lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第5章

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bottom　of　which　there　flowed　a　muddy　little　stream。　　Here　another

halt　was　called；　and　another　consultation　took　place。　　The

landlord；　still　clinging　pertinaciously　to　the　idea　of　reaching　the

'point；'　voted　for　crossing　the　ravine；　and　going　on　round　the

slope　of　the　mountain。　　Mr。　Goodchild；　to　the　great　relief　of　his

fellow…traveller；　took　another　view　of　the　case；　and　backed　Mr。

Idle's　proposal　to　descend　Carrock　at　once；　at　any　hazard　…　the

rather　as　the　running　stream　was　a　sure　guide　to　follow　from　the

mountain　to　the　valley。　　Accordingly；　the　party　descended　to　the

rugged　and　stony　banks　of　the　stream；　and　here　again　Thomas　lost

ground　sadly；　and　fell　far　behind　his　travelling　companions。　　Not

much　more　than　six　weeks　had　elapsed　since　he　had　sprained　one　of

his　ankles；　and　he　began　to　feel　this　same　ankle　getting　rather

weak　when　he　found　himself　among　the　stones　that　were　strewn　about

the　running　water。　　Goodchild　and　the　landlord　were　getting　farther

and　farther　ahead　of　him。　　He　saw　them　cross　the　stream　and

disappear　round　a　projection　on　its　banks。　　He　heard　them　shout　the

moment　after　as　a　signal　that　they　had　halted　and　were　waiting　for

him。　　Answering　the　shout；　he　mended　his　pace；　crossed　the　stream

where　they　had　crossed　it；　and　was　within　one　step　of　the　opposite

bank；　when　his　foot　slipped　on　a　wet　stone；　his　weak　ankle　gave　a

twist　outwards；　a　hot；　rending；　tearing　pain　ran　through　it　at　the

same　moment；　and　down　fell　the　idlest　of　the　Two　Idle　Apprentices；

crippled　in　an　instant。



The　situation　was　now；　in　plain　terms；　one　of　absolute　danger。

There　lay　Mr。　Idle　writhing　with　pain；　there　was　the　mist　as　thick

as　ever；　there　was　the　landlord　as　completely　lost　as　the　strangers

whom　he　was　conducting；　and　there　was　the　compass　broken　in

Goodchild's　pocket。　　To　leave　the　wretched　Thomas　on　unknown　ground

was　plainly　impossible；　and　to　get　him　to　walk　with　a　badly

sprained　ankle　seemed　equally　out　of　the　question。　　However；

Goodchild　（brought　back　by　his　cry　for　help）　bandaged　the　ankle

with　a　pocket…handkerchief；　and　assisted　by　the　landlord；　raised

the　crippled　Apprentice　to　his　legs；　offered　him　a　shoulder　to　lean

on；　and　exhorted　him　for　the　sake　of　the　whole　party　to　try　if　he

could　walk。　　Thomas；　assisted　by　the　shoulder　on　one　side；　and　a

stick　on　the　other；　did　try；　with　what　pain　and　difficulty　those

only　can　imagine　who　have　sprained　an　ankle　and　have　had　to　tread

on　it　afterwards。　　At　a　pace　adapted　to　the　feeble　hobbling　of　a

newly…lamed　man；　the　lost　party　moved　on；　perfectly　ignorant

whether　they　were　on　the　right　side　of　the　mountain　or　the　wrong；

and　equally　uncertain　how　long　Idle　would　be　able　to　contend　with

the　pain　in　his　ankle；　before　he　gave　in　altogether　and　fell　down

again；　unable　to　stir　another　step。



Slowly　and　more　slowly；　as　the　clog　of　crippled　Thomas　weighed

heavily　and　more　heavily　on　the　march　of　the　expedition；　the　lost

travellers　followed　the　windings　of　the　stream；　till　they　came　to　a

faintly…marked　cart…track；　branching　off　nearly　at　right　angles；　to

the　left。　　After　a　little　consultation　it　was　resolved　to　follow

this　dim　vestige　of　a　road　in　the　hope　that　it　might　lead　to　some

farm　or　cottage；　at　which　Idle　could　be　left　in　safety。　　It　was　now

getting　on　towards　the　afternoon；　and　it　was　fast　becoming　more

than　doubtful　whether　the　party；　delayed　in　their　progress　as　they

now　were；　might　not　be　overtaken　by　the　darkness　before　the　right

route　was　found；　and　be　condemned　to　pass　the　night　on　the

mountain；　without　bit　or　drop　to　comfort　them；　in　their　wet

clothes。



The　cart…track　grew　fainter　and　fainter；　until　it　was　washed　out

altogether　by　another　little　stream；　dark；　turbulent；　and　rapid。

The　landlord　suggested；　judging　by　the　colour　of　the　water；　that　it

must　be　flowing　from　one　of　the　lead　mines　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Carrock；　and　the　travellers　accordingly　kept　by　the　stream　for　a

little　while；　in　the　hope　of　possibly　wandering　towards　help　in

that　way。　　After　walking　forward　about　two　hundred　yards；　they　came

upon　a　mine　indeed；　but　a　mine；　exhausted　and　abandoned；　a　dismal；

ruinous　place；　with　nothing　but　the　wreck　of　its　works　and

buildings　left　to　speak　for　it。　　Here；　there　were　a　few　sheep

feeding。　　The　landlord　looked　at　them　earnestly；　thought　he

recognised　the　marks　on　them　…　then　thought　he　did　not　…　finally

gave　up　the　sheep　in　despair　…　and　walked　on　just　as　ignorant　of

the　whereabouts　of　the　party　as　ever。



The　march　in　the　dark；　literally　as　well　as　metaphorically　in　the

dark；　had　now　been　continued　for　three…quarters　of　an　hour　from　the

time　when　the　crippled　Apprentice　had　met　with　his　accident。　　Mr。

Idle；　with　all　the　will　to　conquer　the　pain　in　his　ankle；　and　to

hobble　on；　found　the　power　rapidly　failing　him；　and　felt　that

another　ten　minutes　at　most　would　find　him　at　the　end　of　his　last

physical　resources。　　He　had　just　made　up　his　mind　on　this　point；

and　was　about　to　communicate　the　dismal　result　of　his　reflections

to　his　companions；　when　the　mist　suddenly　brightened；　and　begun　to

lift　straight　ahead。　　In　another　minute；　the　landlord；　who　was　in

advance；　proclaimed　that　he　saw　a　tree。　　Before　long；　other　trees

appeared　…　then　a　cottage　…　then　a　house　beyond　the　cottage；　and　a

familiar　line　of　road　rising　behind　it。　　Last　of　all；　Carrock

itself　loomed　darkly　into　view；　far　away　to　the　right　hand。　　The

party　had　not　only　got　down　the　mountain　without　knowing　how；　but

had　wandered　away　from　it　in　the　mist；　without　knowing　why　…　away；

far　down　on　the　very　moor　by　which　they　had　approached　the　base　of

Carrock　that　morning。



The　happy　lifting　of　the　mist；　and　the　still　happier　discovery　that

the　travellers　had　groped　their　way；　though　by　a　very　roundabout

direction；　to　within　a　mile　or　so　of　the　part　of　the　valley　in

which　the　farm…house　was　situated；　restored　Mr。　Idle's　sinking

spirits　and　reanimated　his　failing　strength。　　While　the　landlord

ran　off　to　get　the　dog…cart；　Thomas　was　assisted　by　Goodchild　to

the　cottage　which　had　been　the　first　building　seen　when　the

darkness　brightened；　and　was　propped　up　against　the　garden　wall；

like　an　artist's　lay　figure　waiting　to　be　forwarded；　until　the　dog…

cart　should　arrive　from　the　farm…house　below。　　In　due　time　…　and　a

very　long　time　it　seemed　to　Mr。　Idle　…　the　rattle　of　wheels　was

heard；　and　the　crippled　Apprentice　was　lifted　into　the　seat。　　As

the　dog…cart　was　driven　back　to　the　inn；　the　landlord　related　an

anecdote　which　he　had　just　heard　at　the　farm…house；　of　an　unhappy

man　who　had　been　lost；　like　his　two　guests　and　himself；　on　Carrock；

who　had　passed　the　night　there　alone；　who　had　been　found　the　next

morning；　'scared　and　starved；'　and　who　never　went　out　afterwards；

except　on　his　way　to　the　grave。　　Mr。　Idle　heard　this　sad　story；　and

derived　at　least　one　useful　impression　from　it。　　Bad　as　the　pain　in

his　ankle　was；　he　contrived　to　bear　it　patiently；　for　he　felt

grateful　that　a　worse　accident　had　not　befallen　him　in　the　wilds　of

Carrock。







CHAPTER　II







The　dog…cart；　with　Mr。　Thomas　Idle　and　his　ankle　on　the　hanging

seat　behind；　Mr。　Francis　Goodchild　and　the　Innkeeper　in　front；　and

the　rain　in　spouts　and　splashes　everywhere；　made　the　best　of　its

way　back　to　the　little　inn；　the　broken　moor　country　looking　like

miles　upon　miles　of　Pre…Adamite　sop；　or　the　ruins　of　some　enormous

jorum　of　antediluvian　toast…and…water。　　The　trees　dripped；　the

eaves　of　the　scattered　cottages　dripped；　the　barren　stone　walls

dividing　the　land；　dripped；　the　yelping　dogs　dripped；　carts　and

waggons　under　ill…roofed　penthouses；　dripped；　melancholy　cocks　and

hens　perching　on　their　shafts；　or　seeking　shelter　underneath　them；

dripped；　Mr。　Goodchild　dripped；　Thomas　Idle　dripped；　the　Inn…keeper

dripped；　the　mare　dripped；　the　vast　curtains　of　mist　and　cloud

passed　before　the　shadowy　forms　of　the　hills；　streamed　water　as

they　were　drawn　across　the　l