rs.undertheandes-第52部分

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　Still　we　went　forward　and　upward；　scrambling　over；　under；　round；　between。　At　one　point；　when　Harry　was　a　few　yards　in　front　of　me；　he　suddenly　disappeared　from　sight　as　though　swallowed　by　the　mountain。
　Rushing　forward；　I　saw　him　scrambling　to　his　feet　at　the　bottom　of　a　chasm　some　ten　feet　below。　Luckily　he　had　escaped　serious　injury；　and　climbed　up　on　the　other　side；　while　I　leaped　across…a　distance　of　about　six　feet。
　〃They　could　never　have　brought　her　through　this；〃　he　declared；　rubbing　a　bruised　knee。
　〃Do　you　want　to　go　back？〃　I　asked。
　But　he　said　that　would　be　useless；　and　I　agreed　with　him。　So　we　struggled　onward；　painfully　and　laboriously。　The　sharp　corners　of　the　rocks　cut　our　feet　and　hands；　and　I　had　an　ugly　bruise　on　my　left　shoulder；　besides　many　lesser　ones。　Harry's　injured　knee　caused　him　to　limp　and　thus　further　retarded　our　progress。
　At　times　the　passage　broadened　out　until　the　wall　on　either　side　was　barely　visible；　only　to　narrow　down　again　till　it　was　scarcely　more　than　a　crevice　between　the　giant　boulders。　The　variation　of　the　incline　was　no　less；　being　at　times　very　nearly　level；　and　at　others　mounting　upward　at　an　angle　whose　ascent　was　all　but　impossible。　Somehow　we　crawled　up；　like　flies　on　a　wall。
　When　we　came　to　a　stream　of　water　rushing　directly　across　our　path　at　the　foot　of　a　towering　rock　Harry　gave　a　cry　of　joy　and　ran　forward。　I　had　not　known　until　then　how　badly　his　knee　was　hurt；　and　when　I　came　up　to　where　he　was　bathing　it　in　the　stream　and　saw　how　black　and　swollen　it　was；　I　insisted　that　he　give　it　a　rest。
　But　he　absolutely　refused；　and　after　we　had　quenched　our　thirst　and　gotten　an　easy　breath　or　two　we　struggled　to　our　feet　and　on。
　After　another　hour　of　scrambling　and　failing　and　hanging　on　by　our　finger　nails；　the　way　began　to　be　easier。　We　came　to　level；　clear　stretches　with　only　an　occasional　boulder　or　ravine；　and　the　rock　became　less　cruel　to　our　bleeding　feet。　The　relief　came　almost　too　late；　for　by　that　time　every　movement　was　painful；　and　we　made　but　slow　progress。
　Soon　we　faced　another　difficulty　when　we　came　to　a　point　where　a　split　in　the　passage　showed　a　lane　on　either　side。　One　led　straight　ahead；　the　other　branched　off　to　the　right。　They　were　very　similar；　but　somehow　the　one　on　the　right　looked　more　promising　to　us；　and　we　took　it。
　We　had　followed　this　but　a　short　distance　when　it　broadened　out　to　such　an　extent　that　the　walls　on　either　side　could　be　seen　but　dimly。　It　still　sloped　upward；　but　at　a　very　slight　angle；　and　we　had　little　difficulty　in　making　our　way。　Another　half…hour　and　it　narrowed　down　again　to　a　mere　lane。
　We　were　proceeding　at　a　fairly　rapid　gait；　keeping　our　eyes　strained　ahead；　when　there　appeared　an　opening　in　the　right　wall　at　a　distance　of　a　hundred　feet　or　so。　Not　having　seen　or　heard　anything　to　remend　caution；　we　advanced　without　slackening　our　pace　until　we　had　reached　it。
　I　said　aloud　to　Harry；　〃Probably　a　cross…passage；〃　and　then　jerked　him　back　quickly　against　the　opposite　wall　as　I　saw　the　real　nature　of　the　opening。
　It　led　to　a　small　room；　with　a　low　ceiling　and　rough　walls；　dark　as　the　passage　in　which　we　stood；　for　it　contained　no　light。
　We　could　see　its　interior　dimly；　but　well　enough　to　discover　the　form　of　an　Inca　standing　just　within　the　doorway。　His　back　was　toward　us；　and　he　appeared　to　be　fastening　something　to　the　ceiling　with　strips　of　hide。
　It　was　evident　that　we　had　not　been　seen；　and　I　started　to　move　on；　grasping　Harry's　arm。　It　was　then　that　I　became　aware　of　the　fact　that　the　wall　leading　away　in　front　of　us…that　is；　the　one　on　the　right…was　marked　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　with　a　succession　of　similar　openings。
　They　were　quite　close　together；　from　where　we　stood　I　could　see　thirty　or　forty　of　them。　I　guessed　that　they；　too；　led　to　rooms　similar　to　the　one　in　front　of　us；　probably　likewise　occupied；　but　it　was　necessary　to　go　on　in　spite　of　the　danger；　and　I　pulled　again　at　Harry's　arm。
　Then；　seeing　by　his　face　that　something　had　happened；　I　turned　my　eyes　again　on　the　Inca　in　the　room。　He　had　turned　about；　squarely　facing　us。　As　we　stood　motionless　he　took　a　hasty　step　forward；　we　had　been　discovered。
　There　was　but　one　thing　to　do；　and　we　didn't　hesitate　about　doing　it。　We　leaped　forward　together；　crossing　the　intervening　space　in　a　single　bound；　and　bore　the　Inca　to　the　floor　under　us。
　My　fingers　were　round　his　throat；　Harry　sat　on　him。　In　a　trice　we　had　him　securely　bound　and　gagged；　using　some　strips　of　hide　which　we　found　suspended　from　the　ceiling。
　〃By　gad！〃　exclaimed　Harry　in　a　whisper。　〃Look　at　him！　He's　a　woman！〃
　It　was　quite　evident…disgustingly　so。　Her　eyes；　dull　and　sunken；　appeared　as　two　large；　black　holes　set　back　in　her　skull。
　Her　hair；　matted　about　her　forehead　and　shoulders；　was　thick　and　coarse；　and　blacker　than　night。　Her　body　was　innocent　of　any　attempt　at　covering。
　Altogether；　not　a　very　pleasant　sight；　and　we　bundled　her　into　a　corner　and　proceeded　to　look　round　the　room；　being　careful　to　remain　out　of　the　range　of　view　from　the　corridor　as　far　as　possible。
　The　room　was　not　luxuriously　furnished。　There　were　two　seats　of　stone；　and　a　couch　of　the　same　material　covered　with　thick　hides。　In　one　corner　was　a　pile　of　copper　vessels；　in　another　two　or　three　of　stone；　rudely　carved。　Some　torn　hides　lay　in　a　heap　near　the　center　of　the　room。　From　the　ceiling　were　suspended　other　hides　and　some　strips　of　dried　fish。
　Some　of　the　latter　we　cut　down　with　the　points　of　our　spears　and　retired　with　it　to　a　corner。
　〃Ought　we　to　ask　our　hostess　to　join　us？〃　Harry　grinned。
　〃This　tastes　good；　after　the　other；〃　I　remarked。
　Hungry　as　we　were；　we　made　sad　havoc　with　the　lady's　pantry。
　Then　we　found　some　water　in　a　basin　in　the　corner　and　drank…not　without　misgivings。　But　we　were　too　thirsty　to　be　particular。
　Then　Harry　became　impatient　to　go　on；　and　though　I　had　no　liking　for　the　appearance　of　that　long　row　of　open　doorways；　I　did　not　demur。　Taking　up　our　spears；　we　stepped　out　into　the　corridor　and　turned　to　the　right。
　We　found　ourselves　running　a　gantlet　wherein　discovery　seemed　certain。　The　right　wall　was　one　unbroken　series　of　open　doorways；　and　in　each　of　the　rooms；　whose　interiors　we　could　plainly　see；　were　one　or　more　of　the　Inca　Women；　and　sometimes　children　rolled　about　on　the　stony　floor。
　In　one　of　them　a　man　stood；　I　could　have　sworn　that　he　was　gazing　straight　at　us；　and　I　gathered　myself　together　for　a　spring；　but　he　made　no　movement　of　any　kind　and　we　passed　swiftly　by。
　Once　a　little　black　ball　of　flesh…a　boy　it　was；　perhaps　five　or　six　years　old…tumbled　out　into　the　corridor　under　our　very　feet。　We　strode　over　him　and　went　swiftly　on。
　We　had　passed　about　a　hundred　of　the　open　doorways；　and　were　beginning　to　entertain　the　hope　that　we　might；　after　all；　get　through　without　being　discovered；　when　Harry　suddenly　stopped　short；　pulling　at　my　arm。　At　the　same　instant　I　saw；　far　down　the　corridor；　a　crowd　of　black　forms　moving　toward　us。
　Even　at　that　distance　something　about　their　appearance　and　gait　told　us　that　they　were　not　women。　Their　number　was　so　great　that　as　they　advanced　they　filled　the　passage　from　wall　to　wall。
　There　was　but　one　way　to　escape　certain　discovery；　and　distasteful　as　it　was；　we　did　not　hesitate　to　employ　it。　In　a　glance　I　saw　that　we　were　directly　opposite　an　open　doorway；　with　a　whispered　word　to　Harry　I　sprang　across　the　corridor　and　within　the　room。　He　followed。
　Inside　were　a　woman　and　two　children。　As　we　entered　they　looked　up；　startled；　and　stood　gazing　at　us　in　terror。　For　an　instant　we　held　back；　but　there　was　nothing　else　for　it；　and　in　another　minute　we　had　overpowered　and　bound　and　gagged　them　and　carried　them　to　a　corner。
　The　children　were　ugly　little　devils　and　the　woman　very　little　above　a　brute；　still　we　handled　them　as　tenderly　as　possible。　Then　we　crouched　against　the　wall　where　we　could　not　be　seen　from　the　corridor；　and　waited。
　Soon　the　patter　of　many　footsteps　reached　our　ears。　They　passed；　others　came；　and　still　others。　For　many　minutes　the　sound　continued　steadily；　unbroken；　while　we　sat　huddled　up　against　the　wall；　scarcely　daring　to　breathe。
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