What if he did make a noise?
What if they woke, chased him, brought him back by force?
Curse the thought!-- And gliding close to them, he listened again to their heavy breathing.
How could he prevent their following him?
A horrible, nameless temptation came over him.

Every vein in his body throbbed fire; his brain seemed to swell to bursting; and ere he was aware, he found himself feeling about in the darkness for a loose stone.
He could not find one.

Thank God that he could not find one! But after that dreadful thought had once crossed his mind, he must flee from that place ere the brand of Cain be on his brow.
With a cunning and activity utterly new to him, he glided away, like a snake; downward over crags and boulders, he knew not how long or how far; all he knew was, that he was going down, down, down, into a dim abyss.

There was just light enough to discern the upper surface of a rock within arm's length; beyond that all was blank.

He seemed to be hours descending; to be going down miles after miles: and still he reached no level spot.