g 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