the underground city-第19章

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A　shriek　of　despair　escaped　his　lips。

A　second　strand　was　divided；　and　the　double　burden　now　hung　suspended　by　only　half　the　cord。

Harry　dropped　his　knife；　and　by　a　superhuman　effort　succeeded；　at　the　moment　the　rope　was　giving　way；　in　catching　hold　of　it　with　his　right　hand　above　the　cut　made　by　the　beak　of　the　bird。　But；　powerfully　as　he　held　it　in　his　iron　grasp；　he　could　feel　it　gradually　slipping　through　his　fingers。

He　might　have　caught　it；　and　held　on　with　both　hands　by　sacrificing　the　life　of　the　child　he　supported　in　his　left　arm。　The　idea　crossed　him；　but　was　banished　in　an　instant；　although　he　believed　himself　quite　unable　to　hold　out　until

drawn　to　the　surface。　　For　a　second　he　closed　his　eyes；　believing　they　were　about　to　plunge　back　into　the　abyss。

He　looked　up　once　more；　the　huge　bird　had　disappeared；　his　hand　was　at　the　very　extremity　of　the　broken　ropewhen；　just　as　his　convulsive　grasp　was　failing；　he　was　seized　by　the　men；　and　with　the　child　was　placed　on　the　level　ground。

The　fearful　strain　of　anxiety　removed；　a　reaction　took　place；　and　Harry　fell　fainting　into　the　arms　of　his　friends。


CHAPTER　XII　NELL　ADOPTED


A　COUPLE　of　hours　later；　Harry　still　unconscious；　and　the　child　in　a　very　feeble　state；　were　brought　to　the　cottage　by　Jack　Ryan　and　his　companions。　　The　old　overman　listened　to　the　account　of　their　adventures；　while　Madge　attended　with　the　utmost　care　to　the　wants　of　her　son；　and　of　the　poor　creature　whom　he　had　rescued　from　the　pit。

Harry　imagined　her　a　mere　child；　but　she　was　a　maiden　of　the　age　of　fifteen　or　sixteen　years。

She　gazed　at　them　with　vague　and　wondering　eyes；　and　the　thin　face；　drawn　by　suffering；　the　pallid　complexion；　which　light　could　never　have　tinged；　and　the　fragile；　slender　figure；　gave　her　an　appearance　at　once　singular　and　attractive。　Jack　Ryan　declared　that　she　seemed　to　him　to　be　an　uncommonly　interesting　kind　of　ghost。

It　must　have　been　due　to　the　strange　and　peculiar　circumstances　under　which　her　life　hitherto　had　been　led；　that　she　scarcely　seemed　to　belong　to　the　human　race。　Her　countenance　was　of　a　very　uncommon　cast；　and　her　eyes；　hardly　able　to　bear　the　lamp…light　in　the　cottage；　glanced　around　in　a　confused　and　puzzled　way；　as　if　all　were　new　to　them。

As　this　singular　being　reclined　on　Madge's　bed　and　awoke　to　consciousness；　as　from　a　long　sleep；　the　old　Scotchwoman　began　to　question　her　a　little。

〃What　do　they　call　you；　my　dear？〃　said　she。

〃Nell；〃　replied　the　girl。

〃Do　you　feel　anything　the　matter　with　you；　Nell？〃

〃I　am　hungry。　　I　have　eaten　nothing　sincesince〃


Nell　uttered　these　few　words　like　one　unused　to　speak　much。　　They　were　in　the　Gaelic　language；　which　was　often　spoken　by　Simon　and　his　family。　Madge　immediately　brought　her　some　food；　she　was　evidently　famished。　It　was　impossible　to　say　how　long　she　might　have　been　in　that　pit。

〃How　many　days　had　you　been　down　there；　dearie？〃　inquired　Madge。

Nell　made　no　answer；　she　seemed　not　to　understand　the　question。

〃How　many　days；　do　you　think？〃

〃Days？〃　repeated　Nell；　as　though　the　word　had　no　meaning　for　her；　and　she　shook　her　head　to　signify　entire　want　of　comprehension。

Madge　took　her　hand；　and　stroked　it　caressingly。　　〃How　old　are　you；　my　lassie？〃　she　asked；　smiling　kindly　at　her。

Nell　shook　her　head　again。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　continued　Madge；　〃how　many　years　old？〃

〃Years？〃　replied　Nell。　　She　seemed　to　understand　that　word　no　better　than　days！　　Simon；　Harry；　Jack；　and　the　rest；　looked　on　with　an　air　of　mingled　compassion；　wonder；　and　sympathy。　The　state　of　this　poor　thing；　clothed　in　a　miserable　garment　of　coarse　woolen　stuff；　seemed　to　impress　them　painfully。

Harry；　more　than　all　the　rest；　seemed　attracted　by　the　very　peculiarity　of　this　poor　stranger。　　He　drew　near；　took　Nell's　hand　from　his　mother；　and　looked　directly　at　her；　while　something　like　a　smile　curved　her　lip。　〃Nell；〃　he　said；　〃Nell；　away　down　therein　the　minewere　you　all　alone？〃

〃Alone！　alone！〃　cried　the　girl；　raising　herself　hastily。　Her　features　expressed　terror；　her　eyes；　which　had　appeared　to　soften　as　Harry　looked　at　her；　became　quite　wild　again。　〃Alone！〃　repeated　she；　〃alone！〃and　she　fell　back　on　the　bed；　as　though　deprived　of　all　strength。

〃The　poor　bairn　is　too　weak　to　speak　to　us；〃　said　Madge；　when　she　had　adjusted　the　pillows。　　〃After　a　good　rest；　and　a　little　more　food；　she　will　be　stronger。　　Come　away；　Simon　and　Harry；　and　all　the　rest　of　you；　and　let　her　go　to　sleep。〃　So　Nell　was　left　alone；　and　in　a　very　few　minutes　slept　profoundly。

This　event　caused　a　great　sensation；　not　only　in　the　coal

mines；　but　in　Stirlingshire；　and　ultimately　throughout　the　kingdom。　The　strangeness　of　the　story　was　exaggerated；　the　affair　could　not　have　made　more　commotion　had　they　found　the　girl　enclosed　in　the　solid　rock；　like　one　of　those　antediluvian　creatures　who　have　occasionally　been　released　by　a　stroke　of　the　pickax　from　their　stony　prison。　Nell　became　a　fashionable　wonder　without　knowing　it。　Superstitious　folks　made　her　story　a　new　subject　for　legendary　marvels；　and　were　inclined　to　think；　as　Jack　Ryan　told　Harry；　that　Nell　was　the　spirit　of　the　mines。

〃Be　it　so；　Jack；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃but　at　any　rate　she　is　the　good　spirit。　　It　can　have　been　none　but　she　who　brought　us　bread　and　water　when　we　were　shut　up　down　there；　and　as　to　the　bad　spirit；　who　must　still　be　in　the　mine；　we'll　catch　him　some　day。〃

Of　course　James　Starr　had　been　at　once　informed　of　all　this；　and　came；　as　soon　as　the　young　girl　had　sufficiently　recovered　her　strength；　to　see　her；　and　endeavor　to　question　her　carefully。

She　appeared　ignorant　of　nearly　everything　relating　to　life；　and；　although　evidently　intelligent；　was　wanting　in　many　elementary　ideas；　such　as　time；　for　instance。　　She　had　never　been　used　to　its　division；　and　the　words　signifying　hours；　days；　months；　and　years　were　unknown　to　her。

Her　eyes；　accustomed　to　the　night；　were　pained　by　the　glare　of　the　electric　discs；　but　in　the　dark　her　sight　was　wonderfully　keen；　the　pupil　dilated　in　a　remarkable　manner；　and　she　could　see　where　to　others　there　appeared　profound　obscurity。　It　was　certain　that　her　brain　had　never　received　any　impression　of　the　outer　world；　that　her　eyes　had　never　looked　beyond　the　mine；　and　that　these　somber　depths　had　been　all　the　world　to　her。

The　poor　girl　probably　knew　not　that　there　were　a　sun　and　stars；　towns　and　counties；　a　mighty　universe　composed　of　myriads　of　worlds。　But　until　she　comprehended　the　significance　of　words　at　present　conveying　no　precise　meaning　to　her；　it　was　impossible　to　ascertain　what　she　knew。

As　to　whether　or　not　Nell　had　lived　alone　in　the　recesses　of　New　Aberfoyle；　James　Starr　was　obliged　to　remain　uncertain；　indeed；　any　allusion　to　the　subject　excited　evident　alarm　in　the　mind　of　this　strange　girl。　　Either　Nell　could　not　or　would　not　reply　to　questions；　but　that　some　secret

existed　in　connection　with　the　place；　which　she　could　have　explained；　was　manifest。

〃Should　you　like　to　stay　with　us？　　Should　you　like　to　go　back　to　where　we　found　you？〃　asked　James　Starr。

〃Oh；　yes！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　in　answer　to　his　first　question；　but　a　cry　of　terror　was　all　she　seemed　able　to　say　to　the　second。

James　Starr；　as　well　as　Simon　and　Harry　Ford；　could　not　help　feeling　a　certain　amount　of　uneasiness　with　regard　to　this　persistent　silence。　They　found　it　impossible　to　forget　all　that　had　appeared　so　inexplicable　at　the　time　they　made　the　discovery　of　the　coal　mine；　and　although　that　was　three　years　ago；　and　nothing　new　had　happened；　they　always　expected　some　fresh　attack　on　the　part　of　the　invisible　enemy。

They　resolved　to　explore　the　mysterious　well；　and　did　so；　well　armed　and　in　considerable　numbers。　　But　nothing　suspicious　was　to　be　seen；　the　shaft　communicated　with　lower　stages　of　the　crypt；　hollowed　out　in　the　carboniferous　bed。

Many　a　time　did　James　Starr；　Simon；　and　Harry　talk　over　these　things。　If　one　or　more　malevolent　beings　were　concealed　in　the　coal…pit；　and　there　concocted　mischief；　Nell　surely　could　have　warned　them　of　it；　yet　she　said　nothing。　　The　slightest　allusion　to　her　past　life　brought　on　such　fits　of　violent　emotion；　that　it　was　judged　best　to　avoid　th