The captive had broken off the stalagmite, and upon the stump had placed a stone, wherein he had scooped a shallow hollow to catch the precious drop that fell once in every three minutes with the dreary regularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonful once in four and twenty hours.
El captiu havia trencat l'estalagmita, i havia posat damunt el socot una pedra, on tenia obrada una mica de concavitat, per recollir la preciosa gota que queia una vegada cada vint minuts amb la paorosa regularitat d'un so de rellotge: una cullaradeta petita cada vint-i- quatre hores.