rs.undertheandes-第41部分

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！


　〃I　will　not　permit　you　to　be　handicapped　with　my　modesty；〃　she　observed。
　Then；　with　Desiree　between　us；　we　stepped　to　the　edge　of　the　raft　and　dived　off　together。
　Driven　as　we　were　by　necessity；　we　would　have　hesitated　longer　if　we　had　known　the　full　force　of　the　undercurrent　that　seized　us　from　beneath。　Desiree　would　have　disappeared　without　a　struggle　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　support　which　Harry　and　I　rendered　her　on　either　side。
　But　we　kept　on　top…most　of　the　time…and　fought　our　way　forward　by　inches。　The　black　walls　frowning　at　us　from　either　side　appeared　to　me　to　remain　exactly　the　same；　stationary；　after　a　long　and　desperate　struggle；　but　when　I　gave　a　quick　glance　behind　I　saw　that　we　had　pulled　so　far　away　from　the　raft　that　it　was　no　longer　in　sight。　That　gave　me　renewed　strength；　and；　shouting　assurance　to　Harry　and　Desiree；　I　redoubled　my　efforts。　Desiree　was　by　now　almost　able　to　hold　her　own；　but　we　still　supported　her。
　Every　stroke　made　the　next　one　easier；　carrying　us　away　from　the　whirlpool；　and　soon　we　swam　smoothly。　Less　and　less　strong　became　the　resistance　of　the　current；　until　finally　it　was　possible　to　float　easily　on　our　backs　and　rest。
　〃How　far　is　it　to　the　cavern？〃　Harry　panted。
　〃Somewhere　between　one　and　ten　miles；〃　was　my　answer。　〃How　the　deuce　should　I　know？　But　we'll　make　it　now；　I　think。　Can　you　hold　out；　Desiree？〃
　〃Easily；〃　she　answered。　〃If　only　I　could　get　some　air！　Just　one　good；　long　breath。〃
　There　was　the　danger；　and　on　that　account　no　time　was　to　be　lost。　Again　we　struck　out　into　the　blackness　ahead。　I　felt　myself　no　longer　fresh；　and　began　to　doubt　seriously　if　we　should　reach　our　goal。
　But　we　reached　it。　No　need　to　recount　our　struggles；　which　toward　the　end　were　inspired　by　suffering　amounting　to　agony　as　we　choked　and　gasped　for　sufficient　air　to　keep　us　up。
　Another　hundred　yards　would　have　been　too　much　for　us；　but　it　is　enough　that　finally　we　staggered　onto　the　bank　at　the　entrance　to　the　cavern　in　which　we　had　previously　rested；　panting；　dizzy；　and　pletely　exhausted。
　But　an　hour　in　the　cavern；　with　its　supply　of　air；　revived　us；　and　then　we　sat　up　and　asked　ourselves：　〃What　for？〃
　〃And　all　that　brings　us…to　this；〃　said　Harry；　with　a　sweeping　gesture　round　the　cavern。
　〃At　least；　it　is　a　better　tomb；〃　I　retorted。　〃And　it　was　a　good　fight。　We　still　have　something　in　us。　Desiree；　a　good　man　was　lost　in　you。〃
　Harry　rose　to　his　feet。
　〃I'm　going　to　look　round；〃　he　announced。　〃We've　got　to　do　something。　Gad；　and　it　took　us　a　month　to　build　that　raft！〃
　〃The　vanity　of　human　endeavor；〃　said　I；　loosening　the　strap　round　my　shoulders　and　dropping　my　bundle　to　the　ground。　〃Wait　a　minute；　I'm　going　with　you。　Are　you　ing；　Desiree？〃
　But　she　was　too　tired　to　rise　to　her　feet；　and　we　left　her　behind；　arranging　what　few　skins　we　had　as　well　as　possible　to　protect　her　from　the　hard　rock。
　〃Rest　your　weary　bones；〃　said　Harry；　stooping　to　kiss　her。
　〃There's　meat　here　if　you　want　it。　We'll　be　back　soon。〃
　So　we　left　her；　with　her　white　body　stretched　out　at　its　full　length　on　the　rude　mat。
　Bearing　off　to　the　left；　we　soon　discovered　that　we　would　have　no　difficulty　to　leave　the　cavern；　we　had　only　to　choose　our　way。
　There　was　scarcely　any　wall　at　all；　so　broken　was　it　by　lanes　and　passages　leading　in　all　directions。
　We　followed　some　of　them　for　a　distance；　but　found　none　that　gave　any　particular　promise。　Most　of　them　were　choked　with　rocks　and　boulders　through　which　it　was　difficult　to　force　a　passage。　We　spent　an　hour　or　more　in　these　futile　explorations；　then　followed　the　wall　some　distance　to　the　right。
　Gradually　the　exits　became　less　numerous。　High　on　a　boulder　near　the　entrance　of　one　we　saw　the　head　of　some　animal　peering　down　at　us。　We　hurled　our　spears　at　it；　but　missed；　then　were　forced　to　climb　up　the　steep　side　of　the　boulder　to　recover　our　weapons。
　〃We'd　better　go　back　to　Desiree；〃　said　Harry　when　we　reached　the　ground　again。　〃She'll　wonder　what's　bee　of　us。　We've　been　gone　nearly　two　hours。〃
　After　fifteen　minutes'　search　we　found　the　stream；　and　followed　it　to　the　left。　We　had　gone　farther　than　we　thought；　and　we　were　looking　for　the　end；　where　we　had　left　Desiree；　long　before　we　reached　it。　Several　times　we　called　her　name；　but　there　was　no　answer。
　〃She's　probably　asleep；〃　said　Harry。　And　a　minute　later：　〃There's　the　wall　at　last！　But　where　is　she？〃
　My　foot　struck　something　on　the　ground；　and　I　stooped　over　to　examine　it。
　It　was　the　pile　of　skins　on　which　Desiree　had　lain！
　I　called　to　Harry；　and　at　the　same　instant　heard　his　shout　of　consternation　as　he　came　running　toward　me；　holding　something　in　his　hand。
　〃They've　got　her！　Look！　Look　at　this！　I　found　it　on　the　ground　over　there。〃
　He　held　the　thing　in　his　hand　out　before　me。
　It　was　an　Inca　spear。
　
　Chapter　XXI。
　THE　MIDST　OF　THE　ENEMY。
　
　Harry　and　I　stood　gazing　at　each　other　blankly　in　the　semidarkness　of　the　cavern。
　〃But　it　isn't　possible；〃　I　objected　finally　to　my　own　thoughts。　〃She　would　have　cried　out　and　we　would　have　heard　her。
　The　spear　may　have　been　there　before。〃
　Then　I　raised　my　voice；　calling　her　name　many　times　at　the　top　of　my　lungs。　There　was　no　answer。
　〃They've　got　her；〃　said　Harry；　〃and　that's　all　there　is　to　it。
　The　cursed　brutes　crept　up　on　her　in　the　dark…much　chance　she　had　of　crying　out　when　they　got　their　hands　on　her。　I　know　it。　Why　did　we　leave　her？〃
　〃Where　did　you　find　the　spear？〃　I　asked。
　Harry　pointed　toward　the　wall；　away　from　the　stream。
　〃On　the　ground？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Is　there　an　exit　from　the　cavern　on　that　side？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Well；　that's　our　only　chance。　e　on！〃
　We　found　the　exit；　and　another；　and　a　third。　Which　to　take？
　They　were　very　similar　to　one　another；　except　that　the　one　in　the　middle　sloped　upward　at　a　gentle　incline；　while　the　others　were　level。
　〃One　is　as　good　as　another；〃　I　observed；　and　entered　the　one　on　the　left。
　Once　started；　we　advanced　with　a　rush。　The　passage　was　straight　and　narrow；　clear　of　obstruction；　and　we　kept　at　a　steady　run。
　〃They　may　have　an　hour's　start　of　us；〃　came　Harry's　voice　at　my　side。
　〃Or　five　minutes；〃　I　returned。　〃We　have　no　way　of　knowing。
　But　I'm　afraid　we're　on　the　wrong　trail。〃
　Still　as　I　had　said；　one　chance　was　as　good　as　another；　and　we　did　not　slacken　our　pace。　The　passage　went　straight　forward；　without　a　bend。　The　roof　was　low；　just　allowing　us　to　pass　without　stooping；　and　the　walls　were　rough　and　rugged。
　It　was　not　long　before　we　found　that　we　had　taken　the　wrong　chance；　having　covered；　I　think；　some　two　or　three　miles　when　a　wall　loomed　up　directly　in　our　path。
　〃At　last；　a　turn！〃　panted　Harry。
　But　it　was　not　a　turn。　It　was　the　end　of　the　passage。　We　had　been　following　a　blind　alley。
　Harry　let　out　a　string　of　oaths；　and　I　seconded　him。　Twenty　minutes　wasted；　and　another　twenty　to　return！
　There　was　nothing　else　for　it。　We　shouldered　our　spears　and　started　to　retrace　our　steps。
　〃No　use　running　now；〃　I　declared。　〃We　can't　keep　it　up　forever；　and　we　may　as　well　save　our　strength。　We'll　never　catch　up　with　'em；　but　we　may　find　'em。〃
　Harry；　striding　ahead　two　or　three　paces　in　front；　did　not　answer。
　Finally　we　reached　the　cavern　from　which　we　had　started。
　〃And　now　what？〃　asked　Harry　in　a　tone　of　the　most　utter　dejection。
　I　pointed　to　the　exit　in　the　middle。　〃That！　We　should　have　taken　it　in　the　first　place。　On　the　raft　we　probably　descended　altogether　something　like　five　hundred　feet　from　the　level　where　we　started…possibly　twice　that　distance。　And　this　passage　which　slopes　upward　will　probably　take　us　back。〃
　〃At　least；　it's　as　good　as　the　other；〃　Harry　agreed；　and　we　entered　it。
　We　had　not　proceeded　far　before　we　found　ourselves　in　difficulties。　The　gentle　slope　became　a　steep　incline。　Great　rocks　loomed　up　in　our　path。
　In　spots　the　passage　was　so　narrow　that　two　men　could　hardly　have　walked　abreast　through　it；　and　its　walls　were　rough　and　irregular；　with　sharp　points　projecting　unexpectedly　into　our　very　faces。
　Still　we　went　forward　and　upward；　scrambling　over；　under；　round；　between。　At　one　point；　when　Harry　was　a　few　yards　in　front　of　me；　he　suddenly　disappeared　from　sight　as　though　swallowed　by　the　mountain。
　Rushing　forward；　I　saw　him　scrambling　to　his　feet　at　the　bottom　of　a　chasm　some　ten　feet　below。　Luckily　he　had　escaped　serious　injury；　and　climbed　up　on　the　other　side；　while　I　leaped　across…a　distance　of　about　six　feet。
　〃They　could　never　have　brought　her　through　this；〃　he　declared；　rubbing　a　bruised　knee。
　〃Do　you　want　to　go　back？〃　I　asked。
　But　he　said　that　would　be　useless；　and　I　agreed　with　him。　So　we　struggled　onward；　painfully　and　laboriously。　The　sharp　corners　of　the　rocks　cut　our　feet　and　hands；　and　I　had　an　ugly　bruise　on　my　left　shoulder；　besides　many　lesser　ones。　Harry's　injured　knee　caused　him　to　limp　and　thus　further　retarded　our　progress。
　At　times　the　passage　broadened　out　until　the　wall　on　either　side　was　barely　visible；　only　to　narrow　down　again　till　it　was　scarcely　more　than　a　crevice　between　the　giant　boulders。　The　variation　of　the　incline　was　no　less；　being　at　times　very　nearly　level；　and　at　others　mounting　upward　at　an　angle　whose　ascent　was　all　but　impossible。　Somehow　we　crawled　up；　like　flies　on　a　wall。
　When　we　came　to　a　stream　of　water　rushing　directly　across　our　path　at　the　foot　of　a　towering　rock　Harry　gave　a　cry　of　joy　and　ran　forward。　I　had　not　known　until　then　how　badly　his　knee　was　hurt；　and　when　I　came　up　to　where　he　was　bathing　it　in　the　stream　and　saw　how　black　and　swollen　it　was；　I　insisted　that　he　give　it　a　rest。
　But　he　absolutely　refused；　and　after　we　had　quenched　our　thirst　and　gotten　an　easy　breath　or　two　we　struggled　to　our　feet　and　on。
　After　another　hour　of　scrambling　and　failing　and　hanging　on　by　our　finger　nails；　the　way　began　to　be　easier。　We　came　to　level；　clear　stretches　with　only　an　occasional　boulder　or　ravine；　and　the　rock　became　less　cruel　to　our　bleeding　feet。　The　relief　came　almost　too　late；　for　by　that　time　every　movement　was　painful；　and　we　made　but　slow　progress。
　Soon　we　faced　another　difficulty　when　we　came　to　a　point　where　a　split　in　the　passage　showed　a　lane　on　either　side。　One　led　strai