in search of the castaways-第44章

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orizon；　Glenarvan　went　back　to　the　center　of　the　trunk。　〃Well；　Glenarvan；　what's　your　report？〃　asked　Paganel。　〃I　say　it　is　beginning　in　good　earnest；　and　if　it　goes　on　so　we　shall　have　a　terrible　storm。〃　〃So　much　the　better；〃　replied　the　enthusiastic　Paganel；　〃I　should　like　a　grand　exhibition；　since　we　can't　run　away。〃　〃That's　another　of　your　theories；〃　said　the　Major。　〃And　one　of　my　best；　McNabbs。　　I　am　of　Glenarvan's　opinion；　that　the　storm　will　be　superb。　　Just　a　minute　ago；　when　I　was　trying　to　sleep；　several　facts　occurred　to　my　memory；　that　make　me　hope　it　will；　for　we　are　in　the　region　of　great　electrical　tempests。　　For　instance；　I　have　read　somewhere；　that　in　1793；　in　this　very　province　of　Buenos　Ayres；　lightning　struck　thirty…seven　times　during　one　single　storm。　My　colleague；　M。　Martin　de　Moussy；　counted　fifty…five　minutes　of　uninterrupted　rolling。〃　〃Watch　in　hand？〃　asked　the　Major。　〃Watch　in　hand。　　Only　one　thing　makes　me　uneasy；〃　added　Paganel；　〃if　it　is　any　use　to　be　uneasy；　and　that　is；　that　the　culminating　point　of　this　plain；　is　just　this　very　OMBU　where　we　are。　A　lightning　conductor　would　be　very　serviceable　to　us　at　present。　For　it　is　this　tree　especially；　among　all　that　grow　in　the　Pampas；　that　the　thunder　has　a　particular　affection　for。　　Besides；　I　need　not　tell　you；　friend；　that　learned　men　tell　us　never　to　take　refuge　under　trees　during　a　storm。〃　〃Most　seasonable　advice；　certainly；　in　our　circumstances；〃　said　the　Major。　〃I　must　confess；　Paganel；〃　replied　Glenarvan；　〃that　you　might　have　chosen　a　better　time　for　this　reassuring　information。〃　〃Bah！〃　replied　Paganel；　〃all　times　are　good　for　getting　information。　Ha！　now　it's　beginning。〃　Louder　peals　of　thunder　interrupted　this　inopportune　conversation；　the　violence　increasing　with　the　noise　till　the　whole　atmosphere　seemed　to　vibrate　with　rapid　oscillations。　The　incessant　flashes　of　lightning　took　various　forms。　Some　darted　down　perpendicularly　from　the　sky　five　or　six　times　in　the　same　place　in　succession。　　Others　would　have　excited　the　interest　of　a　SAVANT　to　the　highest　degree；　for　though　Arago；　in　his　curious　statistics；　only　cites　two　examples　of　forked　lightning；　it　was　visible　here　hundreds　of　times。　Some　of　the　flashes　branched　out　in　a　thousand　different　directions；　making　coralliform　zigzags；　and　threw　out　wonderful　jets　of　arborescent　light。　Soon　the　whole　sky　from　east　to　north　seemed　supported　by　a　phosphoric　band　of　intense　brilliancy。　　This　kept　increasing　by　degrees　till　it　overspread　the　entire　horizon；　kindling　the　clouds　which　were　faithfully　mirrored　in　the　waters　as　if　they　were　masses　of　combustible　material；　beneath；　and　presented　the　appearance　of　an　immense　globe　of　fire；　the　center　of　which　was　the　OMBU。　Glenarvan　and　his　companions　gazed　silently　at　this　terrifying　spectacle。　They　could　not　make　their　voices　heard；　but　the　sheets　of　white　light　which　enwrapped　them　every　now　and　then；　revealed　the　face　of　one　and　another；　sometimes　the　calm　features　of　the　Major；　sometimes　the　eager；　curious　glance　of　Paganel；　or　the　energetic　face　of　Glenarvan；　and　at　others；　the　scared　eyes　of　the　terrified　Robert；　and　the　careless　looks　of　the　sailors；　investing　them　with　a　weird；　spectral　aspect。　However；　as　yet；　no　rain　had　fallen；　and　the　wind　had　not　risen　in　the　least。　　But　this　state　of　things　was　of　short　duration；　before　long　the　cataracts　of　the　sky　burst　forth；　and　came　down　in　vertical　streams。　As　the　large　drops　fell　splashing　into　the　lake；　fiery　sparks　seemed　to　fly　out　from　the　illuminated　surface。　Was　the　rain　the　FINALE　of　the　storm？　　If　so；　Glenarvan　and　his　companions　would　escape　scot　free；　except　for　a　few　vigorous　douche　baths。　　No。　At　the　very　height　of　this　struggle　of　the　electric　forces　of　the　atmosphere；　a　large　ball　of　fire　appeared　suddenly　at　the　extremity　of　the　horizontal　parent　branch；　as　thick　as　a　man's　wrist；　and　surrounded　with　black　smoke。　This　ball；　after　turning　round　and　round　for　a　few　seconds；　burst　like　a　bombshell；　and　with　so　much　noise　that　the　explosion　was　distinctly　audible　above　the　general　FRACAS。　　A　sulphurous　smoke　filled　the　air；　and　complete　silence　reigned　till　the　voice　of　Tom　Austin　was　heard　shouting：　〃The　tree　is　on　fire。〃　Tom　was　right。　　In　a　moment；　as　if　some　fireworks　were　being　ignited；　the　flame　ran　along　the　west　side　of　the　OMBU；　the　dead　wood　and　nests　of　dried　grass；　and　the　whole　sap；　which　was　of　a　spongy　texture；　supplied　food　for　its　devouring　activity。　The　wind　had　risen　now　and　fanned　the　flame。　　It　was　time　to　flee；　and　Glenarvan　and　his　party　hurried　away　to　the　eastern　side　of　their　refuge；　which　was　meantime　untouched　by　the　fire。　They　were　all　silent；　troubled；　and　terrified；　as　they　watched　branch　after　branch　shrivel；　and　crack；　and　writhe　in　the　flame　like　living　serpents；　and　then　drop　into　the　swollen　torrent；　still　red　and　gleaming；　as　it　was　borne　swiftly　along　on　the　rapid　current。　The　flames　sometimes　rose　to　a　prodigious　height；　and　seemed　almost　lost　in　the　atmosphere；　and　sometimes；　beaten　down　by　the　hurricane；　closely　enveloped　the　OMBU　like　a　robe　of　Nessus。　　Terror　seized　the　entire　group。　　They　were　almost　suffocated　with　smoke；　and　scorched　with　the　unbearable　heat；　for　the　conflagration　had　already　reached　the　lower　branches　on　their　side　of　the　OMBU。　　To　extinguish　it　or　check　its　progress　was　impossible；　and　they　saw　themselves　irrevocably　condemned　to　a　torturing　death；　like　the　victims　of　Hindoo　divinities。　At　last；　their　situation　was　absolutely　intolerable。　Of　the　two　deaths　staring　them　in　the　face；　they　had　better　choose　the　less　cruel。　〃To　the　water！〃　exclaimed　Glenarvan。　Wilson；　who　was　nearest　the　flames；　had　already　plunged　into　the　lake；　but　next　minute　he　screamed　out　in　the　most　violent　terror：　〃Help！　　Help！〃　Austin　rushed　toward　him；　and　with　the　assistance　of　the　Major；　dragged　him　up　again　on　the　tree。　〃What's　the　matter？〃　they　asked。　〃Alligators！　alligators！〃　replied　Wilson。　The　whole　foot　of　the　tree　appeared　to　be　surrounded　by　these　formidable　animals　of　the　Saurian　order。　　By　the　glare　of　the　flames；　they　were　immediately　recognized　by　Paganel；　as　the　ferocious　species　peculiar　to　America；　called　CAIMANS　in　the　Spanish　territories。　About　ten　of　them　were　there；　lashing　the　water　with　their　powerful　tails；　and　attacking　the　OMBU　with　the　long　teeth　of　their　lower　jaw。　At　this　sight　the　unfortunate　men　gave　themselves　up　to　be　lost。　A　frightful　death　was　in　store　for　them；　since　they　must　either　be　devoured　by　the　fire　or　by　the　caimans。　　Even　the　Major　said；　in　a　calm　voice：　〃This　is　the　beginning　of　the　end；　now。〃　There　are　circumstances　in　which　men　are　powerless；　when　the　unchained　elements　can　only　be　combated　by　other　elements。　Glenarvan　gazed　with　haggard　looks　at　the　fire　and　water　leagued　against　him；　hardly　knowing　what　deliverance　to　implore　from　Heaven。　The　violence　of　the　storm　had　abated；　but　it　had　developed　in　the　atmosphere　a　considerable　quantity　of　vapors；　to　which　electricity　was　about　to　communicate　immense　force。　An　enormous　water…spout　was　gradually　forming　in　the　south　a　cone　of　thick　mists；　but　with　the　point　at　the　bottom；　and　base　at　the　top；　linking　together　the　turbulent　water　and　the　angry　clouds。　　This