He had set the engine at work.

The lamp still stood upon the floor where I had placed it when examining the trough.

By its light I saw that the black ceiling was coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but, as none knew better than myself, with a force which must within a minute grind me to a shapeless pulp.

I threw myself, screaming, against the door, and dragged with my nails at the lock.

I implored the colonel to let me out, but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my cries.