Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Terror of Blue John Gap
ForthemomentIweakenedinmyresolution,andwasreadytoleavethesecretoftheoldmine,ifoneexists,foreverunsolved.Buttonightmyinteresthasreturnedandmynervesgrownmoresteady.TomorrowItrustthatIshallhavegonemoredeeplyintothismatter.
April22.—LetmetryandsetdownasaccuratelyasIcanmyextraordinaryexperienceofyesterday.Istartedintheafternoon,andmademywaytotheBlueJohnGap.IconfessthatmymisgivingsreturnedasIgazedintoitsdepths,andIwishedthatIhadbroughtacompaniontosharemyexploration.Finally,withareturnofresolution,Ilitmycandle,pushedmywaythroughthebriars,anddescendedintotherockyshaft.
Itwentdownatanacuteangleforsomefiftyfeet,thefloorbeingcoveredwithbrokenstone.Thencethereextendedalong,straightpassagecutinthesolidrock.Iamnogeologist,buttheliningofthiscorridorwascertainlyofsomehardermaterialthanlimestone,fortherewerepointswhereIcouldactuallyseethetool-markswhichtheoldminershadleftintheirexcavation,asfreshasiftheyhadbeendoneyesterday.Downthisstrange,old-worldcorridorIstumbled,myfeebleflamethrowingadimcircleoflightaroundme,whichmadetheshadowsbeyondthemorethreateningandobscure.Finally,IcametoaspotwheretheRomantunnelopenedintoawater-worncavern—ahugehall,hungwithlongwhiteiciclesoflimedeposit.FromthiscentralchamberIcoulddimlyperceivethatanumberofpassageswornbythesubterraneanstreamswoundawayintothedepthsoftheearth.
