CHAPTER XXIX.
THALATTA! THALATTA!
When I came to myself, I was stretched in half darkness, covered withthick coats and blankets. My uncle was watching over me, to discoverthe least sign of life. At my first sigh he took my hand; when Iopened my eyes he uttered a cry of joy.
"He lives! he lives!" he cried.
"Yes, I am still alive," I answered feebly.
"My dear nephew," said my uncle, pressing me to his breast, "you aresaved."
I was deeply touched with the tenderness of his manner as he utteredthese words, and still more with the care with which he watched overme. But such trials were wanted to bring out the Professor's tendererqualities.
At this moment Hans came, he saw my hand in my uncle's, and I maysafely say that there was joy in his countenance.
"_God dag,_" said he.
"How do you do, Hans? How are you? And now, uncle, tell me where weare at the present moment?"
"To-morrow, Axel, to-morrow. Now you are too faint and weak. I havebandaged your head with compresses which must not be disturbed. Sleepnow, and to-morrow I will tell you all."
"But do tell me what time it is, and what day."
"It is Sunday, the 8th of August, and it is ten at night. You mustask me no more questions until the 10th."
In truth I was very weak, and my eyes involuntarily closed. I wanteda good night's rest; and I therefore went off to sleep, with theknowledge that I had been four long days alone in the heart of theearth.
Next morning, on awakening, I looked round me. My couch, made up ofall our travelling gear, was in a charming grotto, adorned withsplendid stalactites, and the soil of which was a fine sand. It washalf light. There was no torch, no lamp, yet certain mysteriousglimpses of light came from without through a narrow opening in thegrotto. I heard too a vague and indistinct noise, something like themurmuring of waves breaking upon a shingly shore, and at times Iseemed to hear the whistling of wind.
I wondered whether I was awake, whether I was dreaming, whether my brain,crazed by my fall, was not affected by imaginary noises. Yet neithereyes, nor ears could be so utterly deceived.
It is a ray of daylight, I thought, sliding in through this cleft inthe rock! That is indeed the murmuring of waves! That is the rustlingnoise of wind. Am I quite mistaken, or have we returned to thesurface of the earth? Has my uncle given up the expedition, or is ithappily terminated?
I was asking myself these unanswerable questions when the Professorentered.
"Good morning, Axel," he cried cheerily. "I feel sure you are better."
"Yes, I am indeed," said I, sitting up on my couch.
"You can hardly fail to be better, for you have slept quietly. Hansand I watched you by turns, and we have noticed you were evidentlyrecovering."
"Indeed, I do feel a great deal better, and I will give you a proofof that presently if you will let me have my breakfast."
"You shall eat, lad. The fever has left you. Hans rubbed your woundswith some ointment or other of which the Icelanders keep the secret,and they have healed marvellously. Our hunter is a splendid fellow!"
Whilst he went on talking, my uncle prepared a few provisions, whichI devoured eagerly, notwithstanding his advice to the contrary. Allthe while I was overwhelming him with questions which he answeredreadily.
I then learnt that my providential fall had brought me exactly to theextremity of an almost perpendicular shaft; and as I had landed inthe midst of an accompanying torrent of stones, the least of whichwould have been enough to crush me, the conclusion was that a looseportion of the rock had come down with me. This frightful conveyancehad thus carried me into the arms of my uncle, where I fell bruised,bleeding, and insensible.
"Truly it is wonderful that you have not been killed a hundred timesover. But, for the love of God, don't let us ever separate again, orwe many never see each other more."
"Not separate! Is the journey not over, then?" I opened a pair ofastonished eyes, which immediately called for the question:
"What is the matter, Axel?"
"I have a question to ask you. You say that I am safe and sound?"
"No doubt you are."
"And all my limbs unbroken?"
"Certainly."
"And my head?"
"Your head, except for a few bruises, is all right; and it is on yourshoulders, where it ought to be."
"Well, I am afraid my brain is affected."
"Your mind affected!"
"Yes, I fear so. Are we again on the surface of the globe?"
"No, certainly not."
"Then I must be mad; for don't I see the light of day, and don't Ihear the wind blowing, and the sea breaking on the shore?"
"Ah! is that all?"
"Do tell me all about it."
"I can't explain the inexplicable, but you will soon see andunderstand that geology has not yet learnt all it has to learn."
"Then let us go," I answered quickly.
"No, Axel; the open air might be bad for you."
"Open air?"
"Yes; the wind is rather strong. You must not expose yourself."
"But I assure you I am perfectly well."
"A little patience, my nephew. A relapse might get us into trouble,and we have no time to lose, for the voyage may be a long one."
"The voyage!"
"Yes, rest to-day, and to-morrow we will set sail."
"Set sail!"--and I almost leaped up.
What did it all mean? Had we a river, a lake, a sea to depend upon?Was there a ship at our disposal in some underground harbour?
My curiosity was highly excited, my uncle vainly tried to restrainme. When he saw that my impatience was doing me harm, he yielded.
I dressed in haste. For greater safety I wrapped myself in a blanket,and came out of the grotto.