Figure it Out For Yourself

We started off down the tunnel. I used my torch. The light was feeble, but if this was going to be a long job, we'd need Paula's torch later.

Half-way down we came to another tunnel that turned to the left. I remembered Dedrick had gone that way.

'Round here,' I said.

'Why not straight on?'

'Dedrick went this way.'

We turned left and went on for about a hundred yards. At end of the tunnel, another tunnel, intersecting it, went away into darkness both to the right and left.

'Now which way?'

'Toss for it. Your guess is as good as mine.'

'Let's go right.'

We went right. The ground was uneven and after walking some minutes, I realized we were going downhill.

'Now, wait a minute. This goes down. We should be going up. We'd better go back and try the left-hand branch.'

'You see what I mean?' There was an edge to her voice I had never heard before. That's what's been happening to me. I've walked for hours.'

'Come on.'

We went back to the intersection and started off down the fennel to the left. We walked for perhaps five minutes then suddenly we were confronted by solid rock.

'I - I don't think you're going to be much better at this than me,' Paula said breathlessly.

'Take it easy.' I was a little worried about her. She was usually so cool and unruffled. I had an idea she wasn't far off hysteria at this moment. 'Maybe that other way goes down and then up. We'll try it.'

'I was crazy to come down here alone!* She caught hold of my arm. 'Why didn't I get Mifflin? We're lost, Vic. We could go on like this for weeks.'

'Come on,' I said sharply. 'Don't waste time talking a lot of mush. We'll be out of this in ten minutes.'

She made an effort, and when she spoke again her voice was calmer.

'Sorry, Vic, I'm rattled. I'm terrified of being underground like this. I feel shut in and buried.'

'I know. Now, get hold of yourself. Once you start feeling sorry for yourself, you're sunk. Come on, kid.' I linked my arm in hers and we set off again.

The ground sloped steeply and we began to descend into what seemed a black pit.

Suddenly my torch went out.

Paula clung to my arm, stifling a scream.

'It's all right. Put yours on,' I said. 'Mine was due to fade. It's a wonder it's lasted so long.'

She gave me her torch.

'We'd better hurry, Vic. This won't last long.'

'It'll last all we want.'

Having someone to steady made it easier for me. But we increased our pace, both knowing we would be in a bad spot if the torch failed us before we could find a way out of the mine.

We kept going down, and the farther we went the more stifling the air became. Then to add to our troubles the roof of the tunnel became lower with every step we took.

Suddenly Paula stopped.

'This isn't the way!' Her voice was high-pitched. 'I know it isn't! Let's go back.'

'It must be the way. Dedrick turned left at the end of the tunnel. I watched him. Come on, let's look a little further.¹

'Vic; I'm scared.'

She backed away from me. I could hear her rapid breathing, and I flashed the light on her face. She was white and her eyes were wild looking.

'I - I can't stand any more of this! I'm going back! I can't breathe!'

I was having trouble with my breathing too. There was a tight feeling around my chest and every lungful of air I took in had to be fought for.

'Another hundred yards. If it doesn't take us anywhere we'll go back.'

I caught hold of her arm and pulled her along. Fifty yards farther on, there was another intersection. The air was very] bad now.

'There you are,' I said. 'I told you we'd come to something. We'll go right. If it goes down we'll turn back and try the other way.'

She went with me.

Every new tunnel we came to was exactly like the others. We might just as well be walking up and down the same tunnel of all the progress we seemed to be making. And as we went on into the darkness, walking became more difficult. My legs felt heavy, and I had to make a continuous effort to move them. Paula was gasping for breath, and I had to help her along.

But at least the floor of the tunnel wasn't going down. If anything, it was going up.

'I'm sure we're on the right road now,' I gasped. 'We're climbing.'

She leaned more heavily on me.

'The air's awful. I – I can't go much farther.'

I put my arm round her and helped her along. The roof of the tunnel was getting lower. We had to bend our heads. Another twenty yards and we were bent double.

We stopped, gasping for breath.

'We must go back, Vic!'

She pushed away from me and began to stagger back the way we had come. I stumbled after her, jerked her round.

'Don't act the fool, Paula! Now, come on. You're getting into a panic.'

'I know,' She clung to me. 'I can't help it. It's this awful darkness.'

I could feel her trembling against me.

'Let's sit down for a moment. We're going to get out of this; only, you've got to keep calm.'

We sat down, and immediately discovered the air was a lot better near the floor of the tunnel. I pushed her flat and lay beside her.

After a few minutes the tightness around my chest and the weights around my limbs went away.

'This is better.'