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- Артур Конан Дойл
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- Tales of Terror and Mystery
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- Стр. 46/137
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I
soon
recovered
my
nerve
,
however
,
when
I
reflected
how
absurd
it
was
to
associate
so
huge
and
shapeless
a
mark
with
the
track
of
any
known
animal
.
Even
an
elephant
could
not
have
produced
it
.
I
determined
,
therefore
,
that
I
would
not
be
scared
by
vague
and
senseless
fears
from
carrying
out
my
exploration
.
Before
proceeding
,
I
took
good
note
of
a
curious
rock
formation
in
the
wall
by
which
I
could
recognize
the
entrance
of
the
Roman
tunnel
.
The
precaution
was
very
necessary
,
for
the
great
cave
,
so
far
as
I
could
see
it
,
was
intersected
by
passages
.
Having
made
sure
of
my
position
,
and
reassured
myself
by
examining
my
spare
candles
and
my
matches
,
I
advanced
slowly
over
the
rocky
and
uneven
surface
of
the
cavern
.
And
now
I
come
to
the
point
where
I
met
with
such
sudden
and
desperate
disaster
.
A
stream
,
some
twenty
feet
broad
,
ran
across
my
path
,
and
I
walked
for
some
little
distance
along
the
bank
to
find
a
spot
where
I
could
cross
dry
-
shod
.
Finally
,
I
came
to
a
place
where
a
single
flat
boulder
lay
near
the
centre
,
which
I
could
reach
in
a
stride
.
As
it
chanced
,
however
,
the
rock
had
been
cut
away
and
made
top
-
heavy
by
the
rush
of
the
stream
,
so
that
it
tilted
over
as
I
landed
on
it
and
shot
me
into
the
ice
-
cold
water
.
My
candle
went
out
,
and
I
found
myself
floundering
about
in
utter
and
absolute
darkness
.
I
staggered
to
my
feet
again
,
more
amused
than
alarmed
by
my
adventure
.
The
candle
had
fallen
from
my
hand
,
and
was
lost
in
the
stream
,
but
I
had
two
others
in
my
pocket
,
so
that
it
was
of
no
importance
.
I
got
one
of
them
ready
,
and
drew
out
my
box
of
matches
to
light
it
.
Only
then
did
I
realize
my
position
.
The
box
had
been
soaked
in
my
fall
into
the
river
.
It
was
impossible
to
strike
the
matches
.
A
cold
hand
seemed
to
close
round
my
heart
as
I
realized
my
position
.
The
darkness
was
opaque
and
horrible
.
It
was
so
utter
one
put
one
’
s
hand
up
to
one
’
s
face
as
if
to
press
off
something
solid
.
I
stood
still
,
and
by
an
effort
I
steadied
myself
.
I
tried
to
reconstruct
in
my
mind
a
map
of
the
floor
of
the
cavern
as
I
had
last
seen
it
.
Alas
!
the
bearings
which
had
impressed
themselves
upon
my
mind
were
high
on
the
wall
,
and
not
to
be
found
by
touch
.
Still
,
I
remembered
in
a
general
way
how
the
sides
were
situated
,
and
I
hoped
that
by
groping
my
way
along
them
I
should
at
last
come
to
the
opening
of
the
Roman
tunnel
.
Moving
very
slowly
,
and
continually
striking
against
the
rocks
,
I
set
out
on
this
desperate
quest
.
But
I
very
soon
realized
how
impossible
it
was
.
In
that
black
,
velvety
darkness
one
lost
all
one
’
s
bearings
in
an
instant
.
Before
I
had
made
a
dozen
paces
,
I
was
utterly
bewildered
as
to
my
whereabouts
.
The
rippling
of
the
stream
,
which
was
the
one
sound
audible
,
showed
me
where
it
lay
,
but
the
moment
that
I
left
its
bank
I
was
utterly
lost
.
The
idea
of
finding
my
way
back
in
absolute
darkness
through
that
limestone
labyrinth
was
clearly
an
impossible
one
.
I
sat
down
upon
a
boulder
and
reflected
upon
my
unfortunate
plight
.
I
had
not
told
anyone
that
I
proposed
to
come
to
the
Blue
John
mine
,
and
it
was
unlikely
that
a
search
party
would
come
after
me
.
Therefore
I
must
trust
to
my
own
resources
to
get
clear
of
the
danger
.
There
was
only
one
hope
,
and
that
was
that
the
matches
might
dry
.
When
I
fell
into
the
river
,
only
half
of
me
had
got
thoroughly
wet
.
My
left
shoulder
had
remained
above
the
water
.
I
took
the
box
of
matches
,
therefore
,
and
put
it
into
my
left
armpit
.
The
moist
air
of
the
cavern
might
possibly
be
counteracted
by
the
heat
of
my
body
,
but
even
so
,
I
knew
that
I
could
not
hope
to
get
a
light
for
many
hours
.
Meanwhile
there
was
nothing
for
it
but
to
wait
.
By
good
luck
I
had
slipped
several
biscuits
into
my
pocket
before
I
left
the
farm
-
house
.
These
I
now
devoured
,
and
washed
them
down
with
a
draught
from
that
wretched
stream
which
had
been
the
cause
of
all
my
misfortunes
.
Then
I
felt
about
for
a
comfortable
seat
among
the
rocks
,
and
,
having
discovered
a
place
where
I
could
get
a
support
for
my
back
,
I
stretched
out
my
legs
and
settled
myself
down
to
wait
.
I
was
wretchedly
damp
and
cold
,
but
I
tried
to
cheer
myself
with
the
reflection
that
modern
science
prescribed
open
windows
and
walks
in
all
weather
for
my
disease
.
Gradually
,
lulled
by
the
monotonous
gurgle
of
the
stream
,
and
by
the
absolute
darkness
,
I
sank
into
an
uneasy
slumber
.
How
long
this
lasted
I
cannot
say
.
It
may
have
been
for
an
hour
,
it
may
have
been
for
several
.
Suddenly
I
sat
up
on
my
rock
couch
,
with
every
nerve
thrilling
and
every
sense
acutely
on
the
alert
.
Beyond
all
doubt
I
had
heard
a
sound
—
some
sound
very
distinct
from
the
gurgling
of
the
waters
.
It
had
passed
,
but
the
reverberation
of
it
still
lingered
in
my
ear
.
Was
it
a
search
party
?
They
would
most
certainly
have
shouted
,
and
vague
as
this
sound
was
which
had
wakened
me
,
it
was
very
distinct
from
the
human
voice
.
I
sat
palpitating
and
hardly
daring
to
breathe
.
There
it
was
again
!
And
again
!
Now
it
had
become
continuous
.
It
was
a
tread
—
yes
,
surely
it
was
the
tread
of
some
living
creature
.
But
what
a
tread
it
was
!
It
gave
one
the
impression
of
enormous
weight
carried
upon
sponge
-
like
feet
,
which
gave
forth
a
muffled
but
ear
-
filling
sound
.
The
darkness
was
as
complete
as
ever
,
but
the
tread
was
regular
and
decisive
.
