the works of edgar allan poe-3-第42章

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shore；　and　no　canoe　could　approach　her　in　any　direction　without　being
distinctly　seen　and　exposed　to　the　full　fire　of　our　swivels
immediately。

　　　　The　six　men　being　left　on　board；　our　shore…party　consisted　of
thirty。　two　persons　in　all。　We　were　armed　to　the　teeth；　having　with
us　muskets；　pistols；　and　cutlasses；　besides；　each　had　a　long　kind　of
seaman's　knife；　somewhat　resembling　the　bowie　knife　now　so　much　used
throughout　our　western　and　southern　country。　A　hundred　of　the　black
skin　warriors　met　us　at　the　landing　for　the　purpose　of　accompanying
us　on　our　way。　We　noticed；　however；　with　some　surprise；　that　they
were　now　entirely　without　arms；　and；　upon　questioning　Too…wit　in
relation　to　this　circumstance；　he　merely　answered　that　_Mattee　non　we
pa　pa　si_　　meaning　that　there　was　no　need　of　arms　where　all　were
brothers。　We　took　this　in　good　part；　and　proceeded。

　　　　We　had　passed　the　spring　and　rivulet　of　which　I　before　spoke；　and
were　now　entering　upon　a　narrow　gorge　leading　through　the　chain　of
soapstone　hills　among　which　the　village　was　situated。　This　gorge　was
very　rocky　and　uneven；　so　much　so　that　it　was　with　no　little
difficulty　we　scrambled　through　it　on　our　first　visit　to　Klock…klock。
The　whole　length　of　the　ravine　might　have　been　a　mile　and　a　half；　or
probably　two　miles。　It　wound　in　every　possible　direction　through　the
hills　（having　apparently　formed；　at　some　remote　period；　the　bed　of　a
torrent）；　in　no　instance　proceeding　more　than　twenty　yards　without　an
abrupt　turn。　The　sides　of　this　dell　would　have　averaged；　I　am　sure；
seventy　or　eighty　feet　in　perpendicular　altitude　throughout　the　whole
of　their　extent；　and　in　some　portions　they　arose　to　an　astonishing
height；　overshadowing　the　pass　so　completely　that　but　little　of　the
light　of　day　could　penetrate。　The　general　width　was　about　forty　feet；
and　occasionally　it　diminished　so　as　not　to　allow　the　passage　of　more
than　five　or　six　persons　abreast。　In　short；　there　could　be　no　place
in　the　world　better　adapted　for　the　consummation　of　an　ambuscade；　and
it　was　no　more　than　natural　that　we　should　look　carefully　to　our　arms
as　we　entered　upon　it。　When　I　now　think　of　our　egregious　folly；　the
chief　subject　of　astonishment　seems　to　be；　that　we　should　have　ever
ventured；　under　any　circumstances；　so　completely　into　the　power　of
unknown　savages　as　to　permit　them　to　march　both　before　and　behind　us
in　our　progress　through　this　ravine。　Yet　such　was　the　order　we
blindly　took　up；　trusting　foolishly　to　the　force　of　our　party；　the
unarmed　condition　of　Too…wit　and　his　men；　the　certain　efficacy　of　our
firearms　（whose　effect　was　yet　a　secret　to　the　natives）；　and；　more
than　all；　to　the　long…sustained　pretension　of　friendship　kept　up　by
these　infamous　wretches。　Five　or　six　of　them　went　on　before；　as　if　to
lead　the　way；　ostentatiously　busying　themselves　in　removing　the
larger　stones　and　rubbish　from　the　path。　Next　came　our　own　party。　We
walked　closely　together；　taking　care　only　to　prevent　separation。
Behind　followed　the　main　body　of　the　savages；　observing　unusual　order
and　decorum。

　　　　Dirk　Peters；　a　man　named　Wilson　Allen；　and　myself　were　on　the
right　of　our　companions；　examining；　as　we　went　along；　the　singular
stratification　of　the　precipice　which　overhung　us。　A　fissure　in　the
soft　rock　attracted　our　attention。　It　was　about　wide　enough　for　one
person　to　enter　without　squeezing；　and　extended　back　into　the　hill
some　eighteen　or　twenty　feet　in　a　straight　course；　sloping　afterward
to　the　left。　The　height　of　the　opening；　is　far　as　we　could　see　into
it　from　the　main　gorge；　was　perhaps　sixty　or　seventy　feet。　There　were
one　or　two　stunted　shrubs　growing　from　the　crevices；　bearing　a
species　of　filbert　which　I　felt　some　curiosity　to　examine；　and　pushed
in　briskly　for　that　purpose；　gathering　five　or　six　of　the　nuts　at　a
grasp；　and　then　hastily　retreating。　As　I　turned；　I　found　that　Peters
and　Allen　had　followed　me。　I　desired　them　to　go　back；　as　there　was
not　room　for　two　persons　to　pass；　saying　they　should　have　some　of　my
nuts。　They　accordingly　turned；　and　were　scrambling　back；　Allen　being
close　to　the　mouth　of　the　fissure；　when　I　was　suddenly　aware　of　a
concussion　resembling　nothing　I　had　ever　before　experienced；　and
which　impressed　me　with　a　vague　conception；　if　indeed　I　then　thought
of　anything；　that　the　whole　foundations　of　the　solid　globe　were
suddenly　rent　asunder；　and　that　the　day　of　universal　dissolution　was
at　hand。

~~~　End　of　Text　of　Chapter　20　~~~

CHAPTER　21



　　　　AS　soon　as　I　could　collect　my　scattered　senses；　I　found　myself
nearly　suffocated；　and　grovelling　in　utter　darkness　among　a　quantity
of　loose　earth；　which　was　also　falling　upon　me　heavily　in　every
direction；　threatening　to　bury　me　entirely。　Horribly　alarmed　at　this
idea；　I　struggled　to　gain　my　feet；　and　at　last　succeeded。　I　then
remained　motionless　for　some　moments；　endeavouring　to　conceive　what
had　happened　to　me；　and　where　I　was。　Presently　I　heard　a　deep　groan
just　at　my　ear；　and　afterward　the　smothered　voice　of　Peters　calling
to　me　for　aid　in　the　name　of　God。　I　scrambled　one　or　two　paces
forward；　when　I　fell　directly　over　the　head　and　shoulders　of　my
companion；　who；　I　soon　discovered；　was　buried　in　a　loose　mass　of
earth　as　far　as　his　middle；　and　struggling　desperately　to　free
himself　from　the　pressure。　I　tore　the　dirt　from　around　him　with　all
the　energy　I　could　command；　and　at　length　succeeded　in　getting　him
out。

　　　　As　soon　as　we　sufficiently　recovered　from　our　fright　and　surprise
to　be　capable　of　conversing　rationally；　we　both　came　to　the
conclusion　that　the　walls　of　the　fissure　in　which　we　had　ventured
had；　by　some　convulsion　of　nature；　or　probably　from　their　own　weight；
caved　in　overhead；　and　that　we　were　consequently　lost　for　ever；　being
thus　entombed　alive。　For　a　long　time　we　gave　up　supinely　to　the　most
intense　agony　and　despair；　such　as　cannot　be　adequately　imagined　by
those　who　have　never　been　in　a　similar　position。　I　firmly　believed
that　no　incident　ever　occurring　in　the　course　of　human　events　is　more
adapted　to　inspire　the　supremeness　of　mental　and　bodily　distress　than
a　case　like　our　own；　of　living　inhumation。　The　blackness　of　darkness
which　envelops　the　victim；　the　terrific　oppression　of　lungs；　the
stifling　fumes　from　the　damp　earth；　unite　with　the　ghastly
considerations　that　we　are　beyond　the　remotest　confines　of　hope；　and
that　such　is　the　allotted　portion　of　the　dead；　to　carry　into　the
human　heart　a　degree　of　appalling　awe　and　horror　not　to　be　tolerated…
never　to　be　conceived。

　　　　At　length　Peters　proposed　that　we　should　endeavour　to　ascertain
precisely　the　extent　of　our　calamity；　and　grope　about　our　prison；　it
being　barely　possible；　he　observed；　that　some　opening　might　yet　be
left　us　for　escape。　I　caught　eagerly　at　this　hope；　and；　arousing
myself　to　exertion；　attempted　to　force　my　way　through　the　loose
earth。　Hardly　had　I　advanced　a　single　step　before　a　glimmer　of　light
became　perceptible；　enough　to　convince　me　that；　at　all　events；　we
should　not　immediately　perish　for　want　of　air。　We　now　took　some
degree　of　heart；　and　encouraged　each　other　to　hope　for　the　best。
Having　scrambled　over　a　bank　of　rubbish　which　impeded　our　farther
progress　in　the　direction　of　the　light；　we　found　less　difficulty　in
advancing　and　also　experienced　some　relief　from　the　excessive
oppression　of　lungs　which　had　tormented　us。　Presently　we　were　enabled
to　obtain　a　glimpse　of　the　objects　around；　and　discovered　that　we
were　near　the　extremity　of　the　straight　portion　of　the　fissure；　where
it　made　a　turn　to　the　left。　A　few　struggles　more；　and　we　reached　the
bend；　when　to　our　inexpressible　joy；　there　appeared　a　long　seam　or
crack　extending　upward　a　vast　distance；　generally　at　an　angle　of
about　forty…five　degrees；　although　sometimes　much　more　precipitous。
We　could　not　see　through　the　whole　extent　of　this　opening；　but；　as　a
good　deal　of　light　came　down　it；　we　had　little　doubt　of　finding　at
the　top　of　it　（if　we　could　by　any　means　reach　the　top）　a　clear
passage　into　the　open　air。

　　　　I　now　called　to　mind　that　three　of　us　had　entered　the　fissure
from　the　main　gorge；　and　that　our　companion；　Allen；　was　still
missing；　we　determine