when the world shook-第16章

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fingers。



〃Nothing　broken；〃　he　said　triumphantly。　〃He's　all　right。〃



〃If　you　had　hung　over　a　towel　for　many　hours　in　most　violent

weather　you　would　not　say　that；〃　groaned　Bastin。　〃My　inside　is　a

pulp。　But　perhaps　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　untie　me。〃



〃Bosh！〃　said　Bickley　as　he　obeyed。　〃All　you　want　is　something

to　eat。　Meanwhile；　drink　this；〃　and　he　handed　him　the　remains　of

the　whisky。



Bastin　swallowed　it　every　drop；　murmuring　something　about

taking　a　little　wine　for　his　stomach's　sake；　〃one　of　the　Pauline

injunctions；　you　know；〃　after　which　he　was　much　more　cheerful。

Then　we　hunted　about　and　found　some　more　of　the　biscuits　and

other　food　with　which　we　filled　ourselves　after　a　fashion。



〃I　wonder　what　has　happened；〃　said　Bastin。　〃I　suppose　that；

thanks　to　the　skill　of　the　captain；　we　have　after　all　reached　the

haven　where　we　would　be。〃



Here　he　stopped；　rubbed　his　eyes　and　looked　towards　the　saloon

door　which；　as　I　have　said；　had　been　wrenched　off　its　hinges；　but

appeared　to　have　opened　wider　than　when　I　observed　it　last。　Also

Tommy；　who　was　recovering　his　spirits；　uttered　a　series　of　low

growls。



〃It　is　a　most　curious　thing；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　I　suppose　I　must

be　suffering　from　hallucinations；　but　I　could　swear　that　just　now

I　saw　looking　through　that　door　the　same　improper　young　woman

clothed　in　a　few　flowers　and　nothing　else；　whose　photograph　in

that　abominable　and　libellous　book　was　indirectly　the　cause　of

our　tempestuous　voyage。〃



〃Indeed！〃　replied　Bickley。　〃Well；　so　long　as　she　has　not　got　on

the　broken…down　stays　and　the　Salvation　Army　bonnet　without　a

crown；　which　you　may　remember　she　wore　after　she　had　fallen　into

the　hands　of　your　fraternity；　I　am　sure　I　do　not　mind。　In　fact　I

should　be　delighted　to　see　anything　so　pleasant。〃



At　this　moment　a　distinct　sound　of　female　tittering　arose　from

beyond　the　door。　Tommy　barked　and　Bickley　stepped　towards　it；　but

I　called　to　him。



〃Look　out！　Where　there　are　women　there　are　sure　to　be　men。　Let

us　be　ready　against　accidents。〃



So　we　armed　ourselves　with　pistols；　that　is　Bickley　and　I　did；

Bastin　being　fortified　solely　with　a　Bible。



Then　we　advanced；　a　remarkable　and　dilapidated　trio；　and

dragged　the　door　wide。　Instantly　there　was　a　scurry　and　we　caught

sight　of　women's　forms　wearing　only　flowers；　and　but　few　of

these；　running　over　white　sand　towards　groups　of　men　armed　with

odd…looking　clubs；　some　of　which　were　fashioned　to　the　shapes　of

swords　and　spears。　To　make　an　impression　I　fired　two　shots　with

my　revolver　into　the　air；　whereupon　both　men　and　women　fled　into

groves　of　trees　and　vanished。



〃They　don't　seem　to　be　accustomed　to　white　people；〃　said

Bickley。　〃Is　it　possible　that　we　have　found　a　shore　upon　which　no

missionary　has　set　a　foot？〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　said　Bastin；　〃seeing　that　unworthy　as　I　am；　then

the　opportunities　for　me　would　be　very　great。〃



We　stood　still　and　looked　about　us。　This　was　what　we　saw。　All

the　after　part　of　the　ship　from　forward　of　the　bridge　had

vanished　utterly；　there　was　not　a　trace　of　it；　she　had　as　it　were

been　cut　in　two。　More；　we　were　some　considerable　distance　from

the　sea　which　was　still　raging　over　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away

where　great　white　combers　struck　upon　a　reef　and　spouted　into　the

air。　Behind　us　was　a　cliff；　apparently　of　rock　but　covered　with

earth　and　vegetation；　and　against　this　cliff；　in　which　the　prow

of　the　ship　was　buried；　she；　or　what　remained　of　her；　had　come　to

anchor　for　the　last　time。



〃You　see　what　has　happened；〃　I　said。　〃A　great　tidal　wave　has

carried　us　up　here　and　retreated。〃



〃That's　it；〃　exclaimed　Bickley。　〃Look　at　the　debris；〃　and　he

pointed　to　torn…up　palms；　bushes　and　seaweed　piled　into　heaps

which　still　ran　salt　water；　also　to　a　number　of　dead　fish　that

lay　about　among　them；　adding；　〃Well；　we　are　saved　anyhow。〃



〃And　yet　there　are　people　like　you　who　say　that　there　is　no

Providence！〃　ejaculated　Bastin。



〃I　wonder　what　the　views　of　Captain　Astley　and　the　crew　are；　or

rather　were；　upon　that　matter；〃　interrupted　Bickley。



〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Bastin；　looking　about　him　vaguely。　〃It

is　true　that　I　can't　see　any　of　them；　but　if　they　are　drowned　no

doubt　it　is　because　their　period　of　usefulness　in　this　world　had

ended。〃



〃Let's　get　down　and　look　about　us；〃　I　remarked；　being　anxious

to　avoid　further　argument。



So　we　scrambled　from　the　remnant　of　the　ship；　like　Noah

descending　out　of　the　ark；　as　Bastin　said；　on　to　the　beach

beneath；　where　Tommy　rushed　to　and　fro；　gambolling　for　joy。　Here

we　discovered　a　path　which　ran　diagonally　up　the　side　of　a　cliff

which　was　nowhere　more　than　fifty　or　sixty　feet　in　height；　and

possibly　had　once　formed　the　shore　of　this　land；　or　perhaps　that

of　a　lake。　Up　this　path　we　went；　following　the　tracks　of　many

human　feet；　and　reaching　the　crest　of　the　cliff；　looked　about　us；

basking　as　we　did　so　in　the　beautiful　morning　sun；　for　the　sky

was　now　clear　of　clouds　and　with　that　last　awful　effort；　which

destroyed　our　ship；　the　cyclone　had　passed　away。



We　were　standing　on　a　plain　down　which　ran　a　little　stream　of

good　water　whereof　Tommy　drank　greedily；　we　following　his

example。　To　the　right　and　left　of　this　plain；　further　than　we

could　see；　stretched　bushland　over　which　towered　many　palms；

rather　ragged　now　because　of　the　lashing　of　the　gale。　Looking

inland　we　perceived　that　the　ground　sloped　gently　downwards；

ending　at　a　distance　of　some　miles　in　a　large　lake。　Far　out　in

this　lake　something　like　the　top　of　a　mountain　of　a　brown　colour

rose　above　the　water；　and　on　the　edge　of　it　was　what　from　that

distance　appeared　to　be　a　tumbled　ruin。



〃This　is　all　very　interesting；〃　I　said　to　Bickley。　〃What　do　you

make　of　it？〃



〃I　don't　quite　know。　At　first　sight　I　should　say　that　we　are

standing　on　the　lip　of　a　crater　of　some　vast　extinct　volcano。

Look　how　it　curves　to　north　and　south　and　at　the　slope　running

down　to　the　lake。〃



I　nodded。



〃Lucky　that　the　tidal　wave　did　not　get　over　the　cliff；〃　I　said。

〃If　it　had　the　people　here　would　have　all　been　drowned　out。　I

wonder　where　they　have　gone？〃



As　I　spoke　Bastin　pointed　to　the　edge　of　the　bush　some　hundreds

of　yards　away；　where　we　perceived　brown　figures　slipping　about

among　the　trees。　I　suggested　that　we　should　go　back　to　the　mouth

of　our　path；　so　as　to　have　a　line　of　retreat　open　in　case　of

necessity；　and　await　events。　So　we　did　and　there　stood　still。　By

degrees　the　brown　figures　emerged　on　to　the　plain　to　the　number

of　some　hundreds；　and　we　saw　that　they　were　both　male　and　female。

The　women　were　clothed　in　nothing　except　flowers　and　a　little

girdle；　the　men　were　all　armed　with　wooden　weapons　and　also　wore

a　girdle　but　no　flowers。　The　children；　of　whom　there　were　many；

were　quite　naked。



Among　these　people　we　observed　a　tall　person　clothed　in　what

seemed　to　be　a　magnificent　feather　cloak；　and；　walking　around　and

about　him；　a　number　of　grotesque　forms　adorned　with　hideous　masks

and　basket…like　head…dresses　that　were　surmounted　by　plumes。



〃The　king　or　chief　and　his　priests　or　medicine…men！　This　is

splendid；〃　said　Bickley　triumphantly。



Bastin　also　contemplated　them　with　enthusiasm　as　raw　material

upon　which　he　hoped　to　get　to　work。



By　degrees　and　very　cautiously　they　approached　us。　To　our　joy；

we　perceived　that　behind　them　walked　several　young　women　who　bore

wooden　trays　of　food　or　fruit。



〃That　looks　well；〃　I　said。　〃They　would　not　make　offerings

unless　they　were　friendly。〃



〃The　food　may　be　poisoned；〃　remarked　Bickley　suspiciously。



The　crowd　advanced；　we　standing　quite　still　looking　as

dignified　as　we　could；　I　as　the　tallest　in　the　middle；　with　Tommy

sitting　at　my　feet。　When　they　were　about　five　and　twenty　yards

away；　however；　that　wretched　little　dog　caught　sight　of　the

masked　priests。　He　growled　and　then　rushed　at　them　barking；　his

long　black　ears