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 stop, 

 notwithstanding the calls of his amazed friends, 

 until he had fallen a second time over the rocks, 



