I began also to feel very hungry, as not having eaten for
twenty-four hours; and worse than that, there was a parching thirst and
dryness in my throat, and nothing with which to quench it. Yet there was
no time to be lost if I was ever to get out alive, and so I groped with
my hands against the side of the grave until I made out the bottom edge
of the slab, and then fell to grubbing beneath it with my fingers. But
the earth, which the day before had looked light and loamy to the eye,
was stiff and hard enough when one came to tackle it with naked hands,
and in an hour's time I had done little more than further weary myself
and bruise my fingers.
Then I was forced to rest; and, sitting down on the ground, saw that the
glimmering streak of light had faded, and that the awful blackness of
the previous night was creeping up again. And now I had no heart to face
it, being cowed with hunger, thirst, and weariness; and so flung myself
upon my face, that I might not see how dark it was, and groaned for very
lowness of spirit. Thus I lay for a long time, but afterwards stood up
and cried aloud, and shrieked if anyone should haply hear me, calling to
Mr. Glennie and Ratsey, and even Elzevir, by name, to save me from this
awful place. But there came no answer, except the echo of my own voice
sounding hollow and far off down in the vault.
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