returning home-第3节

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darling？〃

〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃only　that　the　mule　tires　one　so。　　Will　all　the
days　be　as　long　as　that？〃

He　had　not　the　heart　to　tell　her　that　as　regarded　hours　of　work；
that　first　day　must　of　necessity　be　the　shortest。　　They　had　risen　to
a　considerable　altitude；　and　the　night　was　very　cold；　but　baby　was
enveloped　among　a　pile　of　coloured　blankets；　and　things　did　not　go
very　badly　with　them；　only　this；　that　when　Fanny　Arkwright　rose　from
her　hard　bed；　her　limbs　were　more　weary　and　much　more　stiff　than
they　had　been　when　Arkwright　had　lifted　her　from　her　mule。

On　the　second　morning　they　mounted　before　the　day　had　quite　broken；
in　order　that　they　might　breakfast　on　the　summit　of　the　ridge　which
separates　the　two　oceans。　　At　this　spot　the　good　road　comes　to　an
end；　and　the　forest　track　begins；　and　here　also；　they　would；　in
truth；　enter　the　forest；　though　their　path　had　for　some　time　been
among　straggling　trees　and　bushes。　　And　now；　again；　they　rode　two
and　two；　up　to　this　place　of　halting；　Arkwright　and　Ring　well
knowing　that　from　hence　their　labours　would　in　truth　commence。

Poor　Mrs。　Arkwright；　when　she　reached　this　resting…place；　would　fain
have　remained　there　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　　One　word；　in　her　low；
plaintive　voice；　she　said；　asking　whether　they　might　not　sleep　in
the　large　shed　which　stands　there。　　But　this　was　manifestly
impossible。　　At　such　a　pace　they　would　never　reach　Greytown；　and　she
spoke　no　further　word　when　he　told　her　that　they　must　go　on。

At　about　noon　that　day　the　file　of　travellers　formed　itself　into　the
line　which　it　afterwards　kept　during　the　whole　of　the　journey；　and
then　started　by　the　narrow　path　into　the　forest。　　First　walked　the
leader　of　the　guides；　then　another　man　following　him；　Abel　Ring　came
next；　and　behind　him　the　maid…servant；　then　the　baby's　mule；　with
the　Indian　ever　at　its　head；　close　at　his　heels　followed　Mrs。
Arkwright；　so　that　the　mother's　eye　might　be　always　on　her　child；
and　after　her　her　husband；　then　another　guide　on　foot　completed　the
number　of　the　travellers。　　In　this　way　they　went　on　and　on；　day
after　day；　till　they　reached　the　banks　of　the　Serapiqui；　never　once
varying　their　places　in　the　procession。　　As　they　started　in　the
morning；　so　they　went　on　till　their　noon…day's　rest；　and　so　again
they　made　their　evening　march。　　In　that　journey　there　was　no　idea　of
variety；　no　searching　after　the　pleasures　of　scenery；　no　attempts　at
conversation　with　any　object　of　interest　or　amusement。　　What　words
were　spoken　were　those　simply　needful；　or　produced　by　sympathy　for
suffering。　　So　they　journeyed；　always　in　the　same　places；　with　one
exception。　　They　began　their　work　with　two　guides　leading　them；　but
before　the　first　day　was　over　one　of　them　had　fallen　back　to　the
side　of　Mrs。　Arkwright；　for　she　was　unable　to　sit　on　her　mule
without　support。

Their　daily　work　was　divided　into　two　stages；　so　as　to　give　some
hours　for　rest　in　the　middle　of　the　day。　　It　had　been　arranged　that
the　distance　for　each　day　should　not　be　long；should　be　very　short
as　was　thought　by　them　all　when　they　talked　it　over　at　San　Jose；　but
now　the　hours　which　they　passed　in　the　saddle　seemed　to　be　endless。
Their　descent　began　from　that　ridge　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and　they
had　no　sooner　turned　their　faces　down　upon　the　mountain　slopes
looking　towards　the　Atlantic；　than　that　passage　of　mud　began　to
which　there　was　no　cessation　till　they　found　themselves　on　the　banks
of　the　Serapiqui　river。　　I　doubt　whether　it　be　possible　to　convey　in
words　an　adequate　idea　of　the　labour　of　riding　over　such　a　path。　　It
is　not　that　any　active　exertion　is　necessary；that　there　is
anything　which　requires　doing。　　The　traveller　has　before　him　the
simple　task　of　sitting　on　his　mule　from　hour　to　hour；　and　of　seeing
that　his　knees　do　not　get　themselves　jammed　against　the　trees；　but
at　every　step　the　beast　he　rides　has　to　drag　his　legs　out　from　the
deep　clinging　mud；　and　the　body　of　the　rider　never　knows　one　moment
of　ease。　　Why　the　mules　do　not　die　on　the　road；　I　cannot　say。　　They
live　through　it；　and　do　not　appear　to　suffer。　　They　have　their　own
way　in　everything；　for　no　exertion　on　the　rider's　part　will　make
them　walk　either　faster　or　slower　than　is　their　wont。

On　the　day　on　which　they　entered　the　forest；that　being　the　second
of　their　journey；Mrs。　Arkwright　had　asked　for　mercy；　for
permission　to　escape　that　second　stage。　　On　the　next　she　allowed
herself　to　be　lifted　into　her　saddle　after　her　mid…day　rest　without
a　word。　　She　had　tried　to　sleep；　but　in　vain；　and　had　sat　within　a
little　hut；　looking　out　upon　the　desolate　scene　before　her；　with　her
baby　in　her　lap。　　She　had　this　one　comfort；　that　of　all　the
travellers；　she；　the　baby；　suffered　the　least。　　They　had　now　left
the　high　grounds；　and　the　heat　was　becoming　great；　though　not　as　yet
intense。　　And　then；　the　Indian　guide；　looking　out　slowly　over　the
forest；　saw　that　the　rain　was　not　yet　over。　　He　spoke　a　word　or　two
to　one　of　his　companions　in　a　low　voice　and　in　a　patois　which　Mrs。
Arkwright　did　not　understand；　and　then　going　after　the　husband；　told
him　that　the　heavens　were　threatening。

〃We　have　only　two　leagues；〃　said　Arkwright；　〃and　it　may　perhaps　hold
up。〃

〃It　will　begin　in　an　hour；〃　said　the　Indian；　〃and　the　two　leagues
are　four　hours。〃

〃And　to…morrow；〃　asked　Arkwright。

〃To…morrow；　and　to…morrow；　and　to…morrow　it　will　still　rain；〃　said
the　guide；　looking　as　he　spoke　up　over　the　huge　primeval　forest。

〃Then　we　had　better　start　at　once；〃　said　Arkwright；　〃before　the
first　falling　drops　frighten　the　women。〃　　So　the　mules　were　brought
out；　and　he　lifted　his　uncomplaining　wife　on　to　the　blankets　which
formed　her　pillion。　　The　file　again　formed　itself；　and　slowly　they
wound　their　way　out　from　the　small　enclosure　by　which　the　hut　was
surrounded；out　from　the　enclosure　on　to　a　rough　scrap　of　undrained
pasture　ground　from　which　the　trees　had　been　cleared。　　In　a　few
minutes　they　were　once　more　struggling　through　the　mud。

The　name　of　the　spot　which　our　travellers　had　just　left　is
Carablanco。　　There　they　found　a　woman　living　all　alone。　　Her　husband
was　away；　she　told　them；　at　San　Jose；　but　would　be　back　to　her　when
the　dry　weather　came；　to　look　up　the　young　cattle　which　were
straying　in　the　forest。　　What　a　life　for　a　woman！　　Nevertheless；　in
talking　with　Mrs。　Arkwright　she　made　no　complaint　of　her　own　lot；
but　had　done　what　little　she　could　to　comfort　the　poor　lady　who　was
so　little　able　to　bear　the　fatigues　of　her　journey。

〃Is　the　road　very　bad？〃　Mrs。　Arkwright　asked　her　in　a　whisper。

〃Ah；　yes；　it　is　a　bad　road。〃

〃And　when　shall　we　be　at　the　river？〃

〃It　took　me　four　days；〃　said　the　woman。

〃Then　I　shall　never　see　my　mother　again；〃　and　as　she　spoke　Mrs。
Arkwright　pressed　her　baby　to　her　bosom。　　Immediately　after　that　her
husband　came　in；　and　they　started。

Their　path　now　led　away　across　the　slope　of　a　mountain　which　seemed
to　fall　from　the　very　top　of　that　central　ridge　in　an　unbroken
descent　down　to　the　valley　at　its　foot。　　Hitherto；　since　they　had
entered　the　forest；　they　had　had　nothing　before　their　eyes　but　the
trees　and　bushes　which　grew　close　around　them。　　But　now　a　prospect
of　unrivalled　grandeur　was　opened　before　them；　if　only　had　they　been
able　to　enjoy　it。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　valley　ran　a　river；　which；
so　great　was　the　depth；　looked　like　a　moving　silver　cord；　and　on　the
other　side　of　this　there　arose　another　mountain；　steep　but　unbroken
like　that　which　they　were　passing；unbroken；　so　that　the　eye　could
stretch　from　the　river　up　to　the　very　summit。　　Not　a　spot　on　that
mountain　side　or　on　their　side　either　was　left　uncovered　by　thick
forest；　which　had　stood　there　untouched　by　man　since　nature　first
produced　it。

But　all　this　was　nothing　to　our　travellers；　nor　was　the　clang　of　the
macaws　anything；　or　the　roaring　of　the　little　congo　ape。　　Nothing
was　gained　by　them　from　beautiful　scenery；　nor　was　there　any　fear
from　the　beasts　of　prey。　　The　immediate　pain　of　each　step　of　the
journey　drove　all　other　feelings　from　them；　and　their　thoughts　were
bounded　by　an　intense　desire　for　the　evening　halt。

And　then；　as　the　guide　had　prophesied；　the　rain　began。　　At　first　it
came　in　such　small　soft　drops　that　it　was　found　to　be　refreshing；
but　the　clouds　soon　gathered　and　poured　forth　their　collected　waters
as　though　it　had　not　rained　for　months　among　those　mountains。　　Not
that　it　came　in　big　drops；　or　with　the　violence　which　wind　can　give
it；　beating　hither　and　thither；　breaking　branches　from　the　trees；
and　rising　up　again　as　it　pattered　against　the　ground。　　There　was　no
violence　in　the　rain。　　It　fell　softly　in　a　long；　continuous；
noiseless　stream；　sinking　into　everything　that　it　touched；
converting　the　deep　rich　earth　on　all　sides　into　mud。

Not　a　word　was　said　by　any　of　them　as　it　came　on。　　The　Indian
covered　the　baby　with　her　blanket；　closer　than　she　was　covered
before；　and　the　guide　who　walked　by　Mrs。　Arkwright's　side　drew　her
cloak　around　her　knees。　　But　such　efforts　were　in　vain。　　There　is　a
rain　that　will　penetrate　everything；　and　such　was　the　rain　which
fell　upon　them　now。　　Nevertheless；　as　I　have　said；　hardly　a　word　was
spoken。　　The　poor