I must confess that under the conditions with which I was confronted,

I felt my nerves to be somewhat shaken. On the morrow I was to die

some sort of nameless death for the diversion of a savage horde,

but the morrow held fewer terrors for me than the present, and

I submit to any fair-minded man if it is not a terrifying thing

to lie bound hand and foot in the Stygian blackness of an immense

cave peopled by unknown dangers in a land overrun by hideous beasts

and reptiles of the greatest ferocity. At any moment, perhaps at

this very moment, some silent-footed beast of prey might catch my

scent where it laired in some contiguous passage, and might creep

stealthily upon me. I craned my neck about, and stared through the

inky darkness for the twin spots of blazing hate which I knew would

herald the coming of my executioner. So real were the imaginings

of my overwrought brain that I broke into a cold sweat in absolute

conviction that some beast was close before me; yet the hours

dragged, and no sound broke the grave-like stillness of the cavern.

During that period of eternity many events of my life passed before

my mental vision, a vast parade of friends and occurrences which

would be blotted out forever on the morrow. I cursed myself for

the foolish act which had taken me from the search-party that so

depended upon me, and I wondered what progress, if any, they had

made. Were they still beyond the barrier cliffs, awaiting my return?

Or had they found a way into Caspak? I felt that the latter would

be the truth, for the party was not made up of men easily turned

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