warlord of mars-第4节

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incomparable　Dejah　Thoris　were　she　not　already　deadto　sacrifice

other　hours；　and　maybe　days　in　a　fruitless　exploration　of　another

blind　lead　would　unquestionably　prove　fatal。

　

Several　times　I　essayed　the　right…hand　entrance　only　to　turn

back　as　though　warned　by　some　strange　intuitive　sense　that

this　was　not　the　way。　　At　last；　convinced　by　the　oft…recurring

phenomenon；　I　cast　my　all　upon　the　left…hand　archway；　yet　it　was

with　a　lingering　doubt　that　I　turned　a　parting　look　at　the　sullen

waters　which　rolled；　dark　and　forbidding；　from　beneath　the　grim；

low　archway　on　the　right。

　

And　as　I　looked　there　came　bobbing　out　upon　the　current　from

the　Stygian　darkness　of　the　interior　the　shell　of　one　of　the　great；

succulent　fruits　of　the　sorapus　tree。

　

I　could　scarce　restrain　a　shout　of　elation　as　this　silent；　insensate

messenger　floated　past　me；　on　toward　the　Iss　and　Korus；　for　it

told　me　that　journeying　Martians　were　above　me　on　that　very　stream。

　

They　had　eaten　of　this　marvelous　fruit　which　nature　concentrates

within　the　hard　shell　of　the　sorapus　nut；　and　having　eaten　had

cast　the　husk　overboard。　　It　could　have　come　from　no　others　than

the　party　I　sought。

　

Quickly　I　abandoned　all　thought　of　the　left…hand　passage；　and

a　moment　later　had　turned　into　the　right。　　The　stream　soon　widened；

and　recurring　areas　of　phosphorescent　rock　lighted　my　way。

　

I　made　good　time；　but　was　convinced　that　I　was　nearly　a　day

behind　those　I　was　tracking。　　Neither　Woola　nor　I　had　eaten　since

the　previous　day；　but　in　so　far　as　he　was　concerned　it　mattered　but

little；　since　practically　all　the　animals　of　the　dead　sea　bottoms

of　Mars　are　able　to　go　for　incredible　periods　without　nourishment。

　

Nor　did　I　suffer。　　The　water　of　the　river　was　sweet　and　cold；

for　it　was　unpolluted　by　decaying　bodieslike　the　Issand　as　for

food；　why　the　mere　thought　that　I　was　nearing　my　beloved　princess

raised　me　above　every　material　want。

　

As　I　proceeded；　the　river　became　narrower　and　the　current

swift　and　turbulentso　swift　in　fact　that　it　was　with　difficulty

that　I　forced　my　craft　upward　at　all。　　I　could　not　have　been　making

to　exceed　a　hundred　yards　an　hour　when；　at　a　bend；　I　was　confronted

by　a　series　of　rapids　through　which　the　river　foamed　and　boiled　at

a　terrific　rate。

　

My　heart　sank　within　me。　　The　sorapus　nutshell　had　proved　a

false　prophet；　and；　after　all；　my　intuition　had　been　correctit

was　the　left…hand　channel　that　I　should　have　followed。

　

Had　I　been　a　woman　I　should　have　wept。　　At　my　right　was　a　great；

slow…moving　eddy　that　circled　far　beneath　the　cliff's　overhanging　side；

and　to　rest　my　tired　muscles　before　turning　back　I　let　my　boat　drift

into　its　embrace。

　

I　was　almost　prostrated　by　disappointment。　　It　would　mean

another　half…day's　loss　of　time　to　retrace　my　way　and　take　the　only

passage　that　yet　remained　unexplored。　　What　hellish　fate　had　led　me

to　select　from　three　possible　avenues　the　two　that　were　wrong？

　

As　the　lazy　current　of　the　eddy　carried　me　slowly　about　the

periphery　of　the　watery　circle　my　boat　twice　touched　the　rocky　side

of　the　river　in　the　dark　recess　beneath　the　cliff。　　A　third　time　it

struck；　gently　as　it　had　before；　but　the　contact　resulted　in　a

different　soundthe　sound　of　wood　scraping　upon　wood。

　

In　an　instant　I　was　on　the　alert；　for　there　could　be　no　wood

within　that　buried　river　that　had　not　been　man　brought。　　Almost

coincidentally　with　my　first　apprehension　of　the　noise；　my　hand

shot　out　across　the　boat's　side；　and　a　second　later　I　felt　my

fingers　gripping　the　gunwale　of　another　craft。

　

As　though　turned　to　stone　I　sat　in　tense　and　rigid　silence；

straining　my　eyes　into　the　utter　darkness　before　me　in　an　effort　to

discover　if　the　boat　were　occupied。

　

It　was　entirely　possible　that　there　might　be　men　on　board　it

who　were　still　ignorant　of　my　presence；　for　the　boat　was　scraping

gently　against　the　rocks　upon　one　side；　so　that　the　gentle　touch　of

my　boat　upon　the　other　easily　could　have　gone　unnoticed。

　

Peer　as　I　would　I　could　not　penetrate　the　darkness；　and　then

I　listened　intently　for　the　sound　of　breathing　near　me；　but　except

for　the　noise　of　the　rapids；　the　soft　scraping　of　the　boats；　and

the　lapping　of　the　water　at　their　sides　I　could　distinguish　no

sound。　　As　usual；　I　thought　rapidly。

　

A　rope　lay　coiled　in　the　bottom　of　my　own　craft。　　Very　softly

I　gathered　it　up；　and　making　one　end　fast　to　the　bronze　ring　in　the

prow　I　stepped　gingerly　into　the　boat　beside　me。　　In　one　hand　I

grasped　the　rope；　in　the　other　my　keen　long…sword。

　

For　a　full　minute；　perhaps；　I　stood　motionless　after　entering

the　strange　craft。　　It　had　rocked　a　trifle　beneath　my　weight；　but

it　had　been　the　scraping　of　its　side　against　the　side　of　my　own

boat　that　had　seemed　most　likely　to　alarm　its　occupants；　if　there

were　any。

　

But　there　was　no　answering　sound；　and　a　moment　later　I　had

felt　from　stem　to　stern　and　found　the　boat　deserted。

　

Groping　with　my　hands　along　the　face　of　the　rocks　to　which　the

craft　was　moored；　I　discovered　a　narrow　ledge　which　I　knew　must　be

the　avenue　taken　by　those　who　had　come　before　me。　　That　they　could

be　none　other　than　Thurid　and　his　party　I　was　convinced　by　the　size

and　build　of　the　boat　I　had　found。

　

Calling　to　Woola　to　follow　me　I　stepped　out　upon　the　ledge。

The　great；　savage　brute；　agile　as　a　cat；　crept　after　me。

　

As　he　passed　through　the　boat　that　had　been　occupied　by　Thurid

and　the　therns　he　emitted　a　single　low　growl；　and　when　he　came

beside　me　upon　the　ledge　and　my　hand　rested　upon　his　neck　I　felt

his　short　mane　bristling　with　anger。　　I　think　he　sensed

telepathically　the　recent　presence　of　an　enemy；　for　I　had　made　no

effort　to　impart　to　him　the　nature　of　our　quest　or　the　status　of

those　we　tracked。

　

This　omission　I　now　made　haste　to　correct；　and；　after　the

manner　of　green　Martians　with　their　beasts；　I　let　him　know

partially　by　the　weird　and　uncanny　telepathy　of　Barsoom　and　partly

by　word　of　mouth　that　we　were　upon　the　trail　of　those　who　had

recently　occupied　the　boat　through　which　we　had　just　passed。

　

A　soft　purr；　like　that　of　a　great　cat；　indicated　that　Woola

understood；　and　then；　with　a　word　to　him　to　follow；　I　turned　to　the

right　along　the　ledge；　but　scarcely　had　I　done　so　than　I　felt　his

mighty　fangs　tugging　at　my　leathern　harness。

　

As　I　turned　to　discover　the　cause　of　his　act　he　continued　to　pull

me　steadily　in　the　opposite　direction；　nor　would　he　desist　until　I

had　turned　about　and　indicated　that　I　would　follow　him　voluntarily。

　

Never　had　I　known　him　to　be　in　error　in　a　matter　of　tracking；

so　it　was　with　a　feeling　of　entire　security　that　I　moved　cautiously

in　the　huge　beast's　wake。　　Through　Cimmerian　darkness　he　moved

along　the　narrow　ledge　beside　the　boiling　rapids。

　

As　we　advanced；　the　way　led　from　beneath　the　overhanging

cliffs　out　into　a　dim　light；　and　then　it　was　that　I　saw　that　the

trail　had　been　cut　from　the　living　rock；　and　that　it　ran　up　along

the　river's　side　beyond　the　rapids。

　

For　hours　we　followed　the　dark　and　gloomy　river　farther　and

farther　into　the　bowels　of　Mars。　　From　the　direction　and

distance　I　knew　that　we　must　be　well　beneath　the　Valley　Dor；

and　possibly　beneath　the　Sea　of　Omean　as　wellit　could　not

be　much　farther　now　to　the　Temple　of　the　Sun。

　

Even　as　my　mind　framed　the　thought；　Woola　halted　suddenly

before　a　narrow；　arched　doorway　in　the　cliff　by　the　trail's　side。

Quickly　he　crouched　back　away　from　the　entrance；　at　the　same　time

turning　his　eyes　toward　me。

　

Words　could　not　have　more　plainly　told　me　that　danger　of　some

sort　lay　near　by；　and　so　I　pressed　quietly　forward　to　his　side；

and　passing　him　looked　into　the　aperture　at　our　right。

　

Before　me　was　a　fair…sized　chamber　that；　from　its　appointments；

I　knew　must　have　at　one　time　been　a　guardroom。　　There　were　racks

for　weapons；　and　slightly　raised　platforms　for　the　sleeping　silks

and　furs　of　the　warriors；　but　now　its　only　occupants　were　two　of

the　therns　who　had　been　of　the　party　with　Thurid　and　Matai　Shang。

　

The　men　were　in　earnest　conversation；　and　from　their　tones　it　was

apparent　that　they　were　entirely　unaware　that　they　had　listeners。

　

〃I　tell　you；〃　one　of　them　was　saying；　〃I　do　not　trust　the　black　one。

There　was　no　necessity　for　leaving　us　here　to　guard　the　way。

Against　what；　pray；　should　we　guard　this　long…forgotten；

abysmal　path？　　It　was　but　a　ruse　to　divide　our　numbers。

　

〃He　will　have　Matai　Shang　leave　others　elsewhere　on　some

pretext　or　other；　and　then　at　last　he　will　fall　upon　us　with　his

confederates　and　slay　us　all。〃

　

〃I　believe　you；　Lakor；〃　replied　the　other；　〃there　can　never　be

aught　else　than　deadly　hatred　between　thern　and　First　Born。　　And

what　think　you　of　the　ridiculous　matter　of　the　light？　　‘Let　the

light　shine　with　the　intensity　of　three　radium　units　for　fifty

tals；　and　for　one　xat　let　it　shine