rs.undertheandes-第57部分

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　Suddenly；　as　I　sat　gazing　dully　into　the　semidarkness　of　the　cavern；　I　saw　that　which　drove　the　apathy　from　my　brain　with　a　sudden　shock；　at　the　same　time　paralyzing　my　senses。　I　strained　my　eyes　ahead；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　it；　that　black；　slowly　moving　line　was　a　band　of　Incas　creeping　toward　us　silently；　on　their　knees；　through　the　darkness。　Glancing　to　either　side　I　saw　that　the　line　extended　pletely　around　us；　to　the　right　and　left。
　The　sight　seemed　to　paralyze　me。　I　tried　to　call　to　Harry…no　sound　came　from　my　eager　lips。　I　tried　to　put　out　my　hand　to　rouse　him　and　to　pick　up　my　spear；　my　arms　remained　motionless　at　my　side。
　Desiree　lay　close　beside　me；　I　could　not　even　turn　my　head　to　see　if　she；　too；　saw；　but　kept　my　eyes；　as　though　fascinated；　on　that　silent　black　line　approaching　through　the　darkness。
　〃Will　they　leap　now…now…now？〃　I　asked　myself　with　every　beat　of　my　pulse。
　It　could　not　be　much　longer…they　were　now　so　close　that　each　black；　tense　form　was　in　clear　outline　not　fifty　feet　away。
　
　Chapter　XXIII。
　WE　ARE　TWO。
　
　Whether　I　would　have　been　able　to　rouse　myself　to　action　before　the　shock　of　the　assault　was　actually　upon　us；　I　shall　never　know。
　It　was　not　fear　that　held　me；　for　I　felt　none；　I　think　that　dimly　and　half　unconsciously　I　saw　in　that　black　line；　silently　creeping　upon　us；　the　final　and　inexorable　approach　of　the　remorseless　fate　that　had　pursued　us　ever　since　we　had　dashed　after　Desiree　into　the　cave　of　the　devil；　rendering　our　every　effort　futile；　our　most　desperate　struggles　the　laughing…stock　of　the　gods。
　I　was　not　even　conscious　of　danger。　I　sat　as　in　a　stupor。
　But　action　came；　though　not　from　me；　so　suddenly　that　I　scarcely　knew　what　had　happened。　There　was　a　cry　from　Desiree。
　Harry　sprang　to　his　feet。　The　Incas　leaped　forward。
　I　felt　myself　jerked　violently　from　the　ground；　and　a　spear　was　thrust　into　my　hand。　Harry's　form　flashed　past　me；　shouting　to　me　to　follow。　Desiree　was　at　his　heels；　but　I　saw　her　halt　and　turn　to　me；　and　I；　too；　sprang　forward。
　Harry's　spear　whirled　about　his　head；　leaving　a　gap　in　the　black　line　that　was　now　upon　us。　Through　it　we　plunged。　The　Incas　turned　and　came　at　us　from　behind；　one　whose　hands　were　upon　Desiree　got　my　spear　in　his　throat　and　sank　to　the　ground。
　〃Cross　to　the　left！〃　Harry　yelled。　He　was　fighting　them　off　from　every　direction　at　once。
　I　turned；　calling　to　Desiree　to　follow；　and　dashed　across　the　cavern。　We　saw　the　wall　just　ahead；　broken　and　rugged。　Again　turning　I　called　to　Harry；　but　could　not　see　him　for　the　black　forms　on　every　side；　and　I　was　starting　to　his　rescue　when　I　saw　him　plunge　toward　us；　cutting　his　way　through　the　solid　mass　of　Incas　as　though　they　had　been　stalks　of　corn。　He　was　not　a　man；　but　a　demon　possessed。
　〃Go　on；〃　he　shouted。　〃I'll　make　it！〃
　Then　I　turned　and　ran　with　Desiree　to　the　wall。　We　followed　it　a　short　distance　before　we　reached　one　of　the　lanes　of　which　Harry　had　spoken；　at　its　entrance　he　joined　us；　still　bidding　us　to　leave　him　to　cover　our　retreat。
　Once　within　the　narrow　lane　his　task　was　easier。　Boulders　and　projecting　rocks　obstructed　our　progress；　but　they　were　even　greater　obstacles　to　those　who　pursued　us。　Still　they　rushed　forward；　only　to　be　hurled　back　by　the　point　of　Harry's　spear。
　Once；　turning；　I　saw　him　pick　one　of　them　up　bodily　and　toss　him　whirling　through　the　air　into　the　very　faces　of　his　rades。
　I　had　all　I　could　do　with　Desiree　and　myself。　Many　times　I　scrambled　up　the　steep　face　of　some　boulder　and；　after　pulling　her　up　safely　after　me；　let　her　down　again　on　the　other　side。　Then　I　returned　to　see　that　Harry　got　over　safely；　and　often　he　made　it　barely　by　inches；　while　flying　spears　struck　the　rock　on　every　side。
　It　is　a　wonder　to　me　now　that　I　was　able　even　to　stand；　after　my　experience　on　the　spiral　stairway　in　the　column。　The　soles　of　my　feet　and　the　palms　of　my　hands　were　baked　black　as　the　Incas　themselves。　Blisters　covered　my　body　from　head　to　foot；　swelling；　indescribably　painful。
　Every　step　I　took　made　me　clench　my　teeth　to　keep　from　sinking　in　a　faint　to　the　ground；　I　expected　always　that　the　next　would　be　my　last…but　somehow　I　struggled　onward。　It　was　the　thought　of　Desiree；　I　think；　that　held　me　up；　and　Harry。
　Suddenly　a　shout　came　from　Harry　that　the　Incas　had　abandoned　the　pursuit。　It　struck　me　almost　as　a　matter　of　indifference；　nor　was　I　affected　when　almost　immediately　afterward　he　called　that　he　had　been　mistaken　and　that　they　had　rushed　forward　with　renewed　fury　and　in　greater　numbers。
　〃It　is　only　a　matter　of　time　now；〃　I　said　to　Desiree；　and　she　nodded。
　Still　we　went　forward。　The　land　had　carried　us　straight　away　from　the　cavern；　without　a　turn。　Its　walls　were　the　roughest　I　had　seen；　and　often　a　boulder　which　lay　across　our　path　presented　a　serrated　face　that　looked　as　though　it　had　but　just　been　broken　from　the　wall　above。　Still　the　stone　was　paratively　soft…time　had　not　yet　worked　its　leveling　finger　on　the　surfaces　that　surrounded　us。
　We　were　standing　on　one　of　these　boulders　when　Harry　came　running　toward　us。
　〃They're　stopped；〃　he　cried　gleefully；　〃at　least　for　a　little。
　A　piece　of　rock　as　big　as　a　house　gently　slid　from　above　onto　their　precious　heads。　It　may　have　blocked　them　off　pletely。〃
　We　hurried　forward　then；　Harry　helped　Desiree；　while　I　painfully　brought　up　the　rear。　At　every　few　steps　they　were　forced　to　halt　and　wait　for　me；　though　I　did　my　utmost　to　keep　us　with　them。　Harry　had　taken　my　spear　that　I　might　have　both　hands　to　help　me　over　the　rocks。
　Climbing；　sliding；　jumping；　we　left　the　Incas　behind；　no　sound　came　from　the　rear。　I　began　to　think　that　they　had　really　been　pletely　shut　off；　and　several　times　opened　my　mouth　to　call　to　Harry　to　ask　him　if　it　would　not　be　safe　to　halt；　for　every　movement　I　made　was　torture。　But　each　time　I　choked　back　the　cry；　he　thought　it　was　necessary　to　go　on　and　I　followed。
　This　lasted　I　know　not　how　long；　I　was　staggering　and　reeling　forward　like　a　drunken　man；　so　little　aware　of　what　I　was　doing　that　when　Harry　and　Desiree　finally　stopped　at　the　beginning　of　a　level；　unbroken　stretch　in　the　lane；　I　stumbled　directly　against　them　before　I　knew　they　had　halted。
　〃Go　on！〃　I　gasped；　struggling　to　my　feet　in　a　mania。
　Harry　stooped　over　to　assist　me　and　set　me　with　my　back　resting　against　the　wall。　Desiree　supported　herself　near　by；　scarcely　able　to　stand。
　〃We　can　go　no　farther；〃　said　Harry。　〃If　they　e…〃
　As　he　spoke　I　became　aware　of　a　curious　movement　in　the　wall　opposite…a　movement　as　of　the　wall　itself。　At　first　I　thought　it　a　delusion　produced　by　my　disordered　brain；　but　when　I　saw　Desiree's　astonished　gaze　following　mine；　and　heard　Harry's　cry　of　wonder　as　he　turned　and　saw　it　also；　I　knew　the　thing　was　real。
　A　great　portion　of　the　wall；　the　entire　side　of　the　passage　for　a　length　of　a　hundred　feet　or　more；　was　sliding　slowly　downward。　Glancing　above　I　saw　a　space　of　several　feet　where　the　rock　had　departed　from　its　bed。　The　only　noise　audible　was　a　low；　grating　sound　like　the　slow　grinding　of　a　gigantic　millstone。
　None　of　us　moved…if　there　were　danger　we　would　seem　to　have　weled　it。　Suddenly　the　great　mass　of　rock　appeared　to　halt　in　its　downward　movement　and　hang　as　though　suspended；　then　with　a　sudden　jerk　it　seemed　to　free　itself；　swaying　ponderously　toward　us；　and　the　next　moment　it　had　fallen　straight　down　into　some　abyss　below；　thundering；　tumbling；　sliding　with　terrific　velocity。
　There　was　a　deafening　roar　under　our　feet；　the　ground　rocked　as　from　an　earthquake；　and　it　seemed　as　though　the　wall　against　which　we　stood　was　about　to　fall　in　upon　us。　Dust　and　fragments　of　rock　filled　the　air　on　every　side；　and　one　huge　boulder；　detached　from　the　roof　above；　came　tumbling　at　our　feet；　missing　us　by　inches。
　We　were　pletely　stunned　by　the　cataclysm；　but　in　a　moment　Harry　had　recovered　and　run　to　the　edge　of　the　chasm　opposite　thus　suddenly　formed。　Desiree　and　I　followed。
　There　was　nothing　to　be　seen　save　the　blackness　of　space。
　Immediately　before　us　was　an　apparently　bottomless　abyss；　black　and　terrifying；　the　side　descended　straight　down　from　our　feet。
　Looking　across　we　could　see　dimly　a　wall　s