warlord of mars-第4章

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they　had　taken。

　

When；　after　what　seemed　an　eternity；　I　reached　the　shadows　at

the　upper　end　of　the　lake　I　found　that　the　river　issued　from　a　low

aperture；　to　pass　beneath　which　it　was　necessary　that　I　compel

Woola　to　lie　flat　in　the　boat；　and　I；　myself；　must　need　bend　double

before　the　low　roof　cleared　my　head。

　

Immediately　the　roof　rose　again　upon　the　other　side；　but　no　longer

was　the　way　brilliantly　lighted。　　Instead　only　a　feeble　glow　emanated

from　small　and　scattered　patches　of　phosphorescent　rock　in　wall　and　roof。

　

Directly　before　me　the　river　ran　into　this　smaller　chamber　through

three　separate　arched　openings。

　

Thurid　and　the　therns　were　nowhere　to　be　seeninto　which　of

the　dark　holes　had　they　disappeared？　　There　was　no　means　by　which

I　might　know；　and　so　I　chose　the　center　opening　as　being　as

likely　to　lead　me　in　the　right　direction　as　another。

　

Here　the　way　was　through　utter　darkness。　　The　stream　was　narrow

so　narrow　that　in　the　blackness　I　was　constantly　bumping　first

one　rock　wall　and　then　another　as　the　river　wound　hither　and

thither　along　its　flinty　bed。

　

Far　ahead　I　presently　heard　a　deep　and　sullen　roar　which

increased　in　volume　as　I　advanced；　and　then　broke　upon　my　ears　with

all　the　intensity　of　its　mad　fury　as　I　swung　round　a　sharp　curve

into　a　dimly　lighted　stretch　of　water。

　

Directly　before　me　the　river　thundered　down　from　above　in　a

mighty　waterfall　that　filled　the　narrow　gorge　from　side　to　side；

rising　far　above　me　several　hundred　feetas　magnificent　a

spectacle　as　I　ever　had　seen。

　

But　the　roarthe　awful；　deafening　roar　of　those　tumbling

waters　penned　in　the　rocky；　subterranean　vault！　　Had　the　fall　not

entirely　blocked　my　further　passage　and　shown　me　that　I　had

followed　the　wrong　course　I　believe　that　I　should　have　fled　anyway

before　the　maddening　tumult。

　

Thurid　and　the　therns　could　not　have　come　this　way。　　By

stumbling　upon　the　wrong　course　I　had　lost　the　trail；　and　they　had

gained　so　much　ahead　of　me　that　now　I　might　not　be　able　to　find

them　before　it　was　too　late；　if；　in　fact；　I　could　find　them　at　all。

　

It　had　taken　several　hours　to　force　my　way　up　to　the　falls

against　the　strong　current；　and　other　hours　would　be　required　for

the　descent；　although　the　pace　would　be　much　swifter。

　

With　a　sigh　I　turned　the　prow　of　my　craft　down　stream；　and

with　mighty　strokes　hastened　with　reckless　speed　through　the　dark

and　tortuous　channel　until　once　again　I　came　to　the　chamber　into

which　flowed　the　three　branches　of　the　river。

　

Two　unexplored　channels　still　remained　from　which　to　choose；

nor　was　there　any　means　by　which　I　could　judge　which　was　the　more

likely　to　lead　me　to　the　plotters。

　

Never　in　my　life；　that　I　can　recall；　have　I　suffered　such　an

agony　of　indecision。　　So　much　depended　upon　a　correct　choice；

so　much　depended　upon　haste。

　

The　hours　that　I　had　already　lost　might　seal　the　fate　of　the

incomparable　Dejah　Thoris　were　she　not　already　deadto　sacrifice

other　hours；　and　maybe　days　in　a　fruitless　exploration　of　another

blind　lead　would　unquestionably　prove　fatal。

　

Several　times　I　essayed　the　right…hand　entrance　only　to　turn

back　as　though　warned　by　some　strange　intuitive　sense　that

this　was　not　the　way。　　At　last；　convinced　by　the　oft…recurring

phenomenon；　I　cast　my　all　upon　the　left…hand　archway；　yet　it　was

with　a　lingering　doubt　that　I　turned　a　parting　look　at　the　sullen

waters　which　rolled；　dark　and　forbidding；　from　beneath　the　grim；

low　archway　on　the　right。

　

And　as　I　looked　there　came　bobbing　out　upon　the　current　from

the　Stygian　darkness　of　the　interior　the　shell　of　one　of　the　great；

succulent　fruits　of　the　sorapus　tree。

　

I　could　scarce　restrain　a　shout　of　elation　as　this　silent；　insensate

messenger　floated　past　me；　on　toward　the　Iss　and　Korus；　for　it

told　me　that　journeying　Martians　were　above　me　on　that　very　stream。

　

They　had　eaten　of　this　marvelous　fruit　which　nature　concentrates

within　the　hard　shell　of　the　sorapus　nut；　and　having　eaten　had

cast　the　husk　overboard。　　It　could　have　come　from　no　others　than

the　party　I　sought。

　

Quickly　I　abandoned　all　thought　of　the　left…hand　passage；　and

a　moment　later　had　turned　into　the　right。　　The　stream　soon　widened；

and　recurring　areas　of　phosphorescent　rock　lighted　my　way。

　

I　made　good　time；　but　was　convinced　that　I　was　nearly　a　day

behind　those　I　was　tracking。　　Neither　Woola　nor　I　had　eaten　since

the　previous　day；　but　in　so　far　as　he　was　concerned　it　mattered　but

little；　since　practically　all　the　animals　of　the　dead　sea　bottoms

of　Mars　are　able　to　go　for　incredible　periods　without　nourishment。

　

Nor　did　I　suffer。　　The　water　of　the　river　was　sweet　and　cold；

for　it　was　unpolluted　by　decaying　bodieslike　the　Issand　as　for

food；　why　the　mere　thought　that　I　was　nearing　my　beloved　princess

raised　me　above　every　material　want。

　

As　I　proceeded；　the　river　became　narrower　and　the　current

swift　and　turbulentso　swift　in　fact　that　it　was　with　difficulty

that　I　forced　my　craft　upward　at　all。　　I　could　not　have　been　making

to　exceed　a　hundred　yards　an　hour　when；　at　a　bend；　I　was　confronted

by　a　series　of　rapids　through　which　the　river　foamed　and　boiled　at

a　terrific　rate。

　

My　heart　sank　within　me。　　The　sorapus　nutshell　had　proved　a

false　prophet；　and；　after　all；　my　intuition　had　been　correctit

was　the　left…hand　channel　that　I　should　have　followed。

　

Had　I　been　a　woman　I　should　have　wept。　　At　my　right　was　a　great；

slow…moving　eddy　that　circled　far　beneath　the　cliff's　overhanging　side；

and　to　rest　my　tired　muscles　before　turning　back　I　let　my　boat　drift

into　its　embrace。

　

I　was　almost　prostrated　by　disappointment。　　It　would　mean

another　half…day's　loss　of　time　to　retrace　my　way　and　take　the　only

passage　that　yet　remained　unexplored。　　What　hellish　fate　had　led　me

to　select　from　three　possible　avenues　the　two　that　were　wrong？

　

As　the　lazy　current　of　the　eddy　carried　me　slowly　about　the

periphery　of　the　watery　circle　my　boat　twice　touched　the　rocky　side

of　the　river　in　the　dark　recess　beneath　the　cliff。　　A　third　time　it

struck；　gently　as　it　had　before；　but　the　contact　resulted　in　a

different　soundthe　sound　of　wood　scraping　upon　wood。

　

In　an　instant　I　was　on　the　alert；　for　there　could　be　no　wood

within　that　buried　river　that　had　not　been　man　brought。　　Almost

coincidentally　with　my　first　apprehension　of　the　noise；　my　hand

shot　out　across　the　boat's　side；　and　a　second　later　I　felt　my

fingers　gripping　the　gunwale　of　another　craft。

　

As　though　turned　to　stone　I　sat　in　tense　and　rigid　silence；

straining　my　eyes　into　the　utter　darkness　before　me　in　an　effort　to

discover　if　the　boat　were　occupied。

　

It　was　entirely　possible　that　there　might　be　men　on　board　it

who　were　still　ignorant　of　my　presence；　for　the　boat　was　scraping

gently　against　the　rocks　upon　one　side；　so　that　the　gentle　touch　of

my　boat　upon　the　other　easily　could　have　gone　unnoticed。

　

Peer　as　I　would　I　could　not　penetrate　the　darkness；　and　then

I　listened　intently　for　the　sound　of　breathing　near　me；　but　except

for　the　noise　of　the　rapids；　the　soft　scraping　of　the　boats；　and

the　lapping　of　the　water　at　their　sides　I　could　distinguish　no

sound。　　As　usual；　I　thought　rapidly。

　

A　rope　lay　coiled　in　the　bottom　of　my　own　craft。　　Very　softly

I　gathered　it　up；　and　making　one　end　fast　to　the　bronze　ring　in　the

prow　I　stepped　gingerly　into　the　boat　beside　me。　　In　one　hand　I

grasped　the　rope；　in　the　other　my　keen　long…sword。

　

For　a　full　minute；　perhaps；　I　stood　motionless　after　entering

the　strange　craft。　　It　had　rocked　a　trifle　beneath　my　weight；　but

it　had　been　the　scraping　of　its　side　against　the　side　of　my　own

boat　that　had　seemed　most　likely　to　alarm　its　occupants；　if　there

were　any。

　

But　there　was　no　answering　sound；　and　a　moment　later　I　had

felt　from　stem　to　stern　and　found　the　boat　deserted。

　

Groping　with　my　hands　along　the