corner thus formed was one blaze of
flickering but brilliant light which flowed in from the hidden corridor.

It came and went, and played fitfully on the granite walls; still it
remained. It was supernaturally brilliant; or so it seemed to us, who
had lived in utter darkness for many days.

I turned to Harry, and the man who had just been ready to die was
rising to his feet!

"Wait a minute--not so fast!" I said half angrily, springing to support
him. "And, for Heaven's sake, don't make any noise! We're in no
condition to fight now, and you know what that light means."

"But what is it?" demanded the boy excitedly. "Come on, man--let's go!"

To tell the truth, I felt as eager as he. For the first time I
understood clearly why the Bible and ancient mythology made such a fuss
about the lighting up of the world. Modern civilization is too far
away from its great natural benefits to appreciate them properly.

And here was a curious instance of the force of habit--or, rather,
instinct--in man. So long as Harry and I had remained in the dark
passage and byways of the cavern we had proceeded almost entirely
without caution, with scarcely a thought of being discovered.

But the first sight of light made us wary and careful and silent; and
yet we knew perfectly well that the denizens of this underworld could
see as well in the darkness as in the light--perhaps even better. So
difficult is it to guide ourselves by the human faculty of pure reason.

Harry was so weak he was barely able to stand, even in the strength of
this new excitement and hope, and we were forced to go very slowly; I
supported him as well as I was able, being myself anything but an
engine of power. But the turn in the passage was not far away, and we
reached it in a quarter of an hour or less.

Before we made the turn we halted. Harry was breathing heavily even
from so slight an exertion, and I could scarcely suppress a cry of
amazement when, for the first time in many days, the light afforded me
a view of his face.

It was drawn and white and sunken; the eyes seemed set deep in his
skull as they blinked painfully; and the hair on his chin and lip and
cheeks had grown to a length incredible in so short a space of time. I
soon had reason to know that I probably presented no better an
appearance, for he was staring at me as though I were some strange
monster.

"Good Heavens, man, you took like a ghost!" he whispered.

I nodded; my arm w