Chapter 20

CHAPTER XX.

THE FIRST SIGNS OF DISTRESS

In fact, we had to ration ourselves. Our provision of water could notlast more than three days. I found that out for certain whensupper-time came. And, to our sorrow, we had little reason to expectto find a spring in these transition beds.

The whole of the next day the gallery opened before us its endlessarcades. We moved on almost without a word. Hans' silence seemed tobe infecting us.

The road was now not ascending, at least not perceptibly. Sometimes,even, it seemed to have a slight fall. But this tendency, which wasvery trifling, could not do anything to reassure the Professor; forthere was no change in the beds, and the transitional characteristicsbecame more and more decided.

The electric light was reflected in sparkling splendour from theschist, limestone, and old red sandstone of the walls. It might havebeen thought that we were passing through a section of Wales, ofwhich an ancient people gave its name to this system. Specimens ofmagnificent marbles clothed the walls, some of a greyish agatefantastically veined with white, others of rich crimson or yellowdashed with splotches of red; then came dark cherry-coloured marblesrelieved by the lighter tints of limestone.

The greater part of these bore impressions of primitive organisms.Creation had evidently advanced since the day before. Instead ofrudimentary trilobites, I noticed remains of a more perfect order ofbeings, amongst others ganoid fishes and some of those sauroids inwhich palaeontologists have discovered the earliest reptile forms.The Devonian seas were peopled by animals of these species, anddeposited them by thousands in the rocks of the newer formation.

It was evident that we were ascending that scale of animal life inwhich man fills the highest place. But Professor Liedenbrock seemednot to notice it.

He was awaiting one of two events, either the appearance of avertical well opening before his feet, down which our descent mightbe resumed, or that of some obstacle which should effectually turn usback on our own footsteps. But evening came and neither wish wasgratified.

On Friday, after a night during which I felt pangs of thirst, ourlittle troop again plunged into the winding passages of the gallery.

After ten hours' walking I observed a singular deadening of thereflection of our lamps from the side walls. The marble, the schist,the limestone, and the sandstone were giving way to a dark andlustreless lining. At one moment, the tunnel becoming very narrow, Ileaned against the wall.

When I removed my hand it was black. I looked nearer, and found wewere in a coal formation.

"A coal mine!" I cried.

"A mine without miners," my uncle replied.

"Who knows?" I asked.

"I know," the Professor pronounced decidedly, "I am certain that thisgallery driven through beds of coal was never