Of course, there was no arguing against this, but one thing was clear,
we could not attempt that leap in the dark; the only thing to do was to
wait for the ray of light which pierced through the gulf at sunset.
How near to or how far from sunset we might be, neither of us had the
faintest notion; all we did know was, that when at last the light came
it would not endure more than a couple of minutes at the outside, so
that we must be prepared to meet it. Accordingly, we made up our minds
to creep on to the top of the rocking-stone and lie there in readiness.
We were the more easily reconciled to this course by the fact that our
lamps were once more nearly exhausted--indeed, one had gone out bodily,
and the other was jumping up and down as the flame of a lamp does when
the oil is done. So, by the aid of its dying light, we hastened to crawl
out of the little chamber and clamber up the side of the great stone.
As we did so the light went out.
The difference in our position was a sufficiently remarkable one.
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