第9章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:4447更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
Aftertwohours’perilousexertionswestooduponthesummitofanotherridge,anditwaswithdifficultyIcouldbringmyselftobelievethatwehadeverpenetratedtheblackandyawningchasmwhichthengapedatourfeet。Againwegazedupontheprospectwhichtheheightcommanded,butitwasjustasdepressingastheonewhichhadbeforemetoureyes。Inowfeltthatinourpresentsituationitwasinvainforustothinkofeverovercomingtheobstaclesinourway,andIgaveupallthoughtsofreachingthevalewhichlaybeyondthisseriesofimpediments;whileatthesametimeIcouldnotdeviseanyschemetoextricateourselvesfromthedifficultiesinwhichwewereinvolved。 TheremotestideaofreturningtoNukuhevaunlessassuredofourvessel’sdeparture,neveronceenteredmymind,andindeeditwasquestionablewhetherwecouldhavesucceededinreachingit,dividedaswewerefromthebaybyadistancewecouldnotcompute,andperplexedtooinourremembranceoflocalitiesbyourrecentwanderings。Besides,itwasunendurablethethoughtofretracingourstepsandrenderingallourpainfulexertionsofnoavail。 Thereisscarcelyanythingwhenamanisindifficultiesthatheismoredisposedtolookuponwithabhorrencethanaright-aboutretrogrademovement-asystematicgoingoverofthealreadytroddenground:andespeciallyifhehasaloveofadventure,suchacourseappearsindescribablyrepulsive,solongasthereremainstheleasthopetobederivedfrombravinguntrieddifficulties。 Itwasthisfeelingthatpromptedustodescendtheoppositesideoftheelevationwehadjustscaled,althoughwithwhatdefiniteobjectinviewitwouldhavebeenimpossibleforeitherofustotell。 Withoutexchangingasyllableuponthesubject,Tobyandmyselfsimultaneouslyrenouncedthedesignwhichhadluredusthusfar- perceivingineachother’scountenancesthatdespondingexpressionwhichspeaksmoreeloquentlythanwords。 Togetherwestoodtowardsthecloseofthiswearydayinthecavityofthethirdgorgewehadentered,whollyincapacitatedforanyfurtherexertion,untilrestoredtosomedegreeofstrengthbyfoodandrepose。 Weseatedourselvesupontheleastuncomfortablespotwecouldselect,andTobyproducedfromthebosomofhisfrockthesacredpackage。Insilencewepartookofthesmallmorselofrefreshmentthathadbeenleftfromthemorning’srepast,andwithoutonceproposingtoviolatethesanctityofourengagementwithrespecttotheremainder,werosetoourfeet,andproceededtoconstructsomesortofshelterunderwhichwemightobtainthesleepwesogreatlyneeded。 Fortunatelythespotwasbetteradaptedtoourpurposethantheoneinwhichwehadpassedthelastwretchednight。Weclearedawaythetallreedsfromasmallbutalmostlevelbitofground,andtwistedthemintoalowbasket-likehut,whichwecoveredwithaprofusionoflongthickleaves,gatheredfromatreenearathand。 Wedisposedthemthicklyallaround,reservingonlyaslightopeningthatbarelypermittedustocrawlundertheshelterwehadthusobtained。 Thesedeeprecesses,thoughprotectedfromthewindsthatassailthesummitsoftheirloftysides,aredampandchilltoadegreethatonewouldhardlyanticipateinsuchaclimate;andbeingunprovidedwithanythingbutourwoollenfrocksandthinducktrouserstoresistthecoldoftheplace,wewerethemoresolicitoustorenderourhabitationforthenightascomfortableaswecould。 Accordingly,inadditiontowhatwehadalreadydone,wepluckeddownalltheleaveswithinourreachandthrewtheminaheapoverourlittlehut,intowhichwenowcrept,rakingafterusareservedsupplytoformourcouch。 ThatnightnothingbutthepainIsufferedpreventedmefromsleepingmostrefreshingly。Asitwas,Icaughttwoorthreenaps,whileTobysleptawayatmysideassoundlyasthoughhehadbeensandwichedbetweentwoHollandsheets。Luckilyitdidnotrain,andwewerepreservedfromthemiserywhichaheavyshowerwouldhaveoccasionedus。 InthemorningIwasawakenedbythesonorousvoiceofmycompanionringinginmyearsandbiddingmerise。Icrawledoutfromourheapofleaves,andwasastonishedatthechangewhichagoodnight’sresthadwroughtinhisappearance。Hewasasblitheandjoyousasayoungbird,andwasstayingthekeennessofhismorning’sappetitebychewingthesoftbarkofadelicatebranchheheldinhishand,andherecommendedtheliketome,asanadmirableantidoteagainstthegnawingsofhunger。 Formyownpart,thoughfeelingmateriallybetterthanIhaddonetheprecedingevening,Icouldnotlookatthelimbthathadpainedmesoviolentlyatintervalsduringthelasttwenty-fourhours,withoutexperiencingasenseofalarmthatIstroveinvaintoshakeoff。Unwillingtodisturbtheflowofmycomrade’sspirits,I managedtostiflethecomplaintstowhichImightotherwisehavegivenvent,andcallinguponhimgood-humouredlytospeedourbanquet,I preparedmyselfforitbywashinginthestream。Thisoperationconcluded,weswallowed,orratherabsorbed,byapeculiarkindofslowsuckingprocess,ourrespectivemorselsofnourishment,andthenenteredintoadiscussionastothestepsitwasnecessaryforustopursue。 “What’stobedonenow?“inquiredI,ratherdolefully。 “Descendintothatsamevalleywedescriedyesterday,“rejoinedToby,witharapidityandloudnessofutterancethatalmostledmetosuspecthehadbeenslylydevouringthebroadsideofanoxinsomeoftheadjoiningthickets。“Whatelse,“hecontinued,“remainsforustodobutthat,tobesure?Why,weshallbothstarve,toacertainty,ifweremainhere;andastoyourfearsofthoseTypees- dependuponit,itisallnonsense。Itisimpossiblethattheinhabitantsofsuchalovelyplaceaswesawcanbeanythingelsebutgoodfellows;andifyouchooserathertoperishwithhungerinoneofthesesoppycaverns,Iforoneprefertochanceabolddescentintothevalley,andrisktheconsequences。“ “Andwhoistopilotusthither,“Iasked,“evenifweshoulddecideuponthemeasureyoupropose?Arewetogoagainupanddownthoseprecipicesthatwecrossedyesterday,untilwereachtheplacewestartedfrom,andthentakeaflyingleapfromthecliffstothevalley?“ “’Faith,Ididn’tthinkofthat,“saidToby;“sureenough,bothsidesofthevalleyappearedtobehemmedinbyprecipices,didn’tthey?“ “Yes,“answeredI;“assteepasthesidesofaline-of-battleship,andaboutahundredtimesashigh。“Mycompanionsankhisheaduponhisbreast,andremainedforawhileindeepthought。Suddenlyhesprangtohisfeet,whilehiseyeslightedupwiththatgleamofintelligencethatmarksthepresenceofsomebrightidea。 “Yes,yes,“heexclaimed;“thestreamsallruninthesamedirection,andmustnecessarilyflowintothevalleybeforetheyreachthesea;allwehavetodoisjusttofollowthisstream,andsoonerorlater,itwillleadusintothevale。“ “Youareright,Toby,“Iexclaimed,“youareright;itconductusthither,andquickly,too;for,seewithwhatasteepinclinationthewaterdescends。“ “Itdoes,indeed,“burstforthmycompanion,overjoyedatmyverificationofhistheory,“itdoes,indeed;why,itisasplainasapike-staff。Letusproceedatonce;come,throwawayallthosestupidideasabouttheTypees,andhurrahforthelovelyvalleyoftheHappars!“ “YouwillhaveittobeHappar,Isee,mydearfellow;prayHeaven,youmaynotfindyourselfdeceived,“observedI,withashakeofmyhead。 “Amentoallthat,andmuchmore,“shoutedToby,rushingforward;“butHapparitis,fornothingelsethanHapparcanitbe。Sogloriousavalley-suchforestsofbread-fruittrees-suchgrovesofcocoa-nut-suchwildernessesofguava-bushes!Ah,shipmate!don’tlingerbehind:inthenameofalldelightfulfruits,Iamdyingtobeatthem。Comeon,comeon;shoveahead,there’salivelylad;nevermindtherocks;kickthemoutoftheway,asIdo;andto-morrow,oldfellow,takemywordforit,weshallbeinclover。Comeon“; andsosaying,hedashedalongtheravinelikeamadman,forgettingmyinabilitytokeepupwithhim。Inafewminutes,however,theexuberanceofhisspiritsabated,and,pausingforawhile,hepermittedmetoovertakehim。 THEfearlessconfidenceofTobywascontagious,andIbegantoadopttheHapparsideofthequestion。Icouldnot,however,overcomeacertainfeelingoftrepidation,aswemadeourwayalongthesegloomysolitudes。Ourprogress,atfirstcomparativelyeasy,becamemoreandmoredifficult。Thebedofthewatercoursewascoveredwithfragmentsofbrokenrocks,whichhadfallenfromabove,offeringsomanyobstructionstothecourseoftherapidstream,whichvexedandfrettedaboutthem,-formingatintervalssmallwaterfalls,pouringoverintodeepbasins,orsplashingwildlyuponheapsofstones。 Fromthenarrownessofthegorge,andthesteepnessofitssides,therewasnomodeofadvancingbutbywadingthroughthewater; stumblingeverymomentovertheimpedimentswhichlayhiddenunderitssurface,ortrippingagainstthehugerootsoftrees。Butthemostannoyinghindranceweencounteredwasfromamultitudeofcrookedboughs,which,shootingoutalmosthorizontallyfromthesidesofthechasm,twistedthemselvestogetherinfantasticmassesalmosttothesurfaceofthestream,affordingusnopassageexceptunderthelowarcheswhichtheyformed。Underthesewewereobligedtocrawlonourhandsandfeet,slidingalongtheoozysurfaceoftherocks,orslippingintothedeeppools,andwithscarcelightenoughtoguideus。Occasionallywewouldstrikeourheadsagainstsomeprojectinglimbofatree;andwhileimprudentlyengagedinrubbingtheinjuredpart,wouldfallsprawlingamongstflintyfragments,cuttingandbruisingourselves,whilsttheunpityingwatersflowedoverourprostratebodies。Belzoni,worminghimselfthroughthesubterraneanpassagesoftheEgyptiancatacombs,couldnothavemetwithgreaterimpedimentsthanthosewehereencountered。Butwestruggledagainstthemmanfully,wellknowingouronlyhopelayinadvancing。 Towardssunsetwehaltedataspotwherewemadepreparationsforpassingthenight。Hereweconstructedahut,inmuchthesamewayasbefore,andcrawlingintoit,endeavouredtoforgetoursufferings。