o this pit, but dared not venture for fear of the foul and deadly air
that might have to be encountered below. Such things as matches, of
course, we had not, nor any fire whatever. I therefore delayed the
experiment for several days, with the expectation that the air would
improve considerably in that time. Then, by bracing my hands and feet
against the sides, I descended slowly, and found the air good enough to
breathe freely, which emboldened me to go to the bottom. There was just
light enough to perceive that on one side was an opening about six feet
in height, and somewhat more than a foot in width; and I could see
rough steps leading down a slight descent. I followed them cautiously,
until I came to a level place, which I found to be a passage about three
feet wide and higher than I could reach.

It was so dark here that I could no longer see, when, feeling the rock
on either side, I came to a place where there was a recess about three
feet above the floor of the passage. Raising myself into this recess, I
found it to be about four feet in height. This led back a considerable
distance,--how far I never discovered,--and as I was groping about,
being obliged to stoop all the time, I stumbled over something that
rolled and rattled like a bone. I felt for it, and found it to be one,
and with it were a number of others. As far as I could judge in the
darkness, they were the skeleton of a human being.

How came these there? Was this a tomb?

I felt about for more relics, going hither and thither in the
earnestness of quest, but found no more.

I had now been in this dungeon upward of an hour, and felt inclined to
return as speedily as possible to the daylight. I searched for the place
where I had got up from the narrow passage. I groped this way and that;
and this had to be done with precaution, for who could tell where I
might not step off suddenly and fall to some great depth? Yet I could
find nothing that promised to lead me to the passage by which I had
come.

Where was I? What was I to do? Remaining still would never do; to keep
moving, moving, was the only course to pursue. I had, I knew not how,
emerged from that low-roofed recess, and stood now in what seemed to be
a vast chamber where there were neither sides nor roof. I hallooed that
I might hear the echo from its walls, and perhaps in that way find them.
I was startled, almost frightened, at the solemn mocking sounds that
reverberated through the lonely c