ee as much as possible of the forbidden
haunts before I was caught, I walked on fast, not forgetting, however,
to drop my breadcrumbs all the time.

There is a great sameness in all these catacombs, being long, straight,
gloomy passages branching off in all directions, only varied at
intervals with an occasional chapel, barely large enough to hold ten
people crowded together, a simple, roughly-hewn cell in the rock, and
destitute of anything that an antiquarian might be tempted to pocket;
however, whenever I came across an inscription of any interest I
immediately jotted it down in my note-book.

Now, the thought of being lost in these terrible catacombs with the
prospect before me of gradually dying of starvation without the
slightest chance of succour had often occurred to my mind, and was of
all thoughts the most dreadful.

It was a daring thing I was attempting, and I own to experiencing a
slight tremor, which increased the further I advanced. Yet, what had I
to fear? Was I not well provided with tapers and tinder-box? Had I not
marked the way with breadcrumbs besides carrying with me a good-sized
roll to allay hunger in case of emergency? What danger did I incur? So I
stifled my fears and boldly proceeded, passing innumerable tombs of
saints and martyrs, chapels, inscriptions, rude drawings on the wall,
Latin names, etc.

If I still felt any lingering tremor, it was a pleasing fear that only
spurred me on the more, and I had not the slightest inclination to turn
back. The situation was a new one to me, and I experienced from it a new
emotion. Here was I, a solitary individual in the bowels of the earth,
with the gay world above me perfectly unconscious that one of their kind
was burrowing, taper in hand, beneath their very feet, treading in the
footsteps of those enthusiastic workmen who had excavated these vaults,
and which had been untrodden since by foot of man!

What will not an enthusiast go through in the noble pursuit of science?
My stock of bread was now completely exhausted. I had not left a crumb
to satisfy my hunger in case of need, such was my enthusiasm to
penetrate deeply into these unknown regions.

But what matter? When I felt hungry I could return at any time. Had I
not the clue? Thus I said to myself as I sprinkled my last remaining
crumbs behind me. I had now penetrated a very considerable distance into
this abode of the pious dead, when here an unforeseen and terrible
accident befell me.