when the world shook-第24章

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rising；　〃you　name　me　the　Great　Priest　or　Great　Healer；　do　you

not？　Well；　be　careful；　lest　I　should　show　you　that　I　can　kill　as

well　as　heal！〃



Not　in　the　least　intimidated　by　this　threat　the　man；　a　great

bedizened　fellow　who　literally　was　foaming　at　the　mouth　with

rage；　rushed　forward　again；　his　club　raised；　apparently　with　the

object　of　dashing　out　Bickley's　brains。



Suddenly　Bickley　lifted　his　revolver　and　fired。　The　man；　shot

through　the　heart；　sprang　into　the　air　and　fell　upon　his　face

stone　dead。　There　was　consternation；　for　these　people　had　never

seen　us　shoot　anything　before；　and　were　quite　unacquainted　with

the　properties　of　firearms；　which　they　supposed　to　be　merely

instruments　for　making　a　noise。　They　stared；　they　gasped　in　fear

and　astonishment；　and　then　they　fled；　pursued　by　Tommy；　barking；

leaving　us　alone　with　the　two　dead　men。



〃It　was　time　to　teach　them　a　lesson；〃　said　Bickley　as　he

replaced　the　empty　cartridge；　and；　seizing　the　dead　man；　rolled

him　into　the　burning　pit。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃but　presently；　when　they　have　got　over

their　fright；　they　will　come　back　to　teach　us　one。〃



Bastin　said　nothing；　he　seemed　too　dazed　at　the　turn　events　had

taken。



〃What　do　you　suggest？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Flight；〃　I　answered。



〃Where　tothe　ship？　We　might　hold　that。〃



〃No；　that　is　what　they　expect。　Look！　They　are　cutting　off　our

road　there。　To　the　island　in　the　lake　where　they　dare　not　follow

us；　for　it　is　holy　ground。〃



〃How　are　we　going　to　live　on　the　island？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　replied；　〃but　I　am　quite　certain　that　if　we

stay　here　we　shall　die。〃



〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　try　it。〃



While　we　were　speaking　I　was　cutting　Bastin's　bonds。　〃Thank

you；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　a　great　relief　to　stretch　one's　arms　after

they　have　been　compressed　with　cords。　But　at　the　same　time；　I　do

not　know　that　I　am　really　grateful。　The　martyr's　crown　was

hanging　above　me；　so　to　speak；　and　now　it　has　vanished　into　the

pit；　like　that　man　whom　Bickley　murdered。〃



〃Look　here；〃　exclaimed　the　exasperated　Bickley；　〃if　you　say

much　more；　Bastin；　I'll　chuck　you　into　the　pit　too；　to　look　for

your　martyr's　crown；　for　I　think　you　have　done　enough　mischief

for　one　morning。〃



〃If　you　are　trying　to　shift　the　responsibility　for　that

unfortunate　man's　destruction　on　to　me〃



〃Oh！　shut　it　and　trot；〃　broke　in　Bickley。　〃Those　infernal

savages　are　coming　with　your　blessed　converts　leading　the　van。〃



So　we　〃trotted〃　at　no　mean　pace。　As　we　passed　it；　Bastin

stooped　down　and　picked　up　the　head　of　the　image　of　Oro；　much　as

Atalanta　in　Academy　pictures　is　represented　as　doing　to　the

apples；　and　bore　it　away　in　triumph。



〃I　know　it　is　scorched；〃　he　ejaculated　at　intervals；　〃but　they

might　trim　it　up　and　stick　it　on　to　a　new　body　as　the　original

false　god。　Now　they　can't；　for　there's　nothing　left。〃



As　a　matter　of　fact；　we　were　never　in　any　real　danger；　for　our

pursuit　was　very　half…hearted　indeed。　To　begin　with；　now　that

their　first　rage　was　over；　the　Orofenans　who　were　fond　of　us　had

no　particular　wish　to　do　us　to　death；　while　the　ardour　of　their

sorcerers；　who　wished　this　very　much；　had　been　greatly　cooled　by

the　mysterious　annihilation　of　their　idol　and　the　violent　deaths

of　two　of　their　companions；　which　they　thought　might　be

reduplicated　in　their　own　persons。　So　it　came　about　that　the

chase；　if　noisy；　was　neither　close　nor　eager。



We　reached　the　edge　of　the　lake　where　was　the　boat…house　of

which　I　have　spoken　already；　travelling　at　little　more　than　a

walk。　Here　we　made　Bastin　unfasten　the　better　of　the　two　canoes

that　by　good　luck　was　almost　filled　with　offerings；　which

doubtless；　according　to　custom；　must　be　made　upon　the　day　of　this

feast　to　Oro；　while　we　watched　against　surprise　at　the　boat…house

door。　When　he　was　ready　we　slipped　in　and　took　our　seats；　Tommy

jumping　in　after　us；　and　pushed　the　canoe；　now　very　heavily

laden；　out　into　the　lake。



Here；　at　a　distance　of　about　forty　paces；　which　we　judged　to　be

beyond　wooden　spear…throw；　we　rested　upon　our　paddles　to　see　what

would　happen。　All　the　crowd　of　islanders　had　rushed　to　the　lake

edge　where　they　stood　staring　at　us　stupidly。　Bastin；　thinking

the　occasion　opportune；　lifted　the　hideous　head　of　the　idol　which

he　had　carefully　washed；　and　began　to　preach　on　the　downfall　of

〃the　god　of　the　Grove。〃



This　action　of　his　appeared　to　awake　memories　or　forebodings　in

the　minds　of　his　congregation。　Perhaps　some　ancient　prophecy　was

concernedI　do　not　know。　At　any　rate；　one　of　the　priests　shouted

something；　whereon　everybody　began　to　talk　at　once。　Then；

stooping　down；　they　threw　water　from　the　lake　over　themselves　and

rubbed　its　sand　and　mud　into　their　hair；　all　the　while　making

genuflexions　toward　the　mountain　in　the　middle；　after　which　they

turned　and　departed。



〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　go　back？〃　asked　Bastin。

〃Evidently　my　words　have　touched　them　and　their　minds　are　melting

beneath　the　light　of　Truth。〃



〃Oh！　by　all　means；〃　replied　Bickley　with　sarcasm；　〃for　then

their　spears　will　touch　us；　and　our　bodies　will　soon　be　melting

above　the　fires　of　that　pit。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　right；〃　said　Bastin；　〃at　least；　I　admit　that

you　have　made　matters　very　difficult　by　your　unjustifiable

homicide　of　that　priest　who　I　do　not　think　meant　to　injure　you

seriously；　and　really　was　not　at　all　a　bad　fellow；　though

opinionated　in　some　ways。　Also；　I　do　not　suppose　that　anybody　is

expected；　as　it　were；　to　run　his　head　into　the　martyr's　crown。

When　it　settles　there　of　itself　it　is　another　matter。〃



〃Like　a　butterfly！〃　exclaimed　the　enraged　Bickley。



〃Yes；　if　you　like　to　put　it　that　way；　though　the　simile　seems　a

very　poor　one；　like　a　sunbeam　would　be　better。〃



Here　Bickley　gave　way　with　his　paddle　so　vigorously　that　the

canoe　was　as　nearly　as　possible　upset　into　the　lake。



In　due　course　we　reached　the　flat　Rock　of　Offerings；　which

proved　to　be　quite　as　wide　as　a　double　croquet　lawn　and　much

longer。



〃What　are　those？〃　I　asked；　pointing　to　certain　knobs　on　the

edge　of　the　rock　at　a　spot　where　a　curved　projecting　point　made　a

little　harbour。



Bickley　examined　them；　and　answered：



〃I　should　say　that　they　are　the　remains　of　stone　mooring…posts

worn　down　by　many　thousands　of　years　of　weather。　Yes；　look；　there

is　the　cut　of　the　cables　upon　the　base　of　that　one；　and　very　big

cables　they　must　have　been。〃



We　stared　at　one　anotherthat　is；　Bickley　and　I　did；　for

Bastin　was　still　engaged　in　contemplating　the　blackened　head　of

the　god　which　he　had　overthrown。







Chapter　IX



The　Island　in　the　Lake





We　made　the　canoe　fast　and　landed　on　the　great　rock；　to

perceive　that　it　was　really　a　peninsula。　That　is　to　say；　it　was

joined　to　the　main　land　of　the　lake　island　by　a　broad　roadway

quite　fifty　yards　across；　which　appeared　to　end　in　the　mouth　of

the　cave。　On　this　causeway　we　noted　a　very　remarkable　thing；

namely；　two　grooves　separated　by　an　exact　distance　of　nine　feet

which　ran　into　the　mouth　of　the　cave　and　vanished　there。



〃Explain！〃　said　Bickley。



〃Paths；〃　I　said；　〃worn　by　countless　feet　walking　on　them　for

thousands　of　years。〃



〃You　should　cultivate　the　art　of　observation；　Arbuthnot。　What

do　you　say；　Bastin？〃



He　stared　at　the　grooves　through　his　spectacles；　and　replied：



〃I　don't　say　anything；　except　that　I　can't　see　anybody　to　make

paths　here。　Indeed；　the　place　seems　quite　unpopulated；　and　all

the　Orofenans　told　me　that　they　never　landed　on　it　because　if

they　did　they　would　die。　It　is　a　part　of　their　superstitious

nonsense。　If　you　have　any　idea　in　your　head　you　had　better　tell

us　quickly　before　we　breakfast。　I　am　very　hungry。〃



〃You　always　are；〃　remarked　Bickley；　〃even　when　most　people's

appetites　might　have　been　affected。　Well；　I　think　that　this　great

plateau　was　once　a　landing…place　for　flying　mac