"Surely," I thought, "this seems like coming to daylight."
Warmer and sweeter grew the air; I could see the wall of rock on my
right; and then I suddenly encountered a volume of air blown toward me,
as if the sweetest perfumes of the earth were mingled in that breath of
air. I knew I was coming to the light! Another turn, and there before
me were the grand snow-capped mountains suffused with the last rosy
flush of the setting sun!
[Illustration: "WE SAW HIM CLIMBING THROUGH A SQUARE OPENING OF LIGHT."
[SEE PAGE 292.]]
Oh, indescribable glory!
For a moment, my eyes swept over the horizon,--I was far above the
earth,--then back to the beauteous snow in its sunset splendor. The
rosy tinges lifted and vanished, and a cool twilight glow rested on the
mountain summits. I looked upon the plain below. Far beneath, it lay in
the evening shadow with its thousand fading tints of tropic foliage,
with one spot of blue, almost immediately below, in all that mass of
verdure--the lake. I knew then that I was almost exactly above the cave
I had so long inhabited. And Pippity--Grilly--were they there now?
I was about to call with all my might; but what ear could hear at that
great distance?
Three thousand feet at least of space separated my friends from me.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163