rs.undertheandes-第28部分

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ad　time　to　set　ourselves　to　stroke　we　were　being　towed　as　though　we　had　been　corks　toward　the　opposite　shore。
　But　it　was　soon　over；　handicapped　as　he　was　by　four　feet　of　spears　in　his　body。　We　felt　the　pull　lessen　and　twisted　ourselves　about；　and　in　another　minute　had　caught　the　water　with　a　steady　dog…stroke　and　were　holding　our　own。　Soon　we　made　headway；　but　it　was　killing　work。
　〃He　weighs　a　thousand　tons；〃　panted　Harry；　and　I　nodded。
　Pulling　and　puffing　side　by　side；　we　gradually　neared　the　center　of　the　lake；　passed　it；　and　approached　the　ledge。　We　were　well…nigh　exhausted　when　we　finally　touched　bottom　and　were　able　to　stand　erect。
　Hauling　the　fish　onto　the　ledge；　we　no　longer　wondered　at　his　strength。　He　could　not　have　been　an　ounce　under　four　hundred　pounds；　and　was　fully　seven　feet　long。　One　of　the　spears　ran　through　the　gills；　the　other　was　in　his　middle；　just　below　the　backbone。　We　got　them　out　with　some　difficulty　and　rolled　him　up　high　and　dry。
　We　straightened　to　return　for　the　spears　which　we　had　left　at　the　edge　of　the　water。
　〃He's　got　a　hide　like　an　elephant；〃　said　Harry。　〃What　can　we　skin　him　with？〃
　But　I　did　not　answer。
　I　was　gazing　straight　ahead　at　the　mouth　of　the　passage　where　stood　two　Incas；　spear　in　hand；　returning　my　gaze　stolidly。
　
　Chapter　XV。
　THE　RESCUE。
　
　I　was　quick　to　act；　but　the　Incas　were　quicker　still。　I　turned　to　run　for　our　spears；　and　was　halted　by　a　cry　of　warning　from　Harry；　who　had　wheeled　like　a　flash　at　my　quick　movement。　I　turned　barely　in　time　to　see　the　Incas　draw　back　their　powerful　arms；　then　lunge　forward；　the　spears　shooting　from　their　hands。
　I　leaped　aside；　something　struck　my　leg；　I　stooped　swiftly　and　grasped　the　spear…thong　before　there　was　time　for　the　Inca　to　recover　and　jerk　it　out　of　my　reach。　The　other　end　was　fastened　about　his　waist；　I　had　him；　and　giving　an　instant　for　a　glance　at　Harry；　saw　that　he　had　adopted　the　same　tactics　as　myself。
　Seeing　that　escape　was　impossible；　they　dashed　straight　at　us。
　It　wasn't　much　of　a　fight。　One　came　at　me　with　his　head　lowered　like　a　charging　bull；　I　sidestepped　easily　and　floored　him　with　a　single　blow。　He　scrambled　to　his　feet；　but　by　that　time　I　had　recovered　the　spear　and　had　it　ready　for　him。
　I　waited　until　he　was　quite　close；　then　let　him　have　it　full　in　the　chest。　The　fool　literally　ran　himself　through；　hurling　himself　on　the　sharp　point　in　a　brutal　frenzy。　He　lay　on　his　back；　quite　still；　with　the　spear…head　buried　in　his　chest　and　the　shaft　sticking　straight　up　in　the　air。
　I　turned　to　Harry；　and　in　spite　of　myself　smiled　at　what　I　saw。　He　stood　with　his　right　arm　upraised；　holding　his　spear　ready。　His　left　foot　was　placed　well　and　gracefully　forward；　and　his　body　bent　to　one　side　like　the　classic　javelin…thrower。　And　ten　feet　in　front　of　him　the　other　Inca　had　fallen　flat　on　his　face　on　the　ground　with　arms　extended　in　mute　supplication　for　quarter。
　〃What　shall　I　do？〃　asked　Harry。　〃Let　him　have　it？〃
　〃Can　you？〃
　〃The　fact　is；　no。　Look　at　the　poor　beggar…scared　silly。　But　we　can't　let　him　go。〃
　It　was　really　a　question。　Mercy　and　murder　were　alike　impossible。　We　finally　promised　by　binding　his　wrists　and　ankles　and　trussing　him　up　behind；　using　a　portion　of　one　of　the　spear…thongs　for　the　purpose；　and　gagging　him。　Then　we　carried　him　behind　a　large　boulder　some　distance　from　the　ledge　and　tucked　him　away　in　a　dark　corner。
　〃And　when　we　get　back…if　we　ever　do…we　can　turn　him　loose；〃　said　Harry。
　〃In　that　case　I　wouldn't　give　much　for　his　chances　of　a　happy　existence；〃　I　observed。
　We　wasted　no　time　after　that；　for　we　wanted　no　more　interruptions。　Some　fifteen　precious　minutes　we　lost　trying　to　withdraw　the　spear　I　had　buried　in　the　body　of　the　Inca；　but　the　thing　had　bee　wedged　between　two　ribs　and　refused　to　e　out。
　Finally　we　gave　it　up　and　threw　the　corpse　in　the　lake。
　We　then　removed　the　oars　and　spears　and　raft…which　had　floated　so　near　to　the　ledge　that　we　had　no　difficulty　in　recovering　it…to　our　hiding…place；　and　last　we　tackled　our　fish。
　It　was　a　task　for　half　a　dozen　men；　but　we　dared　not　remain　on　the　ledge　to　skin　him　and　cut　him　up。　After　an　hour　of　exertion　and　toil　that　left　us　pletely　exhausted；　we　managed　to　get　him　behind　a　large　boulder　to　the　left　of　the　ledge；　but　it　was　impossible　to　carry　him　to　the　place　we　had　selected；　which　could　be　reached　only　by　passing　through　a　narrow　crevice。
　The　only　knives　we　had　were　the　points　of　the　spears；　but　they　served　after　a　fashion；　and　in　another　hour　we　had　him　skinned　and　pretty　well　separated。　He　was　meaty　and　sweet。　We　discovered　that　with　the　first　opportunity；　for　we　were　hungry　as　wolves。　Nor　did　we　waste　much　time　bewailing　our　lack　of　a　fire；　for　we　had　lived　so　long　on　dried　stuff　that　the　opposite　extreme　was　rather　pleasant　than　otherwise。
　We　tore　him　into　strips　as　neatly　as　possible；　stowing　them　away　beneath　a　ledge；　a　spot　kept　cool　by　the　water　but　a　foot　below。
　〃That'll　be　good　for　a　month；〃　said　Harry。　〃And　there's　more　where　that　came　from。　And　now…〃
　I　understood；　and　I　answered　simply：　〃I'm　ready。〃
　We　had　but　few　preparations　to　make。　The　solidest　parts　of　the　fish　which　we　had　laid　aside　we　now　strapped　together　with　one　of　the　extra　spear…thongs　and　slung　them　on　our　backs。　We　secreted　the　oars　and　raft　and　the　extra　spear　as　snugly　as　possible。
　Then；　having　filled　ourselves　with　raw　fish　and　a　last　hearty　drink　from　the　lake；　we　each　took　a　spear　and　started　on　a　search　wilder　than　any　ever　undertaken　by　Amadis　of　Gaul　or　Don　Quixote　himself。　Even　the　Bachelor　of　Salamanca；　in　his　saddest　plight；　did　not　present　so　outrageous　an　appearance　to　the　eye　as　we。　We　wore　more　clothing　than　the　Incas；　which　is　the　most　that　can　be　said　for　us。
　We　were　unable　to　even　guess　at　the　direction　we　should　take；　but　that　was　settled　for　us　when　we　found　that　there　were　but　two　exits　from　the　cavern。　One　led　through　the　boulders　and　crevices　to　a　passage　full　of　twists　and　turns　and　strewn　with　rocks；　almost　impassable；　the　other　was　that　through　which　the　Incas　had　entered。
　We　chose　the　latter。
　Fifty　feet　from　the　cavern　we　found　ourselves　in　darkness。　I　stopped　short。
　〃Harry；　this　is　impossible。　We　cannot　mark　our　way。〃
　〃But　what　can　we　do？〃
　〃Carry　one　of　those　urns。〃
　〃Likely！　They'd　spot　us　before　we　even　got　started。〃
　〃Well…let　them。〃
　〃No。　You're　in　for　the　finish。　I　know　that。　I　want　to　find　Desiree。　And　we'll　find　her。　After　that；　if　nothing　else　is　left；　I'll　be　with　you。〃
　〃But　I　don't　want　a　thousand　of　those　brutes　falling　on　us　in　the　dark。　If　they　would　end　it　I　wouldn't　care。〃
　〃Keep　your　spear　ready。〃
　I　had　given　him　my　promise；　so　I　pushed　on　at　his　side。　I　had　no　stomach　for　it。　In　a　fight　I　can　avoid　disgracing　myself；　because　it　is　necessary；　but　why　seek　it　when　there　is　nothing　to　be　gained？　Thus　I　reflected；　but　I　pushed　on　at　Harry's　side。
　As　he　had　said；　I　was　in　for　the　finish。　What　I　feared　was　to　be　taken　again　by　the　Incas　unseen　in　the　darkness。　But　that　fear　was　soon　removed　when　I　found　that　we　could　see　easily　some　thirty　or　forty　feet　ahead…enough　for　a　warning　in　case　of　attack。
　Our　flannel　shirts　and　woolen　undergarments　hung　from　us　in　rags　and　tatters。　Our　feet　were　bare　and　bruised　and　swollen。　Our　faces　were　covered　with　a　thick；　matted　growth　of　hair。　Placed　side　by　side　with　the　Incas　it　is　a　question　which　of　us　would　have　been　judged　the　most　terrifying　spectacles　by　an　impartial　observer。
　I　don't　think　either　of　us　realized　the　extreme　foolhardiness　of　that　expedition。　The　passage　was　open　and　unobstructed；　and　since　it　appeared　to　be　the　only　way　to　their　fishing…ground；　was　certain　to　be　well　traveled。　The　alarm　once　given；　there　was　no　possible　chance　for　us。
　We　sought　the　royal　apartments。　Those　we　knew　to　be　on　a　level　some　forty　or　fifty　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　great　cavern；　at　the　foot　of　the　flight　of　steps　which　led　to　the　tunnel　to　the　base　of　the　column。　I　had　counted　ninety…six　of　those　steps；　and　allowing　an　average　height　of　six　inches；　they　represented　a　distance　of　forty…eight　feet。
　How　far　the　whirlpool　and　the　stream　which　it　fed　had　carried　us　downward　we　did　not　know；　but　we　estimated　it　at　one　hundred　feet。　That　calculation　left　us　still　fifty　feet　below　the　level　of　the　royal　apartments。
　But　we　soon　found　that　in　this　we　were　mistaken。　We　had　advanced　for　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　hour　without　incident　when　the　passage　came　to　an　abrupt　end。　To　the　right　was　an　irregular；　twisting　lane　that　disappeared　around　a　corner　almost　before　it　started；　to　the　left　a　wide　and　straight　passage；　sloping　gently　upward。　We　took　the　latter。
　We　had　followed　this　for　about　a　hundred　yards　when　we　saw　a　light　ahead。　Caution　was　useless；　the　passage　was　straight　and　unbroken　and　only　luck　could　save　us　from　discovery。　We　pushed　on；　and　soon　stood　directly　within　the　light　which　came　from　an　apartment　adjoining　the　passage。　It　was　not　that　which　we　sought；　however；　and　we　gave　it　barely　a　glance　before　we　turned　to　the　right　down　a　cross　passage；　finding　ourselves　again　in　darkness。
　Soon　another　light　appeared。　We　approached。　It　came　from　a　doorway　leading　into　an　apartment　some　twenty　feet　square。　It　was　empty；　and　we　entered。
　There　were　two　flaming　urns　fastened　to　the　wall　above　a　granite　couch。　Stone　seats　were　placed　here　and　there　about　the　room。　The　walls　were　studded　with　spots　of　gold　to　a　height　of　four　or　five　feet。
　We　stopped　short；　gazing　about　us。
　〃It　looks　like…〃　Harry　whispered；　and　then　exclaimed：　〃It　is！
　See；　here　is　where　we　took　the　blocks　from　this　seat！〃
　So　it　was。　We　were　in　the　room　where　we　had　imprisoned　the　Inca　king　and　where　we　ourselves　had　been　imprisoned　with　Desiree。
　〃She　said　her　room　was　to　the　right　of　this；〃　whispered　Harry　excitedly。　〃What　luck！　If　only…〃
　He　left　the　sentence　unfinished；　but　I　understood　his　fear。
　And　with　me　there　was　even　no　doubt；　I　had　little　hope　of　finding　Desiree；　and　was　sorry；　for　Harry's　sake；　that　we　had　been　so　far　successful。
　Again　we　sought　the　passage。　A　little　farther　on　it　was　crossed　by　another；　running　at　right　angles　in　both　directions。
　But　to　the　right　there　was　nothin