emselves did not fully comprehend the peril of their
situation. They saw that they were going to be left in darkness--the
perfect darkness of a dungeon--but it had not yet occurred to them that
_they might never again see the light_! That appalling thought had not
yet shaped itself in their minds--they only believed that the want of
torches would put them to much inconvenience--they would have great
trouble, and perhaps difficulty, in finding their way out of the cave,
and getting the bear along with them--they might first have to grope
their way out, and then get fresh torches, and return for the game; and
all this would take a good deal of time, and give them a large amount of
trouble; but never mind that--the prize they had obtained in the fat of
the bear, and his fine hide--which would make a grand winter robe--would
repay them for all.

Ha! it was only after their torches had gone quite out, and they were
left in total darkness--only after they had groped and groped, and
wandered about for hours--now sprawling over loose rocks, now tumbling
down into deep clefts--only after they had gone through all this, and
still saw no light--no sign by which they could even guess at their
whereabouts, that they became fully alive to the peril of their
situation, and began to experience the awful apprehension already
expressed--that _they might never again see the light_!

And such in reality was their fear, when, after hours spent in fruitless
wandering, they stood holding each other's hands, crouching and cowering
together in the midst of that amorphous darkness!

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.

A RAMBLE IN THE DARK.

Their dread was not at all unreasonable, considering the vast extent of
the cavern--considering the distance which they knew they had
penetrated--considering the various devious and like ways through which
they had passed while in pursuit of the bear--and, above all,
considering the absolute darkness that now reigned around them. Of
course they could see nothing, not even each other; not one of them
could have seen the nose upon his own face, had he been looking for it.

Place yourself in the midst of complete darkness, and you will wonder
how little progress you can make in any direction. Indeed, you cannot
follow a right line even were there no impediment in your way.

After you have advanced a few steps, your face will begin to turn in a
new direction, and perhaps keep turning, until you have gone round t