The chamber he had entered was not over twenty feet wide by three times as long. To one side the roof sloped downward, and here there appeared to be another opening, running to some higher level.
"Anyway to get out," thought Dick, and scrambled up the slope. It was rough, and more than once he went down; but he picked himself up quickly and went on.
The upper chamber gained, the youth saw before him a long and winding gallery, moving gradually to a still higher level. Should he follow this?
Again he prayed for Divine aid, and then went on, over loose rocks and across ugly cracks. The driftwood had nearly burnt itself out, and his fingers were blistered in several places from holding it. Soon he would be in darkness again, and what should he do, then? He looked around for something more that might be lighted, but nothing showed itself.
On and on, and still on, following one turn after another. Now the driftwood had flickered down to the last dead twig. He tried to save the tiny flame—but with a flicker it went out—and all became as black as night around him—yes, even blacker than night.
He sank down on a rock, almost stunned. All of the stories of people lost in caves and coal mines that he had ever heard about, crossed his mind—how they had wandered about for days without food and drink and light, to be found at last either dead or jibbering idiots. He felt that it would not take much to turn him crazy.
How long he remained on the rock he could never tell. At last, like one in a dream, he got up and ran—ran as hard as he could, as though a legion of demons were after him—along one rocky wall and another. His outstretched hands and good fortune saved him from many a nasty bump, and thus fully a mile was covered, when he fell down so exhausted he could not go another step.
"I'm buried alive!" he cried aloud; and a thousand echoes answered him: "Buried alive—alive—alive!" Then a strange vision came to him of untold horrors—snakes, demons, falling rocks and great torrents of water—and he fell flat in terror, and fainted.
When Dick came to his senses he leaped up, then sank back exhausted. Clearly he was out of his mind—for he thought that he was in a beautiful palace, and that a fairy of gold was dancing before him. Then the fairy seemed to motion him to come on, and he moved along slowly and painfully for fully a quarter of a mile. Presently the vision left him, and he sank down once again, only to get up when he was able, and run, he knew not where.
Ha! what was that? a light, or only another hallucination? No, no, it was a light—a spot of sunshine, streaming in from some opening overhead. He gave a shout of joy. Oh, to be free once more! Never, never, would he enter that cave again.