Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Terror of Blue John Gap
IwasstandingtherewonderingwhetherIhadbetterreturn,orwhetherIdareventurefartherintothisdangerouslabyrinth,whenmyeyesfelluponsomethingatmyfeetwhichstronglyarrestedmyattention.
Thegreaterpartofthefloorofthecavernwascoveredwithbouldersofrockorwithhardincrustationsoflime,butatthisparticularpointtherehadbeenadripfromthedistantroof,whichhadleftapatchofsoftmud.Intheverycentreofthistherewasahugemark—anill-definedblotch,deep,broadandirregular,asifagreatboulderhadfallenuponit.Noloosestonelaynear,however,norwasthereanythingtoaccountfortheimpression.Itwasfartoolargetobecausedbyanypossibleanimal,andbesides,therewasonlytheone,andthepatchofmudwasofsuchasizethatnoreasonablestridecouldhavecoveredit.AsIrosefromtheexaminationofthatsingularmarkandthenlookedroundintotheblackshadowswhichhemmedmein,ImustconfessthatIfeltforamomentamostunpleasantsinkingofmyheart,andthat,dowhatIcould,thecandletrembledinmyoutstretchedhand.
Isoonrecoveredmynerve,however,whenIreflectedhowabsurditwastoassociatesohugeandshapelessamarkwiththetrackofanyknownanimal.Evenanelephantcouldnothaveproducedit.Idetermined,therefore,thatIwouldnotbescaredbyvagueandsenselessfearsfromcarryingoutmyexploration.Beforeproceeding,ItookgoodnoteofacuriousrockformationinthewallbywhichIcouldrecognizetheentranceoftheRomantunnel.
