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Todescribemydespairwouldbeimpossible.Nowordscouldtellit.Iwasburiedalive,withtheprospectbeforemeofdyingofhungerandthirst.
MechanicallyIsweptthegroundwithmyhands.Howdryandhardtherockseemedtome!
ButhowhadIleftthecourseofthestream?
Foritwasaterriblefactthatitnolongerranatmyside.
ThenIunderstoodthereasonofthatfearful,silence,whenforthelasttimeIlistenedtohearifanysoundfrommycompanionscouldreachmyears.
AtthemomentwhenIlefttherightroadIhadnotnoticedtheabsenceofthestream.
Itisevidentthatatthatmomentadeviationhadpresenteditselfbeforeme,whilsttheHansbach,followingthecapriceofanotherincline,hadgonewithmycompanionsawayintounknowndepths.
HowwasItoreturn?Therewasnotatraceoftheirfootstepsorofmyown,forthefootleftnomarkuponthegranitefloor.
Irackedmybrainforasolutionofthisimpracticableproblem.Oneworddescribedmyposition.Lost!
Lostatanimmeasurabledepth!Thirtyleaguesofrockseemedtoweighuponmyshoulderswithadreadfulpressure.Ifeltcrushed.
Itriedtocarrybackmyideastothingsonthesurfaceoftheearth.Icouldscarcelysucceed.
Hamburg,thehouseintheKönigstrasse,mypoorGräuben,allthatbusyworldunderneathwhichIwaswanderingabout,waspassinginrapidconfusionbeforemyterrifiedmemory.
Icouldrevivewithvividrealityalltheincidentsofourvoyage,Iceland,M.Fridrikssen,Snaefell.
Isaidtomyselfthatif,insuchapositionasIwasnowin,Iwasfoolenoughtoclingtooneglimpseofhope,itwouldbemadness,andthatthebestthingIcoulddowastodespair.
Whathumanpowercouldrestoremetothelightofthesunbyrendingasunderthehugearchesofrockwhichunitedovermyhead,buttressingeachotherwithimpregnablestrength?
Whocouldplacemyfeetontherightpath,andbringmebacktomycompany?
"Oh,myuncle!"burstfrommylipsinthetoneofdespair.
Itwasmyonlywordofreproach,forIknewhowmuchhemustbesufferinginseekingme,whereverhemightbe.
WhenIsawmyselfthusfarremovedfromallearthlyhelpIhadrecoursetoheavenlysuccour.
Theremembranceofmychildhood,therecollectionofmymother,whomIhadonlyknowninmytenderearlyyears,camebacktome,andIkneltinprayerimploringfortheDivinehelpofwhichIwassolittleworthy.
ThisreturnoftrustinGod'sprovidenceallayedtheturbulenceofmyfears,andIwasenabledtoconcentrateuponmysituationalltheforceofmyintelligence.
Ihadthreedays'provisionswithmeandmyflaskwasfull.ButIcouldnotremainaloneforlong.ShouldIgoupordown?
Up,ofcourse;upcontinually.
ImustthusarriveatthepointwhereIhadleftthestream,thatfatalturnintheroad.Withthestreamatmyfeet,ImighthopetoregainthesummitofSnaefell.
WhyhadInotthoughtofthatsooner?Herewasevidentlyachanceofsafety.
ThemostpressingdutywastofindoutagainthecourseoftheHansbach.
Irose,andleaninguponmyiron–pointedstickIascendedthegallery.Theslopewasrathersteep.
Iwalkedonwithouthopebutwithoutindecision,likeamanwhohasmadeuphismind.
ForhalfanhourImetwithnoobstacle.
Itriedtorecognisemywaybytheformofthetunnel,bytheprojectionsofcertainrocks,bythedispositionofthefractures.
Butnoparticularsignappeared,andIsoonsawthatthisgallerycouldnotbringmebacktotheturningpoint.Itcametoanabruptend.
Istruckagainstanimpenetrablewall,andfelldownupontherock.
Unspeakabledespairthenseizeduponme.Ilayoverwhelmed,aghast!Mylasthopewasshatteredagainstthisgranitewall.
Lostinthislabyrinth,whosewindingscrossedeachotherinalldirections,itwasnousetothinkofflightanylonger.
HereImustdiethemostdreadfulofdeaths.
And,strangetosay,thethoughtcameacrossmethatwhensomedaymypetrifiedremainsshouldbefoundthirtyleaguesbelowthesurfaceinthebowelsoftheearth,thediscoverymightleadtogravescientificdiscussions.
Itriedtospeakaloud,buthoarsesoundsalonepassedmydrylips.Ipantedforbreath.
Inthemidstofmyagonyanewterrorlaidholdofme.Infallingmylamphadgotwrong.Icouldnotsetitright,anditslightwaspalingandwouldsoondisappearaltogether.
Igazedpainfullyupontheluminouscurrentgrowingweakerandweakerinthewirecoil.
Adimprocessionofmovingshadowsseemedslowlyunfoldingdownthedarkeningwalls.
Iscarcelydaredtoshutmyeyesforonemoment,forfearoflosingtheleastglimmerofthispreciouslight.
Everyinstantitseemedabouttovanishandthedenseblacknesstocomerollinginpalpablyuponme.
Onelasttremblingglimmershotfeeblyup.
Iwatcheditintremblingandanxiety;IdrankitinasifIcouldpreserveit,concentratinguponitthefullpowerofmyeyes,asupontheverylastsensationoflightwhichtheywereevertoexperience,andthenextmomentIlayintheheavygloomofdeep,thick,unfathomabledarkness.
Aterriblecryofanguishburstfromme.
Uponearth,inthemidstofthedarkestnight,lightneverabdicatesitsfunctionsaltogether.
Itisstillsubtleanddiffusive,butwhateverlittletheremaybe,theeyestillcatchesthatlittle.
Heretherewasnotanatom;thetotaldarknessmademetotallyblind.
ThenIbegantolosemyhead.Iarosewithmyarmsstretchedoutbeforeme,attemptingpainfullytofeelmyway.
Ibegantorunwildly,hurryingthroughtheinextricablemaze,stilldescending,stillrunningthroughthesubstanceoftheearth'sthickcrust,astrugglingdenizenofgeological'faults,'crying,shouting,yelling,soonbruisedbycontactwiththejaggedrock,fallingandrisingagainbleeding,tryingtodrinkthebloodwhichcoveredmyface,andevenwaitingforsomerocktoshattermyskullagainst.
Ishallneverknowwhithermymadcareertookme.Afterthelapseofsomehours,nodoubtexhausted,Ifelllikealifelesslumpatthefootofthewall,andlostallconsciousness.
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