Explore "The Phantom Car" by Fred M. White on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Whilst Biddle remained at the top with his torch in his hand, Manthon took the other and slowly descended the slippery steel ladder which shone and glistened in the rays of the torch as if it had recently been oiled. It was an extremely light structure, very narrow, and had evidently been made for the purpose to which it was applied. As Manthon descended, he took the precaution of counting the steps, so that when he reached what appeared to be a concrete floor, he knew that there were just over sixty rungs in the ladder. Roughly speaking, then, the ladder was sixty feet long.
Down below was a sort of cave, rather wide and high, though, towards the far side, the roof sloped down and the way to what appeared to be the exit narrowed, so that it was almost impossible for Manthon to stand upright.