a journey in other worlds-第38节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


evidently　merely　a　sudden　gust；　for　the　air　was　now　comparatively
calm。
　　　
Finding　that　the　doctor's　prediction　as　to　the　suitability　of　the
air　to　their　lungs　was　correct；　they　ventured　out；　closing　the
door　as　they　went。
　　　
Expecting；　as　on　Jupiter；　to　find　principally　vertebrates　of　the
reptile　and　bird　order；　they　carried　guns　and　cartridges　loaded
with　buckshot　and　No。　1；　trusting　for　solid…ball　projectiles　to
their　revolvers；　which　they　shoved　into　their　belts。　　They　also
took　test…　tubes　for　experiments　on　the　Saturnian　bacilli。　
Hanging　a　bucket　under　the　pipe　leading　from　the　roof；　to　catch
any　rain　that　might　fallfor　they　remembered　the　scarcity　of
drinking…water　on　Jupiterthey　set　out　in　a　southwesterly
direction。
　　　
Walking　along；　they　noticed　on　all　sides　tall　lilies　immaculately
pure　in　their　whiteness；　and　mushrooms　and　toadstools　nearly　a
foot　high；　the　former　having　a　delicious　flavour　and　extreme
freshness；　as　though　only　an　hour　old。　　They　had　seen　no　animal
life；　or　even　sign　of　it；　and　were　wondering　at　its　dearth；　when
suddenly　two　large　white　birds　rose　directly　in　front　of　them。　
Like　thought；　Bearwarden　and　Ayrault　had　their　guns　up；　snapping
the　thumb…pieces　over　〃safe〃　and　pulling　the　triggers　almost
simultaneously。　　Bearwarden；　having　double　buckshot；　killed　his
bird　at　the　first　fire；　but　Ayrault；　having　only　No。　1；　had　to
give　his　the　second　barrel；　almost　all　damage　in　both　cases　being
in　the　head。　　On　coming　close　to　their　victims　they　found　them　to
measure　twelve　feet　from　tip　to　tip；　and　to　have　a　tremendous
thickness　of　feathers　and　down。
　　　
〃From　the　looks　of　these　beauties；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃I　should
say　they　probably　inhabited　a　pretty　cold　place。〃
　　　
〃They　are　doubtless　northern　birds；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　have
just　come　south。　　It　is　easy　to　believe　that　the　depth　to　which
the　temperature　may　fall　in　the　upper　air　of　this　planet　must　be
something　startling。〃
　　　
As　they　turned　from　the　cranes；　to　which　species　the　birds　seemed
to　belong；　they　became　mute　with　astonishment。　　Every　mushroom
had　disappeared；　but　the　toadstools　still　remained。
　　　
〃Is　it　possible　we　did　not　see　them？〃　gasped　Ayrault。
　　　
〃We　must　inadvertently　have　walked　some　distance　since　we　saw
them；〃　said　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃They　were　what　I　looked　forward　to　for　lunch；〃　exclaimed
Bearwarden。
　　　
They　were　greatly　perplexed。　　The　mushrooms　were　all　about　them
when　they　shot　the　birds；　which　still　lay　where　they　had　fallen。
　　　
〃We　must　be　very　absent…minded；〃　said　the　doctor；　　〃or　perchance
our　brains　are　affected　by　the　air。　　We　must　analyze　it　to　see　if
it　contains　our　own　proportion　of　oxygen　and　nitrogen。　　There　was
a　good　deal　of　carbonic…acid　gas　on　Jupiter；　but　that　would
hardly　confuse　our　senses。　　The　strange　thing　is；　that　we　all
seem　to　have　been　impressed　the　same　way。〃
　　　
Concluding　that　they　must　have　been　mistaken；　they　continued　on
their　journey。
　　
All　about　they　heard　a　curious　humming；　as　that　of　bees；　or　like
the　murmuring　of　prayers　in　a　resonant　cathedral。　　Thinking　it
was　the　wind　in　the　great　trees　that　grew　singly　around　them；
they　paid　no　attention　to　it　until；　emerging　on　an　open　plain　and
finding　that　the　sound　continued；　they　stopped。
　　　
〃Now；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃this　is　more　curious　than　anything　we
found　on　Jupiter。　　Here　we　have　an　incessant　and　rather　pleasant
sound；　with　no　visible　cause。〃
　　　
〃It　may　possibly　be　some　peculiarity　of　the　grass；〃　replied
Cortlandt；　〃though；　should　it　continue　when　we　reach　sandy　or
bare　soil；　I　shall　believe　we　need　a　dose　of　quinine。〃
　　　
〃I　FEEL　perfectly　well；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃how　is　it　with　you？〃
　　　
Each　finding　that　he　was　in　a　normal　state；　they　proceeded；
determined；　if　possible；　to　discover　the　source　from　which　the
sounds　came。　　Suddenly　Bearwarden　raised　his　gun　to　bring　down　a
long…beaked　hawk；　but　the　bird　flew　off；　and　he　did　not　shoot。　
〃Plague　the　luck！〃　said　he；　〃I　went　blind　just　as　I　was　about　to
pull。　　A　haze　seemed　to　cover　both　barrels；　and　completely
screened　the　bird。〃
　　　
〃The　Callisto　will　soon　be　hidden　by　those　trees；〃　said
Cortlandt。　　〃I　think　we　had　better　take　our　bearings；　for；　if　our
crack　shot　is　going　to　miss　like　that；　we　may　want　canned
provisions。〃
　　　
Accordingly；　he　got　out　his　sextant；　took　the　altitude　of　the
sun；　got　cross…bearings　and　a　few　angles；　and　began　to　make　a
rough　calculation。　　For　several　minutes　he　worked　industriously；
used　the　rubber　at　the　end　of　his　pencil；　tried　again；　and　then
scratched　out。　　〃That　humming　confuses　me　so　that　I　cannot　work
correctly；〃　said　he；　〃while　the　most　irrelevant　things　enter　my
mind　in　spite　of　me；　and　mix　up　my　figures。〃
　　　
〃I　found　the　same　thing；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃but　said　nothing；　for
fear　I　should　not　be　believed。　　In　addition　to　going　blind；　for　a
moment　I　almost　forgot　what　I　was　trying　to　do。〃
　　　
Changing　their　course　slightly；　they　went　towards　a　range　of
hills；　in　the　hope　of　finding　rocky　or　sandy　soil；　in　order　to
test　the　sounds；　and　ascertain　if　they　would　cease　or　vary。
　　　
Having　ascended　a　few　hundred　feet；　they　sat　down　near　some　trees
to　rest；　the　musical　hum　continuing　meanwhile　unchanged。　　The
ground　was　strewn　with　large　coloured　crystals；　apparently
rubies；　sapphires；　and　emeralds；　about　the　size　of　hens'　eggs；
and　also　large　sheets　of　isinglass。　　Picking　up　one　of　the
latter；　Ayrault　examined　it。　　Points　of　light　and　shade　kept
forming　on　its　surface；　from　which　rings　radiated　like　the
circles　spreading　in　all　directions　from　a　place　in　still　water
at　which　a　pebble　is　thrown。　　He　called　his　companions；　and　the
three　examined　it。　　The　isinglass　was　about　ten　inches　long　by
eight　across；　and　contained　but　few　impurities。　　In　addition　to
the　spreading　rings；　curious　forms　were　continually　taking　shape
and　dissolving。
　　　
〃This　is　more　interesting；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃than　sounding
shells　at　the　sea…shore。　　We　must　make　a　note　of　it　as　another
thing　to　study。〃
　　　
They　then　spread　their　handkerchiefs　on　a　mound　of　earth；　so　as
to　make　a　table；　and　began　examining　the　gems。
　　　
〃Does　it　not　seem　to　you；〃　asked　Ayrault；　a　few　minutes　later；
addressing　his　companions；　〃as　though　we　were　not　alone？　　I　have
thought　many　times　there　was　some　oneor　perhaps　several
personshere　besides　ourselves。〃

〃The　same　idea　has　occurred　to　me；〃　replied　Cortlandt。　　〃I　was
convinced；　a　moment　ago；　that　a　shadow　crossed　the　page　on　which
I　was　taking　notes。　　Can　it　be　there　are　objects　about　us　we
cannot　see？　　We　know　there　are　vibrations　of　both　light　and　sound
that　do　not　affect　our　senses。　　I　wish　we　had　brought　the
magnetic　eye；　perchance　that　might　tell　us。〃
　　　
〃Anything　sufficiently　dense　to　cast　a　shadow；〃　said　Ayrault；
〃should　be　seen；　since　it　would　also　be　able　to　make　an　image　on
our　retinas。　　I　believe　any　impressions　we　are　receiving　are
produced　through　our　minds；　as　if　some　one　were　thinking　very
intently　about　us；　and　that　neither　the　magnetic　eye　nor　a
sensitive　plate　could　reveal　anything。〃
　　　
They　then　returned　to　the　study　of　the　isinglass；　which　they　were
able　to　split　into　extremely　thin　sheets。　　Suddenly　a　cloud
passed　over　the　table；　and　almost　immediately　disappeared；　and
then　a　sharpened　pencil　with　which　Ayrault　had　been　writing　began
to　trace　on　a　sheet　of　paper；　in　an　even　hand；　and　with　a　slight
frictional　sound。
　　　
〃Stop！〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃let　us　each　for　himself　describe　in
writing　what　he　has　seen。〃
　　　
In　a　moment　they　had　done　this；　and　then　compared　notes。　　In　each
case　the　vision　was　the　same。　　Then　they　looked　at　the　writing
made　by　the　invisible　hand。　　〃Absorpta　est　mors　in　Victoria；〃　it
ran。
　　　
〃Gentlemen；　began　Bearwarden；　as　if　addressing　a　meeting；　〃this
cannot　be　coincidence；　we　are　undoubtedly　and　unquestionably　in
the　presence　of　a　spirit　or　of　several　spirits。　　That　they
understand　Latin；　we　see；　and；　from　what　they　say；　they　may　have
known　death。　　Time　may　show　whether　they　have　been　terrestrials
like　ourselves。　　Though　the　conditions　of　life　here　might　make　us
delirious；　it　is　scarcely　possible　that　different　temperaments
like　ours　should　be　affected　in　so　precisely　the　same　way；
besides；　in　this　writing　we　have　tangible　proof。〃
　　　
〃It　is　perfectly　reasonable；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃to　conclude　it　was　a
spirit；　if　we　may　assume　that　spirits　have　the　power　to　move　the
pencil；　which　is　a　material　object。　　Nobody　doubts　nowadays　that
after　death　we　live　again；　that　being　the　case；　we　must　admit
that　we　live　somewhere。　　Space；　as　I　take　it；　can　be　no　obstacle
to　a　spirit；　therefore；　why　suppose　they　remain　on　earth？〃
　　　
〃This　is　a　wonderful　place；〃　said　Cortlandt。　　〃We　have　already
seen　enough　to　convince　us　of　the　existence　of　many　unknown　laws。　
I　wish　the　spirit　would　reveal　itself　in　some　other　way。〃
　　　
As　he　finished　speaking；　the　rays　of　the　distant　and　cold…looking
sun　were　split；　and　the　colours　of　the　spectrum　danced　upon　the
linen　cloth；　as　if　obtained　by　a　prism。　　In　astonishment；　they
rose　and　looked　closely　at　the　table；　when　suddenly　a　shadow　that
no　one　recognized　as　his　own　appeared　upon　the　cover。　　Tracing　it
to　its　source；　thei