He instantly followed the boy, taking care, however, to let himself down on his feet.
The passage on the other side of the dividing wall seemed to be the same as that they had just left, although perhaps a little lighter.

After pushing on for a short distance, they found that the passage made a turn to the right, and then in a few moments the captain and Ralph emerged into open space.

What sort of space it was they could not comprehend.
"It seemed to me," said Ralph, afterwards, "as if I had fallen into the sky at night.

I was afraid to move, for fear I should tumble into astronomical distances." The captain stared about him, apparently as much confounded by the situation as was the boy.

But his mind was quickly brought to the consideration of things which he could understand.