37 - The Mysterious Dagger - Journey to the Center of the Earth - Jules Verne

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter thirty seven, The Mysterious Dagger. During this time we
had left the bright and transparent forest far behind us.
We were mute with astonishment, overcome by a kind of
feeling which was next door to apathy. We kept running
in spite of ourselves. It was a perfect right, which

(00:23):
resembled one of those horrible sensations we sometimes meet in
our dreams. Instinctively, we made our way towards the Central Sea,
and I cannot now tell what wild thoughts passed through
my mind, nor of what follies I might have been guilty,
but for a very serious preoccupation which brought me back

(00:44):
to practical life. Though I was aware that we were
treading on a soil quite new to us. I, however,
every now and then noticed certain aggregations of rock, the
shape of which forcibly reminded me of those near Port Gretchen.
This confirmed moreover the indications of the compass, and our

(01:06):
extraordinary and unlooked for, as well as involuntary returned to
the north of this great Central Sea. It was so
like our starting point that I could scarcely doubt the
reality of our position. Streams and cascades fell in hundreds
over the numerous predictions of the rocks. I actually thought

(01:28):
I could see our faithful and monotonous hands and the
wonderful grotto in which I had come back to life
after my tremendous fall. Then, as we advanced still farther,
the position of the cliffs, the appearance of a stream,
the unexpected profile of a rock threw me again into
a state of bewildering doubt. After some time I explained

(01:51):
my state of mental indecision to my uncle. He confessed
to a similar feeling of hesitation. He was totally unable
to make up his mind in the midst of this
extraordinary but uniform panorama. There can be no doubt, I
insisted that we have not landed exactly at the place

(02:12):
whence we first took our departure. But the tempest has
brought us above our starting point. I think therefore that
if we follow the coast, we shall once more find
Port Gretchen. In that case, cried my uncle, it is
useless to continue our exploration. The very best thing we
can do is to make our way back to the raft.

(02:34):
Are you quite sure, hurry, that you are not mistaken.
It is difficult, was my reply to come to any decision.
For all these rocks are exactly alike. There's no marked
difference between them. At the same time, the impression on
my mind is that I recognize the promontory at the
foot of which our worthy hands constructed the raft. We are.

(02:58):
I am nearly convince near the little porch. If this
be not it, I added, carefully examining a creek which
appeared singularly familiar to my mind. My dear Harim, if
this were the case, we should find traces of our
own footsteps, some signs of our passage. And I can

(03:20):
really see nothing to indicate our having passed this way.
But I see something, I cried in an impetuous tone
a voice, as I rushed forward and eagerly picked up
something which shone in the sand under my feet. What
is it? Cried the astonished and bewildered professor. This was

(03:42):
my reply, and I handed to my startled relative a
rusty dagger of singular shape. What made you bring with
you so useless a weapon? He exclaimed, It was needlessly
hampering yourself. I bring it. It is quite new to me.
I never saw it before. Are you sure it's not

(04:04):
out of your collection? Nor that I know of, said
the professor, puzzled. I have no recollection of the circumstance.
It was never my property. This is very extraordinary, I said,
musing over the novel and singular incident. Not at all.
There is a very simple explanation, Harry. The Icelanders are

(04:27):
known to keep up the use of these antiquated weapons,
and this must have belonged to Hans, who has let
it fall without knowing it. I shook my head. That
dagger had never been in the possession of the Pacific
and taciturn hands. I knew him and his habits too well.
Then what can it be unless it be the weapon

(04:50):
of some antediluvian warrior, I continued, of some living man,
a contemporary of that mighty shepherd from whom we have
just escaped. But no mystery upon mystery. This is no
weapon of the Stony epoch, nor even of the Bronze period.
It is made of excellent steel. Ere I could finish

(05:13):
my sentence, my uncle stopped me short from entering upon
a whole train of theories, and spoke, in his most
cold and decided tone of voice, Calm your salt, my
dear boy, and endeavor to use your reason. This weapon
upon which we have fallen so unexpectedly is a true dug,

(05:34):
one of those worn by gentlemen in their belts during
the sixteenth century. Its use was to give the coup
de grass the final blow to the foe who would
not surrender. It is clearly of Spanish workmanship. It belongs
neither to you, nor to me, nor to the eider
down hunter, nor to any of the living beings who

(05:55):
may still exist so marvelously in the interior of the earth.
What can you mean, uncle, I said, Now lost in
a host of surmises, look closely at it, he continued.
These jagged edges were never made by the resistance of
human blood and bone. The blade discovered with a regular

(06:16):
coating of iron, mold and rust, which is not a
day old, not a year old, nor a century old,
but much more. The professor began to get quite excited,
according to custom, and was allowing himself to be carried
away by his fertile imagination. I could have said something.

(06:39):
He stopped me hurrying. He cried, we are now on
the verge of a great discovery. This blade of a
dagger you have so marvelously discovered after being abandoned upon
the sand for more than a hundred, two hundred, even
three hundred years, has been indented by some one endeavoring
to carve an inscription on these rocks. But this poniard

(07:03):
never got here of itself, I exclaimed, it could not
have twisted itself. Some one therefore must have preceded us
upon the shores of this extraordinary sea. Yes, a man.
But what man has been sufficiently desperate to do such
a thing? A man who has somewhat written his name

(07:24):
with this very dagger, A man who has endeavored once
more to indicate the right road to the interior of
the earth. Let us look round, my boy, you know
not the importance of your singular and happy discovery. Prodigiously interested,
we walked along the wall of rock, examining the smallest

(07:45):
fissures which might finally expand into the much wished for
gully or shaft. We at last reached a spot where
the shore became extremely narrow. The sea almost bathed the
foot of the rocks, which were here very lofty and steep.
There was scarcely a path wider than two yards at

(08:06):
any point. At last, under a duge overhanging rock, we
discovered the entrance of a dark and gloomy tunnel. There,
on a square tablet of granite, which had been smoothed
by rubbing it with another stone, we could see two
mysterious and much worn letters, the two initials of the

(08:26):
bold and extraordinary traveler who had preceded us on our
adventurous journey. A S. Cried my uncle. You see I
was right, arn A Sacknossem always arn A Sacknossem. End
of Chapter thirty seven