rs.undertheandes-第48部分

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　lie　down　for　the　final　breath。
　We　saw　no　water　nor　promise　of　any；　nothing　save　the　long　stretch　of　dim　vista　ahead　and　the　grim；　black　walls　on　either　side。　That；　I　think；　for　hours；　it　seemed　to　me　then　for　years。
　I　dragged　one　leg　after　the　other　with　infinite　effort　and　pain；　Harry　was　ahead；　and　sometimes；　glancing　back　over　his　shoulder　to　find　me　at　some　distance　behind；　he　would　turn　over　and　lie　on　his　back　till　I　approached。　Then　again　to　his　knees　and　again　forward。　Neither　of　us　spoke。
　Suddenly；　at　a　great　distance　down　the　passage；　much　further　than　I　had　been　able　to　see　before；　I　saw　what　appeared　to　be　a　white　wall　extending　directly　across　our　path。
　I　called　to　Harry　and　pointed　it　out　to　him。　He　nodded　vaguely；　as　though　in　wonder　that　I　should　have　troubled　him　about　so　slight　an　object　of　interest；　and　crawled　on。
　But　the　white　wall　became　whiter　still；　and　soon　I　saw　that　it　was　not　a　wall。　A　wild　hope　surged　through　me；　I　felt　the　blood　mount　dizzily　to　my　head；　and　I　stilled　the　clamor　that　beat　at　my　temples　by　an　extreme　effort　of　the　will。　〃It　can't　be；〃　I　said　to　myself　aloud；　over　and　over；　〃it　can't　be；　it　can't　be。〃
　Harry　turned；　and　his　face　was　as　white　as　when　he　had　knelt　by　the　body　of　Desiree；　and　his　eye　was　wild。
　〃You　fool；〃　he　roared；　〃it　is！〃
　We　went　faster　then。　Another　hundred　yards；　and　the　thing　was　certain；　there　it　was　before　us。　We　scrambled　to　our　feet　and　tried　to　run；　I　reeled　and　fell；　then　picked　myself　up　again　and　followed　Harry；　who　had　not　even　halted　as　I　had　fallen。　The　mouth　of　the　passage　was　now　but　a　few　feet　away；　I　reached　Harry's　side；　blinking　and　stunned　with　amazement　and　the　incredible　wonder　of　it。
　I　tried　to　shout；　to　cry　aloud　to　the　heavens；　but　a　great　lump　in　my　throat　choked　me　and　my　head　was　singing　dizzily。
　Harry；　at　my　side；　was　crying　like　a　child；　with　great　tears　streaming　down　his　face；　as　together　we　staggered　forth　from　the　mouth　of　the　passage　into　the　bright　and　dazzling　sunshine　of　the　Andes。
　
　Chapter　XXIV。
　CONCLUSION。
　
　Never；　I　believe；　were　misery　and　joy　so　curiously　mingled　in　the　human　breast　as　when　Harry　and　I　stood…barely　able　to　stand…gazing　speechlessly　at　the　world　that　had　so　long　been　hidden　from　us。
　We　had　found　the　light；　but　had　lost　Desiree。　We　were　alive；　but　so　near　to　death　that　our　first　breath　of　the　mountain　air　was　like　to　be　our　last。
　The　details　of　our　painful　journey　down　the　mountain；　over　the　rocks　and　crags；　and　through　rushing　torrents　that　more　than　once　swept　us　from　our　feet；　cannot　be　written；　for　I　do　not　know　them。
　The　memory　of　the　thing　is　but　an　indistinct　nightmare　of　suffering。　But　the　blind　luck　that　seemed　to　have　fallen　over　our　shoulders　as　a　protecting　mantle　at　the　death　of　Desiree　stayed　with　us；　and　after　endless　hours　of　incredible　toil　and　labor；　we　came　to　a　narrow　pass　leading　at　right　angles　to　our　course。
　Night　was　ready　to　fall　over　the　bleak　and　barren　mountain　as　we　entered　it。　Darkness　had　long　since　overtaken　us；　when　we　saw　at　a　distance　a　large　clearing；　in　the　middle　of　which　lights　shone　from　the　windows　of　a　large　house　whose　dim　and　shadowy　outline　appeared　to　us　surrounded　by　a　halo　of　peace。
　But　we　were　nearly　forced　to　fight　for　it。　The　proprietor　of　the　hacienda　himself　answered　our　none　too　gentle　knock　at　the　door；　and　he　had　no　sooner　caught　sight　of　us　than　he　let　out　a　yell　as　though　he　had　seen　the　devil　in　person；　and　slammed　the　door　violently　in　our　faces。　Indeed；　we　were　hardly　recognizable　as　men。
　Naked；　black；　bruised；　and　bleeding；　covered　with　hair　on　our　faces　and　parts　of　our　bodies…mine；　of　recent　growth；　stubby　and　stiff…our　appearance　would　have　justified　almost　any　suspicion。
　But　we　hammered　again　on　the　door；　and　I　set　forth　our　pedigree　and　plight　in　as　few　words　as　possible。　Reassured；　perhaps；　by　my　excellent　Spanish…which　could　not；　of　course；　be　the　tongue　of　the　devil…and　convinced　by　our　pitiable　condition　of　our　inability　to　do　him　any　harm；　he　at　length　reopened　the　door　and　gave　us　admittance。
　When　we　had　succeeded　in　allaying　his　suspicions　concerning　our　identity…though　I　was　careful　not　to　alarm　his　superstitions　by　mentioning　the　cave　of　the　devil；　which；　I　thought；　was　probably　well　known　to　him…he　lost　no　time　in　displaying　his　humanity。
　Calling　in　some　hombres　from　the　rear　of　the　hacienda；　he　gave　them　ample　instructions；　with　medicine　and　food；　and　an　hour　later　Harry　and　I　were　lying　side　by　side　in　his　own　bed…a　rude　affair；　but　infinitely　better　than　granite…refreshed；　bandaged；　and　as　fortable　as　their　kindly　ministrations　could　make　us。
　The　old　Spaniard　was　a　direct　descendant　of　the　good　Samaritan　…despite　the　slight　difference　in　nationality。　For　many　weeks　he　nursed　us　and　fed　us　and　coaxed　back　the　spark　of　life　in　our　exhausted　and　wounded　bodies。
　Our　last　ounce　of　strength　seemed　to　have　been　used　up　in　our　desperate　struggle　down　the　side　of　the　mountain；　for　many　days　we　lay　on　our　backs　absolutely　unable　to　move　a　muscle　and　barely　conscious　of　life。
　But　the　spark　revived　and　fluttered。　The　day　came　when　we　could　hobble；　with　his　assistance；　to　the　door　of　the　hacienda　and　sit　for　hours　in　the　invigorating　sunshine；　and　thenceforward　our　convalescence　proceeded　rapidly。　Color　came　to　our　cheeks　and　light　to　our　eyes；　and　one　sunny　afternoon　it　was　decided　that　we　should　set　out　for　Cerro　de　Pasco　on　the　following　day。
　Harry　proposed　a　postponement　of　our　departure　for　two　days；　saying　that　he　wished　to　make　an　excursion　up　the　mountain。　I　understood　him　at　once。
　〃It　would　be　useless；〃　I　declared。　〃You　would　find　nothing。〃
　〃But　she　was　with　us　when　we　fell；〃　he　persisted；　not　bothering　to　pretend　that　he　did　not　understand　me。　〃She　came…it　must　be　near　where　we　landed。〃
　〃That　isn't　it；〃　I　explained。　〃Have　you　forgotten　that　we　have　been　here　for　over　a　month？　You　would　find　nothing。〃　As　he　grasped　my　thought　his　face　went　white　and　he　was　silent。　So　on　the　following　morning　we　departed。
　Our　host　furnished　us　with　food；　clothing；　mules；　and　an　arriero；　not　to　mention　a　sorrowful　farewell　and　a　hearty　blessing。　From　the　door　of　the　hacienda　he　waved　his　sombrero　as　we　disappeared　around　a　bend　in　the　mountain…pass；　we　had；　perhaps；　been　a　wele　interruption　in　the　monotony　of　his　lonely　existence。
　We　were　led　upward　for　many　miles　until　we　found　ourselves　again　in　the　region　of　perpetual　snow。　There　we　set　our　faces　to　the　south。　From　the　arriero　we　tried　to　learn　how　far　we　then　were　from　the　cave　of　the　devil；　but　to　our　surprise　were　informed　that　he　had　never　heard　of　the　thing。
　We　could　see　that　the　question　made　him　more　than　a　little　suspicious　of　us；　often；　when　he　thought　himself　unobserved；　I　caught　him　eyeing　us　askance　with　something　nearly　approaching　terror。
　We　journeyed　southward　for　eleven　days；　on　the　morning　of　the　twelfth　we　saw　below　us　our　goal。　Six　hours　later　we　had　entered　the　same　street　of　Cerro　de　Pasco　through　which　we　had　passed　formerly　with　light　hearts；　and　the　heart　which　had　been　gayest　of　all　we　had　left　behind　us；　stilled　forever；　somewhere　beneath　the　mountain　of　stone　which　she　had　herself　chosen　for　her　tomb。
　Almost　the　first　person　we　saw　was　none　other　than　Felipe；　the　arriero。　He　sat　on　the　steps　of　the　hotel　portico　as　we　rode　up　on　our　mules。　Dismounting；　I　caught　sight　of　his　white　face　and　staring　eyes　as　he　rose　slowly　to　his　feet；　gazing　at　us　as　though　fascinated。
　I　opened　my　mouth　to　call　to　him；　but　before　the　words　left　my　lips　he　had　let　out　an　ear…splitting　yell　of　terror　and　bounded　down　the　steps　and　past　us；　with　arms　flying　in　every　direction；　running　like　one　possessed。　Nor　did　he　return　during　the　few　hours　that　we　remained　at　the　hotel。
　Two　days　later　found　us　boarding　the　yacht　at　Callao。　When　I　had　discovered；　to　my　profound　astonishment；　at　the　hacienda；　that　another　year　had　taken　us　as　far　as　the　tenth　day　of　March；　I　had　greatly　doubted　if　we　should　find　Captain　Harris　still　waiting　for　us。　But　there　he　was；　and　he　had　not　even　put　himself　to　the　trouble　of　being　uneasy　about　us。
　As　he　himself　put　it　that　night　in　the　cabin；　over　a　bottle　of　wine；　he　〃didn't　know　but　what　the　senora　had　decided　to　take　the　Andes　home　for　a　mantel　ornament；　and　was　engaged　in　the　little　matter　of　transportation。〃
　But　when　I　informed　him　that　〃the　senora〃　was　no　more；　his　face　grew　sober　with　genuine　regret　and　sorrow。　He　had　many　good　things　to　say　of　her　then；　it　appeared　that　she　had　really　touched　his　salty　old　heart。
　〃She　was　a　gentle　lady；〃　said　the　worthy　captain；　and　I　smiled　to　think　how　Desiree　herself　would　have　smiled　at　such　a　characterization　of　the　great　Le　Mire。
　We　at　once　made　for　San　Francisco。　There；　at　a　loss；　I　disposed　of　the　remainder　of　the　term　of　the　lease　on　the　yacht；　and　we　took　the　first　train　for　the　East。
　Four　days　later　we　were　in　New　York；　after　a　journey　saddened　by　thoughts　of　the　one　who　had　left　us　to　return　alone。
　It　was；　in　fact；　many　months　before　the　shadow　of　Desiree　ceased　to　hover　about　the　dark　old　mansion　on　lower　Fifth　Avenue；　incongruous　enough　among　the　ancient　halls　and　portraits　of　Lamars　dead　and　gone　in　a　day　when　La　Marana　herself　had　darted　like　a　meteor　into　the　hearts　of　their　contemporaries。
　That　is；　I　suppose；　properly　the　end　of　the　story；　but　I　cannot　refrain　from　the　opportunity　to　record　a　curious　incident　that　has　just　befallen　me。　Some　twenty　minutes　ago；　as　I　was　writing　the　last　paragraph…I　am　seated　in　the　library　before　a　massive　mahogany　table；　close　to　a　window　through　which　the　September　sun　sends　its　golden　rays…twenty　minutes　ago；　as　I　say；　Harry　sauntered　into　the　room　and　threw　himself　lazily　into　a　large　armchair　on　the　other　side　of　the　table。
　I　looked　up　with　a　nod　of　greeting；　while　he　sat　and　eyed　me　impatiently　for　some　seconds。
　〃Aren't　you　ing　with　me　down　to　Southampton？〃　he　asked　finally。
　〃What　time　do　you　leave？〃　I　inquired；　without　looking　up。
　〃Eleven…thirty。〃
　〃What's　on？〃
　〃Freddie　Marston's　Crocodiles　and　the　Blues。　It's　going　to　be　some　polo。〃
　I　considered　a　moment。　〃Why；　I　guess　I'll　run　down　with　you。
　I'm　about　through　here。〃
　〃Good　enough！