The walls of the crevice were so close together that he was able to steady his knees against them,but as he neared the bottom they widened perceptibly.His first act on setting foot to the stone flooring was to open the tarpaulin,draw forth a candle and a box of matches,and strike a light.The chamber of granite in which he stood was indeed narrow,but full of interest and romance.The floor was about the same width in all its length,wide enough for Willock,tall as he was,to stretch across the passage.It extended perhaps a hundred feet into the heart of the rock,showing the same smooth walls on either side.The ceiling,however,was varied,as the outward examination had promised.Overhead the stars were seen at ease through the two feet of space at the top;but as he carried his candle forward,this opening decreased,to be succeeded presently by a roof,at first of jumbled stones crushed together by outward weight,then of a smooth red surface extending to the end.
第9章 A NEW ROBINSON CRUSOE(1)（3 / 3）