erewhon revisited-第54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！


with　sand　on　the　river…bed。〃

As　he　spoke　he　pointed　to　an　excellent　warm　rug；　on　the　spare　bunk
in　his　hut。　　〃It　is　none　of　our　make；〃　said　he；　〃I　suppose　some
foreign　digger　has　come　over　from　the　next　river　down　south　and　got
drowned；　for　it　had　not　been　very　long　where　I　found　it；　at　least　I
think　not；　for　it　was　not　much　fly…blown；　and　no　one　had　passed
here　to　go　up　the　river　since　your　father。〃

I　knew　what　it　was；　but　I　held　my　tongue　beyond　saying　that　the　rug
was　a　very　good　one。

The　next　day；　December　4；　was　lovely；　after　a　night　that　had　been
clear　and　cold；　with　frost　towards　early　morning。　　When　the
shepherd　had　gone　for　some　three　hours　in　the　forenoon　to　see　his
sheep　（that　were　now　lambing）；　I　walked　down　to　the　place　where　I
had　left　my　knapsack；　and　carried　it　a　good　mile　above　the　hut；
where　I　again　hid　it。　　I　could　see　the　great　range　from　one　place；
and　the　thick　new　fallen　snow　assured　me　that　the　river　would　be
quite　normal　shortly。　　Indeed；　by　evening　it　was　hardly　at　all
discoloured；　but　I　waited　another　day；　and　set　out　on　the　morning
of　Sunday；　December　6。　　The　river　was　now　almost　as　low　as　in
winter；　and　Harris　assured　me　that　if　I　used　my　eyes　I　could　not
miss　finding　a　ford　over　one　stream　or　another　every　half　mile　or
so。　　I　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　preventing　him　from
accompanying　me　on　foot　for　some　little　distance；　but　I　got　rid　of
him　in　the　end；　he　came　with　me　beyond　the　place　where　I　had　hidden
my　knapsack；　but　when　he　had　left　me　long　enough；　I　rode　back　and
got　it。

I　see　I　am　dwelling　too　long　upon　my　own　small　adventures。　　Suffice
it　that；　accompanied　by　my　dog；　I　followed　the　north　bank　of　the
river　till　I　found　I　must　cross　one　stream　before　I　could　get　any
farther。　　This　place　would　not　do；　and　I　had　to　ride　half　a　mile
back　before　I　found　one　that　seemed　as　if　it　might　be　safe。　　I
fancy　my　father　must　have　done　just　the　same　thing；　for　Doctor
seemed　to　know　the　ground；　and　took　to　the　water　the　moment　I
brought　him　to　it。　　It　never　reached　his　belly；　but　I　confess　I　did
not　like　it。　　By　and　by　I　had　to　recross；　and　so　on；　off　and　on；
till　at　noon　I　camped　for　dinner。　　Here　the　dog　found　me　a　nest　of
young　ducks；　nearly　fledged；　from　which　the　parent　birds　tried　with
great　success　to　decoy　me。　　I　fully　thought　I　was　going　to　catch
them；　but　the　dog　knew　better　and　made　straight　for　the　nest；　from
which　he　returned　immediately　with　a　fine　young　duck　in　his　mouth；
which　he　laid　at　my　feet；　wagging　his　tail　and　barking。　　I　took
another　from　the　nest　and　left　two　for　the　old　birds。

The　afternoon　was　much　as　the　morning　and　towards　seven　I　reached　a
place　which　suggested　itself　as　a　good　camping　ground。　　I　had
hardly　fixed　on　it　and　halted；　before　I　saw　a　few　pieces　of　charred
wood；　and　felt　sure　that　my　father　must　have　camped　at　this　very
place　before　me。　　I　hobbled　Doctor；　unloaded；　plucked　and　singed　a
duck；　and　gave　the　dog　some　of　the　meat　with　which　Harris　had
furnished　me；　I　made　tea；　laid　my　duck　on　the　embers　till　it　was
cooked；　smoked；　gave　myself　a　nightcap　of　brandy　and　water；　and　by
and　by　rolled　myself　round　in　my　blanket；　with　the　dog　curled　up
beside　me。　　I　will　not　dwell　upon　the　strangeness　of　my　feelings
nor　the　extreme　beauty　of　the　night。　　But　for　the　dog；　and　Doctor；
I　should　have　been　frightened；　but　I　knew　that　there　were　no　savage
creatures　or　venomous　snakes　in　the　country；　and　both　the　dog　and
Doctor　were　such　good　companionable　creatures；　that　I　did　not　feel
so　much　oppressed　by　the　solitude　as　I　had　feared　I　should　be。　　But
the　night　was　cold；　and　my　blanket　was　not　enough　to　keep　me
comfortably　warm。

The　following　day　was　delightfully　warm　as　soon　as　the　sun　got　to
the　bottom　of　the　valley；　and　the　fresh　fallen　snow　disappeared　so
fast　from　the　snowy　range　that　I　was　afraid　it　would　raise　the
riverwhich；　indeed；　rose　in　the　afternoon　and　became　slightly
discoloured；　but　it　cannot　have　been　more　than　three　or　four　inches
deeper；　for　it　never　reached　the　bottom　of　my　saddle…bags。　　I
believe　Doctor　knew　exactly　where　I　was　going；　for　he　wanted　no
guidance。　　I　halted　again　at　midday；　got　two　more　ducks；　crossed
and　recrossed　the　river；　or　some　of　its　streams；　several　times；　and
at　about　six；　caught　sight；　after　a　bend　in　the　valley；　of　the
glacier　descending　on　to　the　river…bed。　　This　I　knew　to　be　close　to
the　point　at　which　I　was　to　camp　for　the　night；　and　from　which　I
was　to　ascend　the　mountain。　　After　another　hour's　slow　progress
over　the　increasing　roughness　of　the　river…bed；　I　saw　the
triangular　delta　of　which　my　father　had　told　me；　and　the　stream
that　had　formed　it；　bounding　down　the　mountain　side。　　Doctor　went
right　up　to　the　place　where　my　father's　fire　had　been；　and　I　again
found　many　pieces　of　charred　wood　and　ashes。

As　soon　as　I　had　unloaded　Doctor　and　hobbled　him；　I　went　to　a　tree
hard　by；　on　which　I　could　see　the　mark　of　a　blaze；　and　towards
which　I　thought　I　could　see　a　line　of　wood　ashes　running。　　There　I
found　a　hole　in　which　some　bird　had　evidently　been　wont　to　build；
and　surmised　correctly　that　it　must　be　the　one　in　which　my　father
had　hidden　his　box　of　sovereigns。　　There　was　no　box　in　the　hole
now；　and　I　began　to　feel　that　I　was　at　last　within　measureable
distance　of　Erewhon　and　the　Erewhonians。

I　camped　for　the　night　here；　and　again　found　my　single　blanket
insufficient。　　The　next　day；　i。e。　Tuesday；　December　8；　I　had　to
pass　as　I　best　could；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that　as　I　should　find
the　gold　a　great　weight；　I　had　better　take　it　some　three　hours　up
the　mountain　side　and　leave　it　there；　so　as　to　make　the　following
day　less　fatiguing；　and　this　I　did；　returning　to　my　camp　for
dinner；　but　I　was　panic…stricken　all　the　rest　of　the　day　lest　I
should　not　have　hidden　it　safely；　or　lest　I　should　be　unable　to
find　it　next　dayconjuring　up　a　hundred　absurd　fancies　as　to　what
might　befall　it。　　And　after　all；　heavy　though　it　was；　I　could　have
carried　it　all　the　way。　　In　the　afternoon　I　saddled　Doctor　and　rode
him　up　to　the　glaciers；　which　were　indeed　magnificent；　and　then　I
made　the　few　notes　of　my　journey　from　which　this　chapter　has　been
taken。　　I　made　excuses　for　turning　in　early；　and　at　daybreak
rekindled　my　fire　and　got　my　breakfast。　　All　the　time　the
companionship　of　the　dog　was　an　unspeakable　comfort　to　me。

It　was　now　the　day　my　father　had　fixed　for　my　meeting　with　George；
and　my　excitement　（with　which　I　have　not　yet　troubled　the　reader；
though　it　had　been　consuming　me　ever　since　I　had　left　Harris's　hut）
was　beyond　all　bounds；　so　much　so　that　I　almost　feared　I　was　in　a
fever　which　would　prevent　my　completing　the　little　that　remained　of
my　task；　in　fact；　I　was　in　as　great　a　panic　as　I　had　been　about　the
gold　that　I　had　left。　　My　hands　trembled　as　I　took　the　watches；　and
the　brooches　for　Yram　and　her　daughters　from　my　saddle…bags；　which
I　then　hung；　probably　on　the　very　bough　on　which　my　father　had　hung
them。　　Needless　to　say；　I　also　hung　my　saddle　and　bridle　along　with
the　saddle…bags。

It　was　nearly　seven　before　I　started；　and　about　ten　before　I
reached　the　hiding…place　of　my　knapsack。　　I　found　it；　of　course；
quite　easily；　shouldered　it；　and　toiled　on　towards　the　statues。　　At
a　quarter　before　twelve　I　reached　them；　and　almost　beside　myself　as
I　was；　could　not　refrain　from　some　disappointment　at　finding　them　a
good　deal　smaller　than　I　expected。　　My　father；　correcting　the
measurement　he　had　given　in　his　book；　said　he　thought　that　they
were　about　four　or　five　times　the　size　of　life；　but　really　I　do　not
think　they　were　more　than　twenty　feet　high；　any　one　of　them。　　In
other　respects　my　father's　description　of　them　is　quite　accurate。
There　was　no　wind；　and　as　a　matter　of　course；　therefore；　they　were
not　chanting。　　I　wiled　away　the　quarter　of　an　hour　before　the　time
when　George　became　due；　with　wondering　at　them；　and　in　a　way
admiring　them；　hideous　though　they　were；　but　all　the　time　I　kept
looking　towards　the　part　from　which　George　should　come。

At　last　my　watch　pointed　to　noon；　but　there　was　no　George。　　A
quarter　past　twelve；　but　no　George。　　Half…past；　still　no　George。
One　o'clock；　and　all　the　quarters　till　three