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The¡¡Coming¡¡Race

by¡¡Edward¡¡Bulwer¡¡Lytton




Chapter¡¡I¡£


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In¡¡the¡¡year¡¡18__£»¡¡happening¡¡to¡¡be¡¡in¡¡_____£»¡¡I¡¡was¡¡invited¡¡by¡¡a¡¡professional¡¡engineer£»¡¡with¡¡whom¡¡I¡¡had¡¡made¡¡acquaintance£»¡¡to¡¡visit¡¡the¡¡recesses¡¡of¡¡the¡¡________¡¡mine£»¡¡upon¡¡which¡¡he¡¡was¡¡employed¡£

The¡¡reader¡¡will¡¡understand£»¡¡ere¡¡he¡¡close¡¡this¡¡narrative£»¡¡my¡¡reason¡¡for¡¡concealing¡¡all¡¡clue¡¡to¡¡the¡¡district¡¡of¡¡which¡¡I¡¡write£»¡¡and¡¡will¡¡perhaps¡¡thank¡¡me¡¡for¡¡refraining¡¡from¡¡any¡¡description¡¡that¡¡may¡¡tend¡¡to¡¡its¡¡discovery¡£

6Let¡¡me¡¡say£»¡¡then£»¡¡as¡¡briefly¡¡as¡¡possible£»¡¡that¡¡I¡¡accompanied¡¡the¡¡engineer¡¡into¡¡the¡¡interior¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mine£»¡¡and¡¡became¡¡so¡¡strangely¡¡fascinated¡¡by¡¡its¡¡gloomy¡¡wonders£»¡¡and¡¡so¡¡interested¡¡in¡¡my¡¡friend's¡¡explorations£»¡¡that¡¡I¡¡prolonged¡¡my¡¡stay¡¡in¡¡the¡¡neighbourhood£»¡¡and¡¡descended¡¡daily£»¡¡for¡¡some¡¡weeks£»¡¡into¡¡the¡¡vaults¡¡and¡¡galleries¡¡hollowed¡¡by¡¡nature¡¡and¡¡art¡¡beneath¡¡the¡¡surface¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earth¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡engineer¡¡was¡¡persuaded¡¡that¡¡far¡¡richer¡¡deposits¡¡of¡¡mineral¡¡wealth¡¡than¡¡had¡¡yet¡¡been¡¡detected£»¡¡would¡¡be¡¡found¡¡in¡¡a¡¡new¡¡shaft¡¡that¡¡had¡¡been¡¡commenced¡¡under¡¡his¡¡operations¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡piercing¡¡this¡¡shaft¡¡we¡¡came¡¡one¡¡day¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡chasm¡¡jagged¡¡and¡¡seemingly¡¡charred¡¡at¡¡the¡¡sides£»¡¡as¡¡if¡¡burst¡¡asunder¡¡at¡¡some¡¡distant¡¡period¡¡by¡¡volcanic¡¡fires¡£¡¡¡¡Down¡¡this¡¡chasm¡¡my¡¡friend¡¡caused¡¡himself¡¡to¡¡be¡¡lowered¡¡in¡¡a¡¡'cage£»'¡¡having¡¡first¡¡tested¡¡the¡¡atmosphere¡¡by¡¡the¡¡safety¡­lamp¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡remained¡¡nearly¡¡an¡¡hour¡¡in¡¡the¡¡abyss¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡he¡¡returned¡¡he¡¡was¡¡very¡¡pale£»¡¡and¡¡with¡¡an¡¡anxious£»¡¡thoughtful¡¡expression¡¡of¡¡face£»¡¡very¡¡different¡¡from¡¡its¡¡ordinary¡¡character£»¡¡which¡¡was¡¡open£»¡¡cheerful£»¡¡and¡¡fearless¡£

He¡¡said¡¡briefly¡¡that¡¡the¡¡descent¡¡appeared¡¡to¡¡him¡¡unsafe£»¡¡and¡¡leading¡¡to¡¡no¡¡result£»¡¡and£»¡¡suspending¡¡further¡¡operations¡¡in¡¡the¡¡shaft£»¡¡we¡¡returned¡¡to¡¡the¡¡more¡¡familiar¡¡parts¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mine¡£

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The¡¡engineer¡¡long¡¡endeavoured¡¡to¡¡evade¡¡my¡¡inquiries£»¡¡but¡¡as£»¡¡while¡¡he¡¡spoke£»¡¡he¡¡helped¡¡himself¡¡unconsciously¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡brandy¡­flask¡¡to¡¡a¡¡degree¡¡to¡¡which¡¡he¡¡was¡¡wholly¡¡unaccustomed£»¡¡7for¡¡he¡¡was¡¡a¡¡very¡¡temperate¡¡man£»¡¡his¡¡reserve¡¡gradually¡¡melted¡¡away¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡who¡¡would¡¡keep¡¡himself¡¡to¡¡himself¡¡should¡¡imitate¡¡the¡¡dumb¡¡animals£»¡¡and¡¡drink¡¡water¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡last¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡will¡¡tell¡¡you¡¡all¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡the¡¡cage¡¡stopped£»¡¡I¡¡found¡¡myself¡¡on¡¡a¡¡ridge¡¡of¡¡rock£»¡¡and¡¡below¡¡me£»¡¡the¡¡chasm£»¡¡taking¡¡a¡¡slanting¡¡direction£»¡¡shot¡¡down¡¡to¡¡a¡¡considerable¡¡depth£»¡¡the¡¡darkness¡¡of¡¡which¡¡my¡¡lamp¡¡could¡¡not¡¡have¡¡penetrated¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡through¡¡it£»¡¡to¡¡my¡¡infinite¡¡surprise£»¡¡streamed¡¡upward¡¡a¡¡steady¡¡brilliant¡¡light¡£¡¡¡¡Could¡¡it¡¡be¡¡any¡¡volcanic¡¡fire£¿¡¡In¡¡that¡¡case£»¡¡surely¡¡I¡¡should¡¡have¡¡felt¡¡the¡¡heat¡£¡¡¡¡Still£»¡¡if¡¡on¡¡this¡¡there¡¡was¡¡doubt£»¡¡it¡¡was¡¡of¡¡the¡¡utmost¡¡importance¡¡to¡¡our¡¡common¡¡safety¡¡to¡¡clear¡¡it¡¡up¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡examined¡¡the¡¡sides¡¡of¡¡the¡¡descent£»¡¡and¡¡found¡¡that¡¡I¡¡could¡¡venture¡¡to¡¡trust¡¡myself¡¡to¡¡the¡¡irregular¡¡projection¡¡of¡¡ledges£»¡¡at¡¡least¡¡for¡¡some¡¡way¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡left¡¡the¡¡cage¡¡and¡¡clambered¡¡down¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡I¡¡drew¡¡nearer¡¡and¡¡nearer¡¡to¡¡the¡¡light£»¡¡the¡¡chasm¡¡became¡¡wider£»¡¡and¡¡at¡¡last¡¡I¡¡saw£»¡¡to¡¡my¡¡unspeakable¡¡amaze£»¡¡a¡¡broad¡¡level¡¡road¡¡at¡¡the¡¡bottom¡¡of¡¡the¡¡abyss£»¡¡illumined¡¡as¡¡far¡¡as¡¡the¡¡eye¡¡could¡¡reach¡¡by¡¡what¡¡seemed¡¡artificial¡¡gas¡­lamps¡¡placed¡¡at¡¡regular¡¡intervals£»¡¡as¡¡in¡¡the¡¡thoroughfare¡¡of¡¡a¡¡great¡¡city£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡heard¡¡confusedly¡¡at¡¡a¡¡distance¡¡a¡¡hum¡¡as¡¡of¡¡human¡¡voices¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡know£»¡¡of¡¡course£»¡¡that¡¡no¡¡rival¡¡miners¡¡are¡¡at¡¡work¡¡in¡¡this¡¡district¡£¡¡¡¡Whose¡¡could¡¡be¡¡those¡¡voices£¿¡¡What¡¡human¡¡hands¡¡could¡¡have¡¡levelled¡¡that¡¡road¡¡and¡¡marshalled¡¡those¡¡lamps£¿

¡¨The¡¡superstitious¡¡belief£»¡¡common¡¡to¡¡miners£»¡¡that¡¡gnomes¡¡or¡¡fiends¡¡dwell¡¡within¡¡the¡¡bowels¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earth£»¡¡began¡¡to¡¡seize¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡shuddered¡¡at¡¡the¡¡thought¡¡of¡¡descending¡¡further¡¡and¡¡braving¡¡the¡¡inhabitants¡¡of¡¡this¡¡nether¡¡valley¡£¡¡¡¡Nor¡¡indeed¡¡could¡¡I¡¡have¡¡done¡¡so¡¡without¡¡ropes£»¡¡as¡¡from¡¡the¡¡spot¡¡I¡¡had¡¡reached¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bottom¡¡of¡¡the¡¡chasm¡¡the¡¡sides¡¡of¡¡the¡¡rock¡¡sank¡¡down¡¡abrupt£»¡¡smooth£»¡¡and¡¡sheer¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡retraced¡¡my¡¡steps¡¡with¡¡some¡¡difficulty¡£¡¡¡¡Now¡¡I¡¡have¡¡told¡¡you¡¡all¡£¡¨

¡¨You¡¡will¡¡descend¡¡again£¿¡¨

¡¨I¡¡ought£»¡¡yet¡¡I¡¡feel¡¡as¡¡if¡¡I¡¡durst¡¡not¡£¡¨

¡¨A¡¡trusty¡¡companion¡¡halves¡¡the¡¡journey¡¡and¡¡doubles¡¡the¡¡courage¡£¡¡8I¡¡will¡¡go¡¡with¡¡you¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡will¡¡provide¡¡ourselves¡¡with¡¡ropes¡¡of¡¡suitable¡¡length¡¡and¡¡strength¡­¡¡and¡­¡¡pardon¡¡me¡­¡¡you¡¡must¡¡not¡¡drink¡¡more¡¡to¡­night¡£¡¡¡¡our¡¡hands¡¡and¡¡feet¡¡must¡¡be¡¡steady¡¡and¡¡firm¡¡tomorrow¡£¡¨


Chapter¡¡II¡£

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