gulliver of mars(火星上的格列弗)-第33章
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On the left； in shadow； a narrow beach seemed to lie between the water
and the cliff foot； towards it I fought。 At the very first stroke I fouled a
raft； the occupant thereof came tumbling aboard and nearly swamped me。
But now it was a fight for life； so him I seized without ceremony by
clammy neck and leg and threw back into the water。 Then another playful
Martian butted the behind part of my canoe and set it spinning； so that all
the stars seemed to be dancing giddily in the sky。 With a yell I shoved
him off； but only to find his comrades were closing round me in a solid
ring as we sucked down to the abyss at ever… increasing speed。
Then I fought like a fury； hacking； pushing； and paddling shorewards；
crying out in my excitement； and spinning and bumping and twisting ever
downwards。 For every foot I gained they pushed me on a yard； as though
determined their fate should be mine also。
They crowded round me in a compact circle； their poor flower…girt
heads nodding as the swift current curtsied their crafts。 They hemmed
me in with desperate persistency as we spun through the ghostly starlight
in a swirling mass down to destruction！ And in a minute we were so
close to the edge of the fall I could see the water break into ridges as it felt
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the solid bottom give way under it。 We were so close that already the
foremost rafts； ten yards ahead； were tipping and their occupants one by
one waving their arms about and tumbling from their funeral chairs as they
shot into the spray veil and went out of sight under a faint rainbow that
was arched over there； the symbol of peace and the only lovely thing in
that gruesome region。 Another minute and I must have gone with them。
It was too late to think of getting out of the tangle then； the water behind
was heavy with trailing silks and flowers。 We were jammed together
almost like one huge float and in that latter fact lay my one chance。
On the left was a low ledge of rocks leading back to the narrow beach
already mentioned； and the ledge came out to within a few feet of where
the outmost boat on that side would pass it。 It was the only chance and a
poor one； but already the first rank of my fleet was trembling on the brink；
and without stopping to weigh matters I bounded off my own canoe on to
the raft alongside； which rocked with my weight like a tea…tray。 From
that I leapt； with such hearty good…will as I had never had before； on to a
second and third。 I jumped from the footstool of one Martian to the knee
of another； steadying myself by a free use of their nodding heads as I
passed。 And every time I jumped a ship collapsed behind me。 As I
staggered with my spring into the last and outermost boat the ledge was
still six feet away； half hidden in a smother of foam； and the rim of the
great fall just under it。 Then I drew all my sailor agility together and just
as the little vessel was going bow up over the edge I leapt from hercame
down blinded with spray on the ledge； rolled over and over； clutched
frantically at the frozen soil； and was safe for the moment； but only a few
inches from the vortex below！
As soon as I picked myself up and got breath； I walked shorewards
and found； with great satisfaction； that the ledge joined the shelving beach；
and so walked on in the blue obscurity of the cliff shadow back from the
falls in the bare hope that the beach might lead by some way into the gully
through which we had come and open country beyond。 But after a couple
of hundred yards this hope ended as abruptly as the spit itself in deep
water； and there I was； as far as the darkness would allow me to ascertain；
as utterly trapped as any mortal could be。
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I will not dwell on the next few minutes； for no one likes to
acknowledge that he has been unmanned even for a space。 When those
minutes were over calmness and con… sideration returned； and I was able
to look about。
All the opposite cliffs； rising sheer from the water； were in light； their
cold blue and white surfaces rising far up into the black starfields
overhead。 Looking at them intently from this vantage…point I saw
without at first understanding that along them horizontally； tier above tier；
were rows of objects； likelikewhy； good Heavens； they were like men
and women in all sorts of strange postures and positions！ Rubbing my eyes
and looking again I perceived with a start and a strange creepy feeling
down my back that they WERE men and women！hundreds of them；
thousands； all in rows as cormorants stand upon sea…side cliffs； myriads
and myriads now I looked about； in every conceivable pose and attitude
but never a sound； never a movement amongst the vast concourse。
Then I turned back to the cliffs behind me。 Yes！ they ere there too；
dimmer by reason of the shadows； but there for certain； from the
snowfields far above down； downgood Heavens！ to the very level where
I stood。 There was one of them not ten yards away half in and half out of
the ice wall； and setting my teeth I walked over and examined him。 And
there was another further in behind as I peered into the clear blue depth；
another behind that one； another behind himjust like cherries in a jelly。
It was startling and almost incredible； yet so many wonderful things
had happened of late that wonders were losing their sharpness； and I was
soon examining the cliff almost as coolly as though it were only some
trivial geo… logical 〃section；〃 some new kind of petrified sea…urchins
which had caught my attention and not a whole nation in ice； a huge
amphitheatre of fossilised humanity which stared down on me。
The matter was simple enough when you came to look at it with
philosophy。 The Martians had sent their dead down here for many
thousand years and as they came they were frozen in； the bands and zones
in which they sat indicating perhaps alternating seasons。 Then after
Nature had been storing them like that for long ages some up… heaval
happened； and this cleft and lake opened through the heart of the preserve。
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Probably the river once ran far up there where the starlight was crowning
the blue cliffs with a silver diadem of light； only when this hollow opened
did it slowly deepen a lower course； spreading out in a lake； and
eventually tumbling down those icy steps lose itself in the dark roots of
the hills。 It was very simple； no doubt； but incredibly weird and
wonderful to me who stood； the sole living thing in that immense
concourse of dead humanity。
Look where I would it was the same everywhere。 Those endless
rows of frozen bodies lying； sitting； or standing stared at me from every
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