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第3节

the cone-第3节

小说: the cone 字数: 每页4000字

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he could frame his words; they passed into the shadows。  Horrocks

pointed to the canal close before them now: a weird…looking place

it seemed; in the blood…red reflections of the furnaces。  The hot

water that cooled the tuyeres came into it; some fifty yards up

a tumultuous; almost boiling affluent; and the steam rose up from

the water in silent white wisps and streaks; wrapping damply about

them; an incessant succession of ghosts coming up from the black

and red eddies; a white uprising that made the head swim。  The

shining black tower of the larger blast…furnace rose overhead out

of the mist; and its tumultuous riot filled their ears。  Raut kept

away from the edge of the water; and watched Horrocks。



〃Here it is red;〃 said Horrocks; 〃blood…red vapour as red and

hot as sin; but yonder there; where the moonlight falls on it; and

it drives across the clinker…heaps; it is as white as death。〃



Raut turned his head for a moment; and then came back hastily

to his watch on Horrocks。  〃Come along to the rolling…mills;〃 said

Horrocks。  The threatening hold was not so evident that time; and

Raut felt a little reassured。  But all the same; what on earth did

Horrocks mean about 〃white as death〃 and 〃red as sin?〃 

Coincidence; perhaps?



They went and stood behind the puddlers for a little while;

and then through the rolling…mills; where amidst an incessant din

the deliberate steam…hammer beat the juice out of the succulent

iron; and black; half…naked Titans rushed the plastic bars; like

hot sealing…wax; between the wheels。  〃Come on;〃 said Horrocks in

Raut's ear; and they went and peeped through the little glass hole

behind the tuyeres; and saw the tumbled fire writhing in the pit of

the blast…furnace。  It left one eye blinded for a while。  Then;

with green and blue patches dancing across the dark; they went to

the lift by which the trucks of ore and fuel and lime were raised

to the top of the big cylinder。



And out upon the narrow rail that overhung the furnace; Raut's

doubts came upon him again。  Was it wise to be here?  If Horrocks

did knoweverything!  Do what he would; he could not resist a

violent trembling。  Right under foot was a sheer depth of seventy

feet。  It was a dangerous place。  They pushed by a truck of fuel to

get to the railing that crowned the place。  The reek of the

furnace; a sulphurous vapor streaked with pungent bitterness;

seemed to make the distant hillside of Hanley quiver。  The moon was

riding out now from among a drift of clouds; halfway up the sky

above the undulating wooded outlines of Newcastle。  The steaming

canal ran away from below them under an indistinct bridge; and

vanished into the dim haze of the flat fields towards Burslem。



〃That's the cone I've been telling you of;〃 shouted Horrocks;

〃and; below that; sixty feet of fire and molten metal; with the air

of the blast frothing through it like gas in soda…water。〃



Raut gripped the hand…rail tightly; and stared down at the

cone。  The heat was intense。  The boiling of the iron and the

tumult of the blast made a thunderous accompaniment to Horrocks'

voice。  But the thing had to be gone through now。  Perhaps; after

all 。 。 。



〃In the middle;〃 bawled Horrocks; 〃temperature near a thousand

degrees。  If YOU were dropped into it 。 。 。 。 flash into

flame like a pinch of gunpowder in a candle。  Put your hand out and

feel the heat of his breath。  Why; even up here I've seen the

rain…water boiling off the trucks。  And that cone there。  It's a

damned sight too hot for roasting cakes。  The top side of it's

three hundred degrees。〃



〃Three hundred degrees!〃 said Raut。



〃Three hundred centigrade; mind!〃 said Horrocks。  〃It will

boil the blood out of you in no time。〃



〃Eigh?〃 said Raut; and turned。



〃Boil the blood out of you in 。 。 。 No; you don't!〃



〃Let me go!〃 screamed Raut。  〃Let go my arm!〃



With one hand he clutched at the hand…rail; then with both。 

For a moment the two men stood swaying。  Then suddenly; with a

violent jerk; Horrocks had twisted him from his hold。  He clutched

at Horrocks and missed; his foot went back into empty air; in

mid…air he twisted himself; and then cheek and shoulder and knee

struck the hot cone together。



He clutched the chain by which the cone hung; and the thing

sank an infinitesimal amount as he struck it。  A circle of glowing

red appeared about him; and a tongue of flame; released from the

chaos within; flickered up towards him。  An intense pain assailed

him at the knees; and he could smell the singeing of his hands。  He

raised himself to his feet; and tried to climb up the chain; and

then something struck his head。  Black and shining with the

moonlight; the throat of the furnace rose about him。



Horrocks; he saw; stood above him by one of the trucks of fuel

on the rail。  The gesticulating figure was bright and white in the

moonlight; and shouting; 〃Fizzle; you fool!  Fizzle; you hunter of

women!  You hot…blooded hound!  Boil! boil! boil!〃



Suddenly he caught up a handful of coal out of the truck; and

flung it deliberately; lump after lump; at Raut。



〃Horrocks!〃 cried Raut。  〃Horrocks!〃



He clung crying to the chain; pulling himself up from the

burning of the cone。  Each missile Horrocks flung hit him。  His

clothes charred and glowed; and as he struggled the cone dropped;

and a rush of hot suffocating gas whooped out and burned round him

in a swift breath of flame。



His human likeness departed from him。  When the momentary red

had passed; Horrocks saw a charred; blackened figure; its head

streaked with blood; still clutching and fumbling with the chain;

and writhing in agonya cindery animal; an inhuman; monstrous

creature that began a sobbing intermittent shriek。



Abruptly; at the sight; the ironmaster's anger passed。  A

deadly sickness came upon him。  The heavy odour of burning flesh

came drifting up to his nostrils。  His sanity returned to him。



〃God have mercy upon me!〃 he cried。  〃O God! what have I

done?〃



He knew the thing below him; save that it still moved and

felt; was already a dead manthat the blood of the poor wretch

must be boiling in his veins。  An intense realisation of that agony

came to his mind; and overcame every other feeling。  For a moment

he stood irresolute; and then; turning to the truck; he hastily

tilted its contents upon the struggling thing that had once been a

man。  The mass fell with a thud; and went radiating over the cone。 

With the thud the shriek ended; and a boiling confusion of smoke;

dust; and flame came rushing up towards him。  As it passed; he saw

the cone clear again。



Then he staggered back; and stood trembling; clinging to the

rail with both hands。  His lips moved; but no words came to them。



Down below was the sound of voices and running steps。  The

clangour of rolling in the shed ceased abruptly。


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