the works of edgar allan poe-3-第42节

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peg。　Tying　the　handkerchiefs　now　to　the　second　peg；　he　descended　to　a
station　below　the　third；　taking　care　not　to　go　too　far　down。　By　these
means　（means　which　I　should　never　have　conceived　of　myself；　and　for
which　we　were　indebted　altogether　to　Peters'　ingenuity　and
resolution）　my　companion　finally　succeeded；　with　the　occasional　aid
of　projections　in　the　cliff；　in　reaching　the　bottom　without　accident。

It　was　some　time　before　I　could　summon　sufficient　resolution　to
follow　him；　but　I　did　at　length　attempt　it。　Peters　had　taken　off　his
shirt　before　descending；　and　this；　with　my　own；　formed　the　rope
necessary　for　the　adventure。　After　throwing　down　the　musket　found　in
the　chasm；　I　fastened　this　rope　to　the　bushes；　and　let　myself　down
rapidly；　striving；　by　the　vigor　of　my　movements；　to　banish　the
trepidation　which　I　could　overcome　in　no　other　manner。　This　answered
sufficiently　well　for　the　first　four　or　five　steps；　but　presently　I
found　my　imagination　growing　terribly　excited　by　thoughts　of　the　vast
depths　yet　to　be　descended；　and　the　precarious　nature　of　the　pegs　and
soapstone　holes　which　were　my　only　support。　It　was　in　vain　I
endeavored　to　banish　these　reflections；　and　to　keep　my　eyes　steadily
bent　upon　the　flat　surface　of　the　cliff　before　me。　The　more　earnestly
I　struggled　_not　to　think；　_the　more　intensely　vivid　became　my
conceptions；　and　the　more　horribly　distinct。　At　length　arrived　that
crisis　of　fancy；　so　fearful　in　all　similar　cases；　the　crisis　in　which
we　began　to　anticipate　the　feelings　with　which　we　_shall　_fall…to
picture　to　ourselves　the　sickness；　and　dizziness；　and　the　last
struggle；　and　the　half　swoon；　and　the　final　bitterness　of　the　rushing
and　headlong　descent。　And　now　I　found　these　fancies　creating　their
own　realities；　and　all　imagined　horrors　crowding　upon　me　in　fact。　I
felt　my　knees　strike　violently　together；　while　my　fingers　were
gradually　but　certainly　relaxing　their　grasp。　There　was　a　ringing　in
my　ears；　and　I　said；　〃This　is　my　knell　of　death！〃　And　now　I　was
consumed　with　the　irrepressible　desire　of　looking　below。　I　could　not；
I　would　not；　confine　my　glances　to　the　cliff　；　and；　with　a　wild；
indefinable　emotion；　half　of　horror；　half　of　a　relieved　oppression；　I
threw　my　vision　far　down　into　the　abyss。　For　one　moment　my　fingers
clutched　convulsively　upon　their　hold；　while；　with　the　movement；　the
faintest　possible　idea　of　ultimate　escape　wandered；　like　a　shadow；
through　my　mind　…in　the　next　my　whole　soul　was　pervaded　with　a
longing　to　fall；　a　desire；　a　yearning；　a　passion　utterly
uncontrollable。　I　let　go　at　once　my　grasp　upon　the　peg；　and；　turning
half　round　from　the　precipice；　remained　tottering　for　an　instant
against　its　naked　face。　But　now　there　came　a　spinning　of　the　brain；　a
shrill…sounding　and　phantom　voice　screamed　within　my　ears；　a　dusky；
fiendish；　and　filmy　figure　stood　immediately　beneath　me；　and；
sighing；　I　sunk　down　with　a　bursting　heart；　and　plunged　within　its
arms。

I　had　swooned；　and　Peters　had　caught　me　as　I　fell。　He　had　observed　my
proceedings　from　his　station　at　the　bottom　of　the　cliff；　and
perceiving　my　imminent　danger；　had　endeavored　to　inspire　me　with
courage　by　every　suggestion　he　could　devise；　although　my　confusion　of
mind　had　been　so　great　as　to　prevent　my　hearing　what　he　said；　or
being　conscious　that　he　had　even　spoken　to　me　at　all。　At　length；
seeing　me　totter；　he　hastened　to　ascend　to　my　rescue；　and　arrived
just　in　time　for　my　preservation。　Had　I　fallen　with　my　full　weight；
the　rope　of　linen　would　inevitably　have　snapped；　and　I　should　have
been　precipitated　into　the　abyss；　as　it　was；　he　contrived　to　let　me
down　gently；　so　as　to　remain　suspended　without　danger　until　animation
returned。　This　was　in　about　fifteen　minutes。　On　recovery；　my
trepidation　had　entirely　vanished；　I　felt　a　new　being；　and；　with　some
little　further　aid　from　my　companion；　reached　the　bottom　also　in
safety。

We　now　found　ourselves　not　far　from　the　ravine　which　had　proved　the
tomb　of　our　friends；　and　to　the　southward　of　the　spot　where　the　hill
had　fallen。　The　place　was　one　of　singular　wildness；　and　its　aspect
brought　to　my　mind　the　descriptions　given　by　travellers　of　those
dreary　regions　marking　the　site　of　degraded　Babylon。　Not　to　speak　of
the　ruins　of　the　disrupted　cliff；　which　formed　a　chaotic　barrier　in
the　vista　to　the　northward；　the　surface　of　the　ground　in　every　other
direction　was　strewn　with　huge　tumuli；　apparently　the　wreck　of　some
gigantic　structures　of　art；　although；　in　detail；　no　semblance　of　art
could　be　detected。　Scoria　were　abundant；　and　large　shapeless　blocks
of　the　black　granite；　intermingled　with　others　of　marl；　｛*6｝　and　both
granulated　with　metal。　Of　vegetation　there　were　no　traces　whatsoever
throughout　the　whole　of　the　desolate　area　within　sight。　Several
immense　scorpions　were　seen；　and　various　reptiles　not　elsewhere　to　be
found　in　the　high　latitudes。　As　food　was　our　most　immediate　object；
we　resolved　to　make　our　way　to　the　seacoast；　distant　not　more　than
half　a　mile；　with　a　view　of　catching　turtle；　several　of　which　we　had
observed　from　our　place　of　concealment　on　the　hill。　We　had　proceeded
some　hundred　yards；　threading　our　route　cautiously　between　the　huge
rocks　and　tumuli；　when；　upon　turning　a　corner；　five　savages　sprung
upon　us　from　a　small　cavern；　felling　Peters　to　the　ground　with　a　blow
from　a　club。　As　he　fell　the　whole　party　rushed　upon　him　to　secure
their　victim；　leaving　me　time　to　recover　from　my　astonishment。　T
still　had　the　musket；　but　the　barrel　had　received　so　much　injury　in
being　thrown　from　the　precipice　that　T　cast　it　aside　as　useless；
preferring　to　trust　my　pistols；　which　had　been　carefully　preserved　in
order。　With　these　I　advanced　upon　the　assailants；　firing　one　after
the　other　in　quick　succession。　Two　savages　fell；　and　one；　who　was　in
the　act　of　thrusting　a　spear　into　Peters；　sprung　to　his　feet　without
accomplishing　his　purpose。　My　companion　being　thus　released；　we　had
no　further　difficulty。　He　had　his　pistols　also；　but　prudently
declined　using　them；　confiding　in　his　great　personal　strength；　which
far　exceeded　that　of　any　person　I　have　ever　known。　Seizing　a　club
from　one　of　the　savages　who　had　fallen；　he　dashed　out　the　brains　of
the　three　who　remained；　killing　each　instantaneously　with　a　single
blow　of　the　weapon；　and　leaving　us　completely　masters　of　the　field。

So　rapidly　bad　these　events　passed；　that　we　could　scarcely　believe　in
their　reality；　and　were　standing　over　the　bodies　of　the　dead　in　a
species　of　stupid　contemplation；　when　we　were　brought　to　recollection
by　the　sound　of　shouts　in　the　distance；　It　was　clear　that　the　savages
had　been　alarmed　by　the　firing；　and　that　we　had　little　chance　of
avoiding　discovery。　To　regain　the　cliff；　it　would　be　necessary　to
proceed　in　the　direction　of　the　shouts；　and　even　should　we　succeed　in
arriving　at　its　base；　we　should　never　be　able　to　ascend　it　without
being　seen。　Our　situation　was　one　of　the　greatest　peril；　and　we　were
hesitating　in　which　path　to　commence　a　flight；　when　one　of　the
savages　_whom　_I　bad　shot；　and　supposed　dead；　sprang　briskly　to　his
feet；　and　attempted　to　make　his　escape。　We　overtook　_him；　_however；
before　he　had　advanced　many　paces；　and　were　about　to　put　him　to
death；　when　Peters　suggested　that　we　might　derive　some　benefit　from
forcing　him　to　accompany　us　in　our　attempt　to　escape。　We　therefore
dragged　him　with　us；　making　him　understand　that　we　would　shoot　him　if
he　offered　resistance。　In　a　few　minutes　he　was　perfectly　submissive；
and　ran　by　our　sides　as　we　pushed　in　among　the　rocks；　making　for　the
seashore。

So　far；　the　irregularities　of　the　ground　we　had　been　traversing　hid
the　sea；　except　at　intervals；　from　our　sight；　and；　when　we　first　had
it　fairly　in　view；　it　was　perhaps　two　hundred　yards　distant。　As　we
emerged　into　the　open　beach　we　saw；　to　our　great　dismay；　an　immense
crowd　of　the　natives　pouring　from　the　village；　and　from　all　visible
quarters　of　the　island；　making　toward　us　with　gesticulations　of
extreme　fury；　and　howling　like　wild　beasts。　We　were　upon　the　point　of
turning　upon　our　steps；　and　trying　to　secure　a　retreat　among　the
fastnesses　of　the　rougher　ground；　when　I　discovered　the　bows　of　two
canoes　projecting　from　behind　a　large　rock　which　ran　out　into　the
water。　Toward　these　we　now　ran　with　all　speed；　and；　reaching　them；
found　them　unguarded；　and　without　any　other　freight　than　three　of　the
large　Gallipago　turtles　and　the　usual　supply　of　paddles　for　sixty
rowers。　We　instantly　took　possession　of　one　of　them；　and；　forcing　our
captive　on　board；　pushed　out　to　sea　with　all　the　strength　we　could
command。

We　had　not　made；　however；　more　than　fifty　yards　from　the　shore　before
we　became　sufficiently　calm　to　perceive　the　great　oversight　of　which
we　had　been　guilty　in　leaving　the　other　canoe　in　the　power　of　the
savages；　who；　by　this　time；　were　not　more　than　twice　as　far　from　the
beach　as　ourselves；　and　were　rapidly　advancing　to　the　pursuit。　No
time　was　now　to　be　lost。　Our　hope　was；　at　best；　a　forlorn　one；　but　we
had　none　other。　It　was　very　doubtful　whether；　with　the　utmost
exertion；　we　could　get　back　in　time　to　anticipate　them　in　taking
possession　of　the　canoe；　but　yet　there　was　a　chance　that