Колодець і маятник

           Itoreapartofthehemfromtherobeandplacedthefragmentatfulllength,andatrightanglestothewall. Ingropingmywayaroundtheprison,Icouldnotfailtoencounterthisraguponcompletingthecircuit. So,atleastIthought: butIhadnotcountedupontheextentofthedungeon,oruponmyownweakness. Thegroundwasmoistandslippery. Istaggeredonwardforsometime,whenIstumbledandfell. Myexcessivefatigueinducedmetoremainprostrate;andsleepsoonovertookmeasIlay. 

           Uponawaking,andstretchingforthanarm,Ifoundbesidemealoafandapitcherwithwater. Iwastoomuchexhaustedtoreflectuponthiscircumstance,butateanddrankwithavidity. Shortlyafterward,Iresumedmytouraroundtheprison,andwithmuchtoilcameatlastuponthefragmentoftheserge. UptotheperiodwhenIfellIhadcountedfifty-twopaces,anduponresumingmywalk,Ihadcountedforty-eightmore;—whenIarrivedattherag. Therewereinall,then,ahundredpaces;and,admittingtwopacestotheyard,Ipresumedthedungeontobefiftyyardsincircuit. Ihadmet,however,withmanyanglesinthewall,andthusIcouldformnoguessattheshapeofthevault;forvaultIcouldnothelpsupposingittobe. 

           Ihadlittleobject—certainlynohopetheseresearches;butavaguecuriositypromptedmetocontinuethem. Quittingthewall,Iresolvedtocrosstheareaoftheenclosure. AtfirstIproceededwithextremecaution,forthefloor,althoughseeminglyofsolidmaterial,wastreacherouswithslime.