地下墓穴（13）（在线收听）

“The entrance to it is. That is just the safeguard which we have against anyone else discovering it.”

“Does the proprietor know of it?”

“Not he. He had found one or two objects which made me almost certain that his house was built on the entrance to such a place. So I rented it from him, and did my excavations for myself. Come in, and shut the door behind you.”

It was a long, empty building, with the mangers of the cows along one wall. Burger put his lantern down on the ground, and shaded its light in all directions save one by draping his overcoat round it.

“It might excite remark if anyone saw a light in this lonely place,” said he. “Just help me to move this boarding.”

The flooring was loose in the corner, and plank by plank the two savants raised it and leaned it against the wall. Below there was a square aperture and a stair of old stone steps which led away down into the bowels of the earth.

“Be careful!” cried Burger, as Kennedy, in his impatience, hurried down them. “It is a perfect rabbits’-warren below, and if you were once to lose your way there the chances would be a hundred to one against your ever coming out again. Wait until I bring the light.”

“How do you find your own way if it is so complicated?”

“牛棚的主人知道吗？”

“他也不知道。他找到过几件东西，正是那些东西使我确信，他的房子盖在了某种地方的入口之上。于是我把房子租下来，独自进行了挖掘。进来，把门关上。"这是个长长的屋子，空空荡荡，一面墙边摆着饲料槽。

伯格把油灯放在地上，用外套挡住三面灯光，只留出一面照明。

“如果有人看见在这样偏僻的地方有灯光，会产生好奇心的，“他说。“帮我把木板挪开，”

铺地的木板是活的，两位专家把木板一块一块掀起来，靠在墙边。木板下面出现一个正方形洞口，古老的石头台阶从洞口一直通向地下深处。

“当心！"伯格嚷道，因为肯尼迪已经忍耐不住，要顺台阶往下走了。“下面就像兔子窝一样乱，一旦迷路，再想找到回来的路，成功的机会只有百分之一。等我带上灯。”

‘既然这么复杂，当初你是怎么找到回来的路呢？”