“Nom d’un tonnerre! That was a narrow shave! Another instant, and one of us would have been under his claws.”
“Yes,” I replied. “It was fortunate you noticed him.” But we were both too much absorbed in endeavouring to discover the character of the Great Secret to further comment upon the incident.
Resuming our search, ever on the alert lest a similar danger should threaten, we at length found, half concealed behind a projecting rock, a deep recess about four feet square on a level with the ground. Uzanne thrust his flambeau into it, and we were at once surprised to find that the extent of it was not revealed. Briefly we discussed our situation, when my companion exclaimed—
“Well, here goes! I mean to explore this;” and with rifle slung behind, and torch in his hand, he went down upon his knees and crawled into the narrow entry. Following close behind him, with heart beating quickly in anticipation of some startling revelation, I crawled onward through the tunnel-like passage, grazing elbows and knees upon the sharp rocks, heeding nothing in my eagerness to explore the depths of this subterranean grotto. The air was not foul, and we had confidence that the narrow passage was more than a mere recess, but were dismayed a few minutes later, when we came to the end, only to find further progress barred by a wall of rugged rock.
Octave minutely examined the great black stones before him, for the passage was so narrow that I could not pass, and therefore could see but little.
“Strange!” he ejaculated, after he had been carefully examining a long fissure and thrusting his fingers into it. “These stones appear suspiciously as if they have been placed here to block up an entry.”
“What causes you to think so?” I inquired.
“Because the stratum runs at a different angle to the rest of the stone. There must be some opening beyond.”
“Cannot we force an entrance?” I inquired.
Taking up his rifle, he struck the two great blocks of rock with the butt. A hollow sound was emitted.