What was Leroux doing? He would act with his usual hammer force. All depended on Pierre.
The hours wore away, and we three lay there, two waiting and one dreaming of the old days of youth, no doubt. I tried to light the candle to see the time, but my shaking hand sent it flying across the cave, and when I searched for my matches, I found that the box was empty.
It seemed an eternity since we had come there. It is one thing to wait for dawn and quite another thing to wait where dawn will never come.
It must be day. And still Pierre did not come. As I lay there, listening for his returning footsteps, I heard Jacqueline breathe at last.
She was asleep from weariness after her long night's watch. Somehow the thought that she had passed into the world of dreams comforted me. For a brief time the dreadful accusation of murder had been lifted from my head, and my numbed mind was free to follow my will and leave its mad career of fancy. I could act now.
Why should I not follow where Pierre had led? If Leroux had captured him within his hut, as seemed only too likely, he would never return, and we should wait in vain. And with each hour of waiting our chances to escape grew less.
I resolved to follow the exit for a little distance to see whither it led, and if I could discover the light of day.
So I took my sword and sallied out through the passage in the cliff.