rs.undertheandes-第38部分

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　By　the　time　I　reached　him　the　fish　had　turned　over　on　his　back　and　was　floating　on　the　surface；　motionless。
　We　had　still　to　get　him　ashore；　and；　exhausted　as　we　were；　it　was　no　easy　task。　But　there　was　very　little　current；　and　after　half　an　hour　of　pulling　and　shoving　we　got　him　into　shallow　water；　where　we　could　find　the　bottom　with　our　feet。　Then　it　was　easier。
　Desiree　waded　out　to　us　and　lent　a　hand；　and　in　another　ten　minutes　we　had　him　high　and　dry　on　the　rock。
　He　was　even　larger　than　I　had　thought。　No　wonder　Harry　had　called　him…or　one　like　him…a　whale。　It　was　all　of　fifteen　feet　from　his　snout　to　the　tip　of　his　tail。　The　skin　was　dead　black　on　top　and　mottled　irregularly　on　the　belly。
　As　we　sat　sharpening　the　points　of　our　spears　on　the　rock；　preparatory　to　skinning　him；　Desiree　stood　regarding　the　fish　with　unqualified　approval。　She　turned　to　us：
　〃Well；　I'd　rather　eat　that　than　those　other　nasty　things。〃
　〃Oh；　that　isn't　what　we　want　him　for；〃　said　Harry；　rubbing　his　finger　against　the　edge　of　his　spear…point。　〃He's　probably　not　fit　to　eat。〃
　〃Then　why　all　this　trouble？〃　asked　Desiree。
　〃Dear　lady；　we　expect　to　ride　him　home；〃　said　Harry；　rising　to　his　feet。
　Then　he　explained　our　purpose；　and　you　may　believe　that　Desiree　was　the　most　excited　of　the　lot　as　we　ripped　down　the　body　of　the　fish　from　tail　to　snout　and　began　to　peel　off　the　tough　skin。
　〃If　you　succeed　you　may　choose　the　new　hangings　for　my　boudoir；〃　she　said；　with　an　attempt　at　lightness　not　altogether　successful。
　〃As　for　me；〃　I　declared；　〃I　shall　eat　fish　every　day　of　my　life　out　of　pure　gratitude。〃
　〃You'll　do　it　out　of　pure　necessity；〃　Harry　put　in；　〃if　you　don't　get　busy。〃
　It　took　us　three　hours　of　whacking　and　slashing　and　tearing　to　pull　the　fish　to　pieces；　but　we　worked　with　a　purpose　and　a　will。
　When　we　had　finished；　this　is　what　we　had　to　show：　A　long　strip　of　bone；　four　inches　thick　and　twelve　feet　long；　and　tough　as　hickory；　from　either　side　of　which　the　smaller　bones　projected　at　right　angles。　They　were　about　an　inch　in　thickness　and　two　inches　apart。
　The　lower　end　of　the　backbone；　near　the　tail；　we　had　broken　off。
　We　examined　it　and　lifted　it　and　bent　it　half　double。
　〃Absolutely　perfect！〃　Harry　cried　in　jubilation。　〃Three　more　like　this　and　we'll　sail　down　the　coast　to　Callao。〃
　〃If　we　can　get　'em；〃　I　observed。　〃But　two　would　do。　We　could　make　it　a　triangle。〃
　Harry　looked　at　me。
　〃Paul；　you're　an　absolute　genius。　But　would　it　be　big　enough　to　hold　us？〃
　We　discussed　that　question　on　our　way　back　to　camp；　whither　we　carried　the　backbone　of　our　fish；　together　with　some　of　the　meat。
　Then；　after　a　hearty　meal；　we　slept。　After　seven　hours　of　the　hardest　kind　of　work　we　were　ready　for　it。
　That　was　our　program　for　the　time　that　followed…time　that　stretched　into　many　weary　hours；　for；　once　started；　we　worked　feverishly；　so　impatient　had　we　bee　by　dint　of　that　faint　glimmer　of　hope。　We　were　going　to　try　to　build　a　raft；　on　which　we　were　going　to　try　to　embark　on　the　stream；　by　which　we　were　going　to　try　to　find　our　way　out　of　the　mountain。　The　prospect　made　us　positively　hilarious；　so　slender　is　the　thread　by　which　hope　jerks　us　about。
　The　first　part　of　our　task　was　the　most　strenuous。　We　waited　and　waded　round　many　hours　before　another　fish　appeared；　and　then　he　got　away　from　us。　Another　attempt　was　crowned　with　success　after　a　hard　fight。　The　second　one　was　even　larger　than　the　first。
　The　next　two　were　too　small　to　be　of　use　in　the　raft；　but　we　saved　them　for　another　purpose。　Then；　after　another　long　search；　lasting　many　hours；　we　ran　into　half　a　dozen　of　them　at　once。
　By　that　time　we　were　fairly　expert　with　our　spears；　besides　having　discovered　their　vulnerable　spot…the　throat；　just　forward　from　the　gills。　To　this　day　I　don't　know　whether　or　not　they　were　man…eaters。　Their　jaws　were　roomy　and　strong　as　those　of　any　shark；　but　they　never　closed　on　us。
　Thus　we　had　four　of　the　large　backbones　and　two　smaller　ones。
　Next　we　wanted　a　covering；　and　for　that　purpose　we　visited　the　remains　of　the　reptile　which　had　first　led　us　into　the　cavern。
　Its　hide　was　half　an　inch　thick　and　tough　as　the　toughest　leather。　There　was　no　difficulty　in　loosening　it；　for　by　that　time　the　flesh　was　so　decayed　and　sunken　that　it　literally　fell　off。
　That　job　was　the　worst　of　all。
　Time　and　again；　after　cutting　away　with　the　points　of　our　spears…our　only　tools…until　we　could　stand　it　no　longer；　we　staggered　off　to　the　stream　like　drunken　men；　sick　and　faint　with　the　sight　and　smell　of　the　mess。
　But　that；　too；　came　to　an　end；　and　finally　we　marched　off　to　the　camp；　which　we　had　removed　a　half…mile　upstream；　dragging　after　us　a　piece　of　the　hide　about　thirty　feet　long　and　half　as　wide。　It　was　not　as　heavy　as　we　had　thought；　which　made　it　all　the　better　for　our　purpose。
　The　remainder　of　our　task；　though　tedious；　was　not　unpleasant。
　We　first　made　the　larger　bones；　which　were　to　serve　as　the　beams　of　our　raft；　exactly　the　same　length　by　filing　off　the　ends　of　the　longer　ones　with　rough　bits　of　granite。　I　have　said　it　was　tedious。　Then　we　filed　off　each　of　the　smaller　bones　projecting　from　the　neural　arch　until　they　were　of　equal　length。
　They　extended　on　either　side　about　ten　inches；　which；　allowing　four　inches　for　the　width　of　the　larger　bone　and　one　inch　for　the　covering；　would　make　our　raft　slightly　over　a　foot　in　depth。
　To　make　the　cylindrical　column　rigid；　we　bound　each　of　the　vertebrae　to　the　one　in　direct　juxtaposition　on　either　side　firmly　with　strips　of　hide；　several　hundred　feet　of　which　we　had　prepared。
　This　gave　us　four　beams　held　straight　and　true；　without　any　play　in　either　direction；　with　only　a　slight　flexibility　resulting　from　the　cartilages　within　the　center　cord。
　With　these　four　beams　we　formed　a　square；　placing　them　on　their　edges；　end　to　end。　At　each　corner　of　the　square　we　lashed　the　ends　together　firmly　with　strips　of　hide。　It　was　both　firm　and　flexible　after　we　had　lashed　the　corners　over　and　over　with　the　strips；　that　there　might　be　no　play　under　the　strain　of　the　current。
　Over　this　framework　we　stretched　the　large　piece　of　hide　so　that　the　ends　met　on　top；　near　the　middle。　The　bottom　was　thus　absolutely　watertight。　We　folded　the　corners　in　and　caught　them　up　with　strips　over　the　top。　Then；　with　longer　strips；　we　fastened　up　the　sides；　passing　the　strips　back　and　forth　across　the　top；　from　side　to　side；　having　first　similarly　secured　the　two　ends。　As　a　final　precaution；　we　passed　broader　strips　around　both　top　and　bottom；　lashing　them　together　in　the　center　of　the　top。　And　there　was　our　raft；　twelve　feet　square；　over　a　foot　deep；　water…tight　as　a　town　drunkard；　and　weighing　not　more　than　a　hundred　pounds。　It　has　taken　me　two　minutes　to　tell　it；　it　took　us　two　weeks　to　do　it。
　But　we　discovered　immediately　that　the　four　beams　on　the　sides　and　ends　were　not　enough；　for　Desiree's　weight　alone　caused　the　skin　to　sag　clear　through　in　the　center；　though　we　had　stretched　it　as　tightly　as　possible。　We　were　forced　to　unlash　all　the　strips　running　from　side　to　side　and　insert　supports；　made　of　smaller　bones；　across　the　middle　each　way。　These　we　reinforced　on　their　ends　with　the　thickest　hide　we　could　find；　that　they　might　not　puncture　the　bottom。　After　that　it　was　fairly　firm；　though　its　sea…worthiness　was　not　improved；　it　was　much　easier　to　navigate　than　it　would　have　been　before。
　For　oars　we　took　the　lower　ends　of　the　backbones　of　the　two　smaller　fish　and　covered　them　with　hide。　They　were　about　five　feet　long　and　quite　heavy；　but　we　intended　to　use　them　more　for　the　purpose　of　steering　than　for　propulsion。　The　current　of　the　stream　would　attend　to　that　for　us。
　Near　the　center　of　the　raft　we　arranged　a　pile　of　the　skins　of　the　water…pigs　for　Desiree；　a　seat　by　no　means　unfortable。　The　strips　which　ran　back　and　forth　across　the　top　afforded　a　hold　as　security　against　the　tossing　of　the　craft；　but　for　her　feet　we　arranged　two　other　strips　to　pass　over　her　ankles　what　time　she　rested。　This　was　an　extreme　precaution；　for　we　did　not　expect　the　journey　to　be　a　long　one。
　Finally　we　loaded　on　our　provisions…about　thirty　pounds　of　the　meat　of　the　fish　and　water…pigs；　wrapping　it　securely　in　two　or　three　of　the　skins　and　strapping　them　firmly　to　the　top。
　〃And　now；〃　said　I；　testing　the　strips　on　the　corners　for　the　last　time；　〃all　we　need　is　a　name　for　her　and　a　bottle　of　wine。〃
　〃And　a　homeward…bound　pennant；〃　put　in　Harry。
　〃The　name　is　easy　enough；〃　said　Desiree。　〃I　hereby　christen　her　Clarte　du　Soleil。〃
　〃Which　means？〃　asked　Harry；　whose　French　came　only　in　spots。
　〃Sunshine；〃　I　told　him。　〃Presumably　after　the　glorious　King　of　the　Incas；　who　calls　himself　the　Child　of　the　Sun。　But　it's　a　good　name。　May　Heaven　grant　that　it　takes　us　there！〃
　〃I　think　we　ought　to　take　more　grub；〃　said　Harry…an　observation　which　he　had　made　not　less　than　fifty　times　in　the　preceding　fifty　minutes。　He　received　no　support　and　grumbled　to　himself　something　about　the　horrible　waste　of　leaving　so　much　behind。
　Why　it　was　I　don't　know；　but　we　were　fully　persuaded　that　we　were　about　to　say　good…by　forever　to　this　underground　world　and　its　dangers。　Somehow；　we　had　coaxed　ourselves　into　the　belief　that　success　was　certain；　it　was　as　though　we　had　seen　the　sunlight　streaming　in　from　the　farther　end　of　the　arched　tunnel　into　which　the　stream　disappeared。　There　was　an　assurance　about　the　words　of　each　that　strengthened　this　feeling　in　the　others；　and　hope　had　shut　out　all　thought　of　failure　as　we　prepared　to　launch　our　craft。
　It　took　us　some　time　to　get　it　to　the　edge　of　the　water；　though　it　was　close　by；　for　we　handled　it　with　extreme　care；　that　it　might　not　be　torn　on　the　rocks。　Altogether；　with　the　provisions；　it　weighed　close　to　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds。
　We　were　by　no　means　sure　that　the　thing　would　carry　us；　and　when　once　we　had　reached　the　water　we　forgot　caution　in　our　haste　to　try　it。　We　held　it　at　the　edge　while　Desiree　arranged　herself　on　the　pile　of　skins。　The　spears　lay　across　at　her　feet；　strapped　down　for　security。
　Harry　stepped　across　to　the　farther　edge　of　the　raft。
　〃Ready！〃　he　called；　and　I　shoved　off；　wading　behind。　When　the　water　was　up　to　my　knees　I　climbe