Here he lay down on a place soft with culm, to take his contemplated rest, and, before he was aware of it, sleep had descended on him, overpowered him, and bound him fast.  But it was a gracious victor.  It put away his sufferings from him; it allayed his hunger and assuaged his thirst, it hid his loneliness and dispelled his fear, and it brought sweet peace for a little time to his troubled mind.  He was alone and in peril, and far from the pure air and the bright sunlight of the upper world; but the angel of sleep touched his eyelids just as gently in the darkness of this dreadful place as though he had been lying on beds of fragrant flowers, with white clouds or peaceful stars above him to look upon his slumber.

CHAPTER XXII.

IN THE POWER OF DARKNESS.

Ralph slept, hour after hour.  He dreamed, and moved his hands uneasily at intervals, but still he slept.  There were no noises there to disturb him, and he had been very tired.

When he finally awoke the waking was as gentle as though he had been lying on his own bed at home.  He thought, at first, that he was at home; and he wondered why it was so very dark.  Then he remembered that he was shut up in the mines.  It was a cruel remembrance, but it was a fact and he must make the best of it.  While he slept his oil had burned out, and he was in total darkness.  He felt for his oil-can and found it.  Then he found his lamp, filled it by the sense of touch, and lighted it.  He always carried matches; they had done him good service in the mines before this.  He was very thankful too, that he had thought to bring the oil-can.  Without it he would have been long ago in the power of darkness.  He was still hungry, and thirsty too, very thirsty now, indeed.

He arose and tried to walk, but he was so dizzy that he had to sit down again.  He felt better after a little, though, very much better than before he had taken his rest.  He wondered how long he had slept, and what progress was being made, if any, toward his rescue.  He went down to the opening in the wall, and held his lamp up to it.  Threads of smoke were still curling in through the slate and culm, and the air that crept in was very bad.  Then, for a little time, Ralph sat there and listened.  He thought that possibly he might hear some distant sound of rescue.  But there was no noise; the silence was burdensome.

His thirst increased and he was hot and feverish.

At last he rose with the determination to carry out his plan of searching for the old slope.

He knew that it would be worse than useless to stay here.

Besides, he hoped that he might find a stream of water on the way at which to quench his thirst.