Page:Edgar Huntly, or The Sleep Walker.djvu/160

 I had attempted every part of the wall, it was absurd to despair; and I again drew my tottering limbs and aching joints to that part of the wall which had not been surveyed.

At length, as I stretched my hand upward, I found somewhat that seemed like a recession in the wall: it was possible that this was the top of the cavity, and this might be the avenue to liberty. My heart leaped with joy, and I proceeded to climb the wall. No undertaking could be conceived more arduous than this: the space between this verge and the floor was nearly smooth; the verge was higher from the bottom than my head; the only means of ascending that were offered me were by my hands, with which I could draw myself upward, so as at length to maintain my hold with my feet.

My efforts were indefatigable, and at length I placed myself on the verge. When this was accomplished, my strength was nearly gone; had I not found space enough beyond this brink to stretch myself at length, I should unavoidably have fallen backward into the pit, and all my pains had served no other end than to deepen my despair and hasten my destruction.

What impediments and perils remained to be encountered I could not judge. I was now inclined to forebode the worst: the interval of repose which was necessary to be taken, in order to recruit my strength, would accelerate the ravages of famine, and leave me without the power to proceed.

In this state, I once more consoled myself that an instrument of death was at hand: I had drawn up with me the tomahawk, being sensible that should this impediment be overcome, others might remain that would prove insuperable. Before I employed it, however, I cast my eyes wildly and languidly around. The darkness was no less intense than in the pit below; and yet two objects were distinctly seen.

They resembled a fixed and obscure flame; they were motionless: though lustrous themselves, they created no illumination around them: this circumstance, added to others which reminded me of similar objects noted on