Aftertwohours’perilousexertionswestooduponthesummitofanotherridge,anditwaswithdifficultyIcouldbringmyselftobelievethatwehadeverpenetratedtheblackandyawningchasmwhichthengapedatourfeet。Againwegazedupontheprospectwhichtheheightcommanded,butitwasjustasdepressingastheonewhichhadbeforemetoureyes。Inowfeltthatinourpresentsituationitwasinvainforustothinkofeverovercomingtheobstaclesinourway,andIgaveupallthoughtsofreachingthevalewhichlaybeyondthisseriesofimpediments;whileatthesametimeIcouldnotdeviseanyschemetoextricateourselvesfromthedifficultiesinwhichwewereinvolved。
TheremotestideaofreturningtoNukuhevaunlessassuredofourvessel’sdeparture,neveronceenteredmymind,andindeeditwasquestionablewhetherwecouldhavesucceededinreachingit,dividedaswewerefromthebaybyadistancewecouldnotcompute,andperplexedtooinourremembranceoflocalitiesbyourrecentwanderings。Besides,itwasunendurablethethoughtofretracingourstepsandrenderingallourpainfulexertionsofnoavail。
Thereisscarcelyanythingwhenamanisindifficultiesthatheismoredisposedtolookuponwithabhorrencethanaright-aboutretrogrademovement-asystematicgoingoverofthealreadytroddenground:andespeciallyifhehasaloveofadventure,suchacourseappearsindescribablyrepulsive,solongasthereremainstheleasthopetobederivedfrombravinguntrieddifficulties。
Itwasthisfeelingthatpromptedustodescendtheoppositesideoftheelevationwehadjustscaled,althoughwithwhatdefiniteobjectinviewitwouldhavebeenimpossibleforeitherofustotell。
Withoutexchangingasyllableuponthesubject,Tobyandmyselfsimultaneouslyrenouncedthedesignwhichhadluredusthusfar-
perceivingineachother’scountenancesthatdespondingexpressionwhichspeaksmoreeloquentlythanwords。
Togetherwestoodtowardsthecloseofthiswearydayinthecavityofthethirdgorgewehadentered,whollyincapacitatedforanyfurtherexertion,untilrestoredtosomedegreeofstrengthbyfoodandrepose。
Weseatedourselvesupontheleastuncomfortablespotwecouldselect,andTobyproducedfromthebosomofhisfrockthesacredpackage。Insilencewepartookofthesmallmorselofrefreshmentthathadbeenleftfromthemorning’srepast,andwithoutonceproposingtoviolatethesanctityofourengagementwithrespecttotheremainder,werosetoourfeet,andproceededtoconstructsomesortofshelterunderwhichwemightobtainthesleepwesogreatlyneeded。
Fortunatelythespotwasbetteradaptedtoourpurposethantheoneinwhichwehadpassedthelastwretchednight。Weclearedawaythetallreedsfromasmallbutalmostlevelbitofground,andtwistedthemintoalowbasket-likehut,whichwecoveredwithaprofusionoflongthickleaves,gatheredfromatreenearathand。
Wedisposedthemthicklyallaround,reservingonlyaslightopeningthatbarelypermittedustocrawlundertheshelterwehadthusobtained。
Thesedeeprecesses,thoughprotectedfromthewindsthatassailthesummitsoftheirloftysides,aredampandchilltoadegreethatonewouldhardlyanticipateinsuchaclimate;andbeingunprovidedwithanythingbutourwoollenfrocksandthinducktrouserstoresistthecoldoftheplace,wewerethemoresolicitoustorenderourhabitationforthenightascomfortableaswecould。
Accordingly,inadditiontowhatwehadalreadydone,wepluckeddownalltheleaveswithinourreachandthrewtheminaheapoverourlittlehut,intowhichwenowcrept,rakingafterusareservedsupplytoformourcouch。
ThatnightnothingbutthepainIsufferedpreventedmefromsleepingmostrefreshingly。Asitwas,Icaughttwoorthreenaps,whileTobysleptawayatmysideassoundlyasthoughhehadbeensandwichedbetweentwoHollandsheets。Luckilyitdidnotrain,andwewerepreservedfromthemiserywhichaheavyshowerwouldhaveoccasionedus。
InthemorningIwasawakenedbythesonorousvoiceofmycompanionringinginmyearsandbiddingmerise。Icrawledoutfromourheapofleaves,andwasastonishedatthechangewhichagoodnight’sresthadwroughtinhisappearance。Hewasasblitheandjoyousasayoungbird,andwasstayingthekeennessofhismorning’sappetitebychewingthesoftbarkofadelicatebranchheheldinhishand,andherecommendedtheliketome,asanadmirableantidoteagainstthegnawingsofhunger。
Formyownpart,thoughfeelingmateriallybetterthanIhaddonetheprecedingevening,Icouldnotlookatthelimbthathadpainedmesoviolentlyatintervalsduringthelasttwenty-fourhours,withoutexperiencingasenseofalarmthatIstroveinvaintoshakeoff。Unwillingtodisturbtheflowofmycomrade’sspirits,I
managedtostiflethecomplaintstowhichImightotherwisehavegivenvent,andcallinguponhimgood-humouredlytospeedourbanquet,I
preparedmyselfforitbywashinginthestream。Thisoperationconcluded,weswallowed,orratherabsorbed,byapeculiarkindofslowsuckingprocess,ourrespectivemorselsofnourishment,andthenenteredintoadiscussionastothestepsitwasnecessaryforustopursue。
“What’stobedonenow?“inquiredI,ratherdolefully。
“Descendintothatsamevalleywedescriedyesterday,“rejoinedToby,witharapidityandloudnessofutterancethatalmostledmetosuspecthehadbeenslylydevouringthebroadsideofanoxinsomeoftheadjoiningthickets。“Whatelse,“hecontinued,“remainsforustodobutthat,tobesure?Why,weshallbothstarve,toacertainty,ifweremainhere;andastoyourfearsofthoseTypees-
dependuponit,itisallnonsense。Itisimpossiblethattheinhabitantsofsuchalovelyplaceaswesawcanbeanythingelsebutgoodfellows;andifyouchooserathertoperishwithhungerinoneofthesesoppycaverns,Iforoneprefertochanceabolddescentintothevalley,andrisktheconsequences。“
“Andwhoistopilotusthither,“Iasked,“evenifweshoulddecideuponthemeasureyoupropose?Arewetogoagainupanddownthoseprecipicesthatwecrossedyesterday,untilwereachtheplacewestartedfrom,andthentakeaflyingleapfromthecliffstothevalley?“
“’Faith,Ididn’tthinkofthat,“saidToby;“sureenough,bothsidesofthevalleyappearedtobehemmedinbyprecipices,didn’tthey?“
“Yes,“answeredI;“assteepasthesidesofaline-of-battleship,andaboutahundredtimesashigh。“Mycompanionsankhisheaduponhisbreast,andremainedforawhileindeepthought。Suddenlyhesprangtohisfeet,whilehiseyeslightedupwiththatgleamofintelligencethatmarksthepresenceofsomebrightidea。
“Yes,yes,“heexclaimed;“thestreamsallruninthesamedirection,andmustnecessarilyflowintothevalleybeforetheyreachthesea;allwehavetodoisjusttofollowthisstream,andsoonerorlater,itwillleadusintothevale。“
“Youareright,Toby,“Iexclaimed,“youareright;itconductusthither,andquickly,too;for,seewithwhatasteepinclinationthewaterdescends。“
“Itdoes,indeed,“burstforthmycompanion,overjoyedatmyverificationofhistheory,“itdoes,indeed;why,itisasplainasapike-staff。Letusproceedatonce;come,throwawayallthosestupidideasabouttheTypees,andhurrahforthelovelyvalleyoftheHappars!“
“YouwillhaveittobeHappar,Isee,mydearfellow;prayHeaven,youmaynotfindyourselfdeceived,“observedI,withashakeofmyhead。
“Amentoallthat,andmuchmore,“shoutedToby,rushingforward;“butHapparitis,fornothingelsethanHapparcanitbe。Sogloriousavalley-suchforestsofbread-fruittrees-suchgrovesofcocoa-nut-suchwildernessesofguava-bushes!Ah,shipmate!don’tlingerbehind:inthenameofalldelightfulfruits,Iamdyingtobeatthem。Comeon,comeon;shoveahead,there’salivelylad;nevermindtherocks;kickthemoutoftheway,asIdo;andto-morrow,oldfellow,takemywordforit,weshallbeinclover。Comeon“;
andsosaying,hedashedalongtheravinelikeamadman,forgettingmyinabilitytokeepupwithhim。Inafewminutes,however,theexuberanceofhisspiritsabated,and,pausingforawhile,hepermittedmetoovertakehim。
THEfearlessconfidenceofTobywascontagious,andIbegantoadopttheHapparsideofthequestion。Icouldnot,however,overcomeacertainfeelingoftrepidation,aswemadeourwayalongthesegloomysolitudes。Ourprogress,atfirstcomparativelyeasy,becamemoreandmoredifficult。Thebedofthewatercoursewascoveredwithfragmentsofbrokenrocks,whichhadfallenfromabove,offeringsomanyobstructionstothecourseoftherapidstream,whichvexedandfrettedaboutthem,-formingatintervalssmallwaterfalls,pouringoverintodeepbasins,orsplashingwildlyuponheapsofstones。
Fromthenarrownessofthegorge,andthesteepnessofitssides,therewasnomodeofadvancingbutbywadingthroughthewater;
stumblingeverymomentovertheimpedimentswhichlayhiddenunderitssurface,ortrippingagainstthehugerootsoftrees。Butthemostannoyinghindranceweencounteredwasfromamultitudeofcrookedboughs,which,shootingoutalmosthorizontallyfromthesidesofthechasm,twistedthemselvestogetherinfantasticmassesalmosttothesurfaceofthestream,affordingusnopassageexceptunderthelowarcheswhichtheyformed。Underthesewewereobligedtocrawlonourhandsandfeet,slidingalongtheoozysurfaceoftherocks,orslippingintothedeeppools,andwithscarcelightenoughtoguideus。Occasionallywewouldstrikeourheadsagainstsomeprojectinglimbofatree;andwhileimprudentlyengagedinrubbingtheinjuredpart,wouldfallsprawlingamongstflintyfragments,cuttingandbruisingourselves,whilsttheunpityingwatersflowedoverourprostratebodies。Belzoni,worminghimselfthroughthesubterraneanpassagesoftheEgyptiancatacombs,couldnothavemetwithgreaterimpedimentsthanthosewehereencountered。Butwestruggledagainstthemmanfully,wellknowingouronlyhopelayinadvancing。
Towardssunsetwehaltedataspotwherewemadepreparationsforpassingthenight。Hereweconstructedahut,inmuchthesamewayasbefore,andcrawlingintoit,endeavouredtoforgetoursufferings。
第9章