in search of the castaways-第110章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


dea；　Paganel；　well　conceived；〃　said　the　Major。　〃You　understand；〃　replied　the　geographer；　〃we　are　to　pretend　to　fall　victims　to　the　flames　of　the　Maori　Pluto；　and　to　disappear　spiritually　into　the　tomb　of　Kara…Tete。　And　stay　there　three；　four；　even　five　days　if　necessarythat　is　to　say；　till　the　savages　are　convinced　that　we　have　perished；　and　abandon　their　watch。〃　〃But；〃　said　Miss　Grant；　〃suppose　they　wish　to　be　sure　of　our　punishment；　and　climb　up　here　to　see？〃　〃No；　my　dear　Mary；〃　returned　Paganel。　　〃They　will　not　do　that。　The　mountain　is　tabooed；　and　if　it　devoured　its　sacrilegious　intruders；　it　would　only　be　more　inviolably　tabooed。〃　〃It　is　really　a　very　clever　plan；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃There　is　only　one　chance　against　it；　that　is；　if　the　savages　prolong　their　watch　at　the　foot　of　Maunganamu；　we　may　run　short　of　provisions。　But　if　we　play　our　game　well　there　is　not　much　fear　of　that。〃　〃And　when　shall　we　try　this　last　chance？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃To…night；〃　rejoined　Paganel；　〃when　the　darkness　is　the　deepest。〃　〃Agreed；〃　said　McNabbs；　〃Paganel；　you　are　a　genius！　and　I；　who　seldom　get　up　an　enthusiasm；　I　answer　for　the　success　of　your　plan。　Oh！　those　villains！　　They　shall　have　a　little　miracle　that　will　put　off　their　conversion　for　V。　IV　Verne　another　century。　　I　hope　the　missionaries　will　forgive　us。〃　The　project　of　Paganel　was　therefore　adopted；　and　certainly　with　the　superstitious　ideas　of　the　Maories　there　seemed　good　ground　for　hope。　　But　brilliant　as　the　idea　might　be；　the　difficulty　was　in　the　_modus　operandi_。　　The　volcano　might　devour　the　bold　schemers；　who　offered　it　a　crater。　Could　they　control　and　direct　the　eruption　when　they　had　succeeded　in　letting　loose　its　vapor　and　flames；　and　lava　streams？　The　entire　cone　might　be　engulfed。　　It　was　meddling　with　phenomena　of　which　nature　herself　has　the　absolute　monopoly。　Paganel　had　thought　of　all　this；　but　he　intended　to　act　prudently　and　without　pushing　things　to　extremes。　An　appearance　would　be　enough　to　dupe　the　Maories；　and　there　was　no　need　for　the　terrible　realities　of　an　eruption。　How　long　that　day　seemed。　　Each　one　of　the　party　inwardly　counted　the　hours。　　All　was　made　ready　for　flight。　　The　oudoupa　provisions　were　divided　and　formed　very　portable　packets。　Some　mats　and　firearms　completed　their　light　equipment；　all　of　which　they　took　from　the　tomb　of　the　chief。　It　is　needless　to　say　that　their　preparations　were　made　within　the　inclosure；　and　that　they　were　unseen　by　the　savages。　At　six　o'clock　the　steward　served　up　a　refreshing　meal。　　Where　or　when　they　would　eat　in　the　valleys　of　the　Ranges　no　one　could　foretell。　So　that　they　had　to　take　in　supplies　for　the　future。　　The　principal　dish　was　composed　of　half　a　dozen　rats；　caught　by　Wilson　and　stewed。　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant　obstinately　refused　to　taste　this　game；　which　is　highly　esteemed　by　the　natives；　but　the　men　enjoyed　it　like　the　real　Maories。　　The　meat　was　excellent　and　savory；　and　the　six　devourers　were　devoured　down　to　the　bones。　The　evening　twilight　came　on。　　The　sun　went　down　in　a　stormy…looking　bank　of　clouds。　　A　few　flashes　of　lightning　glanced　across　the　horizon　and　distant　thunder　pealed　through　the　darkened　sky。　Paganel　welcomed　the　storm；　which　was　a　valuable　aid　to　his　plans；　and　completed　his　program。　　The　savages　are　superstitiously　affected　by　the　great　phenomena　of　nature。　The　New　Zealanders　think　that　thunder　is　the　angry　voice　of　Noui…Atoua；　and　lightning　the　fierce　gleam　of　his　eyes。　Thus　their　deity　was　coming　personally　to　chastise　the　violators　of　the　taboo。　At　eight　o'clock；　the　summit　of　the　Maunganamu　was　lost　in　portentous　darkness。　　The　sky　would　supply　a　black　background　for　the　blaze　which　Paganel　was　about　to　throw　on　it。　　The　Maories　could　no　longer　see　their　prisoners；　and　this　was　the　moment　for　action。　Speed　was　necessary。　　Glenarvan；　Paganel；　McNabbs；　Robert；　the　steward；　and　the　two　sailors；　all　lent　a　hand。　The　spot　for　the　crater　was　chosen　thirty　paces　from　Kara…Tete's　tomb。　It　was　important　to　keep　the　oudoupa　intact；　for　if　it　disappeared；　the　taboo　of　the　mountain　would　be　nullified。　　At　the　spot　mentioned　Paganel　had　noticed　an　enormous　block　of　stone；　round　which　the　vapors　played　with　a　certain　degree　of　intensity。　This　block　covered　a　small　natural　crater　hollowed　in　the　cone；　and　by　its　own　weight　prevented　the　egress　of　the　subterranean　fire。　If　they　could　move　it　from　its　socket；　the　vapors　and　the　lava　would　issue　by　the　disencumbered　opening。　The　workers　used　as　levers　some　posts　taken　from　the　interior　of　the　oudoupa；　and　they　plied　their　tools　vigorously　against　the　rocky　mass。　Under　their　united　efforts　the　stone　soon　moved。　　They　made　a　little　trench　so　that　it　might　roll　down　the　inclined　plane。　　As　they　gradually　raised　it；　the　vibrations　under　foot　became　more　distinct。　Dull　roarings　of　flame　and　the　whistling　sound　of　a　furnace　ran　along　under　the　thin　crust。　　The　intrepid　la…borers；　veritable　Cyclops　handling　Earth's　fires；　worked　in　silence；　soon　some　fissures　and　jets　of　steam　warned　them　that　their　place　was　growing　dangerous。　But　a　crowning　effort　moved　the　mass　which　rolled　down　and　disappeared。　Immediately　the　thin　crust　gave　way。　　A　column　of　fire　rushed　to　the　sky　with　loud　detonations；　while　streams　of　boiling　water　and　lava　flowed　toward　the　native　camp　and　the　lower　valleys。　All　the　cone　trembled　as　if　it　was　about　to　plunge　into　a　fathomless　gulf。　Glenarvan　and　his　companions　had　barely　time　to　get　out　of　the　way；　they　fled　to　the　enclosure　of　the　oudoupa；　not　without　having　been　sprinkled　with　water　at　220　degrees。　This　water　at　first　spread　a　smell　like　soup；　which　soon　changed　into　a　strong　odor　of　sulphur。　Then　the　mud；　the　lava；　the　volcanic　stones；　all　spouted　forth　in　a　torrent。　　Streams　of　fire　furrowed　the　sides　of　Maunganamu。　　The　neighboring　mountains　were　lit　up　by　the　glare；　the　dark　valleys　were　also　filled　with　dazzling　light。　All　the　savages　had　risen；　howling　under　the　pain　inflicted　by　the　burning　lava；　which　was　bubbling　and　foaming　in　the　midst　of　their　camp。　Those　whom　the　liquid　fire　had　not　touched　fled　to　the　surrounding　hills；　then　turned；　and　gazed　in　terror　at　this　fearful　phenomenon；　this　volcano　in　which　the　anger　of　their　deity　would　swallow　up　the　profane　intruders　on　the　sacred　mountain。　Now　and　then；　when　the　roar　of　the　eruption　became　less　violent；　their　cry　was　heard：　〃Taboo！　taboo！　taboo！〃　An　enormous　quantity　of　vapors；　heated　stones　and　lava　was　escaping　by　this　crater　of　Maunganamu。　　It　was　not　a　mere　geyser　like　those　that　girdle　round　Mount　Hecla；　in　Iceland；　it　was　itself　a　Hecla。　　All　this　volcanic　commotion　was　confined　till　then　in　the　envelope　of　the　cone；　because　the　safety　valve　of　Tangariro　was　enough　for　its　expansion；　but　when　this　new　issue　was　afforded；　it　rushed　forth　fiercely；　and　by　the　laws　of　equilibrium；　the　other　eruptions　in　the　island　must　on　that　night　have　lost　their　usual　intensity。　An　hour　after　this　volcano　burst　upon　the　world；　broad　streams　of　lava　were　running　down　its　sides。　　Legions　of　rats　came　out　of　their　holes；　and　fled　from　the　scene。　All　night　long；　and　fanned　by　the　tempest　in　the　upper　sky；　the　crater　never　ceased　to　pour　forth　its　torrents　with　a　violence　that　ala