THE TORTUOUS TRAMP.
Our friends might have turned and faced the natives but they were still
a great number of them following, and the capture of the strangers would
have been certain if they had tried to fight it out. Their treatment at
the hands of these natives had been such that they might expect nothing
else but death if they were again captured, so the thought of taking any
risk by fighting had not occurred to them until the last moment. There
was but one way to escape these beings and that was by flight and they
had been so intent on making their escape in this way, that they had
forgotten for the moment the windy corridor, their former experience in
this and the experience of the native of On, which their new companion
had so recently related. They had rushed madly forward, caring little
where the cross corridor led, so long as it enabled them to keep ahead
of their pursuers. And they had dashed into the windy corridor, not
giving it a thought and were now being blown through this at break neck
speed.
It would be impossible for human being to stand alone in this gale, and
in an instant the men were thrown violently forward and were now rolling
over and over unable to stop themselves. Onrai, although he carried the
wounded native, was the first in the tunnel and was now some feet ahead
of his companions, but was being borne on just as fast as the others.
The native had fallen behind him and his wounded body was suffering
fearful tortures in this violent exercise; each time the wounded side
would strike the rock a cry of pain would escape him. Mr. Bruce was
right back of the native, and after a while managed to call to Onrai to
work himself toward the wall, if possible, and get head on to the wind
and thus offer less resistance to the awful gale. Onrai immediately
began edging his way toward the wall and would have succeeded in doing
this if the native had not struck him full force on the side, thus
starting him rolling again. But Onrai had caught the native and had
clung fast to him and they were not moved nearly so rapidly, being
together. As a consequence Mr. Bruce, Mr. Graham and Harry came bowling
along and bumped into them, and as they did this the men grabbed each
other, and held on, and in this way they were all joined and the wind
could no longer move them.
“Now,” said Mr. Bruce, “let us get into position and try to regain our
feet, and in single file, as we did upon our first entering this
corridor, try to resist its awful power.”
They worked around until one was immediately behind the other, and at a
given signal, first rose to one knee and then to both knees, and in this
way continued until they were standing on their feet. The poor native
asked them to leave him in the corridor to die, but they would not hear
of this, and Onrai again threw him over his shoulder, when they were
ready to move. They started, leaning well back so to offer greater
resistance to the wind, but it was hard work tramping along in this
darkness, frequently hitting up against the walls, and bruising their
already sore bodies. And then the uncertainty of where the tunnel would
finally land them, was making things all the more unpleasant. They could
not possibly guess where this would lead them; they had had some
experience in the tunnel before, and had heard more about it from the
native, but all this had told them nothing. They knew that this gale of
wind must have an outlet some place, but what sort of place was this?
Would it be a shaft leading to the surface as did the shaft which seemed
to be its source? Would it take them back to the great cavern, or to the
center of the earth, or where? The thought was maddening, but they could
do nothing but go with it, wherever it might lead them.
They had gone on in this way for miles, they thought, and their bodies
were bruised and exhausted; still there was no way to stop and rest even
for a moment; they would have to keep up the awful rush until too
exhausted to longer keep their feet, they would drop and be blown—where?
To death, surely. Onrai, who was still carrying the native, tried hard
to keep up, but he was fast giving out, and our friends knew that when
he should do so, their mainstay was gone, and hope might be abandoned.
Onrai suddenly stumbled, and would have fallen had not Mr. Bruce, who
was next to him, held fast, thus saving him and may be the others.
“What is wrong, Onrai,” asked Mr. Bruce.
“It was something on the floor,” said Onrai. He had hardly said this
when he stumbled again, and this time Mr. Bruce lost his hold, and Onrai
went down bearing the native with him. The others threw themselves back,
and managed to save themselves from falling.
“Can you get up, Onrai?” asked Mr. Bruce.
“I will try in a moment,” said Onrai. “But can you take the native?”
The others now held on to Mr. Bruce, and he stooped and raised the
native.
“Can you stand?” asked Mr. Bruce of the native.
“Yes,” the man answered; but when Mr. Bruce lowered him to the ground,
the poor fellow’s legs gave way under him, and he would have fallen had
not Mr. Bruce held him. He then raised him again with the others’ help,
and threw the man over his shoulder.
Onrai had risen and had again taken his place at the head of the column.
But they had noticed something; the wind was not blowing so violently in
this part of the tunnel. They could not account for this, neither did
they try to, but it made their progress much easier. And another thing
which was being forced on their notice, was the great number of loose
stones which covered the floor of the tunnel at this point; it must be
that the tunnel here had never been finished completely, or it might be
that the rock, being softer at this point, had crumbled and fallen from
the ceiling. They were suddenly brought up by Onrai striking violently
against a rock, which seemed to end the tunnel. For a moment they stood
still, Onrai having been shocked in being brought up so suddenly.
“What is it, now?” asked Mr. Bruce.
“It is the end of the tunnel,” said Onrai, “or else we have suddenly
turned in our course and have struck the side wall.”
“Move to your right, and see if there be an opening,” said Mr. Bruce.
Onrai did so and then moved forward again.
“It seemed to be a projection,” said Onrai.
He kept his hand on the rock and followed its curves closely until they
were on the other side of it and at last they were out of the fearful
wind.
“Have you a match?” asked Mr. Graham of Mr. Bruce. “If you have, light a
torch and let us see each other. Onrai move about and see what kind of a
place we are in.”
Mr. Bruce fumbled about his tunic for a moment and then produced a
match; this flickered for a moment as he applied it to the torch and
then a bright light lit up the scene about them. They were surprised at
the strange scene, for they were no longer in the smooth walled and
floored tunnel, but in a natural cave, which looked very much like the
great cavern; but whether it was the same or not, they could not say.
The ceiling was high above their heads and could just be seen in the dim
rays of light. The wall to which belonged the projecting rock, behind
which they were now standing, was ribbed and seamed and was the only one
to be seen. The cavern had widened until they could not see across it.
“If this be the large cave then we are safe, for all we have to do is to
look for the hidden door,” said Harry.
“But I do not think it is the same,” said Mr. Bruce, “for the reason,
that never, in the large cavern, did we feel this draught or wind.”
“That is so;” said Harry, “we must have struck another cave altogether,
and it is probably all the worse for us that we have.”
“Why do you think so?” asked Onrai.
“Why, because we knew how to get out of the other, but how to find an
opening to the outside world here, we have no idea.”
“I believe, though,” said Mr. Bruce, “that if we can hold out longer, we
will come to a shaft leading up to the surface.”
“There must be some great hole leading to the surface, which causes this
draught.”
“It would be well for us to take some rest before trying it again,” said
Mr. Graham.
“But what of the poor native?” asked Onrai.
They had forgotten him in their surprise at finding themselves where
they did, and the poor fellow had laid on the floor of the cave almost
dead with pain and fatigue. They went to work on him, though, and used
very nearly all of the little water left, bathing his wounds. Then they
rearranged the bandages and fixed them as comfortable as possible, so
that he might rest; then they also laid down and were soon asleep.
The native laid for a long time with his eyes closed, completely
exhausted; but he could not sleep, and after a while his eyes again
opened, and he looked about him. The torch had been left in a crevice in
the projecting rock, and it threw its fitful glare about them. The
ceiling arched far above them, the torchlight throwing long shadows
along its rugged crevices; the wall at his side he could follow with his
eyes for some distance, but it was then lost in the gloom. He tried to
penetrate this gloom and look far beyond and find there a ray of that
same light which he had heard his friends tell about. If he could only
see such a light, then he would know that these kind companions, who had
done so much for him, when they could have left him behind to die, he
would know then that they were safe, and that they would again reach
their friends. He cared little for himself, for his life had never known
any of that strange feeling which he had heard his present companions
speak of. He was nothing but a burden and retarded their progress. Oh,
if he could but die before they again awakened, it would be so much
better for both him and those who had so long kept him with them, even
when they would have been fully justified in leaving him behind.
Suddenly he starts and half rises. What was that he saw away off there
in the darkness? Was it a light? Yes, several of them. They were very
dim; in fact he could hardly say they were lights, but they surely
resembled the lights of torches in the distance, and they were growing
thicker. He could see great numbers of them moving about like
will-o’-the-wisps, or was it his fevered brain which was calling up
these phantom lights? He raised a little higher to look at the things
about him so as to assure himself that he was still in his right mind
and would then let his gaze penetrate the gloom, seeking the strange
lights.
Yes, he could not be mistaken, they were torchlights; but did they
belong to his people or some other strange people, who inhabited this
part of the cave. He could not tell this, and as he was not certain that
there were others near them, he determined to awaken his companions.
Leaning over and touching Onrai, who was lying next to him, he wakened
him and then pointing into the darkness said, “Look, do you not see the
lights?”
Onrai looked long and carefully before he spoke, then said, “Yes, they
must be,” and waking his other companions he bade them look also.
It was soon decided by all that there were others in the cavern beside
themselves, but who these others were was the question, and could only
be answered by getting closer to them. Eating a small lunch of fish and
merely wetting the lips with the little water which they had, they again
started, Onrai carrying the native. They blew out the torch before
starting, thinking it best not to attract attention with it.
The strong wind, too, which still blew from out the tunnel, would make
it almost impossible to keep the torch lit. So they stumbled along in
the darkness, feeling their way as best they could, but receiving
frequent bumps, which bruised their bodies and exhausted their patience;
but they kept the flickering lights in view.
The air was, for some reason or other, getting much cooler, and the
explorers began to shudder, and hurry as they would, the exercise would
not keep them warm. Every moment now the wind blew colder, and seemed to
come from a direction to the right. The scant clothing, which had
covered their bodies at the start, had mostly been torn away in the
rough experiences which they had had, and their bodies were almost laid
bare to this merciless cold. And the poor native had nothing on
whatever, excepting a bandage, which bound his side.
They were nearing the lights very rapidly, and now dark forms could be
seen moving about. But the cold had grown so intense, they doubted if
they would be able to hold out until they reached the strangers. When
these were reached what might they expect? Would they be antagonistic or
friendly; they could not be a body of the tribe which they had already
found, for the native now with them had never heard of such a cold
region as this, and had never seen one of his tribe wearing clothing,
and it would be an utter physical impossibility to remain here and not
wear clothing.
But who were they then? It mattered little, for they must seek aid of
them. So stumbling and falling, their benumbed flesh freezing to the
bone, they hurried on as fast as they could. They had again clasped
hands for fear of getting lost one from the other, and in this way one
helped the other.
A horrible rumbling sound now broke on their ears, and grew louder as
they advanced. They were getting closer and closer to the men, and far
beyond them they could now see one bright ray of daylight. This spurred
them on until completely exhausted, their bodies frozen and bleeding,
they fell at the feet of the surprised torchbearers.
They had come to the cave of ice.