prester john-第40节

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any　known　mine。

After　that　I　sat　on　the　floor　again　and　looked　at　the　water。　　It　exercised　a　mesmeric　influence　on　me；　soothing　all　care。　　I　was　quite　happy　to　wait　for　death；　for　death　had　no　meaning　to　me。　　My　hate　and　fury　were　both　lulled　into　a　trance；　since　the　passive　is　the　next　stage　to　the　overwrought。

It　must　have　been　full　day　outside　now；　for　the　funnel　was　bright　with　sunshine；　and　even　the　dim　cave　caught　a　reflected　radiance。　　As　I　watched　the　river　I　saw　a　bird　flash　downward；　skimming　the　water。　　It　turned　into　the　cave　and　fluttered　among　its　dark　recesses。　　I　heard　its　wings　beating　the　roof　as　it　sought　wildly　for　an　outlet。　　It　dashed　into　the　spray　of　the　cataract　and　escaped　again　into　the　cave。　　For　maybe　twenty　minutes　it　fluttered；　till　at　last　it　found　the　way　it　had　entered　by。　　With　a　dart　it　sped　up　the　funnel　of　rock　into　light　and　freedom。

I　had　begun　to　watch　the　bird　in　idle　lassitude；　I　ended　in　keen　excitement。　　The　sight　of　it　seemed　to　take　a　film　from　my　eyes。　　I　realized　the　zest　of　liberty；　the　passion　of　life　again。　　I　felt　that　beyond　this　dim　underworld　there　was　the　great　joyous　earth；　and　I　longed　for　it。　　I　wanted　to　live　now。　　My　memory　cleared；　and　I　remembered　all　that　had　befallen　me　during　the　last　few　days。　　I　had　played　the　chief　part　in　the　whole　business；　and　I　had　won。　　Laputa　was　dead　and　the　treasure　was　mine；　while　Arcoll　was　crushing　the　Rising　at　his　ease。　　I　had　only　to　be　free　again　to　be　famous　and　rich。　　My　hopes　had　returned；　but　with　them　came　my　fears。　　What　if　I　could　not　escape？　　I　must　perish　miserably　by　degrees；　shut　in　the　heart　of　a　hill；　though　my　friends　were　out　for　rescue。　　In　place　of　my　former　lethargy　I　was　now　in　a　fever　of　unrest。

My　first　care　was　to　explore　the　way　I　had　come。　　I　ran　down　the　passage　to　the　chasm　which　the　slab　of　stone　had　spanned。　I　had　been　right　in　my　guess；　for　the　thing　was　gone。　　Laputa　was　in　truth　a　Titan；　who　in　the　article　of　death　could　break　down　a　bridge　which　would　have　taken　any　three　men　an　hour　to　shift。　　The　gorge　was　about　seven　yards　wide；　too　far　to　risk　a　jump；　and　the　cliff　fell　sheer　and　smooth　to　the　imprisoned　waters　two　hundred　feet　below。　　There　was　no　chance　of　circuiting　it；　for　the　wall　was　as　smooth　as　if　it　had　been　chiselled。　　The　hand　of　man　had　been　at　work　to　make　the　sanctuary　inviolable。

It　occurred　to　me　that　sooner　or　later　Arcoll　would　track　Laputa　to　this　place。　　He　would　find　the　bloodstains　in　the　gully；　but　the　turnstile　would　be　shut　and　he　would　never　find　the　trick　of　it。　　Nor　could　he　have　any　kaffirs　with　him　who　knew　the　secret　of　the　Place　of　the　Snake。　　Still　if　Arcoll　knew　I　was　inside　he　would　find　some　way　to　get　to　me　even　though　he　had　to　dynamite　the　curtain　of　rock。　　I　shouted；　but　my　voice　seemed　to　be　drowned　in　the　roar　of　the　water。　　It　made　but　a　fresh　chord　in　the　wild　orchestra；　and　I　gave　up　hopes　in　that　direction。

Very　dolefully　I　returned　to　the　cave。　　I　was　about　to　share　the　experience　of　all　treasure…hunters　…　to　be　left　with　jewels　galore　and　not　a　bite　to　sustain　life。　　The　thing　was　too　commonplace　to　be　endured。　　I　grew　angry；　and　declined　so　obvious　a　fate。　　'Ek　sal　'n　plan　maak；'　I　told　myself　in　the　old　Dutchman's　words。　　I　had　come　through　worse　dangers；　and　a　way　I　should　find。　　To　starve　in　the　cave　was　no　ending　for　David　Crawfurd。　　Far　better　to　join　Laputa　in　the　depths　in　a　manly　hazard　for　liberty。

My　obstinacy　and　irritation　cheered　me。　　What　had　become　of　the　lack…lustre　young　fool　who　had　mooned　here　a　few　minutes　back。　　Now　I　was　as　tense　and　strung　for　effort　as　the　day　I　had　ridden　from　Blaauwildebeestefontein　to　Umvelos'。　　I　felt　like　a　runner　in　the　last　lap　of　a　race。　　For　four　days　I　had　lived　in　the　midst　of　terror　and　darkness。　　Daylight　was　only　a　few　steps　ahead；　daylight　and　youth　restored　and　a　new　world。

There　were　only　two　outlets　from　that　cave　…　the　way　I　had　come；　and　the　way　the　river　came。　　The　first　was　closed；　the　second　a　sheer　staring　impossibility。　　I　had　been　into　every　niche　and　cranny；　and　there　was　no　sign　of　a　passage。　　I　sat　down　on　the　floor　and　looked　at　the　wall　of　water。　　It　fell；　as　I　have　already　explained；　in　a　solid　sheet；　which　made　up　the　whole　of　the　wall　of　the　cave。　　Higher　than　the　roof　of　the　cave　I　could　not　see　what　happened；　except　that　it　must　be　the　open　air；　for　the　sun　was　shining　on　it。　　The　water　was　about　three　yards　distant　from　the　edge　of　the　cave's　floor；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　high　up；　level　with　the　roof；　this　distance　decreased　to　little　more　than　a　foot。

I　could　not　see　what　the　walls　of　the　cave　were　like；　but　they　looked　smooth　and　difficult。　　Supposing　I　managed　to　climb　up　to　the　level　of　the　roof　close　to　the　water；　how　on　earth　was　I　to　get　outside　on　to　the　wall　of　the　ravine？　　I　knew　from　my　old　days　of　rock…climbing　what　a　complete　obstacle　the　overhang　of　a　cave　is。

While　I　looked；　however；　I　saw　a　thing　which　I　had　not　noticed　before。　　On　the　left　side　of　the　fall　the　water　sluiced　down　in　a　sheet　to　the　extreme　edge　of　the　cave；　almost　sprinkling　the　floor　with　water。　　But　on　the　right　side　the　force　of　water　was　obviously　weaker；　and　a　little　short　of　the　level　of　the　cave　roof　there　was　a　spike　of　rock　which　slightly　broke　the　fall。　　The　spike　was　covered；　but　the　covering　was　shallow；　for　the　current　flowed　from　it　in　a　rose…shaped　spray。　　If　a　man　could　get　to　that　spike　and　could　get　a　foot　on　it　without　being　swept　down；　it　might　be　possible　…　just　possible　…　to　do　something　with　the　wall　of　the　chasm　above　the　cave。　　Of　course　I　knew　nothing　about　the　nature　of　that　wall。　　It　might　be　as　smooth　as　a　polished　pillar。

The　result　of　these　cogitations　was　that　I　decided　to　prospect　the　right　wall　of　the　cave　close　to　the　waterfall。　　But　first　I　went　rummaging　in　the　back　part　to　see　if　I　could　find　anything　to　assist　me。　　In　one　corner　there　was　a　rude　cupboard　with　some　stone　and　metal　vessels。　　Here；　too；　were　the　few　domestic　utensils　of　the　dead　Keeper。　　In　another　were　several　locked　coffers　on　which　I　could　make　no　impression。　　There　were　the　treasure…chests　too；　but　they　held　nothing　save　treasure；　and　gold　and　diamonds　were　no　manner　of　use　to　me。　　Other　odds　and　ends　I　found　…　spears；　a　few　skins；　and　a　broken　and　notched　axe。　　I　took　the　axe　in　case　there　might　be　cutting　to　do。

Then　at　the　back　of　a　bin　my　hand　struck　something　which　brought　the　blood　to　my　face。　　It　was　a　rope；　an　old　one；　but　still　in　fair　condition　and　forty　or　fifty　feet　long。　　I　dragged　it　out　into　the　light　and　straightened　its　kinks。　　With　this　something　could　be　done；　assuming　I　could　cut　my　way　to　the　level　of　the　roof。

I　began　the　climb　in　my　bare　feet；　and　at　the　beginning　it　was　very　bad。　　Except　on　the　very　edge　of　the　abyss　there　was　scarcely　a　handhold。　　Possibly　in　floods　the　waters　may　have　swept　the　wall　in　a　curve；　smoothing　down　the　inner　part　and　leaving　the　outer　to　its　natural　roughness。　　There　was　one　place　where　I　had　to　hang　on　by　a　very　narrow　crack　while　I　scraped　with　the　axe　a　hollow　for　my　right　foot。　　And　then　about　twelve　feet　from　the　ground　I　struck　the　first　of　the　iron　pegs。

To　this　day　I　cannot　think　what　these　pegs　were　for。　　They　were　old　square…headed　things　which　had　seen　the　wear　of　centuries。　　They　cannot　have　been　meant　to　assist　a　climber；　for　the　dwellers　of　the　cave　had　clearly　never　contemplated　this　means　of　egress。　　Perhaps　they　had　been　used　for　some　kind　of　ceremonial　curtain　in　a　dim　past。　　They　were　rusty　and　frail；　and　one　of　them　came　away　in　my　hand；　but　for　all　that　they　marvellously　assisted　my　ascent。

I　had　been　climbing　slowly；　doggedly　and　carefully；　my　mind　wholly　occupied　with　the　task；　and　almost　before　I　knew　I　found　my　head　close　under　the　roof　of　the　cave。　　It　was　necessary　now　to　move　towards　the　river；　and　the　task　seemed　impossible。　　I　could　see　no　footholds；　save　two　frail　pegs；　and　in　the　corner　between　the　wall　and　the　roof　was　a　rough　arch　too　wide　for　my　body　to　jam　itself　in。　　Just　below　the　level　of　the　roof　…　say　two　feet　…　I　saw　the　submerged　spike　of　rock。　The　waters　raged　around　it；　and　could　not　have　been　more　than　an　inch　deep　on　the　top。　　If　I　could　only　get　my　foot　on　that　I　believed　I　could　avoid　being　swept　down；　and　stand　up　and　reach　for　the　wall　above　the　cave。

But　how　to　get　to　it？　　It　was　no　good　delaying；　for　my　frail　holds　might　give　at　any　moment。　　In　any　case　I　would　have　the　moral　security　of　the　rope；　so　I　passed　it　through　a　fairly　staunch　pin　close　to　the　roof；　which　had　an　upward　tilt　that　almost　made　a　ring　of　it。　　One　end　of　the　rope　was　round　my　body；　the　other　was　loose　in　my　hand；　and　I　paid　it　out　as　I　moved。　　Moral　support　is　something。　　Very　gingerly　I　crawled　like　a　fly　along　the　wall；　my　fingers　now　clutching　at　a　tiny　knob；　now　clawing　at　a　crack　which　did　little　more　than　hold　my　nails。　　It　was　all　hopeless　insanity；　and　yet　somehow　I　did　it。　　The　rope　and　the　nearness　of　the　roof　gave　me　confidence　and　balance。　Then　the　holds　ceased　altogether　a　couple　of　yards　from　the　water。　　I　saw　my　spike　of　rock　a　trifle　below　me。　　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　risk　all　on　a　jump。　　I　drew　the　rope　out　of　the　hitch；　twined　the　slack　rou