rs.undertheandes-第15节

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　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　search　would　be　a　useless　waste　of　time；　it　was　next　to　certain　that　the　weapons　had　been　lost　in　the　water　when　we　had　first　plunged　in。　And　so；　doubly　handicapped　by　this　new　loss；　we　again　set　out。
　There　was　but　one　encouragement　allowed　to　us：　we　were　no　longer　in　total　darkness。　Gradually　our　eyes　were　being　accustomed　to　the　absence　of　light；　and　though　we　could　by　no　means　see　clearly；　nor　even　could　properly　be　said　to　see　at　all；　still　we　began　to　distinguish　the　outlines　of　walls　several　feet　away；　and；　better　than　that；　each　of　us　could　plainly　mark　the　form　and　face　of　the　other。
　Once　we　stood　close；　less　than　a　foot　apart；　for　a　test；　and　when　Harry　cried　eagerly；　〃Thank　Heaven；　I　can　see　your　nose！〃　our　strained　feelings　were　relieved　by　a　prolonged　burst　of　genuine　laughter。
　There　was　little　enough　of　it　in　the　time　that　followed；　for　our　sufferings　now　became　a　matter　not　of　minutes　or　hours；　but　of　days。　The　assault　of　time　is　the　one　that　unnerves　a　man；　especially　when　it　is　aided　by　gnawing　pain　and　weariness　and　hunger；　it　saps　the　courage　and　destroys　the　heart　and　fires　the　brain。
　We　dragged　ourselves　somehow　ever　onward。　We　found　water；　the　mountain　was　honeybed　with　underground　streams；　but　no　food。
　More　than　once　we　were　tempted　to　trust　ourselves　to　one　of　those　rushing　torrents；　but　what　reason　we　had　left　told　us　that　our　little　remaining　strength　was　unequal　to　the　task　of　keeping　our　heads　above　the　surface。　And　yet　the　thought　was　sweet…to　allow　ourselves　to　be　peacefully　swept　into　oblivion。
　We　lost　all　idea　of　time　and　direction；　and　finally　hope　itself　deserted　us。　What　force　it　was　that　propelled　us　forward　must　have　been　buried　deep　within　the　seat　of　animal　instinct；　for　we　lost　all　rational　power。　The　thing　became　a　nightmare；　like　the　crazy　wanderings　of　a　lost　soul。
　Forward…forward…forward！　It　was　a　mania。
　Then　Harry　was　stricken　with　fever　and　became　delirious。　And　I　think　it　was　that　seeming　misfortune　that　saved　us；　for　it　gave　me　a　spring　for　action　and　endowed　me　with　new　life。　As　luck　would　have　it；　a　stream　of　water　was　near；　and　I　half　carried　and　half　dragged　him　to　its　edge。
　I　made　a　bed　for　him　with　my　own　clothing　on　the　hard　rock；　and　bathed　him　and　made　him　drink；　while　all　the　time　a　string　of　delirious　drivel　poured　forth　from　his　hot；　dry　lips。
　That　lasted　many　hours；　until　finally　he　fell　into　a　deep；　calm　sleep。　But　his　body　was　without　fuel；　and　I　was　convinced　he　would　never　awaken；　yet　I　feared　to　touch　him。　Those　were　weary　hours；　squatting　by　his　side　with　his　hand　gripped　in　my　own；　with　the　ever…increasing　pangs　of　hunger　and　weariness　turning　my　own　body　into　a　roaring　furnace　of　pain。
　Suddenly　I　felt　a　movement　of　his　hand；　and　then　came　his　voice；　weak　but　perfectly　distinct：
　〃Well；　Paul；　this　is　the　end。〃
　〃Not　yet；　Harry　boy；　not　yet。〃
　I　tried　to　put　cheer　and　courage　into　my　own　voice；　but　with　poor　success。
　〃I…think…so。　I　say；　Paul…I've　just　seen　Desiree。〃
　〃All　right；　Hal。〃
　〃Oh；　you　don't　need　to　talk　like　that；　I'm　not　delirious　now。
　I　guess　it　must　have　been　a　dream。　Do　you　remember　that　morning　on　the　mountain…in　Colorado…when　you　came　on　us　suddenly　at　sunrise？
　Well；　I　saw　her　there…only　you　were　with　her　instead　of　me。　So；　of　course；　she　must　be　dead。〃
　His　logic　was　beyond　me；　but　I　pressed　his　hand　to　let　him　know　that　I　understood。
　〃And　now；　old　man；　you　might　as　well　leave　me。　This　is　the　end。　You've　been　a　good　sport。　We　made　a　fight；　didn't　we？　If　only　Desiree…but　there！　To　Hades　with　women；　I　say！〃
　〃Not　that…don't　be　a　poor　loser；　Hal。　And　you're　not　gone　yet。　When　a　man　has　enough　fight　in　him　to　beat　out　an　attack　of　fever　he's　very　much　alive。〃
　But　he　would　not　have　it　so。　I　let　him　talk；　and　he　rambled　on；　with　scarcely　an　idea　of　what　he　was　saying。　The　old　days　possessed　his　mind；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　the　sentiment　found　a　wele　in　my　own　bosom。　I　said　to　myself；　〃This　is　death。〃
　And　then；　lifting　my　head　to　look　down　the　dark　passage　that　led　away　before　us；　I　sprang　to　my　feet　with　a　shout　and　stood　transfixed　with　astonishment。　And　the　next　instant　there　came　a　cry　of　wonder　from　Harry：
　〃A　light！　By　all　the　gods；　a　light！〃
　So　it　was。　The　passage　lay　straight　for　perhaps　three　hundred　yards。　There　it　turned　abruptly；　and　the　corner　thus　formed　was　one　blaze　of　flickering　but　brilliant　light　which　flowed　in　from　the　hidden　corridor。
　It　came　and　went；　and　played　fitfully　on　the　granite　walls；　still　it　remained。　It　was　supernaturally　brilliant；　or　so　it　seemed　to　us；　who　had　lived　in　utter　darkness　for　many　days。
　I　turned　to　Harry；　and　the　man　who　had　just　been　ready　to　die　was　rising　to　his　feet！
　〃Wait　a　minute…not　so　fast！〃　I　said　half　angrily；　springing　to　support　him。　〃And；　for　Heaven's　sake；　don't　make　any　noise！
　We're　in　no　condition　to　fight　now；　and　you　know　what　that　light　means。〃
　〃But　what　is　it？〃　demanded　the　boy　excitedly。　〃e　on；　man…let's　go！〃
　To　tell　the　truth；　I　felt　as　eager　as　he。　For　the　first　time　I　understood　clearly　why　the　Bible　and　ancient　mythology　made　such　a　fuss　about　the　lighting　up　of　the　world。　Modern　civilization　is　too　far　away　from　its　great　natural　benefits　to　appreciate　them　properly。
　And　here　was　a　curious　instance　of　the　force　of　habit…or；　rather；　instinct…in　man。　So　long　as　Harry　and　I　had　remained　in　the　dark　passage　and　byways　of　the　cavern　we　had　proceeded　almost　entirely　without　caution；　with　scarcely　a　thought　of　being　discovered。
　But　the　first　sight　of　light　made　us　wary　and　careful　and　silent；　and　yet　we　knew　perfectly　well　that　the　denizens　of　this　underworld　could　see　as　well　in　the　darkness　as　in　the　light…perhaps　even　better。　So　difficult　is　it　to　guide　ourselves　by　the　human　faculty　of　pure　reason。
　Harry　was　so　weak　he　was　barely　able　to　stand；　even　in　the　strength　of　this　new　excitement　and　hope；　and　we　were　forced　to　go　very　slowly；　I　supported　him　as　well　as　I　was　able；　being　myself　anything　but　an　engine　of　power。　But　the　turn　in　the　passage　was　not　far　away；　and　we　reached　it　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　or　less。
　Before　we　made　the　turn　we　halted。　Harry　was　breathing　heavily　even　from　so　slight　an　exertion；　and　I　could　scarcely　suppress　a　cry　of　amazement　when；　for　the　first　time　in　many　days；　the　light　afforded　me　a　view　of　his　face。
　It　was　drawn　and　white　and　sunken；　the　eyes　seemed　set　deep　in　his　skull　as　they　blinked　painfully；　and　the　hair　on　his　chin　and　lip　and　cheeks　had　grown　to　a　length　incredible　in　so　short　a　space　of　time。　I　soon　had　reason　to　know　that　I　probably　presented　no　better　an　appearance；　for　he　was　staring　at　me　as　though　I　were　some　strange　monster。
　〃Good　Heavens；　man；　you　took　like　a　ghost！〃　he　whispered。
　I　nodded；　my　arm　was　round　his　shoulder。
　〃Now；　let's　see　what　this　light　means。　Be　ready　for　anything；　Harry…though　Heaven　knows　we　can　find　nothing　worse　than　we've　had。　Here；　put　your　arm　on　my　shoulder。　Take　it　easy。〃
　We　advanced　to　the　corner　together　within　the　patch　of　light　and　turned　to　the　right；　directly　facing　its　source。
　It　is　impossible　to　convey　even　a　faint　idea　of　the　wild　and　hugely　fantastic　sight　that　met　our　gaze。　With　us　it　was　a　single；　vivid　flash　to　the　astonished　brain。　These　are　the　details：
　Before　us　was　an　immense　cavern；　circular　in　shape；　with　a　diameter　of　some　half　a　mile。　It　seemed　to　me　then　much　larger；　from　where　we　stood　it　appeared　to　be　at　least　two　miles　to　the　opposite　side。　There　was　no　roof　to　be　seen；　it　merely　ascended　into　darkness；　though　the　light　carried　a　great　distance。
　All　round　the　vast　circumference；　on　terraced　seats　of　rock；　squatted　row　after　row　of　the　most　pletely　hideous　beings　within　possibility。
　They　were　men；　I　suppose　they　must　have　the　name。　They　were　about　four　feet　tall；　with　long；　hairy　arms　and　legs；　bodies　of　a　curious；　bloated　appearance；　and　eyes…the　remainder　of　the　face　was　entirely　concealed　by　thick　hair…eyes　dull　and　vacant；　of　an　incredibly　large　size；　they　had　the　appearance　of　ghouls；　apes；　monsters…anything　but　human　beings。
　They　sat；　thousands　of　them；　crouched　silently　on　their　stone　seats；　gazing；　motionless　as　blocks　of　wood。
　The　center　of　the　cavern　was　a　lake；　taking　up　something　more　than　half　of　its　area。　The　water　was　black　as　night；　and　curiously　smooth　and　silent。　Its　banks　sloped　by　degrees　for　a　hundred　feet　or　so；　but　at　its　edge　there　was　a　perpendicular　bank　of　rock　fifteen　or　twenty　feet　in　height。
　Near　the　middle　of　the　lake；　ranged　at　an　equal　distance　from　its　center　and　from　each　other；　were　three…what　shall　I　call　them？…islands；　or　columns。　They　were　six　or　eight　feet　across　at　their　top；　which　rose　high　above　the　water。
　On　top　of　each　of　these　columns　was　a　huge　vat　or　urn；　and　from　each　of　the　urns　arose　a　steady；　gigantic　column　of　fire。
　These　it　was　that　gave　the　light；　and　it　was　little　wonder　we　had　thought　it　brilliant；　since　the　flames　rose　to　a　height　of　thirty　feet　or　more　in　the　air。
　But　that　which　left　us　speechless　with　profound　amazement　was　not　the　endless　rows　of　silent；　grinning　dwarfs；