IN MAMMOTH CAVE 247 



comet. As you gaze, the guide slowly moves 

 his hat, and a black cloud gradually creeps over 

 the sky, and all is blackness again. Then you 

 hear footsteps retreating and dying away in the 

 distance. Presently all is still, save the ring- 

 ing in your own ears. Then after a few mo- 

 ments, during which you have sat in a silence 

 like that of the interstellar spaces, you hear 

 over your left shoulder a distant flapping of 

 wings, followed by the crowing of a cock. 

 You turn your head in that direction and be- 

 hold a faint daAvn breaking on the horizon. It 

 slowly increases till you hear footsteps approach- 

 ing, and your dusky companion, playing the 

 part of Apollo, wath lamp in hand ushers in the 

 light of day. It is rather theatrical, but a very 

 pleasant diversion nevertheless. 



Another surprise was when we paused at a 

 certain point, and the guide asked me to shout 

 or call in a loud voice. I did so without any 

 unusual effect following. Then he spoke in a 

 very deep base, and instantly the rocks all 

 about and beneath us became like the strings of 

 an ^Eolian harp. They seemed transformed as 

 if by enchantment. Then I tried, but did not 

 strike the right key ; the rocks were dumb ; I 

 •tried again, but got no response; flat and dead 

 the sounds came back as if in mockery; then I 

 struck a deeper base, the chord was hit, and the 

 solid Avails seemed to become as thin and frail 

 as a drum head or as the frame of a violin. 

 They fairly seemed to dance about us, and to 

 recede away from us. Such wild, sweet music 



