A call from the other announced that he had discovered the opening, and the colour flushed into the younger boy"s face as he hastened on.
In my dream I seemed permitted to follow them unseen, and saw before me the mouth of the caverns, large and wide.
The boys laughed gaily, but I was not sure if I were right in imagining an uneasiness in their merriment.
They eagerly traversed the outer caves, which were quite light, and chose one of the many winding turnings.
"You will want your candle soon, Edred," said the younger.
"So I shall, and I mean to have it too, and see all the beauties of which I have heard."
They stopped to light the tapers, and I could not help wondering whether they would last long enough to guide them safely out again; but as I knew nothing of these dangerous caves, I could only follow silently, with an anxiety which increased as I perceived how headstrong Edred appeared to be.
They wandered on and on, the light from their tapers illuminating the wonderful caverns, and the boys were full of interest and enjoyment, while my eyes watched the quickly-lessening candles.
"You told me the Guide-book spoke of evil beasts," said Edred mockingly, "but I don"t see a sign of them, and this place is like a fairy palace."
"I wish we were going out towards the light," said Alwin; "we have been going inwards so long, and I am sure we shall lose our way, there are such numbers of turnings."
"No fear," answered the other, "I can tell which way we are going; you have not a grain of sense. Alwin!"
Alwin sighed, "I"m afraid I am stupid, but I did hear a noise just now, and I have seen several shadows that I can"t account for."
Did Edred look round nervously, or was it my fancy? The lights burned lower still, but the boys were too intent to notice.
"I am tired," said Alwin, "let us rest."
Edred glanced at him, and seemed to consider. "Well," he said, "I dare say we shall reach the end the sooner for a little rest; and I want to look right down the abyss which they say is to be found there; so let us sit down here."
Alwin willingly consented, but he suddenly started from his seat again.
"They say," he exclaimed, "that there is a mysterious drowsiness which creeps over people in this cavern. Can we be falling into that, think you?"
"Nonsense," answered Edred, "this is only ordinary fatigue, five minutes" sleep will revive us, and we shall be as fresh as ever."
Already they had set down their candles near them; and as they leaned back against the rocky sides of the cavern a strain of music, soft and dreamy, filled the air, and they slept.
Long I watched, and would willingly have waked them, but that I found myself spell-bound. I was unable to speak or move. I could only look; and as I looked, the weird, dreamy music continued to lull them into deeper slumber, while their little lights burned lower and lower, and then slowly flickered out, and they were left in dense darkness.
Then the music seemed to change into a new key, and my fancy made me think it sounded like the distant cries of some in dire distress. The miserable moan seemed to disturb the sleepers, for I heard an exclamation of dismay, and Alwin"s voice said, in a tone of horror, "Edred! Edred! where are we? our lights are gone out!" Edred seemed to be only half awake, and he grumbled an impatient answer; but Alwin shook him with a despairing cry.
"What is it?" said Edred, now thoroughly roused.
"We are in darkness; we shall never find our way out. Oh, what shall we do, Edred?"
"I do not know, I am sure," said Edred; "but we had better turn the way we came."
"But which way?" said the other.
"This, to be sure," said Edred, beginning to grope his way along.
"But there were numbers of turnings, Edred," said Alwin reproachfully; "and the Guide-book----"
"Stop that!" called Edred, with fierce anger, "we shall come all right; but let"s have a truce to your whining."
Alwin was silent after this rebuke; but the caverns were by no means silent, for now the unearthly sounds seemed to increase, and the boys clung to each other in terror. Louder and louder grew the roar, and I heard one of them exclaim. "There is something coming towards us. Oh, see! what is it? what can it be?"
The anguish of those words I shall never forget.
Before them along one of the many pa.s.sages, a faint light seemed to shine; it came apparently from the eyes of a fierce beast who was approaching. The light was not sufficient to discern his shape, but from the lurid glare cast upwards from his eyes I could see three letters traced on his brow--S-I-N. They were incomprehensible to me, but I think the boys understood them; for, as they confronted those mysterious letters, they fell back appalled. Well indeed they might, for such a dreadful creature as bore them I never before beheld. He approached nearer and nearer, while the boys shrank back against the rocks. The fiend looked as if he would devour them; but yet, as he came near, I perceived his intention was to torture them for a while first. He came close up to them, and seemed almost to enfold them in his embrace. He whispered to them, and as his eyes cast a light on their faces, I could see the misery and despair depicted there. The fiend then gave a growl of awful meaning, and set himself down at a little distance from them, as if to take some sleep.
"What did he say?" whispered Alwin mournfully.
"That he would _never_ let us go," answered Edred in a despairing tone.
"Let us try to get away," again whispered Alwin; "will no one save us?"
"No one is so strong as he," said Edred hoa.r.s.ely. "What fools we were, Alwin!"
"What shall we do? Do let us try to escape."
They crept forward a few steps, but the ground was noisome mire after the pa.s.sage of this creature, and the boys were covered with filth at every step they took.
It was all in vain, however, for they knew not which way to go; and once, when a slight sound roused the attention of the fierce fiend, he turned as if to spring on them, uttering a deep growl.
"What did he say?" again whispered Alwin.
"That it is of no use our trying to escape," groaned Edred. "He says there is no return from this pit of darkness."
Then I awoke from my dream.
Agnes paused, and the children remained silent, till Minnie broke forth with pa.s.sionate earnestness--
"But oh, Agnes, there _is_ a way out! Oh, why were they left there to perish?"
"That was all I saw in that dream," said Agnes; "and when I woke these words were ringing in my ears, "The wages of sin is death.""
"But," said John, with kindling eyes, "there is a bit more to the end of that verse, Agnes."
"Not if we keep only to the first page of the "Wordless Book,"" answered Agnes.
"But we need not keep to the first page, need we?" said Minnie, looking rather sorrowful.
"Oh, no, thank G.o.d! For Hugh shall finish that twenty-third verse of the sixth of Romans which begins so sadly."