Harry led George along the forbidden tunnel to the pool. As before, there was a faint light in the earth-cave. The two centis stood under the light and stared up.
“The Up-Pipe!” breathed George. He was impressed.
“Mama says the sides are slippery and hard to grip,” said Harry.
“I bet we could climb it!” said George.
“How could we reach it?”
“Easy. We could pile up some earth. Then if you stood on the pile with most of your segments upright, I could climb up you and get hold with my front four or six feet. When I’d got a good grip, you could climb up the rest of my segments. I’d leave them hanging down for you.”
“What would you hold on to?”
“See that rough place near the beginning of the pipe? I’d hold that. We could do it. I know we could. Oh, come on, Hx, let’s!”
Harry shook his round little head.
“And what when we got to the top? What if a Hoo-Min saw us?”
“We’d turn right round and go back down! If they’re as big as you said, they couldn’t possibly follow us!”
And George at once started scuffling about with his front eight pairs of legs and his head, pushing loose earth into a pile like a platform, under the Up-Pipe.
Suddenly, far above their heads, they heard something.
It was a thumping. A noise of something heavy, coming down bump, right over where they were!
They both went tense. Harry said, “It’s a Hoo-Min! Let’s go!”
George said, “Wait!”
They crouched there on the earth-pile. The thumping went on. It wasn’t regular. There was a thump.
Nothing else happened. At first.
“It’s walking! When it stops, we’ll go up!” crackled George.
And he would have too. Only suddenly there was another noise.
It was a swish. A pattering like rain on the surface. And then—!
A great gurgle!
A WHOOSH!
And before they could think what to do, something came plummeting down towards them!
