\"Ifoundthesamething,\"saidBearwarden,\"butsaidnothing,forfearIshouldnotbebelieved。Inadditiontogoingblind,foramomentIalmostforgotwhatIwastryingtodo。\"
Changingtheircourseslightly,theywenttowardsarangeofhills,inthehopeoffindingrockyorsandysoil,inordertotestthesounds,andascertainiftheywouldceaseorvary。
Havingascendedafewhundredfeet,theysatdownnearsometreestorest,themusicalhumcontinuingmeanwhileunchanged。Thegroundwasstrewnwithlargecolouredcrystals,apparentlyrubies,sapphires,andemeralds,aboutthesizeofhens\'eggs,andalsolargesheetsofisinglass。Pickinguponeofthelatter,Ayraultexaminedit。Pointsoflightandshadekeptformingonitssurface,fromwhichringsradiatedlikethecirclesspreadinginalldirectionsfromaplaceinstillwateratwhichapebbleisthrown。Hecalledhiscompanions,andthethreeexaminedit。Theisinglasswasabouttenincheslongbyeightacross,andcontainedbutfewimpurities。Inadditiontothespreadingrings,curiousformswerecontinuallytakingshapeanddissolving。
\"Thisismoreinteresting,\"saidBearwarden,\"thansoundingshellsatthesea—shore。Wemustmakeanoteofitasanotherthingtostudy。\"
Theythenspreadtheirhandkerchiefsonamoundofearth,soastomakeatable,andbeganexaminingthegems。