when the world shook-第23节

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that　yonder　lay　my　true　future；　yes；　and　my　true　past；　even

though　to　discover　them　I　must　pass　through　that　portal　which　we

know　as　Death。



We　reached　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　It　was　a　vast　place；　perhaps

the　arch　of　it　was　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　I　could　see　that　once

all　this　arch　had　been　adorned　with　sculptures。　Protected　as

these　were　by　the　overhanging　rock；　for　the　sculptured　mouth　of

the　cave　was　cut　deep　into　the　mountain　face；　they　were　still　so

worn　that　it　was　impossible　to　discern　their　details。　Time　had

eaten　them　away　like　an　acid。　But　what　length　of　time？　I　could

not　guess；　but　it　must　have　been　stupendous　to　have　worked　thus

upon　that　hard　and　sheltered　rock。



This　came　home　to　me　with　added　force　when；　from　subsequent

examination；　we　learned　that　the　entire　mouth　of　this　cave　had

been　sealed　up　for　unnumbered　ages。　It　will　be　remembered　that

Marama　told　me　the　mountain　in　the　lake　had　risen　much　during　the

frightful　cyclone　in　which　we　were　wrecked　and　with　it　the　cave

mouth　which　previously　had　been　invisible。　From　the　markings　on

the　mountain　side　it　was　obvious　that　something　of　the　sort　had

happened　very　recently；　at　any　rate　on　this　eastern　face。　That

is；　either　the　flat　rock　had　sunk　or　the　volcano　had　been　thrown

upwards。



Once　in　the　far　past　the　cave　had　been　as　it　was　when　we　found

it。　Then　it　had　gone　down　in　such　a　way　that　the　table…rock

entirely　sealed　the　entrance。　Now　this　entrance　was　once　more

open；　and　although　of　course　there　was　a　break　in　them；　the

grooves　of　which　I　have　spoken　ran　on　into　the　cave　at　only　a

slightly　different　level　from　that　at　which　they　lay　upon　the

flat　rock。　And　yet；　although　they　had　been　thus　sheltered　by　a

great　stone　curtain　in　front　of　them；　still　these　sculptures　were

worn　away　by　the　tooth　of　Time。　Of　course；　however；　this　may　have

happened　to　them　before　they　were　buried　in　some　ancient

cataclysm；　to　be　thus　resurrected　at　the　hour　of　our　arrival　upon

the　island。



Without　pausing　to　make　any　closer　examination　of　these

crumbled　carvings；　we　entered　the　yawning　mouth　of　that　great

place；　following　and　indeed　walking　in　the　deep　grooves　that　I

have　mentioned。　Presently　it　seemed　to　open　out　as　a　courtyard

might　at　the　end　of　a　passage；　yes；　to　open　on　to　some　vast　place

whereof　in　that　gloom　we　could　not　see　the　roof　or　the　limits。

All　we　knew　was　that　it　must　be　enormousthe　echoes　of　our

voices　and　footsteps　told　us　as　much；　for　these　seemed　to　come

back　to　us　from　high；　high　above　and　from　far；　far　away。　Bickley

and　I　said　nothing；　we　were　too　overcome。　But　Bastin　remarked：





〃Did　you　ever　go　to　Olympia？　I　did　once　to　see　a　kind　of　play

where　the　people　said　nothing；　only　ran　about　dressed　up。　They

told　me　it　was　religious；　the　sort　of　thing　a　clergyman　should

study。　I　didn't　think　it　religious　at　all。　It　was　all　about　a　nun

who　had　a　baby。〃



〃Well；　what　of　it？〃　snapped　Bickley。



〃Nothing　particular；　except　that　nuns　don't　have　babies；　or　if

they　do　the　fact　should　not　be　advertised。　But　I　wasn't　thinking

of　that。　I　was　thinking　that　this　place　is　like　an　underground

Olympia。〃



〃Oh；　be　quiet！〃　I　said；　for　though　Bastin's　description　was　not

bad；　his　monotonous；　drawling　voice　jarred　on　me　in　that

solemnity。



〃Be　careful　where　you　walk；〃　whispered　Bickley；　for　even　he

seemed　awed；　〃there　may　be　pits　in　this　floor。〃



〃I　wish　we　had　a　light；〃　I　said；　halting。



〃If　candles　are　of　any　use；〃　broke　in　Bastin；　〃as　it　happens　I

have　a　packet　in　my　pocket。　I　took　them　with　me　this　morning　for

a　certain　purpose。〃



〃Not　unconnected　with　the　paraffin　and　the　burning　of　the　idol；

I　suppose？〃　said　Bickley。　〃Hand　them　over。〃



〃Yes；　if　I　had　been　allowed　a　little　more　time　I　intended〃



〃Never　mind　what　you　intended；　we　know　what　you　did　and　that's

enough；〃　said　Bickley　as　he　snatched　the　packet　from　Bastin's

hand　and　proceeded　to　undo　it；　adding；　〃By　heaven！　I　have　no

matches；　nor　have　you；　Arbuthnot！〃



〃I　have　a　dozen　boxes　of　wax　vestas　in　my　other　pocket；〃　said

Bastin。　〃You　see；　they　burn　so　well　when　you　want　to　get　up　a

fire　on　a　damp　idol。　As　you　may　have　noticed；　the　dew　is　very

heavy　here。〃



In　due　course　these　too　were　produced。　I　took　possession　of

them　as　they　were　too　valuable　to　be　left　in　the　charge　of

Bastin；　and；　extracting　a　box　from　the　packet；　lit　two　of　the

candles　which　were　of　the　short　thick　variety；　like　those　used　in

carriage…lamps。



Presently　they　burned　up；　making　two　faint　stars　of　light

which；　however；　were　not　strong　enough　to　show　us　either　the　roof

or　the　sides　of　that　vast　place。　By　their　aid　we　pursued　our

path；　still　following　the　grooves　till　suddenly　these　came　to　an

end。　Now　all　around　us　was　a　flat　floor　of　rock　which；　as　we

perceived　clearly　when　we　pushed　aside　the　dust　that　had　gathered

thickly　on　it　in　the　course　of　ages；　doubtless　from　the　gradual

disintegration　of　the　stony　walls；　had　once　been　polished　till　it

resembled　black　marble。　Indeed；　certain　cracks　in　the　floor

appeared　to　have　been　filled　in　with　some　dark…coloured　cement。　I

stood　looking　at　them　while　Bickley　wandered　off　to　the　right　and

a　little　forward；　and　presently　called　to　me。　I　walked　to　him；

Bastin　sticking　close　to　me　as　I　had　the　other　candle；　as　did　the

little　dog；　Tommy；　who　did　not　like　these　new　surroundings　and

would　not　leave　my　heels。



〃Look；〃　said　Bickley；　holding　up　his　candle；　〃and　tell　me

what's　that？〃



Before　me；　faintly　shown；　was　some　curious　structure　of

gleaming　rods　made　of　yellowish　metal；　which　rods　appeared　to　be

connected　by　wires。　The　structure　might　have　been　forty　feet　high

and　perhaps　a　hundred　long。　Its　bottom　part　was　buried　in　dust。



〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Bickley　again。



I　made　no　answer；　for　I　was　thinking。　Bastin；　however；　replied：



〃It's　difficult　to　be　sure　in　this　light；　but　I　should　think

that　it　may　be　the　remains　of　a　cage　in　which　some　people　who

lived　here　kept　monkeys；　or　perhaps　it　was　an　aviary。　Look　at

those　little　ladders　for　the　monkeys　to　climb　by；　or　possibly　for

the　birds　to　sit　on。〃



〃Are　you　sure　it　wasn't　tame　angels？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃What　a　ridiculous　remark！　How　can　you　keep　an　angel　in　a　cage？

I〃



〃Aeroplane！〃　I　almost　whispered　to　Bickley。



〃You've　got　it！〃　he　answered。　〃The　framework　of　an　aeroplane

and　a　jolly　large　one；　too。　Only　why　hasn't　it　oxidised？〃



〃Some　indestructible　metal；〃　I　suggested。　〃Gold；　for　instance；

does　not　oxidise。〃



He　nodded　and　said：



〃We　shall　have　to　dig　it　out。　The　dust　is　feet　thick　about　it；

we　can　do　nothing　without　spades。　Come　on。〃



We　went　round　to　the　end　of　the　structure；　whatever　it　might

be；　and　presently　came　to　another。　Again　we　went　on　and　came　to

another；　all　of　them　being　berthed　exactly　in　line。



〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　said　Bickley　in　a　voice　of　triumph。　〃A

whole　garage　full；　a　regular　fleet　of　aeroplanes！〃



〃That　must　be　nonsense；〃　said　Bastin；　〃for　I　am　quite　sure　that

these　Orofenans　cannot　make　such　things。　Indeed　they　have　no

metal；　and　even　cut　the　throats　of　pigs　with　wooden　knives。〃



Now　I　began　to　walk　forward；　bearing　to　the　left　so　as　to

regain　our　former　line。　We　could　do　nothing　with　these　metal

skeletons；　and　I　felt　that　there　must　be　more　to　find　beyond。

Presently　I　saw　something　looming　ahead　of　me　and　quickened　my

pace；　only　to　recoil。　For　there；　not　thirty　feet　away　and　perhaps

three　hundred　yards　from　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　suddenly　appeared

what　looked　like　a　gigantic　man。　Tommy　saw　it　also　and　barked　as

dogs　do　when　they　are　frightened；　and　the　sound　of　his　yaps

echoed　endlessly　from　every　quarter；　which　scared　him　to　silence。

Recovering　myself　I　went　forward；　for　now　I　guessed　the　truth。　It

was　not　a　man　but　a　statue。



The　thing　stood　upon　a　huge　base　which　lessened　by　successive

steps；　eight　of　them；　I　think；　to　its　summit。　The　foot　of　this

base　may　have　been　a　square　of　fifty　feet　or　rather　more；　the

real　support　or　pedestal　of　the　statue；　however；　was　only　a

square　of　about　six　feet。　The　figure　itself　was　little　above

life…size；　or　at　any　rate　above　our　life…size；　say　seven　feet　in

height。　It　was　very　peculiar　in　sundry　ways。



To　begin　with；　nothing　of　the　body　was　visible；　for　it　was

swathed　like　a　corpse。　From　these　wrappings　projected　one　arm；

the　right；　in　the　hand　of　which　was　the　likeness　of　a　lighted

torch。　The　head　was　not　veiled。　It　was　that　of　a　man；　long…nosed；

thin…lipped；　stern…visaged；　the　countenance　pervaded　by　an　awful

and　unutterable　calm；　as　deep　as　that　of　Buddha　only　less　benign。

On　the　brow　was　a　wreathed　head…dress；　not　unlike　an　Eastern

turban；　from　which　sprang　two　little　wings　resembling　in　some

degree　those　on　the　famous　Greek　head　of　Hypnos；　lord　of　Sleep。

Between　the　folds　of　the　wrappings　on　the　back　sprang　two　other

wings；　enormous　wings　bent　like　those　of