when the world shook-第26章

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however；　that　when　we　go　to　look　tomorrow　morningand　I　suggest

that　we　should　not　do　so　before　then　in　order　that　we　may　give

our　minds　time　to　clearwe　shall　find　that　sepulchre　place　quite

empty；　even　perhaps　without　the　crystal　coffins　we　have　imagined

to　stand　there。〃



〃Perhaps　we　shall　find　that　there　isn't　a　cave　at　all　and　that

we　are　not　sitting　on　a　flat　rock　outside　of　it；〃　suggested

Bastin　with　heavy　sarcasm；　adding；　〃You　are　clever　in　your　way；

Bickley；　but　you　can　talk　more　rubbish　than　any　man　I　ever　knew。〃



〃They　told　us　they　would　come　back　tonight　or　tomorrow；〃　I

said。　〃If　they　do；　what　will　you　say　then；　Bickley？〃



〃I　will　wait　till　they　come　to　answer　that　question。　Now　let　us

go　for　a　walk　and　try　to　change　our　thoughts。　We　are　all

over…strained　and　scarcely　know　what　we　are　saying。〃



〃One　more　question；〃　I　said　as　we　rose　to　start。　〃Did　Tommy

suffer　from　hallucinations　as　well　as　ourselves？〃



〃Why　not？〃　answered　Bickley。　〃He　is　an　animal　just　as　we　are；

or　perhaps　we　thought　we　saw　Tommy　do　the　things　he　did。〃



〃When　you　found　that　basket　of　fruit；　Bastin；　which　the　natives

brought　over　in　the　canoe；　was　there　a　bough　covered　with　red

flowers　lying　on　the　top　of　it？〃



〃Yes；　Arbuthnot；　one　bough　only；　I　threw　it　down　on　the　rock　as

it　got　in　the　way　when　I　was　carrying　the　basket。〃



〃Which　flowering　bough　we　all　thought　we　saw　the　Sleeper　Oro

carry　away　after　Tommy　had　brought　it　to　him。〃



〃Yes；　he　made　me　pick　it　up　and　give　it　to　him；〃　said　Bastin。



〃Well；　if　we　did　not　see　this　it　should　still　be　lying　on　the

rock；　as　there　has　been　no　wind　and　there　are　no　animals　here　to

carry　it　away。　You　will　admit　that；　Bickley？〃



He　nodded。



〃Then　if　it　has　gone　you　will　admit　also　that　the　presumption

is　that　we　saw　what　we　thought　we　did　see？〃



〃I　do　not　know　how　that　conclusion　can　be　avoided；　at　any　rate

so　far　as　the　incident　of　the　bough　is　concerned；〃　replied

Bickley　with　caution。



Then；　without　more　words；　we　started　to　look。　At　the　spot　where

the　bough　should　have　been；　there　was　no　bough；　but　on　the　rock

lay　several　of　the　red　flowers；　bitten　off；　I　suppose；　by　Tommy

while　he　was　carrying　it。　Nor　was　this　all。　I　think　I　have

mentioned　that　the　Glittering　Lady　wore　sandals　which　were

fastened　with　red　studs　that　looked　like　rubies　or　carbuncles。　On

the　rock　lay　one　of　these　studs。　I　picked　it　up　and　we　examined

it。　It　had　been　sewn　to　the　sandal…strap　with　golden　thread　or

silk。　Some　of　this　substance　hung　from　the　hole　drilled　in　the

stone　which　served　for　an　eye。　It　was　as　rotten　as　tinder；

apparently　with　extreme　age。　Moreover；　the　hard　gem　itself　was

pitted　as　though　the　passage　of　time　had　taken　effect　upon　it；

though　this　may　have　been　caused　by　other　agencies；　such　as　the

action　of　the　radium　rays。　I　smiled　at　Bickley　who　looked

disconcerted　and　even　sad。　In　a　way　it　is　painful　to　see　the

effect　upon　an　able　and　earnest　man　of　the　upsetting　of　his

lifelong　theories。



We　went　for　our　walk；　keeping　to　the　flat　lands　at　the　foot　of

the　volcano　cone；　for　we　seemed　to　have　had　enough　of　wonders　and

to　desire　to　reassure　ourselves；　as　it　were；　by　the　study　of

natural　and　familiar　things。　As　it　chanced；　too；　we　were　rewarded

by　sundry　useful　discoveries。　Thus　we　found　a　place　where　the

bread…tree　and　other　fruits；　most　of　them　now　ripe；　grew　in

abundance；　as　did　the　yam。　Also；　we　came　to　an　inlet　that　we

noticed　was　crowded　with　large　and　beautiful　fish　from　the　lake；

which　seemed　to　find　it　a　favourite　spot。　Perhaps　this　was

because　a　little　stream　of　excellent　water　ran　in　here；

overflowing　from　the　great　pool　or　mere　which　filled　the　crater

above。



At　these　finds　we　rejoiced　greatly；　for　now　we　knew　that　we

need　not　fear　starvation　even　should　our　supply　of　food　from　the

main　island　be　cut　off。　Indeed；　by　help　of　some　palm…leaf　stalks

which　we　wove　together　roughly；　Bastin；　who　was　rather　clever　at

this　kind　of　thing；　managed　to　trap　four　fish　weighing　two　or

three　pounds　apiece；　wading　into　the　water　to　do　so。　It　was

curious　to　observe　with　what　ease　he　adapted　himself　to　the

manners　and　customs　of　primeval　man；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that

Bickley　remarked　that　if　he　could　believe　in　re…incarnation；　he

would　be　absolutely　certain　that　Bastin　was　a　troglodyte　in　his

last　sojourn　on　the　earth。



However　this　might　be；　Bastin's　primeval　instincts　and

abilities　were　of　the　utmost　service　to　us。　Before　we　had　been

many　days　on　that　island　he　had　built　us　a　kind　of　native　hut　or

house　roofed　with　palm　leaves　in　which；　until　provided　with　a

better；　as　happened　afterwards；　we　ate　and　he　and　Bickley　slept；

leaving　the　tent　to　me。　Moreover；　he　wove　a　net　of　palm　fibre

with　which　he　caught　abundance　of　fish；　and　made　fishing…lines　of

the　same　material　（fortunately　we　had　some　hooks）　which　he　baited

with　freshwater　mussels　and　the　insides　of　fish。　By　means　of

these　he　secured　some　veritable　monsters　of　the　carp　species　that

proved　most　excellent　eating。　His　greatest　triumph；　however；　was

a　decoy　which　he　constructed　of　boughs；　wherein　he　trapped　a

number　of　waterfowl。　So　that　soon　we　kept　a　very　good　table　of　a

sort；　especially　after　he　had　learned　how　to　cook　our　food　upon

the　native　plan　by　means　of　hot　stones。　This　suited　us　admirably；

as　it　enabled　Bickley　and　myself　to　devote　all　our　time　to

archaeological　and　other　studies　which　did　not　greatly　interest

Bastin。



By　the　time　that　we　got　back　to　camp　it　was　drawing　towards

evening；　so　we　cooked　our　food　and　ate；　and　then；　thoroughly

exhausted；　made　ourselves　as　comfortable　as　we　could　and　went　to

sleep。　Even　our　marvelous　experiences　could　not　keep　Bickley　and

myself　from　sleeping；　and　on　Bastin　such　things　had　no　effect。　He

accepted　them　and　that　was　all；　much　more　readily　than　we　did；

indeed。　Triple…armed　as　he　was　in　the　mail　of　a　child…like　faith；

he　snapped　his　fingers　at　evil　spirits　which　he　supposed　the

Sleepers　to　be；　and　at　everything　else　that　other　men　might

dread。



Now；　as　I　have　mentioned；　after　our　talk　with　Marama；　although

we　did　not　think　it　wise　to　adventure　ourselves　among　them　again

at　present；　we　had　lost　all　fear　of　the　Orofenans。　In　this

attitude；　so　far　as　Marama　himself　and　the　majority　of　his　people

were　concerned；　we　were　quite　justified；　for　they　were　our　warm

friends。　But　in　the　case　of　the　sorcerers；　the　priests　and　all

their　rascally　and　superstitious　brotherhood；　we　were　by　no　means

justified。　They　had　not　forgiven　Bastin　his　sacrilege　or　for　his

undermining　of　their　authority　by　the　preaching　of　new　doctrines

which；　if　adopted；　would　destroy　them　as　a　hierarchy。　Nor　had

they　forgiven　Bickley　for　shooting　one　of　their　number；　or　any　of

us　for　our　escape　from　the　vengeance　of　their　god。



So　it　came　about　that　they　made　a　plot　to　seize　us　all　and　hale

us　off　to　be　sacrificed　to　a　substituted　image　of　Oro；　which　by

now　they　had　set　up。　They　knew　exactly　where　we　slept　upon　the

rock；　indeed；　our　fire　showed　it　to　them　and　so　far　they　were　not

afraid　to　venture；　since　here　they　had　been　accustomed　for

generations　to　lay　their　offerings　to　the　god　of　the　Mountain。

Secretly　on　the　previous　night；　without　the　knowledge　of　Marama；

they　had　carried　two　more　canoes　to　the　borders　of　the　lake。　Now

on　this　night；　just　as　the　moon　was　setting　about　three　in　the

morning；　they　made　their　attack；　twenty…one　men　in　all；　for　the

three　canoes　were　large；　relying　on　the　following　darkness　to　get

us　away　and　convey　us　to　the　place　of　sacrifice　to　be　offered　up

at　dawn　and　before　Marama　could　interfere。



The　first　we　knew　of　the　matter；　for　most　foolishly　we　had

neglected　to　keep　a　watch；　was　the　unpleasant　sensation　of　brawny

savages　kneeling　on　us　and　trussing　us　up　with　palm…fibre　ropes。

Also　they　thrust　handfuls　of　dry　grass　into　our　mouths　to　prevent

us　from　calling　out；　although　as　air　came　through　the　interstices

of　the　grass；　we　did　not　suffocate。　The　thing　was　so　well　done

that　we　never　struck　a　blow　in　self…defence；　and　although　we　had

our　pistols　at　hand；　much　less　could　we　fire　a　shot。　Of　course；

we　struggled　as　well　as　we　were　able；　but　it　was　quite　useless；

in　three　minutes　we　were　as　helpless　as　calves　in　a　net　and　like

calves　were　being　conveyed　to　the　butcher。　Bastin　managed　to　get

the　gag　out　of　his　mouth　for　a　few　seconds；　and　I　heard　him　say

in　his　slow；　heavy　voice：



〃This；　Bickley；　is　what　comes　of　trafficking　with　evil　spirits

in　museum　cases〃　There　his　speech　stopped；　for　the　grass　wad

was　jammed　down　his　throat　again；　but　distinctly　I　heard　the

inarticulate　Bickley　snort　as　he　conceived　the　repartee　he　was

unable　to　utter。　As　for　myself；　I　reflected　that　the　business

served　us　right　for　not　keeping　a　watch；　and　abandoned　the　issue

to　fate。



Still；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　was　infinitely　more　sorry　to　die

than　I　should　have　been　forty…eight　hours　earlier。　This　is　a　dull

and　in　most　ways　a　dreadful　world；　one；　if　we　could　only　summon

the　courage；　that　some　of　us　would　be　glad　to　leave　in　search　of

new　adventures。　But　here　a　great　and　unprecedented　adventure　had

begun　to　befall　me；　and　before　its　mystery　was　solved；　before

even　I　could　formulate　a　theory　concerning　it；　my　body　must　be

destroyed；　and　my　intelligence　that　was　caged　therein；　sent　far

afield；　or；　if　Bickley　were　right；　eclipsed。　It　seemed　so　sad

just　when　the　impossible；　like　an　unguessed　wandering　moon；　had

risen　over　the　grey　flats　of　the　ascertained　and　made　them　shine

with　hope　and　wonder。



They　carried　us　off　to　the　canoes；　not　too　gently；　indeed；　I

heard　the　bony　frame　of　Bastin　bump　into　the　bottom　of　one　of

them　and　reflected；　not　without　venom；　that　it　served　him　right

as　he　was　the　fount　and　origin　of　our　woes。　Two　stinking

magicians；　wearing　on　their　heads　undress　editions　of　their　court

cages；　since　these　were　too　cumbersome　for　active　work　of　the

sort；　and　painted　all　over　with　various　pigments；　were　just　about

to　swing　me　after　him　into　the　same；　or　another　canoe；　when

something　happened。　I　did　not　know　what　it　was；　but　as　a　result；

my　captors　left　hold　of　me　so　that　I　fell　to　the　rock；　lying　upon

my　back。



Then；　within　my　line　of　vision；　which；　it　must　be　remembered；

was　limited　because　I　could　not　lift　my　head；　appeared　the　upper

part　of　the　tall　person　of　the　Ancient　who　said　that　he　was　named

Oro。　I　could　only　see　him　down　to　his　middle；　but　I　noted　vaguely

that　he　seemed　to　be　much　changed。　For　instance；　he　wore　a

different　coloured　dress；　or　rather　robe；　this　time　it　was　dark

blue；　which　caused　me　to　wonder　where　on　earth　it　came　from。

Also；　his　tremendous　beard　had　been　trimmed　and　dressed；　and　on

his　head　there　was　a　simple　black　cap；　strangely　quilted；　which

looked　as　though　it　were　made　of　velvet。　Moreover；　his　face　had

plumped　out。　He　still　looked　ancient；　it