I allowed myself to slide,so to speak,holding frantically on the double cord with one hand and with the other keeping myself off the rocks by the assistance of my iron-shod pole.One idea was all the time impressed upon my brain.I feared that the upper support would fail me.The cord appeared to me far too fragile to bear the weight of three such persons as we were,with our luggage.I made as little use of it as possible,trusting to my own agility and doing miracles in the way of feats of dexterity and strength upon the projecting shelves and spurs of lava which my feet seemed to clutch as strongly as my hands.
The guide went first,I have said,and when one of the slippery and frail supports broke from under his feet he had recourse to his usual monosyllabic way of speaking.
"Gif akt-"
"Attention-look out,"repeated my uncle.
In about half an hour we reached a kind of small terrace formed by a fragment of rock projecting some distance from the sides of the shaft.
Hans now began to haul upon the cord on one side only,the other going as quietly upward as the other came down.It fell at last,bringing with it a shower of small stones,lava and dust,a disagreeable kind of rain or hail.
While we were seated on this extraordinary bench I ventured once more to look downwards.With a sigh I discovered that the bottom was still wholly invisible.Were we,then,going direct to the interior of the earth?
The performance with the cord recommenced,and a quarter of an hour later we had reached to the depth of another two hundred feet.
I have very strong doubts if the most determined geologist would,during that descent,have studied the nature of the different layers of earth around him.I did not trouble my head much about the matter;whether we were among the combustible carbon,Silurians,or primitive soil,I neither knew nor cared to know.
Not so the inveterate Professor.He must have taken notes all the way down,for,at one of our halts,he began a brief lecture.
"The farther we advance,"said he,"the greater is my confidence in the result.The disposition of these volcanic strata absolutely confirms the theories of Sir Humphry Davy.We are still within the region of the primordial soil,the soil in which took place the chemical operation of metals becoming inflamed by coming in contact with the air and water.I at once regret the old and now forever exploded theory of a central fire.At all events,we shall soon know the truth."Such was the everlasting conclusion to which he came.I,however,was very far from being in humor to discuss the matter.I had something else to think of.My silence was taken for consent;and still we continued to go down.
At the expiration of three hours,we were,to all appearance,as far off as ever from the bottom of the well.When I looked upwards,however,I could see that the upper orifice was every minute decreasing in size.The sides of the shaft were getting closer and closer together,we were approaching the regions of eternal night!
And still we continued to descend!
At length,I noticed that when pieces of stone were detached from the sides of this stupendous precipice,they were swallowed up with less noise than before.The final sound was sooner heard.We were approaching the bottom of the abyss!
As I had been very careful to keep account of an the changes of cord which took place,I was able to tell exactly what was the depth we had reached,as well as the time it had taken.
We had shifted the rope twenty-eight times,each operation taking a quarter of an hour,which in all made seven hours.To this had to be added twenty-eight pauses;in all ten hours and a half.We started at one,it was now,therefore,about eleven o'clock at night.
It does not require great knowledge of arithmetic to know that twenty-eight times two hundred feet makes five thousand six hundred feet in all (more than an English mile).
While I was making this mental calculation a voice broke the silence.It was the voice of Hans.
"Halt!"he cried.
I checked myself very suddenly,just at the moment when I was about to kick my uncle on the head.
"We have reached the end of our journey,"said the worthy Professor in a satisfied tone.
"What,the interior of the earth?"said I,slipping down to his side.
"No,you stupid fellow!but we have reached the bottom of the well.
"And I suppose there is no farther progress to be made?"I hopefully exclaimed.
"Oh,yes,I can dimly see a sort of tunnel,which turns off obliquely to the right.At all events,we must see about that tomorrow.Let us sup now,and seek slumber as best we may."I thought it time,but made no observations on that point.I was fairly launched on a desperate course,and all I had to do was to go forward hopefully and trustingly.
It was not even now quite dark,the light filtering down in a most extraordinary manner.
We opened the provision bag,ate a frugal supper,and each did his best to find a bed amid the pile of stones,dirt,and lava which had accumulated for ages at the bottom of the shaft.
I happened to grope out the pile of ropes,ladders,and clothes which we had thrown down;and upon them I stretched myself.After such a day's labor,my rough bed seemed as soft as down!
For a while I lay in a sort of pleasant trance.
Presently,after lying quietly for some minutes,I opened my eyes and looked upwards.As I did so I made out a brilliant little dot,at the extremity of this long,gigantic telescope.
It was a star without scintillating rays.According to my calculation,it must be Beta in the constellation of the Little Bear.
After this little bit of astronomical recreation,I dropped into a sound sleep.