when the world shook-第31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！



medicine…chest；　and　with　them；　as　I　noted；　a　hypodermic　syringe；

which　he　first　boiled　in　a　kettle　and　then　shut　up　in　a　little

tube　with　a　glass　stopper。



These　preparations　finished；　he　called　to　Tommy　to　give　him　the

scraps　of　our　meal。　But　there　was　no　Tommy。　The　dog　was　missing；

and　though　we　hunted　everywhere　we　could　not　find　him。　Finally　we

concluded　that　he　had　wandered　off　down　the　beach　on　business　of

his　own　and　would　return　in　due　course。　We　could　not　bother　about

Tommy　just　then。



After　making　some　further　preparations　and　fidgeting　about　a

little；　Bickley　announced　that　as　we　had　now　some　proper　paraffin

lamps　of　the　powerful　sort　which　are　known　as　〃hurricane；〃　he

proposed　by　their　aid　to　carry　out　further　examinations　in　the

cave。



〃I　think　I　shall　stop　where　I　am；〃　said　Bastin；　helping　himself

from　the　kettle　to　a　fifth　pannikin　of　tea。　〃Those　corpses　are

very　interesting；　but　I　don't　see　any　use　in　staring　at　them

again　at　present。　One　can　always　do　that　at　any　time。　I　have

missed　Marama　once　already　by　being　away　in　that　cave；　and　I　have

a　lot　to　say　to　him　about　my　people；　I　don't　want　to　be　absent　in

case　he　should　return。〃



〃To　wash　up　the　things；　I　suppose；〃　said　Bickley　with　a　sniff；

〃or　perhaps　to　eat　the　tea…leaves。〃



〃Well；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　noticed　that　these　natives

have　a　peculiar　taste　for　tea…leaves。　I　think　they　believe　them

to　be　a　medicine；　but　I　don't　suppose　they　would　come　so　far　for

them；　though　perhaps　they　might　in　the　hope　of　getting　the　head

of　Oro。　Anyhow；　I　am　going　to　stop　here。〃



〃Pray　do；〃　said　Bickley。　〃Are　you　ready；　Humphrey？〃



I　nodded；　and　he　handed　to　me　a　felt…covered　flask　of　the　non…

conducting　kind；　filled　with　boiling　water；　a　tin　of　preserved

milk；　and　a　little　bottle　of　meat　extract　of　a　most　concentrated

sort。　Then；　having　lit　two　of　the　hurricane　lamps　and　seen　that

they　were　full　of　oil；　we　started　back　up　the　cave。







Chapter　XI



Resurrection





We　reached　the　sepulchre　without　stopping　to　look　at　the　parked

machines　or　even　the　marvelous　statue　that　stood　above　it；　for

what　did　we　care　about　machines　or　statues　now？　As　we　approached

we　were　astonished　to　hear　low　and　cavernous　growlings。



〃There　is　some　wild　beast　in　there；〃　said　Bickley；　halting。

〃No；　by　George！　it's　Tommy。　What　can　the　dog　be　after？〃



We　peeped　in；　and　there　sure　enough　was　Tommy　lying　on　the　top

of　the　Glittering　Lady's　coffin　and　growling　his　very　best　with

the　hair　standing　up　upon　his　back。　When　he　saw　who　it　was；

however；　he　jumped　off　and　frisked　round；　licking　my　hand。



〃That's　very　strange；〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Not　stranger　than　everything　else；〃　said　Bickley。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　I　asked。



〃Open　these　coffins；〃　he　answered；　〃beginning　with　that　of　the

old　god；　since　I　would　rather　experiment　on　him。　I　expect　he　will

crumble　into　dust。　But　if　by　chance　he　doesn't　I'll　jam　a　little

strychnine；　mixed　with　some　other　drugs；　of　which　you　don't　know

the　names；　into　one　of　his　veins　and　see　if　anything　happens。　If

it　doesn't；　it　won't　hurt　him；　and　if　it　doeswell；　who　knows？

Now　give　me　a　hand。〃



We　went　to　the　left…hand　coffin　and　by　inserting　the　hook　on

the　back　of　my　knife；　of　which　the　real　use　is　to　pick　stones　out

of　horses'　hoofs；　into　one　of　the　little　air…holes　I　have

described；　managed　to　raise　the　heavy　crystal　lid　sufficiently　to

enable　us　to　force　a　piece　of　wood　between　it　and　the　top。　The

rest　was　easy；　for　the　hinges　being　of　crystal　had　not　corroded。

In　two　minutes　it　was　open。



From　the　chest　came　an　overpowering　spicy　odour；　and　with　it　a

veritable　breath　of　warm　air　before　which　we　recoiled　a　little。

Bickley　took　a　pocket　thermometer　which　he　had　at　hand　and

glanced　at　it。　It　marked　a　temperature　of　82　degrees　in　the

sepulchre。　Having　noted　this；　he　thrust　it　into　the　coffin

between　the　crystal　wall　and　its　occupant。　Then　we　went　out　and

waited　a　little　while　to　give　the　odours　time　to　dissipate；　for

they　made　the　head　reel。



After　five　minutes　or　so　we　returned　and　examined　the

thermometer。　It　had　risen　to　98　degrees；　the　natural　temperature

of　the　human　body。



〃What　do　you　make　of　that　if　the　man　is　dead？〃　he　whispered。



I　shook　my　head；　and　as　we　had　agreed；　set　to　helping　him　to

lift　the　body　from　the　coffin。　It　was　a　good　weight；　quite　eleven

stone　I　should　say；　moreover；　it　was　not　still；　for　the　hip

joints　bent。　We　got　it　out　and　laid　it　on　a　blanket　we　had　spread

on　the　floor　of　the　sepulchre。　Whilst　I　was　thus　engaged　I　saw

something　that　nearly　caused　me　to　loose　my　hold　from

astonishment。　Beneath　the　head；　the　centre　of　the　back　and　the

feet　were　crystal　boxes　about　eight　inches　square；　or　rather

crystal　blocks；　for　in　them　I　could　see　no　opening；　and　these

boxes　emitted　a　faint　phosphorescent　light。　I　touched　one　of　them

and　found　that　it　was　quite　warm。



〃Great　heavens！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃here's　magic。〃



〃There's　no　such　thing；〃　answered　Bickley　in　his　usual　formula。

Then　an　explanation　seemed　to　strike　him　and　he　added；　〃Not　magic

but　radium　or　something　of　the　sort。　That's　how　the　temperature

was　kept　up。　In　sufficient　quantity　it　is　practically

indestructible；　you　see。　My　word！　this　old　gentleman　knew　a　thing

or　two。〃



Again　we　waited　a　little　while　to　see　if　the　body　begun　to

crumble　on　exposure　to　the　air；　I　taking　the　opportunity　to　make

a　rough　sketch　of　it　in　my　pocket…book　in　anticipation　of　that

event。　But　it　did　not；　it　remained　quite　sound。



〃Here　goes；〃　said　Bickley。　〃If　he　should　be　alive；　he　will

catch　cold　in　his　lungs　after　lying　for　ages　in　that　baby

incubator；　as　I　suppose　he　has　done。　So　it　is　now　or　never。〃



Then　bidding　me　hold　the　man's　right　arm；　he　took　the

sterilized　syringe　which　he　had　prepared；　and　thrusting　the

needle　into　a　vein　he　selected　just　above　the　wrist；　injected　the

contents。



〃It　would　have　been　better　over　the　heart；〃　he　whispered；　〃but

I　thought　I　would　try　the　arm　first。　I　don't　like　risking　chills

by　uncovering　him。〃



I　made　no　answer　and　again　we　waited　and　watched。



〃Great　heavens；　he's　stirring！〃　I　gasped　presently。



Stirring　he　was；　for　his　fingers　began　to　move。



Bickley　bent　down　and　placed　his　ear　to　the　heartI　forgot　to

say　that　he　had　tested　this　before　with　a　stethoscope；　but　had

been　unable　to　detect　any　movement。



〃I　believe　it　is　beginning　to　beat；〃　he　said　in　an　awed　voice。



Then　he　applied　the　stethoscope；　and　added；　〃It　is；　it　is！〃



Next　he　took　a　filament　of　cotton　wool　and　laid　it　on　the　man's

lips。　Presently　it　moved；　he　was　breathing；　though　very　faintly。

Bickley　took　more　cotton　wool　and　having　poured　something　from

his　medicine…chest　on　to　it；　placed　it　over　the　mouth　beneath　the

man's　nostrilsI　believe　it　was　sal　volatile。



Nothing　further　happened　for　a　little　while；　and　to　relieve　the

strain　on　my　mind　I　stared　absently　into　the　empty　coffin。　Here　I

saw　what　had　escaped　our　notice；　two　small　plates　of　white　metal

and　cut　upon　them　what　I　took　to　be　star　maps。　Beyond　these　and

the　glowing　boxes　which　I　have　mentioned；　there　was　nothing　else

in　the　coffin。　I　had　no　time　to　examine　them；　for　at　that　moment

the　old　man　opened　his　mouth　and　began　to　breathe；　evidently　with

some　discomfort　and　effort；　as　his　empty　lungs　filled　themselves

with　air。　Then　his　eyelids　lifted；　revealing　a　wonderful　pair　of

dark　glowing　eyes　beneath。　Next　he　tried　to　sit　up　but　would　have

fallen；　had　not　Bickley　supported　him　with　his　arm。



I　do　not　think　he　saw　Bickley；　indeed　he　shut　his　eyes　again　as

though　the　light　hurt　them；　and　went　into　a　kind　of　faint。　Then

it　was　that　Tommy；　who　all　this　while　had　been　watching　the

proceedings　with　grave　interest；　came　forward；　wagging　his　tail；

and　licked　the　man's　face。　At　the　touch　of　the　dog's　red　tongue；

he　opened　his　eyes　for　the　second　time。　Now　he　s