script and began to read.

CHAPTER VIII

THE CAVE-DWELLERS

The cavern into which the chief led me was very spacious, but had
no light except that which entered through the portal. It was with
difficulty that I could see anything, but I found that there were many
people here moving about, all as intent upon their own pursuits as
those which one encounters in the streets of our cities. As we went
on farther the darkness increased, until at last I lost sight of the
chief altogether, and he had to come back and lead me. After going
a little farther we came to a long, broad passage-way like a
subterranean street, about twenty feet in width, and as many in
height. Here there were discernible a few twinkling lamps, which
served to make the darkness less intense and enabled me to see the
shadowy figures around. These were numerous, and all seemed busy,
though what their occupation might be I could not guess. I was amazed
at the extent of these caverns, and at the multitude of the people. I
saw also that from the nature of their eyes the sunlight distressed
them, and in this cavern gloom they found their most congenial
dwelling-place. From what I had thus far seen, this extraordinary
people shrank from the sunlight; and when they had to move abroad they
passed over roads which were darkened as much as possible by the deep
shadows of mighty ferns, while for the most part they remained in
dark caverns, in which they lived and moved and had their being. It
was a puzzle to me whether the weakness of their eyes had caused
this dislike of light, or the habit of cave-dwelling had caused this
weakness of eyes. Here, in this darkness, where there was but a faint
twinkle from the feeble lamps, their eyes seemed to serve them as well
as mine did in the outer light of day; and the chief, who outside had
moved with an uncertain step, and had blinked painfully at objects
with his eyes almost closed, now appeared to be in his proper element;
and while I hesitated like a blind man and groped along with a
faltering step, he guided me, and seemed to see everything with
perfect vision.

At length we stopped, and the chief raised up a thick, heavy mat which
hung like an unwieldly curtain in front of a doorway. This the chief
lifted. At once a blaze of light burst forth, gleaming into the dark,
and appearing to blind him. His eyes closed. He held up the veil for
me to pass through. I did so. He followed, and then groped his way
slowly a