large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_24_verne_64kb_17
large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_24_verne_64kb
English
8765
The ascent had occupied three hours already. Hatteras showed no signs of fatigue, while the others were almost spent. The summit of the volcano appeared inaccessible, and the Doctor determined at any price to prevent Hatteras from attempting to proceed. He tried gentle means first, but the captain's excitement was fast becoming delirium. During their ascent, symptoms of insanity had become more and more marked, and no one could be surprised who knew anything of his previous history. THE ASCENT HAD OCCUPIED THREE HOURS ALREADY HATTERAS SHOWED NO SIGNS OF FATIGUE WHILE THE OTHERS WERE ALMOST SPENT THE SUMMIT OF THE VOLCANO APPEARED INACCESSIBLE AND THE DOCTOR DETERMINED AT ANY PRICE TO PREVENT HATTERAS FROM ATTEMPTING TO PROCEED HE TRIED GENERAL MEANS FIRST BUT THE CAPTAIN'S EXCITEMENT WAS FAST BECOMING DELIRIUM DURING THEIR ASCENT SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY HAD BECOME MORE AND MORE MARKED AND NO ONE COULD BE SURPRISED WHO KNEW ANYTHING OF HIS PREVIOUS HISTORY
ile underneath was the boiling lava, and every step the travellers took had first to be tested with the iron-tipped staff to avoid being suddenly plunged into the scalding liquid. At intervals large fragments of red-hot rock were thrown up from the crater, and burst in the air like bomb-shells, scattering the debris to enormous distances in all directions. Hatteras, however, climbed up the steepest ascents with surprising agility, disdaining the help of his staff. He arrived before long at a circular rock, a sort of plateau about ten feet wide. A river of boiling lava surrounded it, except in one part, where it forked away to a higher rock, leaving a narrow passage, through which Hatteras fearlessly passed. Here he stopped, and his companions managed to rejoin him. He seemed to be measuring with his eye the distance he had yet to get over. Horizontally, he was not more than two hundred yards from the top of the crater, but vertically he had nearly three times that distance to traverse.  HAD BECOME HARDENED WHILE UNDERNEATH WAS THE BOILING LAVA AND EVERY STEP THE TRAVELERS TOOK HAD FIRST TO BE TESTED WITH THE IRON TIPPED STAFF TO AVOID BEING SUDDENLY PLUNGED INTO THE SCALDING LIQUID AT INTERVALS LARGE FRAGMENTS OF RED HOT ROCK WERE THROWN UP FROM THE CRATER AND BURST IN THE AIR LIKE BOMB SHELLS SCATTERING THE DEBRIS OF ENORMOUS DISTANCES IN ALL DIRECTIONS HATTERAS HOWEVER CLIMBED UP THE STEEPEST ASCENTS WITH SURPRISING AGILITY DISDAINING THE HELP OF HIS STAFF HE ARRIVED BEFORE LONG AT A CIRCULAR ROCK A SORT OF PLATEAU ABOUT TEN FEET WIDE A RIVER OF BOILING LAVA SURROUNDED IT EXCEPT IN ONE PART WHERE IT FORKED AWAY TO A HIGHER ROCK LEAVING A NARROW PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH HATTERAS FEARLESSLY PASSED HERE HE STOPPED AND HIS COMPANIONS MANAGED TO REJOIN HIM HE SEEMED TO BE MEASURING WITH HIS EYE THE DISTANCE HE HAD YET TO GET OVER HORIZONTALLY HE WAS NOT MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE TOP OF THE CRATER BUT VERTICALLY HE HAD NEARLY THREE TIMES THAT DISTANCE TO TRAVERSE
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