when the world shook-第22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！





〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　go　back？〃　asked　Bastin。

〃Evidently　my　words　have　touched　them　and　their　minds　are　melting

beneath　the　light　of　Truth。〃



〃Oh！　by　all　means；〃　replied　Bickley　with　sarcasm；　〃for　then

their　spears　will　touch　us；　and　our　bodies　will　soon　be　melting

above　the　fires　of　that　pit。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　right；〃　said　Bastin；　〃at　least；　I　admit　that

you　have　made　matters　very　difficult　by　your　unjustifiable

homicide　of　that　priest　who　I　do　not　think　meant　to　injure　you

seriously；　and　really　was　not　at　all　a　bad　fellow；　though

opinionated　in　some　ways。　Also；　I　do　not　suppose　that　anybody　is

expected；　as　it　were；　to　run　his　head　into　the　martyr's　crown。

When　it　settles　there　of　itself　it　is　another　matter。〃



〃Like　a　butterfly！〃　exclaimed　the　enraged　Bickley。



〃Yes；　if　you　like　to　put　it　that　way；　though　the　simile　seems　a

very　poor　one；　like　a　sunbeam　would　be　better。〃



Here　Bickley　gave　way　with　his　paddle　so　vigorously　that　the

canoe　was　as　nearly　as　possible　upset　into　the　lake。



In　due　course　we　reached　the　flat　Rock　of　Offerings；　which

proved　to　be　quite　as　wide　as　a　double　croquet　lawn　and　much

longer。



〃What　are　those？〃　I　asked；　pointing　to　certain　knobs　on　the

edge　of　the　rock　at　a　spot　where　a　curved　projecting　point　made　a

little　harbour。



Bickley　examined　them；　and　answered：



〃I　should　say　that　they　are　the　remains　of　stone　mooring…posts

worn　down　by　many　thousands　of　years　of　weather。　Yes；　look；　there

is　the　cut　of　the　cables　upon　the　base　of　that　one；　and　very　big

cables　they　must　have　been。〃



We　stared　at　one　anotherthat　is；　Bickley　and　I　did；　for

Bastin　was　still　engaged　in　contemplating　the　blackened　head　of

the　god　which　he　had　overthrown。







Chapter　IX



The　Island　in　the　Lake





We　made　the　canoe　fast　and　landed　on　the　great　rock；　to

perceive　that　it　was　really　a　peninsula。　That　is　to　say；　it　was

joined　to　the　main　land　of　the　lake　island　by　a　broad　roadway

quite　fifty　yards　across；　which　appeared　to　end　in　the　mouth　of

the　cave。　On　this　causeway　we　noted　a　very　remarkable　thing；

namely；　two　grooves　separated　by　an　exact　distance　of　nine　feet

which　ran　into　the　mouth　of　the　cave　and　vanished　there。



〃Explain！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Paths；〃　I　said；　〃worn　by　countless　feet　walking　on　them　for

thousands　of　years。〃



〃You　should　cultivate　the　art　of　observation；　Arbuthnot。　What

do　you　say；　Bastin？〃



He　stared　at　the　grooves　through　his　spectacles；　and　replied：



〃I　don't　say　anything；　except　that　I　can't　see　anybody　to　make

paths　here。　Indeed；　the　place　seems　quite　unpopulated；　and　all

the　Orofenans　told　me　that　they　never　landed　on　it　because　if

they　did　they　would　die。　It　is　a　part　of　their　superstitious

nonsense。　If　you　have　any　idea　in　your　head　you　had　better　tell

us　quickly　before　we　breakfast。　I　am　very　hungry。〃



〃You　always　are；〃　remarked　Bickley；　〃even　when　most　people's

appetites　might　have　been　affected。　Well；　I　think　that　this　great

plateau　was　once　a　landing…place　for　flying　machines；　and　that

there　is　the　air…shed　or　garage。〃



Bastin　stared　at　him。



〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　breakfast？〃　he　said。　〃There　are

two　roast　pigs　in　that　canoe；　and　lots　of　other　food；　enough　to

last　us　a　week；　I　should　say。　Of　course；　I　understand　that　the

blood　you　have　shed　has　thrown　you　off　your　balance。　I　believe　it

has　that　effect；　except　on　the　most　hardened。　Flying　machines

were　only　invented　a　few　years　ago　by　the　brothers　Wright　in

America。〃



〃Bastin；〃　said　Bickley；　〃I　begin　to　regret　that　I　did　not　leave

you　to　take　part　in　another　breakfast　yonderI　mean　as　the

principal　dish。〃



〃It　was　Providence；　not　you；　who　prevented　it；　Bickley；

doubtless　because　I　am　unworthy　of　such　a　glorious　end。〃



〃Then　it　is　lucky　that　Providence　is　a　good　shot　with　a　pistol。

Stop　talking　nonsense　and　listen。　If　those　were　paths　worn　by

feet　they　would　run　to　the　edge　of　the　rock。　They　do　not。　They

begin　there　in　that　gentle　depression　and　slope　upwards　somewhat

steeply。　The　air　machines；　which　were　evidently　large；　lit　in　the

depression；　possibly　as　a　bird　does；　and　then　ran　on　wheels　or

sledge　skids　along　the　grooves　to　the　air…shed　in　the　mountain。

Come　to　the　cave　and　you　will　see。〃



〃Not　till　we　have　breakfast；〃　said　Bastin。　〃I　will　get　out　a

pig。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　no　supper　last　night；　as　I　was

taking　a　class　of　native　boys　and　making　some　arrangements　of　my

own。〃



As　for　me；　I　only　whistled。　It　all　seemed　very　feasible。　And

yet　how　could　such　things　be？



We　unloaded　the　canoe　and　ate。　Bastin's　appetite　was　splendid。

Indeed；　I　had　to　ask　him　to　remember　that　when　this　supply　was

done　I　did　not　know　where　we　should　find　any　more。



〃Take　no　thought　for　the　morrow；〃　he　replied。　〃I　have　no　doubt

it　will　come　from　somewhere；〃　and　he　helped　himself　to　another

chop。



Never　had　I　admired　him　so　much。　Not　a　couple　of　hours　before

he　was　about　to　be　cruelly　murdered　and　eaten。　But　this　did　not

seem　to　affect　him　in　the　least。　Bastin　was　the　only　man　I　have

ever　known　with　a　really　perfect　faith。　It　is　a　quality　worth

having　and　one　that　makes　for　happiness。　What　a　great　thing　not

to　care　whether　you　are　breakfasted　on；　or　breakfast！



〃I　see　that　there　is　lots　of　driftwood　about　here；〃　he

remarked；　〃but　unfortunately　we　have　no　tea；　so　in　this　climate

it　is　of　little　use；　unless　indeed　we　can　catch　some　fish　and

cook　them。〃



〃Stop　talking　about　eating　and　help　us　to　haul　up　the　canoe；〃

said　Bickley。



Between　the　three　of　us　we　dragged　and　carried　the　canoe　a　long

way　from　the　lake；　fearing　lest　the　natives　should　come　and　bear

it　off　with　our　provisions。　Then；　having　given　Tommy　his

breakfast　off　the　scraps；　we　walked　to　the　cave。　I　glanced　at　my

companions。　Bickley's　face　was　alight　with　scientific　eagerness。

Here　are　not　dreams　or　speculations；　but　facts　to　be　learned；　it

seemed　to　say；　and　I　will　learn　them。　The　past　is　going　to　show

me　some　of　its　secrets；　to　tell　me　how　men　of　long　ago　lived　and

died　and　how　far　they　had　advanced　to　that　point　on　the　road　of

civilisation　at　which　I　stand　in　my　little　hour　of　existence。



That　of　Bastin　was　mildly　interested；　no　more。　Obviously；　with

half　his　mind　he　was　thinking　of　something　else；　probably　of　his

converts　on　the　main　island　and　of　the　school　class　fixed　for

this　hour　which　circumstances　prevented　him　from　attending。

Indeed；　like　Lot's　wife　he　was　casting　glances　behind　him　towards

the　wicked　place　from　which　he　had　been　forced　to　flee。



Neither　the　past　nor　the　future　had　much　real　interest　for

Bastin；　any　more　than　they　had　for　Bickley；　though　for　different

reasons。　The　former　was　done　with；　the　latter　he　was　quite

content　to　leave　in　other　hands。　If　he　had　any　clear　idea

thereof；　probably　that　undiscovered　land　appeared　to　him　as　a

big；　pleasant　place　where　are　no　unbelievers　or　erroneous

doctrines；　and　all　sinners　will　be　sternly　repressed；　in　which；

clad　in　a　white　surplice　with　all　proper　ecclesiastical

trappings；　he　would　argue　eternally　with　the　Early　Fathers　and　in

due　course　utterly　annihilate　Bickley；　that　is　in　a　moral　sense。

Personally　and　as　a　man　he　was　extremely　attached　to　Bickley　as　a

necessary　and　wrong…headed　nuisance　to　which　he　had　become

accustomed。



And　I！　What　did　I　feel？　I　do　not　know；　I　cannot　describe。　An

extraordinary　attraction；　a　semi…spiritual　exaltation；　I　think。

That　cave　mouth　might　have　been　a　magnet　drawing　my　soul。　With　my

body　I　should　have　been　afraid；　as　I　daresay　I　was；　for　our

circumstances　were　sufficiently　desperate。　Here　we　were；

castaways　upon　an　island；　probably　uncharted；　one　of　thousands　in

the　recesses　of　a　vast　ocean；　from　which　we　had　little　chance　of

escape。　More；　having　offended　the　religious　instincts　of　the

primeval　inhabitants　of　that　island；　we　had　been　forced　to　flee

to　a　rocky　mountain　in　the　centre　of　a　lake；　where；　after　the

food　we　had　brought　with　us　by　accident　was　consumed；　we　should

no　doubt　be　forced　to　choose　between　death　by　starvation；　or；　if

we　attempted　to　retreat；　at　the　hands　of　justly　infuriated

savages。　Yet　these　facts　did　not　oppress　me；　for　I　was　being

drawn；　drawn　to　I　knew　not　what；　and　if　it　were　to　doomwell；　no

matter。



Therefore；　none　of　us　cared：　Bastin　because　his　faith　was　equal

to　any　emergency　and　there　was　always　that　white…robed　heaven

waiting　for　him　beyond　which　his　imagination　did　not　go　（I　often

wondered　whether　he　pictured　Mrs。　Bastin　as　also　waiting；　if　so；

he　never　said　anything　about　her）；　Bickley　because　as　a　child　of

the　Present　and　a　servant　of　knowledge　he　feared　no　future；

believing　it　to　be　for　him　non…existent；　and　was　careless　as　to

when　his　strenuous　hour　of　life　should　end；　and　I　because　I　felt

that　yonder　lay　my　true　future；　yes；　and　my　true　past；　even

though　to　discover　them　I　must　pass　throu