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Supperwasrapidlydevoured,andthelittlecompanyhousedthemselvesasbesttheycould.
Thebedwashard,theshelternotverysubstantial,andourpositionananxiousone,atfivethousandfeetabovethesealevel.
YetIsleptparticularlywell;itwasoneofthebestnightsIhadeverhad,andIdidnotevendream.
Nextmorningweawokehalffrozenbythesharpkeenair,butwiththelightofasplendidsun.Irosefrommygranitebedandwentouttoenjoythemagnificentspectaclethatlayunrolledbeforeme.
IstoodontheverysummitofthesouthernmostofSnaefell'speaks.
Therangeoftheeyeextendedoverthewholeisland.
Byanopticallawwhichobtainsatallgreatheights,theshoresseemedraisedandthecentredepressed.
ItseemedasifoneofHelbesmer'sraisedmapslayatmyfeet.
Icouldseedeepvalleysintersectingeachotherineverydirection,precipiceslikelowwalls,lakesreducedtoponds,riversabbreviatedintostreams.
Onmyrightwerenumberlessglaciersandinnumerablepeaks,someplumedwithfeatherycloudsofsmoke.
Theundulatingsurfaceoftheseendlessmountains,crestedwithsheetsofsnow,remindedoneofastormysea.
IfIlookedwestward,theretheoceanlayspreadoutinallitsmagnificence,likeamerecontinuationofthoseflock–likesummits.
Theeyecouldhardlytellwherethesnowyridgesendedandthefoamingwavesbegan.
Iwasthussteepedinthemarvellousecstasywhichallhighsummitsdevelopinthemind;andnowwithoutgiddiness,forIwasbeginningtobeaccustomedtothesesublimeaspectsofnature.
Mydazzledeyeswerebathedinthebrightfloodofthesolarrays.
IwasforgettingwhereandwhoIwas,tolivethelifeofelvesandsylphs,thefancifulcreationofScandinaviansuperstitions.
IfeltintoxicatedwiththesublimepleasureofloftyelevationswithoutthinkingoftheprofoundabyssesintowhichIwasshortlytobeplunged.
ButIwasbroughtbacktotherealitiesofthingsbythearrivalofHansandtheProfessor,whojoinedmeonthesummit.
Myunclepointedouttomeinthefarwestalightsteamormist,asemblanceofland,whichboundedthedistanthorizonofwaters.
"Greenland!"saidhe.
"Greenland?"Icried.
"Yes;weareonlythirty–fiveleaguesfromit;andduringthawsthewhitebears,bornebytheicefieldsfromthenorth,arecarriedevenintoIceland.Butnevermindthat.
HereweareatthetopofSnaefellandherearetwopeaks,onenorthandonesouth.
Hanswilltellusthenameofthatonwhichwearenowstanding."
Thequestionbeingput,Hansreplied:
"Scartaris."
Myuncleshotatriumphantglanceatme.
"Nowforthecrater!"hecried.
ThecraterofSnaefellresembledaninvertedcone,theopeningofwhichmightbehalfaleagueindiameter.
Itsdepthappearedtobeabouttwothousandfeet.
Imaginetheaspectofsuchareservoir,brimfullandrunningoverwithliquidfireamidtherollingthunder.
Thebottomofthefunnelwasabout250feetincircuit,sothatthegentleslopealloweditslowerbrimtobereachedwithoutmuchdifficulty.
InvoluntarilyIcomparedthewholecratertoanenormouserectedmortar,andthecomparisonputmeinaterriblefright.
"Whatmadness,"Ithought,"togodownintoamortar,perhapsaloadedmortar,tobeshotupintotheairatamoment'snotice!"
ButIdidnottrytobackoutofit.Hanswithperfectcoolnessresumedthelead,andIfollowedhimwithoutaword.
Inordertofacilitatethedescent,Hanswoundhiswaydowntheconebyaspiralpath.
Ourroutelayamidsteruptiverocks,someofwhich,shakenoutoftheirloosenedbeds,rushedboundingdowntheabyss,andintheirfallawokeechoesremarkablefortheirloudandwell–definedsharpness.
Incertainpartsoftheconetherewereglaciers.
HereHansadvancedonlywithextremeprecaution,soundinghiswaywithhisiron–pointedpole,todiscoveranycrevassesinit.
Atparticularlydubiouspassageswewereobligedtoconnectourselveswitheachotherbyalongcord,inorderthatanymanwhomissedhisfootingmightbeheldupbyhiscompanions.
Thissolidformationwasprudent,butdidnotremovealldanger.
Yet,notwithstandingthedifficultiesofthedescent,downsteepsunknowntotheguide,thejourneywasaccomplishedwithoutaccidents,exceptthelossofacoilofrope,whichescapedfromthehandsofanIcelander,andtooktheshortestwaytothebottomoftheabyss.
Atmid–daywearrived.Iraisedmyheadandsawstraightabovemetheupperapertureofthecone,framingabitofskyofverysmallcircumference,butalmostperfectlyround.
JustupontheedgeappearedthesnowypeakofSaris,standingoutsharpandclearagainstendlessspace.
Atthebottomofthecraterwerethreechimneys,throughwhich,initseruptions,Snaefellhaddrivenforthfireandlavafromitscentralfurnace.
Eachofthesechimneyswasahundredfeetindiameter.Theygapedbeforeusrightinourpath.
Ihadnotthecouragetolookdowneitherofthem.
ButProfessorLiedenbrockhadhastilysurveyedallthree;hewaspanting,runningfromonetotheother,gesticulating,andutteringincoherentexpressions.
Hansandhiscomrades,seateduponlooselavarocks,lookedathimwithasmuchwonderastheyknewhowtoexpress,andperhapstakinghimforanescapedlunatic.
Suddenlymyuncleutteredacry.Ithoughthisfootmusthaveslippedandthathehadfallendownoneoftheholes.
But,no;Isawhim,witharmsoutstretchedandlegsstraddlingwideapart,erectbeforeagraniterockthatstoodinthecentreofthecrater,justlikeapedestalmadereadytoreceiveastatueofPluto.
Hestoodlikeamanstupefied,butthestupefactionsoongavewaytodeliriousrapture.
"Axel,Axel,"hecried."Come,come!"
Iran.HansandtheIcelandersneverstirred.
"Look!"criedtheProfessor.
And,sharinghisastonishment,butIthinknothisjoy,Ireadonthewesternfaceoftheblock,inRuniccharacters,halfmoulderedawaywithlapseofages,thisthrice–accursedname:
[AtthispointaRunictextappears]
"ArneSaknussemm!"repliedmyuncle."Doyouyetdoubt?"
Imadenoanswer;andIreturnedinsilencetomylavaseatinastateofutterspeechlessconsternation.Herewascrushingevidence.
HowlongIremainedplungedinagonizingreflectionsIcannottell;allthatIknowis,thatonraisingmyheadagain,IsawonlymyuncleandHansatthebottomofthecrater.
TheIcelandershadbeendismissed,andtheywerenowdescendingtheouterslopesofSnaefelltoreturntoStapi.
Hanssleptpeaceablyatthefootofarock,inalavabed,wherehehadfoundasuitablecouchforhimself;butmyunclewaspacingaroundthebottomofthecraterlikeawildbeastinacage.
Ihadneitherthewishnorthestrengthtorise,andfollowingtheguide'sexampleIwentoffintoanunhappyslumber,fancyingIcouldhearominousnoisesorfeeltremblingswithintherecessesofthemountain.
Thusthefirstnightinthecraterpassedaway.
Thenextmorning,agrey,heavy,cloudyskyseemedtodroopoverthesummitofthecone.Ididnotknowthisfirstfromtheappearancesofnature,butIfounditoutbymyuncle'simpetuouswrath.
Isoonfoundoutthecause,andhopedawnedagaininmyheart.Forthisreason.
Ofthethreewaysopenbeforeus,onehadbeentakenbySaknussemm.
TheindicationsofthelearnedIcelanderhintedatinthecryptogram,pointedtothisfactthattheshadowofScartariscametotouchthatparticularwayduringthelatterdaysofthemonthofJune.
Thatsharppeakmighthencebeconsideredasthegnomonofavastsundial,theshadowprojectedfromwhichonacertaindaywouldpointouttheroadtothecentreoftheearth.
Now,nosunnoshadow,andthereforenoguide.HerewasJune25.Ifthesunwascloudedforsixdayswemustpostponeourvisittillnextyear.
Mylimitedpowersofdescriptionwouldfail,wereItoattemptapictureoftheProfessor'sangryimpatience.
Thedayworeon,andnoshadowcametolayitselfalongthebottomofthecrater.
Hansdidnotmovefromthespothehadselected;yethemustbeaskinghimselfwhatwerewewaitingfor,ifheaskedhimselfanythingatall.Myunclespokenotawordtome.
Hisgaze,everdirectedupwards,waslostinthegreyandmistyspacebeyond.
Onthe26thnothingyet.Rainmingledwithsnowwasfallingalldaylong.Hansbuiltabutofpiecesoflava.
Ifeltamaliciouspleasureinwatchingthethousandrillsandcascadesthatcametumblingdownthesidesofthecone,andthedeafeningcontinuousdinawakedbyeverystoneagainstwhichtheybounded.
Myuncle'srageknewnobounds.Itwasenoughtoirritateameekermanthanhe;foritwasfounderingalmostwithintheport.
ButHeavenneversendsunmixedgrief,andforProfessorLiedenbrocktherewasasatisfactioninstoreproportionedtohisdesperateanxieties.
Thenextdaytheskywasagainovercast;butonthe29thofJune,thelastdaybutoneofthemonth,withthechangeofthemooncameachangeofweather.
Thesunpouredafloodoflightdownthecrater.
Everyhillock,everyrockandstone,everyprojectingsurface,haditsshareofthebeamingtorrent,andthrewitsshadowontheground.
Amongstthemall,Scartarislaiddownhissharp–pointedangularshadowwhichbegantomoveslowlyintheoppositedirectiontothatoftheradiantorb.
Myuncleturnedtoo,andfollowedit.
Atnoon,beingatitsleastextent,itcameandsoftlyfellupontheedgeofthemiddlechimney.
"Thereitis!thereitis!"shoutedtheProfessor.
"Nowforthecentreoftheglobe!"headdedinDanish.
IlookedatHans,tohearwhathewouldsay.
"Forüt!"washistranquilanswer.
"Forward!"repliedmyuncle.
Itwasthirteenminutespastone.
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