rs.undertheandes-第49部分

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dred　yards　ahead；　and　but　dimly。　All　was　silence；　save　the　gentle　swish　of　the　water　against　the　sides　of　the　raft　and　the　patter　of　Harry's　oar　dipping　idly　on　one　side　or　the　other。
　Suddenly　Desiree's　voice　came　through　the　silence；　soft　and　very　low：
　〃Pendant　une　anne'　toute　entiere；
　Le　regiment　na　Pas　r'paru。
　Au　Ministere　de　la　Guerre
　On　le　r'porta　me　perdu。
　
　〃On　se　r'noncait　a　r'trouver　sa　trace；
　Quand　un　matin　subitement；
　On　le　vit　r'paraitre　sur　la　place；
　L'Colonel　toujours　en　avant。〃
　
　I　waited　until　the　last　note　had　died　away　in　the　darkness。
　〃Are　those　your　thoughts？〃　I　asked　then；　half　turning。
　〃No；〃　said　Desiree；　〃but　I　want　to　kill　my　thoughts。　As　for　them…〃
　She　hesitated；　and　after　a　short　pause　her　voice　again　broke　into　melody：
　〃Fresh　as　the　first　beam　glittering　on　a　sail
　That　brings　our　friends　up　from　the　underworld；
　Sad　as　the　last　which　reddens　over　one
　That　sinks　with　all　we　love　below　the　verge；
　So　sad；　so　fresh；　the　days　that　are　no　more。〃
　Her　voice；　subdued　and　low；　breathed　a　sweetness　that　seemed　almost　to　be　of　another　world。　My　ear　quivered　with　the　vibrations；　and　long　after　she　was　silent　the　last　mellow　note　floated　through　my　brain。
　Suddenly　I　became　conscious　of　another　sound；　scarcely　less　musical。　It；　too；　was　low；　so　low　and　faint　that　at　first　I　thought　my　ear　deceived　me；　or　that　some　distant　echo　was　returning　Desiree's　song　down　the　dark　tunnel。
　Gradually；　very　gradually；　it　became　louder　and　clearer；　until　at　length　I　recognized　it。　It　was　the　rush　of　water；　unbroken；　still　low　and　at　a　great　distance。　I　turned　to　remark　on　it　to　Harry；　but　Desiree　took　the　words　from　my　mouth。
　〃I　seem　to　hear　something…like　the　surf；〃　she　said。　〃That　isn't　possible；　is　it？〃
　I　could　have　smiled　but　for　the　deep　note　of　hope　in　her　voice。
　〃Hardly；〃　I　answered。　〃I　have　heard　it　for　several　minutes。
　It　is　probably　some　shallows。　We　must　look　sharp。〃
　Another　fifteen　minutes；　and　I　began　to　notice　that　the　speed　of　the　current　was　increasing。　The　sound　of　the　rushing　water；　too；　was　quite　distinct。　Still　the　raft　moved　more　and　more　swiftly；　till　I　began　to　feel　alarmed。　I　turned　to　Harry：
　〃That　begins　to　sound　like　rapids。　See　that　the　spears　are　fastened　securely；　and　stand　ready　with　your　oar。　Sit　tight；　Desiree。〃
　One　thing　was　certain：　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　go　ahead。
　On　both　sides　the　walls　of　the　tunnel　rose　straight　up　from　the　surface　of　the　water；　there　was　nowhere　room　for　a　landing…place　…not　even　a　foot　for　a　purchase　to　stay　our　flight。　To　go　back　was　impossible；　at　the　rate　the　current　was　now　carrying　us　we　could　not　have　held　the　raft　even　for　a　moment　without　oars。
　Soon　we　were　gliding　forward　so　swiftly　that　the　raft　trembled　under　us；　from　the　darkness　ahead　came　the　sound　of　the　rapids；　now　increased　to　a　roar　that　filled　the　tunnel　and　deafened　us。　I　heard　Harry　shouting　something；　but　could　not　make　out　the　words；　we　were　shooting　forward　with　the　speed　of　an　express　train　and　the　air　about　us　was　full　of　flying　water。
　The　roar　of　the　rapids　became　louder　and　louder。　I　turned　for　an　instant；　shouting　at　the　top　of　my　voice：　〃Flat　on　your　faces；　and　hold　on　for　dear　life！〃　Then　I　dropped　down　with　my　oar　under　me；　passing　my　feet　under　two　of　the　straps　and　clinging　to　two　others　with　my　hands。
　Another　few　seconds　passed　that　seemed　an　hour。　The　raft　was　swaying　and　lurching　with　the　mad　force　of　the　current。　I　called　out　again　to　Harry　and　Desiree；　but　my　words　were　pletely　drowned　by　the　deafening；　stunning　roar　of　the　water。　All　was　darkness　and　confusion。　I　kept　asking　myself：　〃Why　doesn't　it　e？〃　It　seemed　an　age　since　I　had　thrown　myself　on　my　face。
　Suddenly　the　raft　leaped　up　under　me　and　away。　It　seemed　as　though　some　giant　hand　had　grasped　it　from　beneath　and　jerked　it　down　with　tremendous　force。　The　air　was　filled　with　water；　lashing　my　face　and　body　furiously。　The　raft　whirled　about　like　a　cork。
　I　gripped　the　straps　with　all　the　strength　that　was　in　me。　Down；　down　we　went　into　the　darkness；　my　breath　was　gone　and　my　brain　whirled　dizzily。
　There　was　a　sudden　sharp　lurch；　a　jerk　upward；　and　I　felt　the　surface　of　the　water　close　over　me。　Blinded　and　dazed；　I　clung　to　my　hold　desperately；　struggling　with　the　instinct　to　free　myself。
　For　several　seconds　the　roar　of　the　cataract　sounded　in　my　ears　with　a　furious　faintness；　as　though　it　were　at　a　great　distance；　then　I　felt　the　air　again　and　a　sudden　cessation　of　motion。
　I　opened　my　eyes；　choking　and　sputtering。　For　a　time　I　could　see　nothing；　then　I　made　out　Desiree's　form；　and　Harry's；　stretched　behind　me　on　the　raft。　At　the　same　instant　Harry's　voice　came：
　〃Paul！　Ah；　Desiree！〃
　In　another　moment　we　were　at　her　side。　Her　hands　held　to　the　straps　on　each　side　with　a　grip　as　of　death；　we　had　to　pry　off　each　of　her　fingers　separately　to　loosen　them。　Then　we　bent　her　over　Harry's　knee　and　worked　her　arms　up　and　down；　and　soon　her　chest　heaved　convulsively　and　her　lungs　freed　themselves　of　the　water　they　had　taken。　Presently　she　turned　about；　her　eyes　opened　and　she　pressed　her　hands　to　her　head。
　〃Don't　say　'Where　am　I？'〃　said　Harry；　〃because　we　don't　know。
　How　do　you　feel？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered；　still　gasping　for　breath。　〃What　was　it？　What　did　we　do？〃
　I　left　them　then；　turning　to　survey　the　extent　of　our　damage。
　There　was　absolutely　none；　we　were　as　intact　as　when　we　started。
　The　provisions　and　spears　remained　under　their　straps；　my　oar　lay　where　I　had　fallen　on　it。　The　raft　appeared　to　be　floating　easily　as　before；　without　a　scratch。
　The　water　about　us　was　churned　into　foam；　though　we　had　already　been　carried　so　far　from　the　cataract　that　it　was　lost　behind　us　in　the　darkness；　only　its　roar　reached　our　ears。　To　this　day　I　haven't　the　faintest　idea　of　its　height；　it　may　have　been　ten　feet　or　two　hundred。　Harry　says　a　thousand。
　We　were　moving　slowly　along　on　the　surface　of　what　appeared　to　be　a　lake；　still　carried　forward　by　the　force　of　the　falls　behind　us。　For　my　part；　I　found　its　roar　bewildering　and　confusing；　and　I　picked　up　my　oar　and　menced　to　paddle　away　from　it；　at　least；　so　I　judged。
　Harry's　voice　came　from　behind：
　〃In　the　name　of　goodness；　where　did　you　get　that　oar？〃
　I　turned。
　〃Young　man；　a　good　sailor　never　loses　an　oar。　How　do　you　feel；　Desiree？〃
　〃Like　a　drowned　rat；〃　she　answered；　but　with　a　laugh　in　her　voice。　〃I'm　faint　and　sick　and　wet；　and　my　throat　is　ready　to　burst；　but　I　wouldn't　have　missed　that　for　anything。　It　was　glorious！　I'd　like　to　do　it　again。〃
　〃Yes；　you　would；〃　said　Harry　skeptically。　〃You're　wele；　thank　you。　But　what　I　want　to　know　is；　where　did　that　oar　e　from？〃
　I　explained　that　I　had　taken　the　precaution　to　fall　on　it。
　
　〃Do　you　never　lose　your　head？〃　asked　Desiree。
　〃No；　merely　my　heart。〃
　〃Oh；　as　for　that；〃　she　retorted；　with　a　lightness　that　still　had　a　sting；　〃my　good　friend；　you　never　had　any。〃
　Whereupon　I　returned　to　my　paddling　in　haste。
　Soon　I　discovered　that　though；　as　I　have　said；　we　appeared　to　be　in　a　lake…for　I　could　see　no　bank　on　either　side…there　was　still　a　current。　We　drifted　slowly；　but　our　movement　was　plainly　perceptible；　and　I　rested　on　my　oar。
　Presently　a　wall　loomed　up　ahead　of　us　and　I　saw　that　the　stream　again　narrowed　down　as　it　entered　the　tunnel；　much　lower　than　the　one　above　the　cataract。　The　current　became　swifter　as　we　were　carried　toward　its　mouth；　and　I　called　to　Harry　to　get　his　spear　to　keep　us　off　from　the　walls　if　it　should　prove　necessary。
　But　we　entered　exactly　in　the　center　and　were　swept　forward　with　a　rush。
　The　ceiling　of　the　tunnel　was　so　low　that　we　could　not　stand　upright　on　the　raft；　and　the　stream　was　not　more　than　forty　feet　wide。　That　was　anything　but　promising；　if　the　stream　really　ran　through　to　the　western　slope；　its　volume　of　water　should　have　been　increasing　instead　of　diminishing。　I　said　nothing　of　that　to　Harry　or　Desiree。
　We　had　sailed　along　thus　without　incident　for　upward　of　half　an　hour；　when　my　carelessness；　or　the　darkness；　nearly　brought　us　to　grief。　Suddenly；　without　warning；　there　was　a　violent　jar　and　the　raft　rebounded　with　a　force　that　all