rs.undertheandes-第9部分

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amac　he　came　with　twenty　horsemen；　sowing　terror　in　the　mountains；　carrying　eighty　loads　of　gold。　Across　the　Juaja　River　and　past　Lake　Chinchaycocha　they　came；　till　they　arrived　at　the　city　of　Huanuco。
　〃There　were　temples　and　gold　and　priests　and　soldiers。　But　when　the　soldiers　of　the　Inca　saw　the　horses　of　the　Spaniards　and　heard　the　guns；　they　became　frightened　and　ran　away　like　little　children；　carrying　their　gold。　Never　before　had　they　seen　white　men；　or　guns；　or　horses。
　〃With　them　came　many　priests　and　women；　to　the　snow　of　the　mountains。　And　after　many　days　of　suffering　they　came　to　a　cave；　wherein　they　disappeared　and　no　more　were　seen；　nor　could　Hernando　Pizarro　and　his　twenty　horsemen　find　them　to　procure　their　gold。
　〃And　before　they　entered　the　cave　they　scaled　a　rock　near　its　entrance　and　carved　thereon　the　likeness　of　a　horse　to　warn　their　Inca　brethren　of　the　Spaniards　who　had　driven　them　from　Huanuco。
　That　is　his　story；　senor。〃
　〃But　who　told　you　all　this；　Felipe？〃
　The　arriero　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　glanced　about；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃It　is　in　the　wind。〃
　〃But　the　cave？〃　cried　Desiree。　〃Where　is　the　cave？〃
　〃It　is　there；　senora；〃　said　Felipe；　pointing　through　a　passage　to　the　right。
　Then　nothing　would　do　for　Desiree　but　to　see　the　cave。　The　arriero　informed　her　that　it　was　difficult　of　access；　but　she　turned　the　objection　aside　with　contempt　and　manded　him　to　lead。
　Harry；　of　course；　was　with　her；　and　I　followed　somewhat　unwillingly；　for；　though　Felipe's　history　was　fairly　accurate；　I　was　inclined　to　regard　his　fable　of　the　disappearing　Incas　as　a　wild　tradition　of　the　mountains。
　He　had　spoken　aright…the　path　to　the　cave　was　not　an　easy　one。　Here　and　there　deep　ravines　caused　us　to　make　a　wide　detour　or　risk　our　necks　on　perilous　steeps。
　Finally　we　came　to　a　small　clearing；　which　resembled　nothing　so　much　as　the　bottom　of　a　giant　well；　and　in　the　center　of　one　of　the　steep　walls　was　an　opening　some　thirty　or　forty　feet　square；　black　and　rugged；　and　somehow　terrifying。
　It　was　the　entrance　to　the　cave。
　There　Felipe　halted。
　〃Here；　senor。　Here　entered　the　Incas　of　Huanuco　with　their　gold。〃
　He　shivered　as　he　spoke；　and　I　fancied　that　his　face　grew　pale。
　〃We　shall　explore　it！〃　cried　Desiree；　advancing。
　〃But　no；　senora！〃　The　arriero　was　positively　trembling。　〃No！　Senor；　do　not　let　her　go　within！　Many　times　have　my　countrymen　entered　in　search　of　the　gold；　and　americanos；　too；　and　never　did　they　return。　It　is　a　cave　of　the　devil；　senor。　He　hides　in　the　blackness　and　none　who　enter　may　escape　him。〃
　Desiree　was　laughing　gaily。
　〃Then　I　shall　visit　the　devil！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　before　either　Harry　or　I　could　reach　her　she　had　sprung　across　the　intervening　space　to　the　entrance　and　disappeared　within。
　With　shouts　of　consternation　from　Felipe　ringing　in　our　ears；　we　leaped　after　her。
　〃Desiree！〃　cried　Harry。　〃e　back；　Desiree！〃
　There　was　no　answer；　but　echoing　back　from　the　night　before　us　came　faint　reverberations…could　they　be　footsteps！　What　folly！
　For　I　had　thought　that　she　had　merely　intended　to　frighten　poor　Felipe；　and　now…　〃Desiree！〃　Harry　called　again　with　all　the　strength　of　his　lungs。　〃Desiree！〃
　Again　there　was　no　answer。　Then　we　entered　the　cave　together。
　I　remember　that　as　we　passed　within　I　turned　and　saw　Felipe　staring　with　white　face　and　eyes　filled　with　terror。
　A　hundred　feet　and　we　were　enpassed　by　the　most　intense　darkness。　I　muttered：　〃This　is　folly；　let　us　get　a　light；〃　and　tried　to　hold　Harry　back。　But　he　pushed　me　aside　and　groped　on；　crying：　〃Desiree！　e　back；　Desiree！〃
　What　could　I　do？　I　followed。
　Suddenly　a　scream　resounded　through　the　cavern。　Multiplied　and　echoed　by　the　black　walls；　it　was　inhuman；　shot　with　terror；　profoundly　horrible。
　A　tremor　ran　through　me　from　head　to　foot；　beside　me　I　heard　Harry　gasp　with　a　nameless　fear。　An　instant　later　we　dashed　forward　into　the　darkness。
　How　long　we　ran　I　could　never　tell；　probably　a　few　seconds；　possibly　as　many　minutes。
　On　we　rushed；　blindly；　impelled　not　by　reason；　but　by　the　memory　of　that　terrible　cry；　side　by　side；　gasping；　fearful。　And　then…　A　step　into　thin　air…a　mighty　effort　to　recover　a　footing…a　wild　instant　of　despair　and　pawing　helpless　agony。　Then　blackness　and　oblivion。
　
　Chapter　VI。
　CAPTURED。
　
　The　fall…was　it　ten　feet　or　a　thousand？　I　shall　never　know。
　Hurtling　headlong　through　space；　a　man　can　scarcely　be　expected　to　keep　his　wits　about　him。
　Actually；　my　only　impression　was　of　righteous　indignation；　my　memory　is　that　I　cursed　aloud；　but　Harry　denies　it。
　But　it　could　not　have　been　for　long；　for　when　we　struck　the　water　at　the　bottom　we　were　but　slightly　stunned　by　the　impact。　To　this　Harry　has　since　agreed；　he　must　have　been　as　lucky　as　myself；　for　I　took　it　headlong　with　a　clean　cleavage。
　I　rose　to　the　top；　sputtering；　and　flung　out　my　arms　in　the　attempt　to　swim…or；　rather；　to　keep　afloat…and　was　overjoyed　to　find　my　arms　and　legs　answer　to　the　call　of　the　brain。
　About　me　was　blackest　night　and　utter　silence；　save　a　low；　unbroken　murmur；　unlike　any　other　sound；　hardly　to　be　heard。　It　was　in　my　effort　to　account　for　it　that　I　first　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　the　water　was　a　stream；　and　a　moving　one…moving　with　incredible　swiftness；　smooth　and　all　but　silent。　As　soon　as　I　became　convinced　of　this　I　gave　up　all　attempt　to　swim；　and　satisfied　myself　with　keeping　my　head　above　the　surface　and　drifting　with　the　current。
　Then　I　thought　of　Harry；　and　called　his　name　aloud　many　times。
　The　reverberations　throughout　the　cave　were　as　the　report　of　a　thousand　cannon；　but　there　was　no　response。
　The　echoes　became　fainter　and　fainter　and　died　away；　and　again　all　was　silence　and　impenetrable　night；　while　I　battled　with　the　strong　suction　of　the　unseen　current；　which　was　growing　swifter　and　swifter；　and　felt　my　strength　begin　to　leave　me。
　Terror；　too；　began　to　call　to　me　as　the　long　minutes　passed　endlessly　by。　I　thought；　〃If　I　could　only　see！〃　and　strained　my　eyes　in　the　effort　till　I　was　forced　to　close　them　from　the　dizzy　pain。　The　utter；　plete　darkness　hid　from　me　all　knowledge　of　what　I　passed　or　what　awaited　me　beyond。
　The　water；　carrying　me　swiftly　onward　with　its　silent；　remorseless　sweep；　was　cold　and　black；　it　pressed　with　tremendous　power　against　me；　now　and　then　I　was　forced　beneath　the　surface　and　fought　my　way　back；　gasping　and　all　but　exhausted。
　I　forgot　Desiree　and　Harry；　I　lost　all　consciousness　of　where　I　was　and　what　I　was　doing；　the　silent　fury　of　the　stream　and　the　awful　blackness　maddened　me；　I　plunged　and　struggled　desperately；　blindly；　sobbing　with　rage。　This　could　not　have　lasted　much　longer；　I　was　very　near　the　end。
　Suddenly；　with　a　thrill　of　joy；　I　realized　that　the　speed　of　the　current　was　decreasing。　Then　a　reaction　of　despair　seized　me；　I　tried　to　strangle　hope　and　resign　myself　to　the　worst。　But　soon　there　was　no　longer　any　doubt；　the　water　carried　me　slower　and　slower。
　I　floated　with　little　difficulty；　wondering…could　it　be　an　approach　to　a　smaller　outlet　which　acted　as　a　dam？　Or　was　it　merely　a　lessening　of　the　incline　of　the　bed　of　the　stream？　I　cursed　the　darkness　for　my　helplessness。
　Finally　the　water　became　absolutely　still；　as　I　judged　by　the　absence　of　pressure　on　my　body；　and　I　turned　sharply　at　a　right　angle　and　began　to　swim。　My　weariness　left　me　as　by　magic；　and　I　struck　out　with　bold　and　sweeping　strokes；　and　by　that　lack　of　caution　all　but　destroyed　myself　when　my　head　suddenly　struck　against　a　wall　of　stone；　unseen　in　the　darkness。
　I　was　stunned　pletely　and　sank；　but　the　ducking　revived　me；　and　when　I　returned　to　the　surface　I　swam　a　few　careful　strokes；　searching　for　the　wall。　It　was　not　there；　and　I　had　no　idea　of　its　direction。　But　I　had　now　learned　caution；　and　by　swimming　a　few　feet　first　one　way；　then　another；　and　taking　care　not　to　go　far　in　any　one　direction；　I　finally　discovered　it。
　My　hand　easily　reached　the　top；　and；　grasping　the　slippery　surface　with　a　grip　made　firm　by　despair；　and　concentrating　every　ounce　of　strength　in　one　final　effort；　I　drew　myself　out　of　the　water　and　fell　pletely　exhausted　on　the　ground。
　Under　such　circumstances　time　has　no　place　in　a　man's　calculations；　he　is　satisfied　to　breathe。　I　believe　that　I　lay　barely　conscious　for　several　hours；　but　it　may　have　been　merely　as　many　minutes。　Then　I　felt　life　stir　within　me；　I　stretched　my　arms　and　legs　and　sat　up。　Gradually　entered　my　mind　the　thought　of　Desiree　and　Harry　and　the　Andes　above　and　Felipe　shuddering　with　terror　as　he　flew　from　the　cave　of　the　devil。
　First　came　Harry；　but　hope　did　not　enter。　It　was　inconceivable　that　he；　too；　should　have　escaped　that　fearful　torrent；　stupendous　luck　alone　had　saved　me　from　being　dashed　senseless　against　the　rocks　and　guided　me　to　the　ledge　on　which　I　rested。
　Then　he　was　gone！　I　had　no　thought　of　my　own　peril。　I　had　gone　through　the　world　with　but　little　regard　for　what　it　held；　nothing　had　been　sacred　to　me；　no　affection　had　been　more　than　a　day's　caprice；　I　had　merely　sucked　amusement　from　its　bitter　fruit。
　But　I　loved　Harry；　I　realized　it　with　something　like　astonishment。　He　was　dear　to　me；　a　keen；　intense　pain　contracted　my　chest　at　the　thought　of　having　lost　him；　tears　filled　my　eyes；　and　I　raised　up　my　voice　and　sang　out　wildly：
　〃Harry！　Harry；　lad！　Harry！〃
　The　cavern　resounded。　The　call　went　from　wall　to　wall；　then　back　again；　floating　through　black　space　with　a　curious　tremor；　and　finally　died　away　in　some　dim；　unseen　corridor。　And　then…then　came　an　answering　call！
　Owing　to　the　conflicting　echoes　of　the　cavern；　the　tone　could　not　be　recognized。　But　the　word　was　unmistakable；　it　was　〃Paul。〃
　I　sprang　to　my　feet　with　a　shout；　then　stood　listening。　Out　of　the　blackness　surrounding　me　came　the　words；　in　Harry's　voice；　much　lower；　but　distinct：
　〃Paul！　Paul；　where　are　you？〃
　〃Thank　Heaven！〃　I　breathed；　and　I　answered：
　〃Here；　Harry　boy；　here。〃
　〃But　where？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　On　a　ledge　of　rock　at　the　edge　of　the　water。
　Where　are　you？〃
　〃Same　place。　Which　side　are　you　on？〃
　〃The　right　side；〃　I　answered　with　heartfelt　emphasis。
　〃That　is　to　say；　the　outside。　If　it　weren't　for　this　infernal　darkness…Listen！　Ho