CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE DRUNKARD'S VOICE.
Then I noticed a medley of sounds seemingly rising out of the depthsbeyond us. The noise was not such as to lead me to infer that personswere speaking coherently, but rather resembled a jargon such as mightcome from a multitude of persons talking indiscriminately and aimlessly.It was a constant volley, now rising and now falling in intensity, asthough many persons regardless of one another were chanting differenttunes in that peculiar sing-song tone often characteristic of thedrunkard. As we advanced, the noise became louder and more of a medley,until at last we were surrounded by confusion. Then a single voice roseup strong and full, and at once, from about us, close to us, yes,against our very persons, cries and shrieks unearthly smote my ears. Icould distinguish words of various tongues, English, Irish, German, andmany unfamiliar and disjointed cries, imprecations, and maledictions.The cavern about seemed now to be resonant with voices,--shrieks, yells,and maniacal cries commingled,--and yet no form appeared. As we rushedonward, for now my guide grasped my arm tightly and drew me rapidly downthe cavern floor, the voices subsided, and at length sounded as ifbehind us. Now however it seemed as though innumerable arrows, eachpossessed of a whistle or tone of its own, were in wave-like gustsshrieking by us. Coming from in front, they burst in the rear. Stoppingto listen, I found that a connection could be traced between the screechof the arrow-like shriek, and a drunkard's distant voice. It seemed asthough a rocket made of an escaping voice would scream past, andbursting in the cavern behind, liberate a human cry. Now and then allbut a few would subside, to burst out with increased violence, as if aflight of rockets each with a cry of its own would rush past, to befollowed after their explosion by a medley of maniacal cries, songs,shrieks, and groans, commingled. It was as though a shell containing avoice that escaped slowly as by pressure from an orifice, were firedpast my ears, to explode and liberate the voice within my hearing. Thedreadful utterance was not an echo, was not hallucination, it was real.
I stopped and looked at my guide in amazement. He explained: "Did younot sometime back experience that your own voice was thrown from yourbody?"
"Yes," I answered.
"These crazed persons or rather experiences depraved, are shouting inthe cavern beyond," he said. "They are in front; their voices pass us toburst into expression in the rear."
Then, even as he spoke, from a fungus stalk near us, a hideous creatureunfolded itself, and shambled to my side. It had the frame of a man, andyet it moved like a serpent, writhing towards me. I stepped back inhorror, but the tall, ungainly creature reached out an arm and graspedme tightly. Leaning over he placed his hideous mouth close to my ear,and moaned: "Back, back, go thou back."
I made no reply, being horror-stricken.
"Back, I say, back to earth, or--"
He hesitated, and still possessed of fear, and unable to reply, I wassilent.
"Then go on," he said, "on to your destiny, unhappy man," and slinkingback to the fungus whence he arose, he disappeared from sight.
"Come," said my guide, "let us pass the Drunkard's Den. This was but astraggler; nerve yourself, for his companions will soon surround us."