
A weary traveler has been wandering the remote hills for days, his provisions low and the heat relentless. After a brief stop in a lonely hamlet, a strangely polite yet disheveled gentleman persuades him to investigate the long‑forgotten jet caves that dot the moorland. Intrigued by the romance of hidden passages and the promise of underground mysteries, the narrator agrees, eager to test his trusty electric torch in the darkness.
The three caves vary wildly—one water‑filled and fern‑lined, another choked by recent rockfall, and a dry tunnel that allegedly stretches for miles. As they venture in, the guide’s nervous warnings about sudden collapses give way to a tense silence when stones begin to tumble, and the companion flees in panic. Undeterred, the narrator presses on, eventually spotting a faint glow that leads to an unexpected opening and a quiet clearing beyond the cavern’s mouth.
Emerging into the soft shade of a wooded glade, he finds himself alone, only to notice a ragged, dirty figure approaching from the shadows. The encounter hints at further intrigue, leaving listeners eager to follow his next steps through this enigmatic landscape.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (303K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Annie R. McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive.
Release date
2012-06-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1866–1934
An English novelist, journalist, and publisher whose quietly observant fiction won a wide readership on both sides of the Atlantic. His books were often praised for their realism and for their sharp, humane picture of middle-class and country life.
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