Chapter 13 Axel Loses His Way We passed through the tunnel and found ourselves in a beautiful cave.
It was a wide open space with a high ceiling.
I placed my lantern on a rock so white that light filled the area.
Even though we were far from the outdoors, I felt as if we were there.
I took a deep breath and stretched my arms above my head.
It was so nice not to be in a tight tunnel.
I could have stayed here for days.
I hoped that Uncle was looking forward to a longer rest this time.
While in the cave, Uncle Edenbrock took his measurements.
I've been very careful to take exact measurements, he assured me.
I recorded every turn, every angle, and every slope that we have passed over in the tunnel.
He worked in his book for a few minutes.
Then he said, by my calculations, we have traveled two hundred and ten miles.
We are forty miles underground.
That means that where we are is deeper than the Atlantic Ocean, I exclaimed.
Forty miles!
That's incredible!
According to the theory about the center of the earth being boiling hot, it should be more than fifteen hundred degrees right now.
I know, my uncle said.
He smiled.
It would seem that facts have destroyed that theory.
My uncle seemed pleased to have proven my chosen theory wrong.
Uncle, I said, it has taken us twenty days to travel forty miles down.
If we have an estimated four thousand miles to go, then this journey should take us approximately five and a half years.
My uncle looked at his book for a moment, then slammed it shut.
Enough, he cried.
I will not continue with such nonsense.
You can do all the calculations that you like.
I have proof that a man, Sagdusum, made this journey on his own.
I will do the same.
My uncle then left me and went to make camp in another part of the cave.
Two weeks passed.
Every day was the same.
We woke in darkness.
Uncle Lidenbrock took his measurements.
He recorded the date, time, temperature, and direction.
We then walked through the tunnel until it was dinner time.
We stopped, ate our meal, and turned in for the night.
The next morning, we started all over again.
I was starting to worry about our sanity.
We were silent most of the time, left with our thoughts.
People often go mad after a period of time like this.
Maybe that would happen to us.
We moved in single file through the tunnel.
We could still hear our underground river and used it as our guide.
Having a water supply was necessary.
Thankfully, we had enough canned and dried food to last for weeks.
On August 7th, it was my turn to lead the group.
I held one of the lamps and walked slowly.
The rock formations along the wall were so interesting.
I was paying more attention to them than to where I was going.
At some point, I realized that I was alone.
Well, I thought, I must have walked too fast.
I'll go back and find them.
I turned around and walked for 15 minutes, but I saw no one.
I called out, but no one answered.
Then I started to panic.
Try to calm down, I said to myself.
There's only one path.
There's nowhere else they can be.
So I continued walking.
Half an hour later, there was still no answer to my call.
Fine then, I told myself.
I cannot find them.
But I can still go in the same direction.
The stream will lead me to the same place they are going.
I only need to follow the water.
Eventually we will find each other.
I raised my lamp high in order to see better.
I looked along the floor.
But there was nothing there.
There was no stream.
There was only dry rock and dirt.
In my rush to find my uncle and Hans, I had not noticed that the sound of water was gone.
Now I was left alone, and I didn't know which way to walk.
There must have been another tunnel, I said out loud.
I was paying such close attention to the rock formation on the walls.
I must have entered one tunnel while they went down another tunnel.
My heart began to beat quickly and my mouth was suddenly very dry.
I looked to see if I had left tracks that I could trace back.
There was nothing.
I could make no imprints on the hard rock.
I was seventy miles beneath the earth's crust and feared I would never find my way out again.
My mind raced through the events of the past few weeks.
I thought of Iceland and Professor Fredrickson.
I remembered our boat ride across from Denmark.
Then there was my little Gralbin.
I would never see my love again.
I cannot describe the amount of agony I felt at that moment.
Strangely, when I knew that I had no chance of survival, I became calm.
There was little use in yelling and raging.
There was nothing I could do.
I knew that I had three days worth of food, so I wouldn't starve, not for a few days anyway.
This calm restored my energy.
I must go back up, I thought.
I will have to go up until I find the spot where I lost the stream.
Then I can continue to follow the stream back up to the surface.
I walked up the slope, up to freedom, with great determination.
After about a half an hour, I came to a dead stop.
The tunnel ended.
Somehow, I had walked down a completely different tunnel.
Now I was hopelessly lost.
I turned quickly.
I tried to race back the way I came but I tripped.
My lamp flew from my hand.
I landed hard on the rocks.
When the lamp hit the ground it broke.
I was left in total darkness.
I held out my hands, trying to feel my way along the walls of the tunnel.
It was slow and painful.
I fell many times.
At last, I could go no farther.
I collapsed into a ball, crying and moaning.
After a few minutes, I passed out.
