### 173

When you reach the bottom rung you are horrified to discover that the ladder stops short of solid ground: there is nothing but darkness below. You peer into the gloom but it is impossible to see how much further you have to descend. To your left you can see the faint outline of a ledge, but it is over twenty yards away.

If you have a Rope, turn to 7.

If you wish to drop something in order to gauge the depth, turn to 261.

If you wish to swing on the ladder and leap for the ledge, turn to 38.