the underground city-第13节

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ite　enough　to　keep　him　on　his　back　longer　than　he　liked。　He　had　not　time　to　be　ill。

Jack；　therefore；　soon　got　well。　　As　soon　as　he　was　on　his　legs　again；　before　resuming　his　work　on　the　farm；　he　wished　to　go　and　visit　his　friend　Harry；　and　learn　why　he　had　not　come　to　the　Irvine　merry…making。　He　could　not　understand　his　absence；　for　Harry　was　not　a　man　who　would　willingly　promise　and　not　perform。　It　was　unlikely；　too；　that　the　son　of　the　old　overman　had　not　heard　of　the　wreck　of　the　MOTALA；　as　it　was　in　all　the　papers。　He　must　know　the　part　Jack　had　taken　in　it；　and　what　had　happened　to　him；　and　it　was　unlike　Harry　not　to　hasten　to　the　farm　and　see　how　his　old　chum　was　going　on。

As　Harry　had　not　come；　there　must　have　been　something　to　prevent　him。　Jack　Ryan　would　as　soon　deny　the　existence　of　the　Fire…Maidens　as　believe　in　Harry's　indifference。

Two　days　after　the　catastrophe　Jack　left　the　farm　merily；　feeling　nothing　of　his　wounds。　　Singing　in　the　fullness　of　his　heart；　he　awoke　the　echoes　of　the　cliff；　as　he　walked　to　the　station　of　the　railway；　which　VIA　Glasgow　would　take　him　to　Stirling　and　Callander。

As　he　was　waiting　for　his　train；　his　attention　was　attracted　by　a　bill　posted　up　on　the　walls；　containing　the　following　notice：

〃On　the　4th　of　December；　the　engineer；　James　Starr；　of　Edinburgh；　embarked　from　Granton　Pier；　on　board　the　Prince　of　Wales。　　He　disembarked　the　same　day　at　Stirling。　　From　that　time　nothing　further　has　been　heard　of　him。

〃Any　information　concerning　him　is　requested　to　be　sent　to　the　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　Edinburgh。〃

Jack　Ryan；　stopping　before　one　of　these　advertisements；　read　it　twice　over；　with　extreme　surprise。

〃Mr。　Starr！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Why；　on　the　4th　of　December　I　met　him　with　Harry　on　the　ladder　of　the　Dochart　pit！　That　was　ten　days　ago！　　And　he　has　not　been　seen　from　that　time！　That　explains　why　my　chum　didn't　come　to　Irvine。〃

And　without　taking　time　to　inform　the　President　of　the　Royal　Institution　by　letter；　what　he　knew　relative　to　James　Starr；　Jack　jumped　into　the　train；　determining　to　go　first　of　all　to　the　Yarrow　shaft。　There　he　would　descend　to　the　depths　of　the　pit；　if　necessary；　to　find　Harry；　and　with　him　was　sure　to　be　the　engineer　James　Starr。

〃They　haven't　turned　up　again；〃　said　he　to　himself。　　〃Why？　　Has　anything　prevented　them？　　Could　any　work　of　importance　keep　them　still　at　the　bottom　of　the　mine？　　I　must　find　out！〃　and　Ryan；　hastening　his　steps；　arrived　in　less　than　an　hour　at　the　Yarrow　shaft。

Externally　nothing　was　changed。　　The　same　silence　around。　Not　a　living　creature　was　moving　in　that　desert　region。　Jack　entered　the　ruined　shed　which　covered　the　opening　of　the　shaft。　He　gazed　down　into　the　dark　abyssnothing　was　to　be　seen。　He　listenednothing　was　to　be　heard。

〃And　my　lamp！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃suppose　it　isn't　in　its　place！〃　The　lamp　which　Ryan　used　when　he　visited　the　pit　was　usually　deposited　in　a　corner；　near　the　landing　of　the　topmost　ladder。　It　had　disappeared。

〃Here　is　a　nuisance！〃　said　Jack；　beginning　to　feel　rather

uneasy。　　Then；　without　hesitating；　superstitious　though　he　was；　〃I　will　go；〃　said　he；　〃though　it's　as　dark　down　there　as　in　the　lowest　depths　of　the　infernal　regions！〃

And　he　began　to　descend　the　long　flight　of　ladders；　which　led　down　the　gloomy　shaft。　　Jack　Ryan　had　not　forgotten　his　old　mining　habits；　and　he　was　well　acquainted　with　the　Dochart　pit；　or　he　would　scarcely　have　dared　to　venture　thus。　He　went　very　carefully；　however。　　His　foot　tried　each　round；　as　some　of　them　were　worm…eaten。　A　false　step　would　entail　a　deadly　fall；　through　this　space　of　fifteen　hundred　feet。　He　counted　each　landing　as　he　passed　it；　knowing　that　he　could　not　reach　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　until　he　had　left　the　thirtieth。　Once　there；　he　would　have　no　trouble；　so　he　thought；　in　finding　the　cottage；　built；　as　we　have　said；　at　the　extremity　of　the　principal　passage。

Jack　Ryan　went　on　thus　until　he　got　to　the　twenty…sixth　landing；　and　consequently　had　two　hundred　feet　between　him　and　the　bottom。

Here　he　put　down　his　leg　to　feel　for　the　first　rung　of　the　twenty…seventh　ladder。　　But　his　foot　swinging　in　space　found　nothing　to　rest　on。　He　knelt　down　and　felt　about　with　his　hand　for　the　top　of　the　ladder。　It　was　in　vain。

〃Old　Nick　himself　must　have　been　down　this　way！〃　said　Jack；　not　without　a　slight　feeling　of　terror。

He　stood　considering　for　some　time；　with　folded　arms；　and　longing　to　be　able　to　pierce　the　impenetrable　darkness。　Then　it　occurred　to　him　that　if　he　could　not　get　down；　neither　could　the　inhabitants　of　the　mine　get　up。　　There　was　now　no　communication　between　the　depths　of　the　pit　and　the　upper　regions。　If　the　removal　of　the　lower　ladders　of　the　Yarrow　shaft　had　been　effected　since　his　last　visit　to　the　cottage；　what　had　become　of　Simon　Ford；　his　wife；　his　son；　and　the　engineer？

The　prolonged　absence　of　James　Starr　proved　that　he　had　not　left　the　pit　since　the　day　Ryan　met　with　him　in　the　shaft。　How　had　the　cottage　been　provisioned　since　then？　The　food　of　these　unfortunate　people；　imprisoned　fifteen　hundred　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　ground；　must　have　been　exhausted　by　this　time。

All　this　passed　through　Jack's　mind；　as　he　saw　that　by　himself　he　could　do　nothing　to　get　to　the　cottage。　　He　had　no　doubt　but　that　communication　had　been　interrupted

with　a　malevolent　intention。　　At　any　rate；　the　authorities　must　be　informed；　and　that　as　soon　as　possible。

Jack　Ryan　bent　forward　from　the　landing。

〃Harry！　　Harry！〃　he　shouted　with　his　powerful　voice。

Harry's　name　echoed　and　re…echoed　among　the　rocks；　and　finally　died　away　in　the　depths　of　the　shaft。

Ryan　rapidly　ascended　the　upper　ladders　and　returned　to　the　light　of　day。　Without　losing　a　moment　he　reached　the　Callander　station；　just　caught　the　express　to　Edinburgh；　and　by　three　o'clock　was　before　the　Lord　Provost。

There　his　declaration　was　received。　　His　account　was　given　so　clearly　that　it　could　not　be　doubted。　　Sir　William　Elphiston；　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　and　not　only　colleague；　but　a　personal　friend　of　Starr's；　was　also　informed；　and　asked　to　direct　the　search　which　was　to　be　made　without　delay　in　the　mine。　Several　men　were　placed　at　his　disposal；　supplied　with　lamps；　picks；　long　rope　ladders；　not　forgetting　provisions　and　cordials。　Then　guided　by　Jack　Ryan；　the　party　set　out　for　the　Aberfoyle　mines。

The　same　evening　the　expedition　arrived　at　the　opening　of　the　Yarrow　shaft；　and　descended　to　the　twenty…seventh　landing；　at　which　Jack　Ryan　had　been　stopped　a　few　hours　previously。　The　lamps；　fastened　to　long　ropes；　were　lowered　down　the　shaft；　and　it　was　thus　ascertained　that　the　four　last　ladders　were　wanting。

As　soon　as　the　lamps　had　been　brought　up；　the　men　fixed　to　the　landing　a　rope　ladder；　which　unrolled　itself　down　the　shaft；　and　all　descended　one　after　the　other。　　Jack　Ryan's　descent　was　the　most　difficult；　for　he　went　first　down　the　swinging　ladders；　and　fastened　them　for　the　others。

The　space　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　was　completely　deserted；　but　Sir　William　was　much　surprised　at　hearing　Jack　Ryan　exclaim；　〃Here　are　bits　of　the　ladders；　and　some　of　them　half　burnt！〃

〃Burnt？〃　repeated　Sir　William。　　〃Indeed；　here　sure　enough　are　cinders　which　have　evidently　been　cold　a　long　time！〃

〃Do　you　think；　sir；〃　asked　Ryan；　〃that　Mr。　Starr　could　have　had　any　reason　for　burning　the　ladders；　and　thus　breaking　of　communication　with　the　world？〃

〃Certainly　not；〃　answered　Sir　William　Elphiston；　who

had　become　very　thoughtful。　　〃Come；　my　lad；　lead　us　to　the　cottage。　There　we　shall　ascertain　the　truth。〃

Jack　Ryan　shook　his　head；　as　if　not　at　all　convinced。　Then；　taking　a　lamp　from　the　hands　of　one　of　the　men；　he　proceeded　with　a　rapid　step　along　the　principal　passage　of　the　Dochart　pit。　The　others　all　followed　him。

In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　party　arrived　at　the　excavation　in　which　stood　Simon　Ford's　cottage。　　There　was　no　light　in　the　window。　　Ryan　darted　to　the　door；　and　threw　it　open。　The　house　was　empty。

They　examined　all　the　rooms　in　the　somber　habitation。　No　trace　of　violence　was　to　be　found。　　All　was　in　order；　as　if　old　Madge　had　been　still　there。　　There　was　even　an　ample　supply　of　provisions；　enough　to　last　the　Ford　family　for　several　days。

The　absence　of　the　tenants　of　the　cottage　was　quite　unaccountable。　But　was　it　not　possible　to　find　out　the　exact　time　they　had　quitted　it？　Yes；　for　in　this　region；　where　there　was　no　difference　of　day　or　night；　Madge　was　accustomed　to　mark　with　a　cross　each　day　in　her　almanac。

The　almanac　was　pinned　up　on　the　wall；　and　there　the　last　cross　had　been　made　at　the　6th　of　December；　that　is　to　say；　a　day　after　the　arrival　of　James　Starr；　to　which　Ryan　could　positively　swear。　It　was　clear　that　on　the　6th　of　December；　ten　days　ago；　Simon　Ford；　his　wife；　son；　and　guest；　had　quitted　the　cottage。　Could　a　fresh　exploration　of　the　mine；　undertaken　by　the　engineer；　account　for　such　a　long　absence？　　Certainly　not。

It　was　intensely　dark　all　round。　　The　lamps　held　by　the　men　gave　light　only　just　where　they　were　standing。　　Suddenly　Jack　Ryan　uttered　a　cry。　〃Look　there；　there！〃

His　finger　was　pointing　to　a　tolerably　bright　light；　which　was　moving　about　in　the　distance。　　〃