Chapter 19 - Page 2

are obliged to watch over each other by night. But we enjoyedabsolute safety and utter seclusion; no savages or wild beastsinfested these silent depths.

Next morning, we awoke fresh and in good spirits. The road wasresumed. As the day before, we followed the path of the lava. It wasimpossible to tell what rocks we were passing: the tunnel, instead oftending lower, approached more and more nearly to a horizontaldirection, I even fancied a slight rise. But about ten this upwardtendency became so evident, and therefore so fatiguing, that I wasobliged to slacken my pace.

"Well, Axel?" demanded the Professor impatiently.

"Well, I cannot stand it any longer," I replied.

"What! after three hours' walk over such easy ground."

"It may be easy, but it is tiring all the same."

"What, when we have nothing to do but keep going down!"

"Going up, if you please."

"Going up!" said my uncle, with a shrug.

"No doubt, for the last half-hour the inclines have gone the otherway, and at this rate we shall soon arrive upon the level soil ofIceland."

The Professor nodded slowly and uneasily like a man that declines tobe convinced. I tried to resume the conversation. He answered not aword, and gave the signal for a start. I saw that his silence wasnothing but ill-humour.

Still I had courageously shouldered my burden again, and was rapidlyfollowing Hans, whom my uncle preceded. I was anxious not to be leftbehind. My greatest care was not to lose sight of my companions. Ishuddered at the thought of being lost in the mazes of this vastsubterranean labyrinth.

Besides, if the ascending road did become steeper, I was comfortedwith the thought that it was bringing us nearer to the surface. Therewas hope in this. Every step confirmed me in it, and I was rejoicingat the thought of meeting my little Gräuben again.

By midday there was a change in the appearance of this wall of thegallery. I noticed it by a diminution of the amount of lightreflected from the sides; solid rock was appearing in the place ofthe lava coating. The mass was composed of inclined and sometimesvertical strata. We were passing through rocks of the transition orsilurian [l] system.

"It is evident," I cried, "the marine deposits formed in the secondperiod, these shales, limestones, and sandstones. We are turning awayfrom the primary granite. We are just as if we were people of Hamburggoing to Lubeck by way of Hanover!"

I had better have kept my observations to myself. But my geologicalinstinct was stronger than my prudence, and uncle Liedenbrock heardmy exclamation.

"What's that you are saying?" he asked.

"See," I said, pointing to the varied series of sandstones andlimestones, and the first indication of slate.

"Well?"

"We are at the period when the first plants and animals appeared."

"Do