At any rate we concluded that it was bones or sticks of wood; we thought perhaps it might be the bones of some animal which had fallen in there and died.

These bones, for such they really proved to be, we pushed one side and then we lay down.

But Charley, being an inveterate smoker, could not resist the temptation of indulging in a smoke before going to sleep.

So he sat up and struck a match to light his old pipe.

Our subterranean bed-chamber was thus illuminated for a moment or two; I sprang to my feet in an instant for a ghastly and horrifying sight was revealed to us.