"
And so we began our descent into the mysterious pit. The strange light
that came from it, and formed a shaft in the dense atmosphere above like
sunlight in a haymow, was accompanied by a considerable degree of heat,
which was very grateful to our lungs after the frigid plunge that we had
taken from the comfortable car. As we descended, the temperature
continually rose until we were glad to throw off our Arctic togs, and
leave them on a shelf of rock to await our return. But, fortunately, we
did not forget to take the pistols from the pockets before leaving the
garments. I am very uncertain what would have been the future course of
our history if we had neglected this precaution.
It was an awful hole for depth. The steps, rudely cut, wound round and
round the sides like those in a cathedral tower, but the pit was not
perfectly circular. It looked like a natural formation, such as the
vertical entrance to a limestone cavern, or the throat of a sleeping
volcano. But whatever the nature of the pit might be, I was convinced
that the steps were of artificial origin. They were reasonably regular in
height and broad enough for two, or even three, persons to go abreast.
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