Or we could hike out while we're still healthy；〃 offered Pitt。
Marquez shook his head。 〃You know better than anyone； the only tunnel that leads from the Buccaneer Mine to the Pandora is flooded。 We can't get through the way you came。〃
〃Certainly not without proper diving gear；〃 added Ambrose。
〃True；〃 Pitt admitted。 〃But relying on my puterized road map； I estimate there are at least two dozen other dry tunnels and shafts on upper levels that we can use to reach the ground surface。〃
〃That makes sense；〃 said Marquez。 〃Except that most of those tunnels have collapsed over the past ninety years。〃
〃Still；〃 said Ambrose； 〃it beats sitting around playing charades for the next month。〃
〃I'm with you；〃 Pat agreed。 〃I've had my fill of old mine shafts for one day。〃
Her words prompted Pitt to walk over to the edge of the shaft and peer down。 The flickering flames from the fire reflected off the water that had risen to within three feet of the tunnel floor。 〃We don't have a choice。 The water will spill out of the shaft in another twenty minutes。〃
Marquez stepped beside him and stared at the turbid water。 〃It's crazy；〃 he muttered。 〃After all these years； to see water flooding up to this level of the mine。 It looks like my days of gemstone mining are over。〃
〃One of the waterways that run under the mountain must have broken through into the mine during the earthquake。〃
〃That was no earthquake；〃 said Marquez angrily。 〃That was a dynamite charge。〃
〃You're saying explosives caused the flooding and cave…in？〃 asked Pitt。
〃I'm sure of it。〃 He peered at Pitt； eyes suddenly narrowed。 〃I'd bet my claim that somebody else was in the mine。〃
Pitt stared at the menacing water。 〃If that's the case；〃 he said pensively； 〃that somebody wants all three of you very dead。〃
〃You lead off；〃 PITT ordered Marquez。 〃We'll walk behind the beam of your miner's lamp until its batteries give out。 Then we go the rest of the way on my dive light。〃
〃Climbing to the upper levels through shafts will be the tough part；〃 said the miner。 〃So far we've been lucky。 Very few shafts had a ladder。 Most of them used hoists to transport the miners and ore。〃
〃We'll tackle that problem when we face it；〃 said Pitt。
It was five o'clock in the afternoon when they set out through the tunnel； heading west as indicated on Pitt's dive pass。 He looked odd； hiking through the tunnel in his dry suit； gloves； and Servus dive boots with steel toes。 He carried only the puter； pass； underwater dive light； and the knife strapped to his right leg。 He left the rest of his gear beside the dying embers of the fire。
The tunnel was clear of de