The Water Runs Out

This time the descent commenced by the new gallery. Hans walked first as was his custom.

This time, they began their descent through the new passage. Hans walked first, as he usually did.

We had not gone a hundred yards when the Professor, moving his lantern along the walls, cried:

We had not gone a hundred yards when the Professor moved his lantern along the walls and cried:

"Here are primitive rocks. Now we are in the right way. Forward!"

"Here are primitive rocks. Now we're on the right path. Forward!"

When in its early stages the earth was slowly cooling, its contraction gave rise in its crust to disruptions, distortions, fissures, and chasms. The passage through which we were moving was such a fissure, through which at one time granite poured out in a molten state. Its thousands of windings formed an inextricable labyrinth through the primeval mass.

In its early stages, the earth cooled slowly and contracted. This caused breaks, distortions, cracks, and chasms in its crust. The passage we were moving through was one such crack. Molten granite had once poured through it. Its thousands of twists and turns formed a maze through the earth's ancient mass.

As fast as we descended, the succession of beds forming the primitive foundation came out with increasing distinctness. Geologists consider this primitive matter to be the base of the mineral crust of the earth, and have ascertained it to be composed of three different formations, schist, gneiss, and mica schist, resting upon that unchangeable foundation, the granite.

As we descended, the layers forming the earth’s ancient foundation became increasingly distinct. Geologists consider this ancient material the base of the earth’s mineral crust. They have found that it consists of three formations: schist, gneiss, and mica schist. These rest on the unchanging foundation of granite.

Never had mineralogists found themselves in so marvellous a situation to study nature in situ. What the boring machine, an insensible, inert instrument, was unable to bring to the surface of the inner structure of the globe, we were able to peruse with our own eyes and handle with our own hands.

Never before had mineralogists been in such a marvelous position to study nature firsthand. A boring machine, a lifeless, unfeeling instrument, could not bring the earth’s inner structure to the surface. But we could see it with our own eyes and touch it with our own hands.

Through the beds of schist, coloured with delicate shades of green, ran in winding course threads of copper and manganese, with traces of platinum and gold. I thought, what riches are here buried at an unapproachable depth in the earth, hidden for ever from the covetous eyes of the human race! These treasures have been buried at such a profound depth by the convulsions of primeval times that they run no chance of ever being molested by the pickaxe or the spade.

Thin veins of copper and manganese wound through the layers of schist, which were colored in delicate shades of green. There were traces of platinum and gold, too. I thought of the riches buried here, so deep in the earth that no one could reach them. They would remain hidden forever from the greedy eyes of humanity! The upheavals of ancient times had buried these treasures so deep that no pickaxe or spade would ever disturb them.

To the schists succeeded gneiss, partially stratified, remarkable for the parallelism and regularity of its lamina, then mica schists, laid in large plates or flakes, revealing their lamellated structure by the sparkle of the white shining mica.

After the schists came partly layered gneiss, remarkable for its regular, parallel layers. Then came mica schists, arranged in large plates or flakes. The sparkle of the shining white mica revealed their layered structure.

The light from our apparatus, reflected from the small facets of quartz, shot sparkling rays at every angle, and I seemed to be moving through a diamond, within which the quickly darting rays broke across each other in a thousand flashing coruscations.

Light from our apparatus reflected off the small faces of the quartz, sending sparkling rays in every direction. I felt as if I were moving through a diamond. Inside it, the swiftly moving rays crossed in a thousand brilliant flashes.

About six o'clock this brilliant fete of illuminations underwent a sensible abatement of splendour, then almost ceased. The walls assumed a crystallised though sombre appearance; mica was more closely mingled with the feldspar and quartz to form the proper rocky foundations of the earth, which bears without distortion or crushing the weight of the four terrestrial systems. We were immured within prison walls of granite.

Around six o'clock, this brilliant display of light noticeably faded, then almost disappeared. The walls took on a crystalline but gloomy appearance. Mica was more closely mixed with feldspar and quartz, forming the earth's solid rocky foundation. This foundation bears the weight of the four terrestrial systems without bending or crushing. We were imprisoned within walls of granite.

It was eight in the evening. No signs of water had yet appeared. I was suffering horribly. My uncle strode on. He refused to stop. He was listening anxiously for the murmur of distant springs. But, no, there was dead silence.

It was eight in the evening. There was still no sign of water. I was suffering terribly. My uncle walked on. He refused to stop. He listened anxiously for the sound of distant springs. But there was nothing. Everything was silent.

And now my limbs were failing beneath me. I resisted pain and torture, that I might not stop my uncle, which would have driven him to despair, for the day was drawing near to its end, and it was his last.

And now my legs were giving way beneath me. I endured the pain and torment so I would not hold my uncle back. That would have driven him to despair, for the day was nearly over, and it was his last.

At last I failed utterly; I uttered a cry and fell.

At last, I failed completely. I cried out and fell.

"Come to me, I am dying."

"Come to me. I'm dying."

My uncle retraced his steps. He gazed upon me with his arms crossed; then these muttered words passed his lips:

My uncle went back the way he had come. He looked at me with his arms crossed, then muttered:

"It's all over!"

"It's all over!"

The last thing I saw was a fearful gesture of rage, and my eyes closed.

The last thing I saw was a frightening gesture of rage, and my eyes closed.

When I reopened them I saw my two companions motionless and rolled up in their coverings. Were they asleep? As for me, I could not get one moment's sleep. I was suffering too keenly, and what embittered my thoughts was that there was no remedy. My uncle's last words echoed painfully in my ears: "it's all over!" For in such a fearful state of debility it was madness to think of ever reaching the upper world again.

When I opened them again, I saw my two companions lying motionless, wrapped in their blankets. Were they asleep? I could not sleep for a moment. I was suffering too much, and what made it worse was that there was no remedy. My uncle's last words echoed painfully in my ears: "it's all over!" In such a terribly weakened state, it was madness to think of ever reaching the surface again.

We had above us a league and a half of terrestrial crust. The weight of it seemed to be crushing down upon my shoulders. I felt weighed down, and I exhausted myself with imaginary violent exertions to turn round upon my granite couch.

A league and a half of earth lay above us. Its weight seemed to be crushing my shoulders. I felt weighed down and exhausted myself imagining the violent effort of turning over on my granite bed.

A few hours passed away. A deep silence reigned around us, the silence of the grave. No sound could reach us through walls, the thinnest of which were five miles thick.

A few hours passed. A deep silence surrounded us, the silence of the grave. No sound could reach us through the walls. Even the thinnest wall was five miles thick.

Yet in the midst of my stupefaction I seemed to be aware of a noise. It was dark down the tunnel, but I seemed to see the Icelander vanishing from our sight with the lamp in his hand.

Yet in my confusion, I thought I heard a noise. The tunnel was dark, but I thought I saw the Icelander disappear from sight, carrying the lamp.

Why was he leaving us? Was Hans going to forsake us? My uncle was fast asleep. I wanted to shout, but my voice died upon my parched and swollen lips. The darkness became deeper, and the last sound died away in the far distance.

Why was he leaving us? Was Hans going to abandon us? My uncle was fast asleep. I wanted to shout, but no sound came from my dry, swollen lips. The darkness grew deeper, and the last sound faded away in the distance.

"Hans has abandoned us," I cried. "Hans! Hans!"

"Hans has left us," I cried. "Hans! Hans!"

But these words were only spoken within me. They went no farther. Yet after the first moment of terror I felt ashamed of suspecting a man of such extraordinary faithfulness. Instead of ascending he was descending the gallery. An evil design would have taken him up not down. This reflection restored me to calmness, and I turned to other thoughts. None but some weighty motive could have induced so quiet a man to forfeit his sleep. Was he on a journey of discovery? Had he during the silence of the night caught a sound, a murmuring of something in the distance, which had failed to affect my hearing?

But I spoke these words only to myself. I did not say them aloud. After the first moment of terror, I felt ashamed of suspecting such an extraordinarily faithful man. He was going down the passage, not up. If he had meant to do harm, he would have gone up, not down. This thought calmed me, and I turned to other thoughts. Only a serious reason could have made such a quiet man give up his sleep. Was he exploring? In the silence of the night, had he heard a distant sound, a murmur I had missed?