To Rod it seemed as though centuries of time instead of decades had been at work on its timbers.

Following close after Wabi he thrust his head through the door.

Deep gloom shut out their vision.

But as they looked, steadily inuring their eyes to the darkness within, the walls of the old cabin took form, and they saw that everywhere was vacancy.

There was no ancient table, as in the other cabin they had discovered at the head of the first chasm, there were no signs of the life that had once existed, not even the remnants of a chair or a stool.