And yet I was drawn most strongly to that cleft in the rock.
If only I could find it and satisfy myself! My wandering thoughts and wandering body came to sudden and violent pause at bottom of a chasm.

I had stepped incautiously, and found myself a mass of bruises on the rocks below.

I felt sore all over, but I could stand and I could stretch my arms, so no bones were broken.
I rubbed the sorest bruises into some approach to comfort, and wondered where I had got to.

I could feel rock walls on either side, and the rocks below seemed roughly levelled.

With a catch of the breath, which spelled a mighty hope, I began to grope my way along, and found that the way sloped up and down.