M. LONGUET had from the first been complaining of his great hunger. He was getting very weak, and the end of the thirty-sixth hour saw him cursing their misfortune. However, what would have been the good of a little food? They were buried alive, and food would have been like a buoy to a shipwrecked sailor, alone in the middle of the ocean. It could only serve to prolong the agony.

M. Mifroid was more philosophical. He said that if there had been anything to eat to give them strength to continue their way, he would have been the first to suggest their stopping. But, with the exception of some mushrooms, probably poisonous, that his watchful eye had seen, there was nothing, so he urged M. Longuet to tramp on. M. Longuet, however, was unreasonable; he said he was hungry, and yet did not seem able to exert himself to get out of the catacombs.

He asked M. Mifroid question after question as to the catacombs and what he could eat to stay his terrible hunger. M. Mifroid tried to keep him interested by telling him of a visit he had made to the laboratory in the catacombs of M. M. Edwards. He told him of the fauna and the flora in obscure and cavernous places, of which, if necessary, he could make a meal.

Although the conversation was in vain, as far as its effects on ThÉophraste were concerned, M. Mifroid kept on. Hungry men are always eager to talk of things to eat, and although he didn’t wish to acknowledge his hunger, he spoke of these things, and in endeavoring to put spirit into ThÉophraste allayed his own feelings.

“My dear friend,” said he to ThÉophraste, “it may be that even if we don’t get out of the catacombs we will not die of hunger. There is a stream somewhere here, and I have heard that there are certain fishes therein. They are not large fish, but there are incalculable quantities of them. They are of different sizes, and are not unpleasant to taste.”

“Have you seen them?” asked ThÉophraste.

“No; but my friend, M. Edwards, told me about them when I visited the Fountain of the Fanaisetan.”

“Is that far from here?”

“I can’t tell you just now-all that I know is that this fountain was constructed in 1810 by M. Hericourt de Thury, engineer of the subterranean quarries. This fountain is inhabited by the cope-podes.”

“Are they fish?”

“Yes, they present some very singular modifications of tissues and colorative. They have a beautiful red eye. That is why they are called cyclops. That this fish has only one eye ought not to astonish you, for the asellus aquaticus, which lives as well in the running water of the catacombs, is a small isopode aquatic, which often has no eyes at all. Many species have, instead of an eye, only a small red pig snout; others have not a trace of one. They do not need to see clearly, since they live in darkness. Nature is perfect, and never found wanting. It only gives eyes to those who can use them, and does not give them to those to whom they are unnecessary.”

ThÉophraste was struck by M. Mifroid’s words.

“Then,” said he, “if we continue to live in the catacombs we will end by not having eyes!”

“Evidently we will commence to lose the use of our sight and eventually become blind.”

Then ThÉophraste insisted upon M. Mifroid continuing his talk on these fish that could be found in the catacombs, and which they would, perhaps, have to eat. He was thus induced to give a sort of lecture on the modifications of the organs, and their excessive development, or their atrophy, following the ways frequented by individuals.

He continued: “So the fish of which I speak have no eyes. Their sense organs present modifications. For instance, the asellus aquaticus, even of the normal species, is armed with small, flat organs, terminated by a pore, that are considered olfactory organs. They are veritable olfactory cudgels, and these very fish which do not see know the space around them as well, possibly better, than if they could see in the light, so perfectly developed are these olfactory and tactile organs. Yes, my dear ThÉophraste, there are circumstances in the lives of some living things where the nose takes the place of the eyes, and the nose can thus acquire perfectly incredible dimensions. In the wells of Padirac there was found an asellide which possessed olfactory cudgels of an amazing length.”

“Are there none in the running waters of the catacombs?” demanded ThÉophraste.

“No, none at all. Yet there are found many sorts of cavernical fish, such, for example, as the niphugus puleamus, and this is found in great abundance. Their ocular organs are atrophied.”

This, however, did not interest ThÉophraste, who had got his own idea.

“Do you know how they fish for them?” he asked.

“I cannot say,” said Mif roid; “but we can surely get some sort of bait from the surrounding vege-matter.”

In a little while they both fell asleep, dreaming of this water which was to bring them relief. However, though their dreams were pleasant enough, there were surprises for them when they awoke.