when the world shook-第25章

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

plateau　was　once　a　landing…place　for　flying　machines；　and　that

there　is　the　air…shed　or　garage。〃



Bastin　stared　at　him。



〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　breakfast？〃　he　said。　〃There　are

two　roast　pigs　in　that　canoe；　and　lots　of　other　food；　enough　to

last　us　a　week；　I　should　say。　Of　course；　I　understand　that　the

blood　you　have　shed　has　thrown　you　off　your　balance。　I　believe　it

has　that　effect；　except　on　the　most　hardened。　Flying　machines

were　only　invented　a　few　years　ago　by　the　brothers　Wright　in

America。〃



〃Bastin；〃　said　Bickley；　〃I　begin　to　regret　that　I　did　not　leave

you　to　take　part　in　another　breakfast　yonderI　mean　as　the

principal　dish。〃



〃It　was　Providence；　not　you；　who　prevented　it；　Bickley；

doubtless　because　I　am　unworthy　of　such　a　glorious　end。〃



〃Then　it　is　lucky　that　Providence　is　a　good　shot　with　a　pistol。

Stop　talking　nonsense　and　listen。　If　those　were　paths　worn　by

feet　they　would　run　to　the　edge　of　the　rock。　They　do　not。　They

begin　there　in　that　gentle　depression　and　slope　upwards　somewhat

steeply。　The　air　machines；　which　were　evidently　large；　lit　in　the

depression；　possibly　as　a　bird　does；　and　then　ran　on　wheels　or

sledge　skids　along　the　grooves　to　the　air…shed　in　the　mountain。

Come　to　the　cave　and　you　will　see。〃



〃Not　till　we　have　breakfast；〃　said　Bastin。　〃I　will　get　out　a

pig。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　no　supper　last　night；　as　I　was

taking　a　class　of　native　boys　and　making　some　arrangements　of　my

own。〃



As　for　me；　I　only　whistled。　It　all　seemed　very　feasible。　And

yet　how　could　such　things　be？



We　unloaded　the　canoe　and　ate。　Bastin's　appetite　was　splendid。

Indeed；　I　had　to　ask　him　to　remember　that　when　this　supply　was

done　I　did　not　know　where　we　should　find　any　more。



〃Take　no　thought　for　the　morrow；〃　he　replied。　〃I　have　no　doubt

it　will　come　from　somewhere；〃　and　he　helped　himself　to　another

chop。



Never　had　I　admired　him　so　much。　Not　a　couple　of　hours　before

he　was　about　to　be　cruelly　murdered　and　eaten。　But　this　did　not

seem　to　affect　him　in　the　least。　Bastin　was　the　only　man　I　have

ever　known　with　a　really　perfect　faith。　It　is　a　quality　worth

having　and　one　that　makes　for　happiness。　What　a　great　thing　not

to　care　whether　you　are　breakfasted　on；　or　breakfast！



〃I　see　that　there　is　lots　of　driftwood　about　here；〃　he

remarked；　〃but　unfortunately　we　have　no　tea；　so　in　this　climate

it　is　of　little　use；　unless　indeed　we　can　catch　some　fish　and

cook　them。〃



〃Stop　talking　about　eating　and　help　us　to　haul　up　the　canoe；〃

said　Bickley。



Between　the　three　of　us　we　dragged　and　carried　the　canoe　a　long

way　from　the　lake；　fearing　lest　the　natives　should　come　and　bear

it　off　with　our　provisions。　Then；　having　given　Tommy　his

breakfast　off　the　scraps；　we　walked　to　the　cave。　I　glanced　at　my

companions。　Bickley's　face　was　alight　with　scientific　eagerness。

Here　are　not　dreams　or　speculations；　but　facts　to　be　learned；　it

seemed　to　say；　and　I　will　learn　them。　The　past　is　going　to　show

me　some　of　its　secrets；　to　tell　me　how　men　of　long　ago　lived　and

died　and　how　far　they　had　advanced　to　that　point　on　the　road　of

civilisation　at　which　I　stand　in　my　little　hour　of　existence。



That　of　Bastin　was　mildly　interested；　no　more。　Obviously；　with

half　his　mind　he　was　thinking　of　something　else；　probably　of　his

converts　on　the　main　island　and　of　the　school　class　fixed　for

this　hour　which　circumstances　prevented　him　from　attending。

Indeed；　like　Lot's　wife　he　was　casting　glances　behind　him　towards

the　wicked　place　from　which　he　had　been　forced　to　flee。



Neither　the　past　nor　the　future　had　much　real　interest　for

Bastin；　any　more　than　they　had　for　Bickley；　though　for　different

reasons。　The　former　was　done　with；　the　latter　he　was　quite

content　to　leave　in　other　hands。　If　he　had　any　clear　idea

thereof；　probably　that　undiscovered　land　appeared　to　him　as　a

big；　pleasant　place　where　are　no　unbelievers　or　erroneous

doctrines；　and　all　sinners　will　be　sternly　repressed；　in　which；

clad　in　a　white　surplice　with　all　proper　ecclesiastical

trappings；　he　would　argue　eternally　with　the　Early　Fathers　and　in

due　course　utterly　annihilate　Bickley；　that　is　in　a　moral　sense。

Personally　and　as　a　man　he　was　extremely　attached　to　Bickley　as　a

necessary　and　wrong…headed　nuisance　to　which　he　had　become

accustomed。



And　I！　What　did　I　feel？　I　do　not　know；　I　cannot　describe。　An

extraordinary　attraction；　a　semi…spiritual　exaltation；　I　think。

That　cave　mouth　might　have　been　a　magnet　drawing　my　soul。　With　my

body　I　should　have　been　afraid；　as　I　daresay　I　was；　for　our

circumstances　were　sufficiently　desperate。　Here　we　were；

castaways　upon　an　island；　probably　uncharted；　one　of　thousands　in

the　recesses　of　a　vast　ocean；　from　which　we　had　little　chance　of

escape。　More；　having　offended　the　religious　instincts　of　the

primeval　inhabitants　of　that　island；　we　had　been　forced　to　flee

to　a　rocky　mountain　in　the　centre　of　a　lake；　where；　after　the

food　we　had　brought　with　us　by　accident　was　consumed；　we　should

no　doubt　be　forced　to　choose　between　death　by　starvation；　or；　if

we　attempted　to　retreat；　at　the　hands　of　justly　infuriated

savages。　Yet　these　facts　did　not　oppress　me；　for　I　was　being

drawn；　drawn　to　I　knew　not　what；　and　if　it　were　to　doomwell；　no

matter。



Therefore；　none　of　us　cared：　Bastin　because　his　faith　was　equal

to　any　emergency　and　there　was　always　that　white…robed　heaven

waiting　for　him　beyond　which　his　imagination　did　not　go　（I　often

wondered　whether　he　pictured　Mrs。　Bastin　as　also　waiting；　if　so；

he　never　said　anything　about　her）；　Bickley　because　as　a　child　of

the　Present　and　a　servant　of　knowledge　he　feared　no　future；

believing　it　to　be　for　him　non…existent；　and　was　careless　as　to

when　his　strenuous　hour　of　life　should　end；　and　I　because　I　felt

that　yonder　lay　my　true　future；　yes；　and　my　true　past；　even

though　to　discover　them　I　must　pass　through　that　portal　which　we

know　as　Death。



We　reached　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　It　was　a　vast　place；　perhaps

the　arch　of　it　was　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　I　could　see　that　once

all　this　arch　had　been　adorned　with　sculptures。　Protected　as

these　were　by　the　overhanging　rock；　for　the　sculptured　mouth　of

the　cave　was　cut　deep　into　the　mountain　face；　they　were　still　so

worn　that　it　was　impossible　to　discern　their　details。　Time　had

eaten　them　away　like　an　acid。　But　what　length　of　time？　I　could

not　guess；　but　it　must　have　been　stupendous　to　have　worked　thus

upon　that　hard　and　sheltered　rock。



This　came　home　to　me　with　added　force　when；　from　subsequent

examination；　we　learned　that　the　entire　mouth　of　this　cave　had

been　sealed　up　for　unnumbered　ages。　It　will　be　remembered　that

Marama　told　me　the　mountain　in　the　lake　had　risen　much　during　the

frightful　cyclone　in　which　we　were　wrecked　and　with　it　the　cave

mouth　which　previously　had　been　invisible。　From　the　markings　on

the　mountain　side　it　was　obvious　that　something　of　the　sort　had

happened　very　recently；　at　any　rate　on　this　eastern　face。　That

is；　either　the　flat　rock　had　sunk　or　the　volcano　had　been　thrown

upwards。



Once　in　the　far　past　the　cave　had　been　as　it　was　when　we　found

it。　Then　it　had　gone　down　in　such　a　way　that　the　table…rock

entirely　sealed　the　entrance。　Now　this　entrance　was　once　more

open；　and　although　of　course　there　was　a　break　in　them；　the

grooves　of　which　I　have　spoken　ran　on　into　the　cave　at　only　a

slightly　different　level　from　that　at　which　they　lay　upon　the

flat　rock。　And　yet；　although　they　had　been　thus　sheltered　by　a

great　stone　curtain　in　front　of　them；　still　these　sculptures　were

worn　away　by　the　tooth　of　Time。　Of　course；　however；　this　may　have

happened　to　them　before　they　were　buried　in　some　ancient

cataclysm；　to　be　thus　resurrected　at　the　hour　of　our　arrival　upon

the　island。



Without　pausing　to　make　any　closer　examination　of　these

crumbled　carvings；　we