rs.undertheandes-第14节

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　〃Yes。〃　And　his　voice　was　now　calm　and　perfectly　steady。
　〃Then…one；　two；　three…go！〃
　We　bent　and　cut　and　sprang　to　our　feet；　and　dashed　for　the　wall。　There　was　a　sound　of　rushing　feet…our　backs　hugged　the　kindly　rock…I　heard　Harry's　shout；　〃Here　they　e！〃…dim；　rushing　forms…fingers　clutching　at　my　throat。
　I　felt　the　blade　of　my　knife　sink　into　soft　and　yielding　flesh；　and　a　warm；　thick　liquid　flow　over　my　hand　and　arm。
　
　Chapter　VIII。
　THE　DANCE　OF　THE　SUN。
　
　It　seemed　to　me　then　in　the　minutes　that　followed　that　there　were　thousands　of　black　demons　in　that　black　hole。　At　the　first　rushing　impact　I　shouted　to　Harry：　〃Keep　your　back　to　the　wall；〃　and　for　response　I　got　a　high；　ringing　laugh　that　breathed　the　joy　of　battle。
　The　thing　was　sickening。　Harry　is　a　natural　fighting　man；　I　am　not。　Without　the　wall　at　our　backs　we　would　have　been　overpowered　in　thirty　seconds；　as　it　was；　we　were　forced　to　handle　half　a　dozen　of　them　at　once；　while　the　others　surged　in　from　behind。　They　had　no　weapons；　but　they　had　the　advantage　of　being　able　to　see　us。
　They　clutched　my　throat；　my　arms；　my　legs；　my　body；　there　was　no　room　to　strike；　I　pushed　the　knife　home。　They　fastened　themselves　to　my　legs　and　feet　and　tried　to　bring　me　down　from　beneath；　once；　in　slashing　at　the　head　of　one　whose　teeth　were　set　in　my　calf；　I　cut　myself　on　the　knee。　It　was　difficult　to　stand　in　the　wet；　slippery　pool　that　formed　at　my　feet。
　Suddenly　I　heard　a　sound　that　I　understood　too　well…the　curious；　rattling　sound　of　a　man　who　is　trying　to　call　out　when　he　is　being　strangled。
　〃Harry！〃　I　cried；　and　I　fought　like　a　wild　man　to　get　to　him；　with　knife；　feet；　hands；　teeth。　I　reached　his　coat；　his　arm；　it　was　dangerous　to　strike　so　near　him　in　the　dark；　but　I　felt　him　sinking　to　the　ground。
　Then　I　found　the　taut；　straining　fingers　about　his　throat；　and　lunged　forward　with　the　knife…and　the　fingers　relaxed。
　Again　we　were　fighting　together　side　by　side。
　As　their　bodies　fell　in　front　of　us　we　were　pressed　harder；　for　those　behind　climbed　up　on　the　corpses　of　their　fellows　and　literally　descended　on　our　heads　from　the　air。　We　could　not　have　held　out　much　longer；　our　breath　was　ing　in　quick；　painful　gasps；　Harry　stumbled　on　one　of　the　prostrate　brutes　and　fell；　I　tried　to　lift　him　and　was　unequal　to　the　task。
　It　appeared　to　be　the　end。
　Suddenly　there　rang　throughout　the　cavern　a　sound　as　of　a　gigantic；　deep…toned　bell。　The　walls　sent　it　back　and　forth　with　deafening　echoes；　it　was　as　though　the　mountain　had　descended　with　one　tremendous　crash　into　its　own　bowels。
　As　though　by　magic；　the　assault　ceased。
　The　effect　was　indescribable。　We　could　see　nothing；　we　merely　became　suddenly　aware　that　there　were　no　longer　hands　clutching　at　our　throats　or　hairy　bodies　crushing　us　to　the　ground。　It　was　as　though　the　horde　of　unseen　devils　had　melted　into　thin　air。　There　were　movements　on　the　ground；　for　many　of　them　had　been　wounded；　a　man　cannot　always　reach　the　spot　in　the　dark。　This　lasted　for　two　or　three　minutes；　they　were　evidently　removing　those　who　still　had　life　in　them；　for　the　straining　breath　of　men　dragging　or　lifting　burdens　was　plainly　audible。
　Gradually　that；　too；　died　away　with　the　last　reverberations　of　the　mysterious　sound　that　had　saved　us；　and　we　found　ourselves　alone…or　at　least　unmolested…for　in　the　darkness　we　could　see　nothing；　except　the　dim　outlines　of　the　prostrate　forms　at　our　feet。
　The　cavern　was　a　shambles。　The　smell　was　that　of　a　slaughter…house。　I　had　had　no　idea　of　the　desperateness　of　our　defense　until　I　essayed　to　scramble　over　the　heap　of　bodies　to　dry　ground；　I　shuddered　and　grew　faint；　and　Harry　was　in　no　better　case。
　Worse；　he　had　dropped　his　knife　when　we　stumbled；　and　we　were　forced　to　grope　round　in　that　unspeakable　mess　for　many　minutes　before　we　found　it。
　〃Are　you　hurt；　lad？〃　I　asked　when　once　we　stood　clear。
　〃Nothing　bad；　I　think；〃　he　answered。　〃My　throat　is　stiff；　and　two　or　three　of　the　brutes　got　their　teeth　in　me。　In　the　name　of　Heaven；　Paul；　what　are　they？　And　what　was　that　bell？〃
　These　were　foolish　questions；　and　I　told　him　so。　My　leg　was　bleeding　badly　where　I　had　slashed　myself；　and　I；　too；　had　felt　their　teeth。　But；　despite　our　utter　weariness　and　our　wounds；　we　wanted　nothing…not　even　rest…so　badly　as　we　wanted　to　get　away　from　that　awful　heap　of　flesh　and　blood　and　the　odor　of　it。
　Besides；　we　did　not　know　at　what　moment　they　might　return。　So　I　spoke；　and　Harry　agreed。　I　led　the　way；　he　followed。
　But　which　way　to　turn？　We　wanted　water；　both　for　our　dry　and　burning　throats　and　for　our　wounds；　and　rest　and　food。　We　thought　little　of　safety。　One　way　seemed　as　likely　as　another；　so　we　set　out　with　our　noses　as　guides。
　A　man　encounters　very　few　misfortunes　in　this　world　which；　later　in　life；　he　finds　himself　unable　to　laugh　at；　well；　for　me　that　endless　journey　was　one　of　the　few。
　Every　step　was　torture。　I　had　bandaged　the　cut　on　my　leg　as　well　as　possible；　but　it　continued　to　bleed。　But　it　was　imperative　that　we　should　find　water；　and　we　struggled　on；　traversing　narrow　passages　and　immense　caverns；　always　in　plete　darkness；　stumbling　over　unseen　rocks　and　encountering　sharp　corners　of　cross　passages。
　It　lasted　I　know　not　how　many　hours。　Neither　of　us　would　have　survived　alone。　Time　and　again　Harry　sank　to　the　ground　and　refused　to　rise　until　I　perforce　lifted　him；　once　we　nearly　came　to　blows。　And　I　was　guilty　of　the　same　weakness。
　But　the　despair　of　one　inspired　the　other　with　fresh　strength　and　courage；　and　we　struggled　forward；　slower　and　slower。　It　was　soul…destroying　work。　I　believe　that　in　the　last　hour　we　made　not　more　than　half　a　mile。　I　know　now　that　for　the　greater　part　of　the　time　we　were　merely　retracing　our　steps　in　a　vicious　circle！
　It　was　well　that　it　ended　when　it　did；　for　we　could　not　have　held　out　much　longer。　Harry　was　leading　the　way；　for　I　had　found　that　that　slight　responsibility　fortified　him。　We　no　longer　walked；　we　barely　went　forward；　staggering　and　reeling　like　drunken　men。
　Suddenly　Harry　stopped　short；　so　suddenly　that　I　ran　against　him；　and　at　the　same　time　I　felt　a　queer　sensation…for　I　was　too　far　gone　to　recognize　it…about　my　feet。
　Then　Harry　stooped　over　quickly；　half　knocking　me　down　as　he　did　so；　and　dropped　to　his　knees；　and　the　next　instant　gave　an　unsteady　cry　of　joy：
　〃Water！　Man；　it's　water！〃
　How　we　drank　and　wallowed；　and　wallowed　and　drank！　That　water　might　have　contained　all　the　poisons　in　the　world　and　we　would　have　neither　known　nor　cared。　But　it　was　cool；　fresh；　living…and　it　saved　our　lives。
　We　bathed　our　wounds　and　bandaged　them　with　strips　from　our　shirts。　Then　we　arranged　our　clothing　for　cushions　and　pillows　as　well　as　possible；　took　another　drink；　and　lay　down　to　sleep。
　We　must　have　slept　a　great　many　hours。　There　was　no　way　to　judge　of　time；　but　when　we　awoke　our　joints　were　as　stiff　as　though　they　had　gotten　rusty　with　the　years。　I　was　brought　to　consciousness　by　the　sound　of　Harry's　voice　calling　my　name。
　Somehow…for　every　movement　was　exquisite　pain…we　got　to　our　feet　and　reached　the　water；　having　first　removed　our　clothing。　But　we　were　now　at　that　point　where　to　drink　merely　aggravated　our　hunger。　Harry　was　in　a　savage　humor；　and　when　I　laughed　at　him　he　became　furious。
　〃Have　some　sense。　I　tell　you；　I　must　eat！　If　it　were　not　for　your…〃
　〃Go　easy；　Hal。　Don't　say　anything　you'll　be　sorry　for。　And　I　refuse　to　consider　the　sordid　topic　of　food　as　one　that　may　rightfully　contain　the　elements　of　tragedy。　We　seem　to　be　in　the　position　of　the　king　of　vaudeville。　If　we　had　some　ham　we'd　have　some　ham　and　eggs…if　we　had　some　eggs。〃
　〃You　may　joke；　but　I　am　not　made　of　iron！〃　he　cried。
　〃And　what　can　we　do　but　die？〃　I　demanded。　〃Do　you　think　there　is　any　chance　of　our　getting　out　of　this？　Take　it　like　a　man。　Is　it　right　for　a　man　who　has　laughed　at　the　world　to　begin　to　whine　when　it　bees　necessary　to　leave　it？
　〃You　know　I'm　with　you；　I'll　fight；　and　what　I　find　I'll　take；　in　the　mean　time　I　prefer　not　to　furnish　amusement　for　the　devil。
　There　es　a　time；　I　believe；　when　the　stomach　debases　us　against　our　wills。　May　I　die　before　I　see　it。〃
　〃But　what　are　we　to　do？〃
　〃That's　more　like　it。　There's　only　one　hope。　We　must　smell　out　the　pantry　that　holds　the　dried　fish。〃
　We　talked　no　more；　but　set　about　bathing　and　dressing　our　wounds。　Gad；　how　that　cold　water　took　them！　I　was　forced　to　set　my　teeth　deep　into　my　lip　to　keep　from　crying　out；　and　once　or　twice　Harry　gave　an　involuntary　grunt　of　pain　that　would　not　be　suppressed。
　When　we　had　finished　we　waded　far　to　the　right　to　take　a　last　deep　drink；　then　sought　our　clothing　and　prepared　to　start　on　our　all　but　hopeless　search。　We　had　bee　fairly　well　limbered　up　by　that　time　and　set　out　with　parative　ease。
　We　had　gone　perhaps　a　hundred　yards；　bearing　off　to　the　right；　when　Harry　gave　a　sudden　cry：　〃My　knife　is　gone！〃　and　stopped　short。　I　clapped　my　hand　to　my　own　belt　instinctively；　and　found　it　empty　both　of　knife　and　gun！　For　a　moment　we　stood　in　silence；　then：
　〃Have　you　got　yours？〃　he　demanded。
　When　I　told　him　no　he　let　out　an　oath。
　His　gun　was　gone；　also。　We　debated　the　matter；　and　decided　that　to　attempt　a