Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-07
Two Travellers
Have Terrible
Experience in
Underground
Passages. 80:
Passages. 80:

horror to emerge and CONFRONT us.
How long this tension continued
do not know. 1t seemd like hours, bu
was probably only Of a few minutes
duration. Then, far up above our head:
the rustling recommended, accompan'
led by shrill, bird-like chirping! On
the relief to our strained senses! 81
multaneously we gasped. "Bats!" ant
could have laughed at our terrors o
| the moment before.
After this, as 1t was useless to at
tempt to light the candle, we sat very
quietly for a long while in the dark
ness. Maurice had his case full ol
cigarettes, and, by shielding the mater
very carefully in his cap, we were able
to light one each, and felt grateful
indeed that my education comprised
the unlady-like accomplishment OF
smoking.
I think, after a while, we must have
fallen asleep, for 1t seemed a very
long time before Maurice spoke again
He said he felt so thirsty that he must
go back to the passage we had first
been in and try to scoop up some oi
the water lying there. He said ne
knew quite we'll which turning 1t was
and he would only be away few
minutes. He left me two matches and
another cigarette, and 1 heard him
stumbling away over the broken
ground. 1T seemed to me that several
minutes elapsed, and still heard nc
sound Of his return, so I called him
softly at first, then louder, as my panic
grew more intense.
At a certain pitch Of my shouting II
struck upon some sound-wave in the
caverns, and Immediately all the vast
extent Of the labyrinth took up the
cry. Every tunnel and passage echoed
Maurice! Maurice!" and the name
was repeated in every possible gamut
of whisper and growl. The bats shut
fled and stirred overhead, ghostly
forms seemed to rise out Of the dark
ness, and at last my nerves gave way
and I broke down, sobbing myself into
a state of semiunconsciousness
When I awoke again Maurice had
not returned, but I felt that 1t was
impossible to remain longer in this
state of inaction. so, taking the taper
with me- I felt my way very carefully
around the wall until came-to the
opening by which I fancied we had
entered.
When I had gone little way down
| it I used one of my precious matches
and lighted the candle, as we had dis
covered that the bats were only to be
found in the high vaulted cubicula-
Shielding my light with the utmost
care, 1 proceeded down these inter-
minable passages, but nowhere did
come upon any trace Of Maurice
neither could 1 recognize any Of the
frescoes or decorations upon the walls
My watch told me it was nearly
O'Clock, and after walking on in this
way for about half an hour a panic
seized me that Maurice might have
returned to the cubiculum during my
absence and, not finding me there
have gone again to look for me. Ir
this way we might wander round after
each other till death put an end to our
sufferings, as it was evident that few
tourists visited this distant part of the
Catacombs.
Terrified at this new idea, I turned
to retrace my steps, if possible, to our
original cubiculum, when, to my joy, ]
heard the sound Of some one running
quickly toward me down a fairly wide
passage that joined the one I was in
at right anglec This must be Maui
rice returning, l thought, or perhaps
the guide, who would help me find
him.
raised a glad cry, and started of
running to meet the newcomer Then
to my horror, the footsteps ceased
Instead, round the corner of the wall
appeared a narrow white face, sur
rounded by a moving mist, like spir-
it shroud. From that pale counten-
ance cleaned two enormous eyes, fix
ed upon mine in an awful glare! A
strange and offensive smell smote up
on my failing senses, and once again
fell to the earth unconscious.
The next time l opened my eyes
was still in the passageway, but-oh
the blessed change! Several smoky
candles illumined the jagged walls
and two or three men of the peasant
class were talking eXcitedly together
while another man with a badge on his
cap was dabbling my face with water
and telling me in broken English not
to be afraid.
A few minutes walk down the wide
passage brought us to a large hole ir
the wall, through which to my sur.
prise, streamed the glorious morning
sunshine. Maurice, looking very white
and tired, was there, with Mr.. ant
Mrs. Anderson and two or three gen
tlemen from the hotel.
| My watch still indicated a quarter
to 8 o'clock, though they told me i
was really $50. Evidently 1t hat
stopped at that hour. On the wa!
back to the hotel they told us tina
when we did not return in time fo
table d'hote a hue and cry was raised
but it was not until nearly midnigh
that a cab driver came forward to sa!
that he had driven a young Englisl
lady and gentleman late that after
noon to the catacombs of st. CalyX
tus. He had stopped there about three
quarters of an hour, but then, as the!
had not ordered him to wait, he hat
returned supposing they had gon
home some other way. A search part!
had Immediately been formed, and TO
hours had been exploring the miles o
Labyrinth, hoping each moment t
come upon us.
| At about o'clock they had me
Maurice, wandering blindly in tn
dark, half dazed with exhaustion ant
misery. 1t seems that after leaving m
he had found a pool of unknown