I fully understood the reason,and again a glimpse of hope made my heart leap with joy.I will briefly explain the cause.
Of the three openings which yawned beneath our steps,only one could have been followed by the adventurous Saknussemm.According to the words of the learned Icelander,it was only to be known by that one particular mentioned in the cryptograph,that the shadow of Scartaris fell upon it,just touching its mouth in the last days of the month of June.
We were,in fact,to consider the pointed peak as the stylus of an immense sun-dial,the shadow of which pointed on one given day,like the inexorable finger of fate,to the yawning chasm which led into the interior of the earth.
Now,as often happens in these regions,should the sun fail to burst through the clouds,no shadow.Consequently,no chance of discovering the right aperture.We had already reached the 25th June.If the kindly heavens would only remain densely clouded for six more days,we should have to put off our voyage of discovery for another year,when certainly there would be one person fewer in the party.I already had sufficient of the mad and monstrous enterprise.
It would be utterly impossible to depict the impotent rage of Professor Hardwigg.The day passed away,and not the faintest outline of a shadow could be seen at the bottom of the crater.Hans the guide never moved from his place.He must have been curious to know what we were about,if indeed he could believe we were about anything.As for my uncle,he never addressed a word to me.He was nursing his wrath to keep it warm!His eyes fixed on the black and foggy atmosphere,his complexion hideous with suppressed passion.
Never had his eyes appeared so fierce,his nose so aquiline,his mouth so hard and firm.
On the 26th no change for the better.A mixture of rain and snow fell during the whole day.Hans very quietly built himself a hut of lava into which he retired like Diogenes into his tub.I took a malicious delight in watching the thousand little cascades that flowed down the side of the cone,carrying with them at times a stream of stones into the "vasty deep"below.
My uncle was almost frantic:to be sure,it was enough to make even a patient man angry.He had reached to a certain extent the goal of his desires,and yet he was likely to be wrecked in port.
But if the heavens and the elements are capable of causing us much pain and sorrow,there are two sides to a medal.And there was reserved for Professor Hardwigg a brilliant and sudden surprise which was to compensate him for all his sufferings.
Next day the sky was still overcast,but on Sunday,the 28th,the last day but two of the month,with a sudden change of wind and a new moon there came a change of weather.The sun poured its beaming rays to the very bottom of the crater.
Each hillock,every rock,every stone,every asperity of the soil had its share of the luminous effulgence,and its shadow fell heavily on the soil.Among others,to his insane delight,the shadow of Scartaris was marked and clear,and moved slowly with the radiant start of day.
My uncle moved with it in a state of mental ecstasy.
At twelve o'clock exactly,when the sun had attained its highest altitude for the day,the shadow fell upon the edge of the central pit!
"Here it is,"gasped the Professor in an agony of joy,"here it is-we have found it.Forward,my friends,into the Interior of the Earth."I looked curiously at Hans to see what reply he would make to this terrific announcement.
"Forut,"said the guide tranquilly.
"Forward it is,"answered my uncle,who was now in the seventh heaven of delight.
When we were quite ready,our watches indicated thirteen minutes past one!