roughing it-第93节
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the camp…fires of a great army far away。 Here was room for the
imagination to work！ You could imagine those lights the width of a
continent awayand that hidden under the intervening darkness were
hills； and winding rivers； and weary wastes of plain and desertand even
then the tremendous vista stretched on； and on； and on！to the fires and
far beyond！ You could not compass itit was the idea of eternity made
tangibleand the longest end of it made visible to the naked eye！
The greater part of the vast floor of the desert under us was as black as
ink； and apparently smooth and level； but over a mile square of it was
ringed and streaked and striped with a thousand branching streams of
liquid and gorgeously brilliant fire！ It looked like a colossal railroad
map of the State of Massachusetts done in chain lightning on a midnight
sky。 Imagine itimagine a coal…black sky shivered into a tangled net…
work of angry fire！
Here and there were gleaming holes a hundred feet in diameter； broken in
the dark crust； and in them the melted lavathe color a dazzling white
just tinged with yellowwas boiling and surging furiously； and from
these holes branched numberless bright torrents in many directions； like
the spokes of a wheel； and kept a tolerably straight course for a while
and then swept round in huge rainbow curves； or made a long succession of
sharp worm…fence angles； which looked precisely like the fiercest jagged
lightning。 These streams met other streams； and they mingled with and
crossed and recrossed each other in every conceivable direction； like
skate tracks on a popular skating ground。 Sometimes streams twenty or
thirty feet wide flowed from the holes to some distance without dividing
and through the opera…glasses we could see that they ran down small；
steep hills and were genuine cataracts of fire； white at their source；
but soon cooling and turning to the richest red； grained with alternate
lines of black and gold。 Every now and then masses of the dark crust
broke away and floated slowly down these streams like rafts down a river。
Occasionally the molten lava flowing under the superincumbent crust broke
throughsplit a dazzling streak； from five hundred to a thousand feet
long； like a sudden flash of lightning； and then acre after acre of the
cold lava parted into fragments； turned up edgewise like cakes of ice
when a great river breaks up； plunged downward and were swallowed in the
crimson cauldron。 Then the wide expanse of the 〃thaw〃 maintained a ruddy
glow for a while； but shortly cooled and became black and level again。
During a 〃thaw；〃 every dismembered cake was marked by a glittering white
border which was superbly shaded inward by aurora borealis rays； which
were a flaming yellow where they joined the white border； and from thence
toward their points tapered into glowing crimson； then into a rich； pale
carmine； and finally into a faint blush that held its own a moment and
then dimmed and turned black。 Some of the streams preferred to mingle
together in a tangle of fantastic circles； and then they looked something
like the confusion of ropes one sees on a ship's deck when she has just
taken in sail and dropped anchorprovided one can imagine those ropes on
fire。
Through the glasses； the little fountains scattered about looked very
beautiful。 They boiled； and coughed； and spluttered； and discharged
sprays of stringy red fireof about the consistency of mush； for
instancefrom ten to fifteen feet into the air； along with a shower of
brilliant white sparksa quaint and unnatural mingling of gouts of blood
and snow…flakes！
We had circles and serpents and streaks of lightning all twined and
wreathed and tied together； without a break throughout an area more than
a mile square （that amount of ground was covered； though it was not
strictly 〃square〃）； and it was with a feeling of placid exultation that
we reflected that many years had elapsed since any visitor had seen such
a splendid displaysince any visitor had seen anything more than the now
snubbed and insignificant 〃North〃 and 〃South〃 lakes in action。 We had
been reading old files of Hawaiian newspapers and the 〃Record Book〃 at
the Volcano House； and were posted。
I could see the North Lake lying out on the black floor away off in the
outer edge of our panorama； and knitted to it by a web…work of lava
streams。 In its individual capacity it looked very little more
respectable than a schoolhouse on fire。 True； it was about nine hundred
feet long and two or three hundred wide； but then； under the present
circumstances； it necessarily appeared rather insignificant； and besides
it was so distant from us。
I forgot to say that the noise made by the bubbling lava is not great；
heard as we heard it from our lofty perch。 It makes three distinct
soundsa rushing； a hissing； and a coughing or puffing sound； and if you
stand on the brink and close your eyes it is no trick at all to imagine
that you are sweeping down a river on a large low…pressure steamer； and
that you hear the hissing of the steam about her boilers； the puffing
from her escape…pipes and the churning rush of the water abaft her
wheels。 The smell of sulphur is strong； but not unpleasant to a sinner。
We left the lookout house at ten o'clock in a half cooked condition；
because of the heat from Pele's furnaces； and wrapping up in blankets；
for the night was cold； we returned to our Hotel。
CHAPTER LXXV。
The next night was appointed for a visit to the bottom of the crater； for
we desired to traverse its floor and see the 〃North Lake〃 （of fire） which
lay two miles away； toward the further wall。 After dark half a dozen of
us set out； with lanterns and native guides； and climbed down a crazy；
thousand…foot pathway in a crevice fractured in the crater wall； and
reached the bottom in safety。
The irruption of the previous evening had spent its force and the floor
looked black and cold； but when we ran out upon it we found it hot yet；
to the feet； and it was likewise riven with crevices which revealed the
underlying fires gleaming vindictively。 A neighboring cauldron was
threatening to overflow； and this added to the dubiousness of the
situation。 So the native guides refused to continue the venture； and
then every body deserted except a stranger named Marlette。 He said he
had been in the crater a dozen times in daylight and believed he could
find his way through it at night。 He thought that a run of three hundred
yards would carry us over the hottest part of the floor and leave us our
shoe…soles。 His pluck gave me back…bone。 We took one lantern and
instructed the guides to hang the other to the roof of the look…out house
to serve as a beacon for us in case we got lost； and then the party
started back up the precipice and Marlette and I made our run。
We skipped over the hot floor and over the red crevices with brisk
dispatch and reached the cold lava safe but with pretty warm feet。 Then
we took things leisurely and comfortably； jumping tolerably wide and
probably bottomless chasms； and threading our way through picturesque
lava upheavals with considerable confidence。 When we got fairly away
from the cauldrons of boiling fire； we seemed to be in a gloomy desert；
and a suffocatingly dark one； surrounded by dim walls that seemed to
tower to the sky。 The only cheerful objects were the glinting stars high
overhead。
By and by Marlette shouted 〃Stop！〃 I never stopped quicker in my life。
I asked what the matter was。 He said we were out of the path。 He said
we must not try to go on till we found it again； for we were surrounded
with beds of rotten lava through which we could easily break and plunge
down a thousand feet。 I thought eight hundred would answer for me； and
was about to say so when Marlette partly proved his statement by
accidentally crushing through and disappearing to his arm…pits。
He got out and we hunted for the path with the lantern。 He said there
was only one path and that it was but vaguely defined。 We could not find
it。 The lava surface was all alike in the lantern light。 But he was an
ingenious man。 He said it was not the lantern that had informed him that
we were out of the path； but his feet。 He had noticed a crisp grinding
of fine lava…needles under his feet； and some instinct reminded him that
in the path these were all worn away。 So he put the lantern behind him；
and began to search with his boots instead of his eyes。 It was good
sagacity。 The first time his foot touched a surface that did not grind
under it he announced that the trail was found again； and after that we
kept up a sharp listening for the rasping sound and it always warned us
in time。
It was a long tramp； but an exciting one。 We reached the North Lake
between ten and eleven o'clock； and sat down on a huge overhanging lava…
shelf； tired but satisfied。 The spectacle presented was worth coming
double the distance to see。 Under us； and stretching away before us； was
a heaving sea of molten fire of seemingly limitless extent。 The glare
from it was so blinding that it was some time before we could bear to
look upon it steadily。
It was like gazing at the sun at noon…day； exce
