in search of the castaways-第111章

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empest　in　the　upper　sky；　the　crater　never　ceased　to　pour　forth　its　torrents　with　a　violence　that　alarmed　Glenarvan。　　The　eruption　was　breaking　away　the　edges　of　the　opening。　　The　prisoners。　　hidden　behind　the　inclosure　of　stakes；　watched　the　fearful　progress　of　the　phenomenon。　Morning　came。　　The　fury　of　the　volcano　had　not　slackened。　Thick　yellowish　fumes　were　mixed　with　the　flames；　the　lava　torrents　wound　their　serpentine　course　in　every　direction。　Glenarvan　watched　with　a　beating　heart；　looking　from　all　the　interstices　of　the　palisaded　enclosure；　and　observed　the　movements　in　the　native　camp。　The　Maories　had　fled　to　the　neighboring　ledges；　out　of　the　reach　of　the　volcano。　　Some　corpses　which　lay　at　the　foot　of　the　cone；　were　charred　by　the　fire。　　Further　off　toward　the　〃pah；〃　the　lava　had　reached　a　group　of　twenty　huts；　which　were　still　smoking。　The　Maories；　forming　here　and　there　groups；　contemplated　the　canopied　summit　of　Maunganamu　with　religious　awe。　Kai…Koumou　approached　in　the　midst　of　his　warriors；　and　Glenarvan　recognized　him。　　The　chief　advanced　to　the　foot　of　the　hill；　on　the　side　untouched　by　the　lava；　but　he　did　not　ascend　the　first　ledge。　Standing　there；　with　his　arms　stretched　out　like　an　ex…erciser；　he　made　some　grimaces；　whose　meaning　was　obvious　to　the　prisoners。　As　Paganel　had　foreseen；　Kai…Koumou　launched　on　the　avenging　mountain　a　more　rigorous　taboo。　Soon　after　the　natives　left　their　positions　and　followed　the　winding　paths　that　led　toward　the　pah。　〃They　are　going！〃　exclaimed　Glenarvan。　　〃They　have　left　their　posts！　　God　be　praised！　　Our　stratagem　has　succeeded！　My　dear　Lady　Helena；　my　brave　friends；　we　are　all　dead　and　buried！　But　this　evening　when　night　comes；　we　shall　rise　and　leave　our　tomb；　and　fly　these　barbarous　tribes！〃　It　would　be　difficult　to　conceive　of　the　joy　that　pervaded　the　oudoupa。　Hope　had　regained　the　mastery　in　all　hearts。　　The　intrepid　travelers　forgot　the　past；　forgot　the　future；　to　enjoy　the　present　delight！　And　yet　the　task　before　them　was　not　an　easy　oneto　gain　some　European　outpost　in　the　midst　of　this　unknown　country。　But　Kai…Koumou　once　off　their　track；　they　thought　themselves　safe　from　all　the　savages　in　New　Zealand。　A　whole　day　had　to　elapse　before　they　could　make　a　start；　and　they　employed　it　in　arranging　a　plan　of　flight。　Paganel　had　treasured　up　his　map　of　New　Zealand；　and　on　it　could　trace　out　the　best　roads。　After　discussion；　the　fugitives　resolved　to　make　for　the　Bay　of　Plenty；　towards　the　east。　　The　region　was　unknown；　but　apparently　desert。　The　travelers；　who　from　their　past　experience；　had　learned　to　make　light　of　physical　difficulties；　feared　nothing　but　meeting　Maories。　　At　any　cost　they　wanted　to　avoid　them　and　gain　the　east　coast；　where　the　missionaries　had　several　stations。　That　part　of　the　country　had　hitherto　escaped　the　horrors　of　war；　and　the　natives　were　not　in　the　habit　of　scouring　the　country。　As　to　the　distance　that　separated　Lake　Taupo　from　the　Bay　of　Plenty；　they　calculated　it　about　a　hundred　miles。　Ten　days'　march　at　ten　miles　a　day；　could　be　done；　not　without　fatigue；　but　none　of　the　party　gave　that　a　thought。　If　they　could　only　reach　the　mission　stations　they　could　rest　there　while　waiting　for　a　favorable　opportunity　to　get　to　Auckland；　for　that　was　the　point　they　desired　to　reach。　This　question　settled；　they　resumed　their　watch　of　the　native　proceedings；　and　continued　so　doing　till　evening　fell。　Not　a　solitary　native　remained　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　and　when　darkness　set　in　over　the　Taupo　valleys；　not　a　fire　indicated　the　presence　of　the　Maories　at　the　base。　The　road　was　free。　At　nine　o'clock；　the　night　being　unusually　dark；　Glenarvan　gave　the　order　to　start。　　His　companions　and　he；　armed　and　equipped　at　the　expense　of　Kara…Tete；　began　cautiously　to　descend　the　slopes　of　Maunganamu；　John　Mangles　and　Wilson　leading　the　way；　eyes　and　ears　on　the　alert。　They　stopped　at　the　slightest　sound；　they　started　at　every　passing　cloud。　　They　slid　rather　than　walked　down　the　spur；　that　their　figures　might　be　lost　in　the　dark　mass　of　the　mountain。　At　two　hundred　feet　below　the　summit；　John　Mangles　and　his　sailors　reached　the　dangerous　ridge　that　had　been　so　obstinately　defended　by　the　natives。　　If　by　ill　luck　the　Maories；　more　cunning　than　the　fugitives；　had　only　pretended　to　retreat；　if　they　were　not　really　duped　by　the　volcanic　phenomenon；　this　was　the　spot　where　their　presence　would　be　betrayed。　Glenarvan　could　not　but　shudder；　in　spite　of　his　confidence；　and　in　spite　of　the　jokes　of　Paganel。　　The　fate　of　the　whole　party　would　hang　in　the　balance　for　the　ten　minutes　required　to　pass　along　that　ridge。　　He　felt　the　beating　of　Lady　Helena's　heart；　as　she　clung　to　his　arm。　He　had　no　thought　of　turning　back。　　Neither　had　John。　The　young　captain；　followed　closely　by　the　whole　party；　and　protected　by　the　intense　darkness；　crept　along　the　ridge；　stopping　when　some　loose　stone　rolled　to　the　bottom。　If　the　savages　were　still　in　the　ambush　below；　these　unusual　sounds　might　provoke　from　both　sides　a　dangerous　fusillade。　But　speed　was　impossible　in　their　serpent…like　progress　down　this　sloping　crest。　　When　John　Mangles　had　reached　the　lowest　point；　he　was　scarcely　twenty…five　feet　from　the　plateau；　where　the　natives　were　encamped　the　night　before；　and　then　the　ridge　rose　again　pretty　steeply　toward　a　wood　for　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile。　All　this　lower　part　was　crossed　without　molestation；　and　they　commenced　the　ascent　in　silence。　　The　clump　of　bush　was　invisible；　though　they　knew　it　was　there；　and　but　for　the　possibility　of　an　ambush；　Glenarvan　counted　on　being　safe　when　the　party　arrived　at　that　point。　But　he　observed　that　after　this　point；　they　were　no　longer　protected　by　the　taboo。　　The　ascending　ridge　belonged　not　to　Maunganamu；　but　to　the　mountain　system　of　the　eastern　side　of　Lake　Taupo；　so　that　they　had　not　only　pistol　shots；　but　hand…to…hand　fighting　to　fear。　For　ten　minutes；　the　little　band　ascended　by　insensible　degrees　toward　the　higher　table…land。　John　could　not　discern　the　dark　wood；　but　he　knew　it　ought　to　be　within　two　hundred　feet。　　Suddenly　he　stopped；　almost　retreated。　　He　fancied　he　heard　something　in　the　darkness；　his　stoppage　interrupted　the　march　of　those　behind。　He　remained　motionless　long　enough　to　alarm　his　companions。　They　waited　with　unspeakable　anxiety；　wondering　if　they　were　doomed　to　retrace　their　steps；　and　return　to　the　summit　of　Maunganamu。　But　John；　finding　that　the　noise　was　not　repeated；　resumed　the　ascent　of　the　narrow　path　of　the　ridge。　　Soon　they　perceived　the　shadowy　outline　of　the　wood　showing　faintly　through　the　darkness。　A　few　steps　more　and　they　were　hid　from　sight　in　the　thick　foliage　of　the　trees。

CHAPTER　XV　FROM　PERIL　TO　SAFETY

THE　night　favored　their　escape；　and　prudence　urged　them　to　lose　no　time　in　getting　away　from　the　fatal　neighborhood　of　Lake　Taupo。　　Paganel　took　the　post　of　leader；　and　his　wonderful　instinct　shone　out　anew　in　this　difficult　mountain　journey。　His　nyctalopia　was　a　great　advantage；　his　cat…like　sight　enabling　him　to　distinguish　the　smallest　object　in　the　deepest　gloom。　For　three　hours　they　walked　on　without　halting　along　the　far…reaching　slope　of　the　eastern　side。　　Paganel　kept　a　little　to　the　sout