198 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 
guishing his lamp. Thus left in the dark, not 
knowing where to turn, frightened out of his 
wits besides, he fell to remembering his sins— 
always remembered by those who are lost in the 
Cave—and praying with all his might for succor. 
But hours passed away, and assistance came not; 
the poor fellow’s frenzy increased ; he felt himself 
a doomed man; he thought his terrible situation 
was a Judgment imposed on him for his wicked- 
ness; nay, he even believed, at last, that he was 
no longer an inhabitant of the earth,—that he 
had been translated, even in the body, to the 
place of torment ;—in other words, that he was 
in hell itself, the prey of the devils, who would 
presently be let loose upon him. It was at this 
moment that the miners in search of him made 
their appearance. They lighted upon his sack, 
lying where he had thrown it, and set up a great 
shout, which was the first intimation he had of 
their approach. He started up, and seeing them 
in the distance, the half-naked negroes in ad- 
vance, all swinging their torches aloft, he, not 
doubting that they were those identical devils 
whose appearance he had been expecting, took 
to his heels, yelling for mercy; nor did he step, 
notwithstanding the calls of his amazed friends, 
until he had fallen a second time over the rocks, 
