when the world shook-第36章

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with　freshwater　mussels　and　the　insides　of　fish。　By　means　of

these　he　secured　some　veritable　monsters　of　the　carp　species　that

proved　most　excellent　eating。　His　greatest　triumph；　however；　was

a　decoy　which　he　constructed　of　boughs；　wherein　he　trapped　a

number　of　waterfowl。　So　that　soon　we　kept　a　very　good　table　of　a

sort；　especially　after　he　had　learned　how　to　cook　our　food　upon

the　native　plan　by　means　of　hot　stones。　This　suited　us　admirably；

as　it　enabled　Bickley　and　myself　to　devote　all　our　time　to

archaeological　and　other　studies　which　did　not　greatly　interest

Bastin。



By　the　time　that　we　got　back　to　camp　it　was　drawing　towards

evening；　so　we　cooked　our　food　and　ate；　and　then；　thoroughly

exhausted；　made　ourselves　as　comfortable　as　we　could　and　went　to

sleep。　Even　our　marvelous　experiences　could　not　keep　Bickley　and

myself　from　sleeping；　and　on　Bastin　such　things　had　no　effect。　He

accepted　them　and　that　was　all；　much　more　readily　than　we　did；

indeed。　Triple…armed　as　he　was　in　the　mail　of　a　child…like　faith；

he　snapped　his　fingers　at　evil　spirits　which　he　supposed　the

Sleepers　to　be；　and　at　everything　else　that　other　men　might

dread。



Now；　as　I　have　mentioned；　after　our　talk　with　Marama；　although

we　did　not　think　it　wise　to　adventure　ourselves　among　them　again

at　present；　we　had　lost　all　fear　of　the　Orofenans。　In　this

attitude；　so　far　as　Marama　himself　and　the　majority　of　his　people

were　concerned；　we　were　quite　justified；　for　they　were　our　warm

friends。　But　in　the　case　of　the　sorcerers；　the　priests　and　all

their　rascally　and　superstitious　brotherhood；　we　were　by　no　means

justified。　They　had　not　forgiven　Bastin　his　sacrilege　or　for　his

undermining　of　their　authority　by　the　preaching　of　new　doctrines

which；　if　adopted；　would　destroy　them　as　a　hierarchy。　Nor　had

they　forgiven　Bickley　for　shooting　one　of　their　number；　or　any　of

us　for　our　escape　from　the　vengeance　of　their　god。



So　it　came　about　that　they　made　a　plot　to　seize　us　all　and　hale

us　off　to　be　sacrificed　to　a　substituted　image　of　Oro；　which　by

now　they　had　set　up。　They　knew　exactly　where　we　slept　upon　the

rock；　indeed；　our　fire　showed　it　to　them　and　so　far　they　were　not

afraid　to　venture；　since　here　they　had　been　accustomed　for

generations　to　lay　their　offerings　to　the　god　of　the　Mountain。

Secretly　on　the　previous　night；　without　the　knowledge　of　Marama；

they　had　carried　two　more　canoes　to　the　borders　of　the　lake。　Now

on　this　night；　just　as　the　moon　was　setting　about　three　in　the

morning；　they　made　their　attack；　twenty…one　men　in　all；　for　the

three　canoes　were　large；　relying　on　the　following　darkness　to　get

us　away　and　convey　us　to　the　place　of　sacrifice　to　be　offered　up

at　dawn　and　before　Marama　could　interfere。



The　first　we　knew　of　the　matter；　for　most　foolishly　we　had

neglected　to　keep　a　watch；　was　the　unpleasant　sensation　of　brawny

savages　kneeling　on　us　and　trussing　us　up　with　palm…fibre　ropes。

Also　they　thrust　handfuls　of　dry　grass　into　our　mouths　to　prevent

us　from　calling　out；　although　as　air　came　through　the　interstices

of　the　grass；　we　did　not　suffocate。　The　thing　was　so　well　done

that　we　never　struck　a　blow　in　self…defence；　and　although　we　had

our　pistols　at　hand；　much　less　could　we　fire　a　shot。　Of　course；

we　struggled　as　well　as　we　were　able；　but　it　was　quite　useless；

in　three　minutes　we　were　as　helpless　as　calves　in　a　net　and　like

calves　were　being　conveyed　to　the　butcher。　Bastin　managed　to　get

the　gag　out　of　his　mouth　for　a　few　seconds；　and　I　heard　him　say

in　his　slow；　heavy　voice：



〃This；　Bickley；　is　what　comes　of　trafficking　with　evil　spirits

in　museum　cases〃　There　his　speech　stopped；　for　the　grass　wad

was　jammed　down　his　throat　again；　but　distinctly　I　heard　the

inarticulate　Bickley　snort　as　he　conceived　the　repartee　he　was

unable　to　utter。　As　for　myself；　I　reflected　that　the　business

served　us　right　for　not　keeping　a　watch；　and　abandoned　the　issue

to　fate。



Still；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　was　infinitely　more　sorry　to　die

than　I　should　have　been　forty…eight　hours　earlier。　This　is　a　dull

and　in　most　ways　a　dreadful　world；　one；　if　we　could　only　summon

the　courage；　that　some　of　us　would　be　glad　to　leave　in　search　of

new　adventures。　But　here　a　great　and　unprecedented　adventure　had

begun　to　befall　me；　and　before　its　mystery　was　solved；　before

even　I　could　formulate　a　theory　concerning　it；　my　body　must　be

destroyed；　and　my　intelligence　that　was　caged　therein；　sent　far

afield；　or；　if　Bickley　were　right；　eclipsed。　It　seemed　so　sad

just　when　the　impossible；　like　an　unguessed　wandering　moon；　had

risen　over　the　grey　flats　of　the　ascertained　and　made　them　shine

with　hope　and　wonder。



They　carried　us　off　to　the　canoes；　not　too　gently；　indeed；　I

heard　the　bony　frame　of　Bastin　bump　into　the　bottom　of　one　of

them　and　reflected；　not　without　venom；　that　it　served　him　right

as　he　was　the　fount　and　origin　of　our　woes。　Two　stinking

magicians；　wearing　on　their　heads　undress　editions　of　their　court

cages；　since　these　were　too　cumbersome　for　active　work　of　the

sort；　and　painted　all　over　with　various　pigments；　were　just　about

to　swing　me　after　him　into　the　same；　or　another　canoe；　when

something　happened。　I　did　not　know　what　it　was；　but　as　a　result；

my　captors　left　hold　of　me　so　that　I　fell　to　the　rock；　lying　upon

my　back。



Then；　within　my　line　of　vision；　which；　it　must　be　remembered；

was　limited　because　I　could　not　lift　my　head；　appeared　the　upper

part　of　the　tall　person　of　the　Ancient　who　said　that　he　was　named

Oro。　I　could　only　see　him　down　to　his　middle；　but　I　noted　vaguely

that　he　seemed　to　be　much　changed。　For　instance；　he　wore　a

different　coloured　dress；　or　rather　robe；　this　time　it　was　dark

blue；　which　caused　me　to　wonder　where　on　earth　it　came　from。

Also；　his　tremendous　beard　had　been　trimmed　and　dressed；　and　on

his　head　there　was　a　simple　black　cap；　strangely　quilted；　which

looked　as　though　it　were　made　of　velvet。　Moreover；　his　face　had

plumped　out。　He　still　looked　ancient；　it　is　true；　and　unutterably

wise；　but　now　he　resembled　an　antique　youth；　so　great　were　his

energy　and　vigour。　Also；　his　dark　and　glowing　eyes　shone　with　a

fearful　intensity。　In　short；　he　seemed　impressive　and　terrible

almost　beyond　imagining。



He　looked　about　him　slowly；　then　asked　in　a　deep；　cold　voice；

speaking　in　the　Orofenan　tongue：



〃What　do　you；　slaves？〃



No　one　seemed　able　to　answer；　they　were　too　horror…stricken　at

this　sudden　vision　of　their　fabled　god；　whose　fierce　features　of

wood　had　become　flesh；　they　only　turned　to　fly。　He　waved　his　thin

hand　and　they　came　to　a　standstill；　like　animals　which　have

reached　the　end　of　their　tether　and　are　checked　by　the　chains

that　bind　them。　There　they　stood　in　all　sorts　of　postures；

immovable　and　looking　extremely　ridiculous　in　their　paint　and

feathers；　with　dread　unutterable　stamped　upon　their　evil　faces。



The　Sleeper　spoke　again：



〃You　would　murder　as　did　your　forefathers；　O　children　of　snakes

and　hogs　fashioned　in　the　shape　of　men。　You　would　sacrifice　those

who　dwell　in　my　shadow　to　satisfy　your　hate　because　they　are

wiser　than　you。　Come　hither　thou；〃　and　he　beckoned　with　a　bony

finger　to　the　chief　magician。



The　man　advanced　towards　him　in　short　jumps；　as　a　mechanical

toy　might　do；　and　stood　before　him；　his　miniature　crate　and

feathers　all　awry　and　the　sweat　of　terror　melting　the　paint　in

streaks　upon　his　face。



〃Look　into　the　eyes　of　Oro；　O　worshipper　of　Oro；〃　said　the

Sleeper；　and　he　obeyed；　his　own　eyes　starting　out　of　his　head。



〃Receive　the　curse　of　Oro；〃　said　the　Ancient　again。　Then

followed　a　terrible　spectacle。　The　man　went　raving　mad。　He

bounded　into　the　air　to　a　height　inconceivable。　He　threw　himself

upon　the　ground　and　rolled　upon　the　rock。　He　rose　again　and

staggered　round　and　round；　tearing　pieces　out　of　his　arms　with

his　teeth。　He　yelled　hideously　like　one　possessed。　He　grovelled；

beating　his　forehead　aga