in search of the castaways-第105章

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　silence　ensued。　At　last　the　Major　said：　　〃My　friends；　keep　that　to　the　last　moment。　I　am　not　an　advocate　of　irremediable　measures。〃　〃I　did　not　speak　for　ourselves；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃Be　it　as　it　may；　we　can　face　death！　　Had　we　been　alone；　I　should　ere　now　have　cried；　'My　friends；　let　us　make　an　effort。　　Let　us　attack　these　wretches！'　But　with　these　poor　girls〃　At　this　moment　John　raised　the　mat；　and　counted　twenty…five　natives　keeping　guard　on　the　Ware…Atoua。　A　great　fire　had　been　lighted；　and　its　lurid　glow　threw　into　strong　relief　the　irregular　outlines　of　the　〃pah。〃　　Some　of　the　savages　were　sitting　round　the　brazier；　the　others　standing　motionless；　their　black　outlines　relieved　against　the　clear　background　of　flame。　　But　they　all　kept　watchful　guard　on　the　hut　confided　to　their　care。　It　has　been　said　that　between　a　vigilant　jailer　and　a　prisoner　who　wishes　to　escape；　the　chances　are　in　favor　of　the　prisoner；　the　fact　is；　the　interest　of　the　one　is　keener　than　that　of　the　other。　The　jailer　may　forget　that　he　is　on　guard；　the　prisoner　never　forgets　that　he　is　guarded。　　The　captive　thinks　oftener　of　escaping　than　the　jailer　of　preventing　his　flight；　and　hence　we　hear　of　frequent　and　wonderful　escapes。　But　in　the　present　instance　hatred　and　revenge　were　the　jailers　not　an　indifferent　warder；　the　prisoners　were　not　bound；　but　it　was　because　bonds　were　useless　when　five…and…twenty　men　were　watching　the　only　egress　from　the　Ware…Atoua。

This　house；　with　its　back　to　the　rock　which　closed　the　fortress；　was　only　accessible　by　a　long；　narrow　promontory　which　joined　it　in　front　to　the　plateau　on　which　the　〃pah〃　was　erected。　On　its　two　other　sides　rose　pointed　rocks；　which　jutted　out　over　an　abyss　a　hundred　feet　deep。　　On　that　side　descent　was　impossible；　and　had　it　been　possible；　the　bottom　was　shut　in　by　the　enormous　rock。　The　only　outlet　was　the　regular　door　of　the　Ware…Atoua；　and　the　Maories　guarded　the　promontory　which　united　it　to　the　〃pah〃　like　a　drawbridge。　All　escape　was　thus　hopeless；　and　Glenarvan　having　tried　the　walls　for　the　twentieth　time；　was　compelled　to　acknowledge　that　it　was　so。　The　hours　of　this　night；　wretched　as　they　were；　slipped　away。　Thick　darkness　had　settled　on　the　mountain。　　Neither　moon　nor　stars　pierced　the　gloom。　　Some　gusts　of　wind　whistled　by　the　sides　of　the　〃pah；〃　and　the　posts　of　the　house　creaked：　the　fire　outside　revived　with　the　puffs　of　wind；　and　the　flames　sent　fitful　gleams　into　the　interior　of　Ware…Atoua。　The　group　of　prisoners　was　lit　up　for　a　moment；　they　were　absorbed　in　their　last　thoughts；　and　a　deathlike　silence　reigned　in　the　hut。　It　might　have　been　about　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　the　Major's　attention　was　called　to　a　slight　noise　which　seemed　to　come　from　the　foundation　of　the　posts　in　the　wall　of　the　hut　which　abutted　on　the　rock。　McNabbs　was　at　first　indifferent；　but　finding　the　noise　continue；　he　listened；　then　his　curiosity　was　aroused；　and　he　put　his　ear　to　the　ground；　it　sounded　as　if　someone　was　scraping　or　hollowing　out　the　ground　outside。　As　soon　as　he　was　sure　of　it；　he　crept　over　to　Glenarvan　and　John　Mangles；　and　startling　them　from　their　melancholy　thoughts；　led　them　to　the　end　of　the　hut。　〃Listen；〃　said　he；　motioning　them　to　stoop。　The　scratching　became　more　and　more　audible；　they　could　hear　the　little　stones　grate　on　a　hard　body　and　roll　away。　〃Some　animal　in　his　burrow；〃　said　John　Mangles。　Glenarvan　struck　his　forehead。　〃Who　knows？〃　said　he；　〃it　might　be　a　man。〃　〃Animal　or　man；〃　answered　the　Major；　〃I　will　soon　find　out！〃　Wilson　and　Olbinett　joined　their　companions；　and　all　united　to　dig　through　the　wallJohn　with　his　dagger；　the　others　with　stones　taken　from　the　ground；　or　with　their　nails；　while　Mulrady；　stretched　along　the　ground；　watched　the　native　guard　through　a　crevice　of　the　matting。　These　savages　sitting　motionless　around　the　fire；　suspected　nothing　of　what　was　going　on　twenty　feet　off。　The　soil　was　light　and　friable；　and　below　lay　a　bed　of　silicious　tufa；　therefore；　even　without　tools；　the　aperture　deepened　quickly。　It　soon　became　evident　that　a　man；　or　men；　clinging　to　the　sides　of　the　〃pah；〃　were　cutting　a　passage　into　its　exterior　wall。　What　could　be　the　object？　　Did　they　know　of　the　existence　of　the　prisoners；　or　was　it　some　private　enterprise　that　led　to　the　undertaking？　The　prisoners　redoubled　their　efforts。　　Their　fingers　bled；　but　still　they　worked　on；　after　half　an　hour　they　had　gone　three　feet　deep；　they　perceived　by　the　increased　sharpness　of　the　sounds　that　only　a　thin　layer　of　earth　prevented　immediate　communication。　Some　minutes　more　passed；　and　the　Major　withdrew　his　hand　from　the　stroke　of　a　sharp　blade。　　He　suppressed　a　cry。　John　Mangles；　inserting　the　blade　of　his　poniard；　avoided　the　knife　which　now　protruded　above　the　soil；　but　seized　the　hand　that　wielded　it。　It　was　the　hand　of　a　woman　or　child；　a　European！　　On　V。　IV　Verne　neither　side　had　a　word　been　uttered。　It　was　evidently　the　cue　of　both　sides　to　be　silent。　〃Is　it　Robert？〃　whispered　Glenarvan。　But　softly　as　the　name　was　breathed；　Mary　Grant；　already　awakened　by　the　sounds　in　the　hut；　slipped　over　toward　Glenarvan；　and　seizing　the　hand；　all　stained　with　earth；　she　covered　it　with　kisses。　〃My　darling　Robert；〃　said　she；　never　doubting；　〃it　is　you！　it　is　you！〃　〃Yes；　little　sister；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　I　am　here　to　save　you　all；　but　be　very　silent。〃　〃Brave　lad！〃　repeated　Glenarvan。　〃Watch　the　savages　outside；〃　said　Robert。　Mulrady；　whose　attention　was　distracted　for　a　moment　by　the　appearance　of　the　boy；　resumed　his　post。　〃It　is　all　right；〃　said　he。　　〃There　are　only　four　awake；　the　rest　are　asleep。〃　A　minute　after；　the　hole　was　enlarged；　and　Robert　passed　from　the　arms　of　his　sister　to　those　of　Lady　Helena。　　Round　his　body　was　rolled　a　long　coil　of　flax　rope。　〃My　child；　my　child；〃　murmured　Lady　Helena；　〃the　savages　did　not　kill　you！〃　〃No；　madam；〃　said　he；　〃I　do　not　know　how　it　happened；　but　in　the　scuffle　I　got　away；　I　jumped　the　barrier；　for　two　days　I　hid　in　the　bushes；　to　try　and　see　you；　while　the　tribe　were　busy　with　the　chief's　funeral；　I　came　and　reconnoitered　this　side　of　the　path；　and　I　saw　that　I　could　get　to　you。　　I　stole　this　knife　and　rope　out　of　the　desert　hut。　The　tufts　of　bush　and　the　branches　made　me　a　ladder；　and　I　found　a　kind　of　grotto　already　hollowed　out　in　the　rock　under　this　hut；　I　had　only　to　bore　some　feet　in　soft　earth；　and　here　I　am。〃　Twenty　noiseless　kisses　were　his　reward。　〃Let　us　be　off！〃　said　he；　in　a　decided　tone。　〃Is　Paganel　below？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃Monsieur　Paganel？〃　replied　the　boy；　amazed。　〃Yes；　is　he　waiting　for　us？〃　〃No；　my　Lord；　but　is　he　not　here？〃　inquired　Robert。　〃No；　Robert！〃　answered　Mary　Grant。　〃Why！　have　you　not　seen　him？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　　〃Did　you　lose　each　other　in　the　confusion？　　Did　you　not　get　away　together？〃　〃No；　my　Lord！〃　said　Robert；　taken　aback　by　the　disappearance　of　his　friend　Paganel。　〃Well；　lose　no　more　time；〃　said　the　Major。　　〃Wherever　Paganel　is；　he　cannot　be　in　worse　plight　than　ourselves。　　Let　us　go。〃　Truly；　the　moments　were　precious。　　They　had　to　fly。　The　escape　was　not　very　difficult；　except　the　twenty　feet　of　perpendicular　fall　outside　the　grotto。　After　that　the　slope　was　practicable　to　the　foot　of　the　mountain。　From　th