the underground city-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Heaven　grant　it！〃　returned　Starr。　　〃As　to　the　quality　of　the　coal　which　crops　out　of　these　walls？〃

〃Superb！　　Mr。　Starr；　superb！〃　answered　Ford；　〃just　look　at　it　yourself！〃

And　so　saying；　with　his　pick　he　struck　off　a　fragment　of　the　black　rock。

〃Look！　look！〃　he　repeated；　holding　it　close　to　his　lamp；　〃the　surface　of　this　piece　of　coal　is　shining！　　We　have　here　fat　coal；　rich　in　bituminous　matter；　and　see　how　it　comes　in　pieces；　almost　without　dust！　　Ah；　Mr。　Starr！　twenty　years　ago　this　seam　would　have　entered　into　a　strong　competition　with　Swansea　and　Cardiff！　　Well；　stokers　will　quarrel　for　it　still；　and　if　it　costs　little　to　extract　it　from　the　mine；　it　will　not　sell　at　a　less　price　outside。〃

〃Indeed；〃　said　Madge；　who　had　taken　the　fragment　of　coal　and　was　examining　it　with　the　air　of　a　connoisseur；　〃that's　good　quality　of　coal。　　Carry　it　home；　Simon；　carry　it　back　to　the　cottage！　I　want　this　first　piece　of　coal　to　burn　under　our　kettle。〃

〃Well　said；　wife！〃　answered　the　old　overman；　〃and　you　shall　see　that　I　am　not　mistaken。〃

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　asked　Harry；　〃have　you　any　idea　of　the　probable　direction　of　this　long　passage　which　we　have　been　following　since　our　entrance　into　the　new　mine？〃

〃No；　my　lad；〃　replied　the　engineer；　〃with　a　compass　I　could　perhaps　find　out　its　general　bearing；　but　without　a　compass　I　am　here　like　a　sailor　in　open　sea；　in　the　midst　of　fogs；　when　there　is　no　sun　by　which　to　calculate　his　position。〃

〃No　doubt；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　Ford；　〃but　pray　don't　compare　our　position　with　that　of　the　sailor；　who　has　everywhere　and　always　an　abyss　under　his　feet！　　We　are　on　firm　ground　here；　and　need　never　be　afraid　of　foundering。〃


〃I　won't　tease　you；　then；　old　Simon；〃　answered　James　Starr。　　〃Far　be　it　from　me　even　in　jest　to　depreciate　the　New　Aberfoyle　mine　by　an　unjust　comparison！　　I　only　meant　to　say　one　thing；　and　that　is　that　we　don't　know　where　we　are。〃

〃We　are　in　the　subsoil　of　the　county　of　Stirling；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　Simon　Ford；　〃and　that　I　assert　as　if〃

〃Listen！〃　said　Harry；　interrupting　the　old　man。　All　listened；　as　the　young　miner　was　doing。　　His　ears；　which　were　very　sharp；　had　caught　a　dull　sound；　like　a　distant　murmur。　His　companions　were　not　long　in　hearing　it　themselves。　It　was　above　their　heads；　a　sort　of　rolling　sound；　in　which　though　it　was　so　feeble；　the　successive　CRESCENDO　and　DIMINUENDO　could　be　distinctly　heard。

All　four　stood　for　some　minutes；　their　ears　on　the　stretch；　without　uttering　a　word。　　All　at　once　Simon　Ford　exclaimed；　〃Well；　I　declare！　　Are　trucks　already　running　on　the　rails　of　New　Aberfoyle？〃

〃Father；〃　replied　Harry；　〃it　sounds　to　me　just　like　the　noise　made　by　waves　rolling　on　the　sea　shore。〃

〃We　can't　be　under　the　sea　though！〃　cried　the　old　overman。

〃No；〃　said　the　engineer；　〃but　it　is　not　impossible　that　we　should　be　under　Loch　Katrine。〃

〃The　roof　cannot　have　much　thickness　just　here；　if　the　noise　of　the　water　is　perceptible。〃

〃Very　little　indeed；〃　answered　James　Starr；　〃and　that　is　the　reason　this　cavern　is　so　huge。〃

〃You　must　be　right；　Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Harry。

〃Besides；　the　weather　is　so　bad　outside；〃　resumed　Starr；　〃that　the　waters　of　the　loch　must　be　as　rough　as　those　of　the　Firth　of　Forth。〃

〃Well！　what　does　it　matter　after　all？〃　returned　Simon　Ford；　〃the　seam　won't　be　any　the　worse　because　it　is　under　a　loch。　It　would　not　be　the　first　time　that　coal　has　been　looked　for　under　the　very　bed　of　the　ocean！　　When　we　have　to　work　under　the　bottom　of　the　Caledonian　Canal；　where　will　be　the　harm？〃

〃Well　said；　Simon；〃　cried　the　engineer；　who　could　not　restrain　a　smile　at　the　overman's　enthusiasm；　〃let　us　cut　our　trenches　under　the　waters　of　the　sea！　　Let　us　bore　the　bed　of　the　Atlantic　like　a　strainer；　let　us　with　our　picks　join

our　brethren　of　the　United　States　through　the　subsoil　of　the　ocean！　let　us　dig　into　the　center　of　the　globe　if　necessary；　to　tear　out　the　last　scrap　of　coal。〃

〃Are　you　joking；　Mr。　Starr？〃　asked　Ford；　with　a　pleased　but　slightly　suspicious　look。

〃I　joking；　old　man？　no！　but　you　are　so　enthusiastic　that　you　carry　me　away　into　the　regions　of　impossibility！　　Come；　let　us　return　to　the　reality；　which　is　sufficiently　beautiful；　leave　our　picks　here；　where　we　may　find　them　another　day；　and　let's　take　the　road　back　to　the　cottage。〃

Nothing　more　could　be　done　for　the　time。　　Later；　the　engineer；　accompanied　by　a　brigade　of　miners；　supplied　with　lamps　and　all　necessary　tools；　would　r閟um？the　exploration　of　New　Aberfoyle。　　It　was　now　time　to　return　to　the　Dochart　pit。　The　road　was　easy；　the　gallery　running　nearly　straight　through　the　rock　up　to　the　orifice　opened　by　the　dynamite；　so　there　was　no　fear　of　their　losing　themselves。

But　as　James　Starr　was　proceeding　towards　the　gallery　Simon　Ford　stopped　him。

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　said　he；　〃you　see　this　immense　cavern；　this　subterranean　lake；　whose　waters　bathe　this　strand　at　our　feet？　Well！　it　is　to　this　place　I　mean　to　change　my　dwelling；　here　I　will　build　a　new　cottage；　and　if　some　brave　fellows　will　follow　my　example；　before　a　year　is　over　there　will　be　one　town　more　inside　old　England。〃

James　Starr；　smiling　approval　of　Ford's　plans；　pressed　his　hand；　and　all　three；　preceding　Madge；　re…entered　the　gallery；　on　their　way　back　to　the　Dochart　pit。　　For　the　first　mile　no　incident　occurred。　Harry　walked　first；　holding　his　lamp　above　his　head。　He　carefully　followed　the　principal　gallery；　without　ever　turning　aside　into　the　narrow　tunnels　which　radiated　to　the　right　and　left。　It　seemed　as　if　the　returning　was　to　be　accomplished　as　easily　as　the　going；　when　an　unexpected　accident　occurred　which　rendered　the　situation　of　the　explorers　very　serious。

Just　at　a　moment　when　Harry　was　raising　his　lamp　there　came　a　rush　of　air；　as　if　caused　by　the　flapping　of　invisible　wings。　The　lamp　escaped　from　his　hands；　fell　on　the　rocky　ground；　and　was　broken　to　pieces。

James　Starr　and　his　companions　were　suddenly　plunged　in　absolute　darkness。　　All　the　oil　of　the　lamp　was　spilt；　and　it　was　of　no　further　use。　　〃Well；　Harry；〃　cried　his　father；

〃do　you　want　us　all　to　break　our　necks　on　the　way　back　to　the　cottage？〃

Harry　did　not　answer。　　He　wondered　if　he　ought　to　suspect　the　hand　of　a　mysterious　being　in　this　last　accident？　Could　there　possibly　exist　in　these　depths　an　enemy　whose　unaccountable　antagonism　would　one　day　create　serious　difficulties？　Had　someone　an　interest　in　defending　the　new　coal　field　against　any　attempt　at　working　it？　　In　truth　that　seemed　absurd；　yet　the　facts　spoke　for　themselves；　and　they　accumulated　in　such　a　way　as　to　change　simple　presumptions　into　certainties。

In　the　meantime　the　explorers'　situation　was　bad　enough。　They　had　now；　in　the　midst　of　black　darkness；　to　follow　the　passage　leading　to　the　Dochart　pit　for　nearly　five　miles。　There　they　would　still　have　an　hour's　walk　before　reaching　the　cottage。

〃Come　along；〃　said　Simon　Ford。　　〃We　have　no　time　to　lose。　We　must　grope　our　way　along；　like　blind　men。　　There's　no　fear　of　losing　our　way。　　The　tunnels　which　open　off　our　road　are　only　just　like　those　in　a　molehill；　and　by　following　the　chief　gallery　we　shall　of　course　reach　the　opening　we　got　in　at。　After　that；　it　is　the　old　mine。　　We　know　that；　and　it　won't　be　the　first　time　that　Harry　and　I　have　found　ourselves　there　in　the　dark。　　Besides；　there　we　shall　find　the　lamps　that　we　left。　Forward　then！　　Harry；　go　first。　　Mr。　Starr；　follow　him。　Madge；　you　go　next；　and　I　will　bring　up　the　rear。　Above　everything；　don't　let　us　get　separated。〃

All　complied　with　the　old　overman's　instructions。　As　he　said；　by　groping　carefully；　they　could　not　mistake　the　way。　It　was　only　necessary　to　make　the　hands　take　the　place　of　the　eyes；　and　to　trust　to　their　instinct；　which　had　with　Simon　Ford　and　his　son　become　a　second　nature。

James　Starr　and　his　companions　walked　on　in　the　order　agreed。　They　did　not　speak；　but　it　was　not　for　want　of　thinking。　　It　became　evident　that　they　had　an　adversary。　　But　what　was　he；　and　how　were　they　to　defend　themselves　against　these　mysteriously…prepared　attacks？　These　disquieting　ideas　crowded　into　their　brains。　　However；　this　was　not　the　moment　to　get　discouraged。

Harry；　his　arms　extended；　advanced　with　a　firm　step；　touch