ForawholehourIwastryingtoworkoutinmydeliriousbrainthereasonswhichmighthaveinfluencedthisseeminglytranquilhuntsman. Theabsurdestnotionsraninutterconfusionthroughmymind.Ithoughtmadnesswascomingon! Butatlastanoiseoffootstepswasheardinthedarkabyss.Hanswasapproaching. Aflickeringlightwasbeginningtoglimmeronthewallofourdarksomeprison;thenitcameoutfullatthemouthofthegallery.Hansappeared. Hedrewclosetomyuncle,laidhishanduponhisshoulder,andgentlywokehim.Myuncleroseup. "Whatisthematter?"heasked. "Watten!"repliedthehuntsman. Nodoubtundertheinspirationofintensepaineverybodybecomesendowedwiththegiftofdiverstongues.IdidnotknowawordofDanish,yetinstinctivelyIunderstoodthewordhehaduttered. "Water!water!"Icried,clappingmyhandsandgesticulatinglikeamadman. "Water!"repeatedmyuncle."Hvar?"heasked,inIcelandic. "Where?Downbelow!"Iunderstooditall.Iseizedthehunter'shands,andpressedthemwhilehelookedonmewithoutmovingamuscleofhiscountenance. Thepreparationsforourdeparturewerenotlonginmaking,andweweresoononourwaydownapassageincliningtwofeetinseven. Inanhourwehadgoneamileandaquarter,anddescendedtwothousandfeet. ThenIbegantoheardistinctlyquiteanewsoundofsomethingrunningwithinthethicknessofthegranitewall,akindofdull,deadrumbling,likedistantthunder. Duringthefirstpartofourwalk,notmeetingwiththepromisedspring,Ifeltmyagonyreturning;butthenmyuncleacquaintedmewiththecauseofthestrangenoise. "Hanswasnotmistaken,"hesaid."Whatyouhearistherushingofatorrent." "Therecanbenodoubt;asubterraneanriverisflowingaroundus." Wehurriedforwardinthegreatestexcitement.Iwasnolongersensibleofmyfatigue. Thismurmuringofwaterscloseathandwasalreadyrefreshingme.Itwasaudiblyincreasing. Thetorrent,afterhavingforsometimeflowedoverourheads,wasnowrunningwithintheleftwall,roaringandrushing. FrequentlyItouchedthewall,hopingtofeelsomeindicationsofmoisture:Buttherewasnohopehere. Yetanotherhalfhour,anotherhalfleaguewaspassed. Thenitbecameclearthatthehunterhadgonenofarther. Guidedbyaninstinctpeculiartomountaineershehadasitwerefeltthistorrentthroughtherock;buthehadcertainlyseennoneofthepreciousliquid;hehaddrunknothinghimself. Soonitbecameevidentthatifwecontinuedourwalkweshouldwidenthedistancebetweenourselvesandthestream,thenoiseofwhichwasbecomingfainter. Wereturned.Hansstoppedwherethetorrentseemedclosest. Isatnearthewall,whilethewaterswereflowingpastmeatadistanceoftwofeetwithextremeviolence. Buttherewasathickgranitewallbetweenusandtheobjectofourdesires. Withoutreflection,withoutaskingiftherewereanymeansofprocuringthewater,Igavewaytoamovementofdespair. Hansglancedatmewith,Ithought,asmileofcompassion. Heroseandtookthelamp.Ifollowedhim.Hemovedtowardsthewall.Ilookedon. Heappliedhisearagainstthedrystone,andmoveditslowlytoandfro,listeningintently. Iperceivedatoncethathewasexaminingtofindtheexactplacewherethetorrentcouldbeheardtheloudest. Hemetwiththatpointontheleftsideofthetunnel,atthreefeetfromtheground. Iwasstirredupwithexcitement.Ihardlydaredguesswhatthehunterwasabouttodo. ButIcouldnotbutunderstand,andapplaudandcheerhimon,whenIsawhimlayholdofthepickaxetomakeanattackupontherock. "Yes,"criedmyuncle,almostfranticwithexcitement."Hansisright.Capitalfellow!Whobuthewouldhavethoughtofit?" Yes;whobuthe?Suchanexpedient,howeversimple,wouldneverhaveenteredintoourminds. True,itseemedmosthazardoustostrikeablowofthehammerinthispartoftheearth'sstructure. Supposesomedisplacementshouldoccurandcrushusall! Supposethetorrent,burstingthrough,shoulddrownusinasuddenflood! Therewasnothingvaininthesefancies. Butstillnofearsoffallingrocksorrushingfloodscouldstayusnow;andourthirstwassointensethat,tosatisfyit,wewouldhavedaredthewavesofthenorthAtlantic. HanssetaboutthetaskwhichmyuncleandItogethercouldnothaveaccomplished. Ifourimpatiencehadarmedourhandswithpower,weshouldhaveshatteredtherockintoathousandfragments.NotsoHans. Fullofselfpossession,hecalmlyworehiswaythroughtherockwithasteadysuccessionoflightandskilfulstrokes,workingthroughanaperturesixincheswideattheoutside. Icouldhearaloudernoiseofflowingwaters,andIfanciedIcouldfeelthedeliciousfluidrefreshingmyparchedlips. Thepickhadsoonpenetratedtwofeetintothegranitepartition,andourmanhadworkedforaboveanhour.Iwasinanagonyofimpatience. Myunclewantedtoemploystrongermeasures,andIhadsomedifficultyindissuadinghim;stillhehadjusttakenapickaxeinhishand,whenasuddenhissingwasheard,andajetofwaterspurtedoutwithviolenceagainsttheoppositewall. Hans,almostthrownoffhisfeetbytheviolenceoftheshock,utteredacryofgriefanddisappointment,ofwhichIsoonunder–. stoodthecause,whenplungingmyhandsintothespoutingtorrent,Iwithdrewtheminhaste,forthewaterwasscaldinghot. "Thewaterisattheboilingpoint,"Icried. "Well,nevermind,letitcool,"myunclereplied. Thetunnelwasfillingwithsteam,whilstastreamwasforming,whichbydegreeswanderedawayintosubterraneanwindings,andsoonwehadthesatisfactionofswallowingourfirstdraught. Couldanythingbemoredeliciousthanthesensationthatourburningintolerablethirstwaspassingaway,andleavingustoenjoycomfortandpleasure?Butwherewasthiswaterfrom?Nomatter. Itwaswater;andthoughstillwarm,itbroughtlifebacktothedying. Ikeptdrinkingwithoutstopping,andalmostwithouttasting. Atlastafteramostdelightfultimeofrevivingenergy,Icried,"Why,thisisachalybeatespring!" "Nothingcouldbebetterforthedigestion,"saidmyuncle."Itishighlyimpregnatedwithiron.ItwillbeasgoodforusasgoingtotheSpa,ortoTöplitz." "Ofcourseitis,watershouldbe,foundsixmilesunderground. Ithasaninkyflavour,whichisnotatallunpleasant. WhatacapitalsourceofstrengthHanshasfoundforushere.Wewillcallitafterhisname." AndHansbachitwasfromthatmoment. Hanswasnonetheprouder.Afteramoderatedraught,hewentquietlyintoacornertorest. "Now,"Isaid,"wemustnotlosethiswater." "Whatistheuseoftroublingourselves?"myuncle,replied."Ifancyitwillneverfail." "Nevermind,wecannotbesure;letusfillthewaterbottleandourflasks,andthenstopuptheopening." Myadvicewasfollowedsofarasgettinginasupply;butthestoppingupoftheholewasnotsoeasytoaccomplish. Itwasinvainthatwetookupfragmentsofgranite,andstuffedtheminwithtow,weonlyscaldedourhandswithoutsucceeding. Thepressurewastoogreat,andoureffortswerefruitless. "Itisquiteplain,"saidI,"thatthehigherbodyofthiswaterisataconsiderableelevation.Theforceofthejetshowsthat." "Nodoubt,"answeredmyuncle."Ifthiscolumnofwateris32,000feethigh–thatis,fromthesurfaceoftheearth,itisequaltotheweightofathousandatmospheres.ButIhavegotanidea." "Whyshouldwetroubleourselvestostopthestreamfromcomingoutatall?" "Because––"Well,Icouldnotassignareason. "Whenourflasksareempty,whereshallwefillthemagain?Canwetellthat?" "Well,letusallowthewatertorunon.Itwillflowdown,andwillbothguideandrefreshus." "Thatiswellplanned,"Icried."Withthisstreamforourguide,thereisnoreasonwhyweshouldnotsucceedinourundertaking." "Ah,myboy!youagreewithmenow,"criedtheProfessor,laughing. "Iagreewithyoumostheartily." "Well,letusrestawhile;andthenwewillstartagain." Iwasforgettingthatitwasnight.Thechronometersooninformedmeofthatfact;andinaveryshorttime,refreshedandthankful,weallthreefellintoasoundsleep. 
