centre, which I could reach in a stride. As it
chanced, however, the rock had been cut away and made top-heavy by the
rush of the stream, so that it tilted over as I landed on it and shot
me into the ice-cold water. My candle went out, and I found myself
floundering about in utter and absolute darkness.

I staggered to my feet again, more amused than alarmed by my adventure.
The candle had fallen from my hand, and was lost in the stream, but I
had two others in my pocket, so that it was of no importance. I got one
of them ready, and drew out my box of matches to light it. Only then
did I realize my position. The box had been soaked in my fall into the
river. It was impossible to strike the matches.

A cold hand seemed to close round my heart as I realized my position.
The darkness was opaque and horrible. It was so utter that one put one's
hand up to one's face as if to press off something solid. I stood still,
and by an effort I steadied myself. I tried to reconstruct in my mind a
map of the floor of the cavern as I had last seen it. Alas! the bearings
which had impressed themselves upon my mind were high on the wall, and
not to be found by touch. Still, I remembered in a general way how the
sides were situated, and I hoped that by groping my way along them I
should at last come to the opening of the Roman tunnel. Moving very
slowly, and continually striking against the rocks, I set out on this
desperate quest.

But I very soon realized how impossible it was. In that black, velvety
darkness one lost all one's bearings in an instant. Before I had made a
dozen paces, I was utterly bewildered as to my whereabouts. The rippling
of the stream, which was the one sound audible, showed me where it lay,
but the moment that I left its bank I was utterly lost. The idea
of finding my way back in absolute darkness through that limestone
labyrinth was clearly an impossible one.

I sat down upon a boulder and reflected upon my unfortunate plight. I
had not told anyone that I proposed to come to the Blue John mine, and
it was unlikely that a search party would come after me. Therefore I
must trust to my own resources to get clear of the danger. There was
only one hope, and that was that the matches might dry. When I fell into
the river, only half of me had got thoroughly wet. My left shoulder had
remained above the water. I took the box of matches, therefore, and put
it into my left armpit. The moist air of the cavern might possib