"Good. Sampson must have had sense enough to close it. Unless--"
Garth found the spring and pressed it. He flashed his light into the darkness, to see the familiar faces of Brown's men staring at him. The Captain thrust him forward. Paula was instantly beside him, and then Brown himself was through the oval gap.
"They're coming," he murmured. "How in hell does this work?"
"Here." Garth didn't use his light. Under his deft fingers the panel slid back into place, shutting off the noise of approaching steps. He gasped a little with relief.
"Okay," he said in a natural voice. "These walls are sound-proof. We can use our lights. We'll have to."
"What happened?" Paula's voice said. "You said we were in a jam, Carver. Well?"
"We'll talk as we go. Garth, you first. Paula, stay with me. Sampson, bring up the rear, will you?"
Garth obediently set out down the sloping tunnel, scarcely listening to Brown's explanation. There were side branches to the passage here and there. He had to use his memory, which seemed less accurate than he remembered. Once he almost blundered, but caught himself in time.
Brown said, "Garth, we've got thirty miles of tunnel and twenty more above ground till we hit the Forest. Right? This is rough going. We won't get out of here till daylight. So we'd better camp in the passage, at the other end, till tomorrow night."
"We don't have to do that," Garth grunted. "This isn't Earth. Jupiter won't rise for thirteen hours."
"The men have heavy packs." Brown shifted his own big one uncomfortably. "Fifty miles is quite a way. Still, the quicker we reach the Forest, the safer we'll be."
"There's a river." Garth's voice was doubtful. "We might use that."
"Spouts. Geysers. The water's apt to explode under you any time. And there are big lizards--"
Garth shook his head. "_Lata_-trees are better than balsa, and they grow on the banks. Plenty of vines, too. But--"
"We'll do that, then," Brown said decisively. "Speed it up. We've got thirteen hours. We can make it, all right."
After that it was pure monotony, a dull driving march through a bare tunnel, up slopes and down them, till leg muscles were aching with fatigue. Garth dropped into a state of tired apathy. He had no pack to carry, but nevertheless his liquor-soaked body rebelled at the unaccustomed exertion. But he knew that each step brought him closer to his goal.