fifteen hundred feet。 He counted each landing as he passed it； knowing that he could not reach the bottom of the shaft until he had left the thirtieth。 Once there； he would have no trouble； so he thought； in finding the cottage； built； as we have said； at the extremity of the principal passage。
Jack Ryan went on thus until he got to the twenty…sixth landing； and consequently had two hundred feet between him and the bottom。
Here he put down his leg to feel for the first rung of the twenty…seventh ladder。 But his foot swinging in space found nothing to rest on。 He knelt down and felt about with his hand for the top of the ladder。 It was in vain。
〃Old Nick himself must have been down this way！〃 said Jack； not without a slight feeling of terror。
He stood considering for some time； with folded arms； and longing to be able to pierce the imperable darkness。 Then it occurred to him that if he could not get down； neither could the inhabitants of the mine get up。 There was now no munication between the depths of the pit and the upper regions。 If the removal of the lower ladders of the Yarrow shaft had been effected since his last visit to the cottage； what had bee of Simon Ford； his wife； his son； and the engineer？
The prolonged absence of James Starr proved that he had not left the pit since the day Ryan met with him in the shaft。 How had the cottage been provisioned since then？ The food of these unfortunate people； imprisoned fifteen hundred feet