leap the rush of air extinguished it. In utter darkness he flew
through space, clutching outward for a hold should his feet miss
the invisible ledge.

He struck the edge of the door of the opposite terminus of the rocky
tunnel with his knees, slipped backward, clutched desperately for
a moment, and at last hung half within and half without the opening;
but he was safe. For several minutes he dared not move; but clung,
weak and sweating, where he lay. At last, cautiously, he drew
himself well within the tunnel, and again he lay at full length
upon the floor, fighting to regain control of his shattered nerves.

When his knees struck the edge of the tunnel he had dropped the
candle. Presently, hoping against hope that it had fallen upon
the floor of the passageway, rather than back into the depths of
the well, he rose upon all fours and commenced a diligent search
for the little tallow cylinder, which now seemed infinitely more
precious to him than all the fabulous wealth of the hoarded ingots
of Opar.

And when, at last, he found it, he clasped it to him and sank back
sobbing and exhausted. For many minutes he lay trembling and broken;
but finally he drew himself to a sitting posture, and taking a match
from his pocket, lighted the stump of the candle which remained to
him. With the light he found it easier to regain control of his
nerves, and presently he was again making his way along the tunnel
in search of an avenue of escape. The horrid cry that had come
down to him from above through the ancient well-shaft still haunted
him, so that he trembled in terror at even the sounds of his own
cautious advance.