in search of the castaways-第77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！


clared　to　be　the　greatest　man　in　Great　Britain；　even　above　Wellington；　who　could　never　have　manufactured　such　good　beer。　This　was　a　Scotch　estimate。　　Jacques　Paganel　drank　largely；　and　discoursed　still　more　_de　omni　re　scibili_。　A　day　so　well　commenced　seemed　as　if　it　could　not　but　end　well；　they　had　gone　fifteen　good　miles；　and　managed　to　get　over　a　pretty　hilly　district　where　the　soil　was　reddish。　There　was　every　reason　to　hope　they　might　camp　that　same　night　on　the　banks　of　the　Snowy　River；　an　important　river　which　throws　itself　into　the　Pacific；　south　of　Victoria。　Already　the　wheels　of　the　wagon　were　making　deep　ruts　on　the　wide　plains；　covered　with　blackish　alluvium；　as　it　passed　on　between　tufts　of　luxuriant　grass　and　fresh　fields　of　gastrolobium。　As　evening　came　on；　a　white　mist　on　the　horizon　marked　the　course　of　the　Snowy　River。　　Several　additional　miles　were　got　over；　and　a　forest　of　tall　trees　came　in　sight　at　a　bend　of　the　road；　behind　a　gentle　eminence。　　Ayrton　turned　his　team　a　little　toward　the　great　trunks；　lost　in　shadow；　and　he　had　got　to　the　skirts　of　the　wood；　about　half…a…mile　from　the　river；　when　the　wagon　suddenly　sank　up　to　the　middle　of　the　wheels。　〃Stop！〃　he　called　out　to　the　horsemen　following　him。　〃What　is　wrong？〃　inquired　Glenarvan。　〃We　have　stuck　in　the　mud；〃　replied　Ayrton。　He　tried　to　stimulate　the　bullocks　to　a　fresh　effort　by　voice　and　goad；　but　the　animals　were　buried　half…way　up　their　legs；　and　could　not　stir。　〃Let　us　camp　here；〃　suggested　John　Mangles。　〃It　would　certainly　be　the　best　place；〃　said　Ayrton。　　〃We　shall　see　by　daylight　to…morrow　how　to　get　ourselves　out。〃　Glenarvan　acted　on　their　advice；　and　came　to　a　halt。　Night　came　on　rapidly　after　a　brief　twilight；　but　the　heat　did　not　withdraw　with　the　light。　　Stifling　vapors　filled　the　air；　and　occasionally　bright　flashes　of　lightning；　the　reflections　of　a　distant　storm；　lighted　up　the　sky　with　a　fiery　glare。　Arrangements　were　made　for　the　night　immediately。　They　did　the　best　they　could　with　the　sunk　wagon；　and　the　tent　was　pitched　beneath　the　shelter　of　the　great　trees；　and　if　the　rain　did　not　come；　they　had　not　much　to　complain　about。　Ayrton　succeeded；　though　with　some　difficulty；　in　extricating　the　three　bullocks。　　These　courageous　beasts　were　engulfed　up　to　their　flanks。　　The　quartermaster　turned　them　out　with　the　four　horses；　and　allowed　no　one　but　himself　to　see　after　their　pasturage。　He　always　executed　his　task　wisely；　and　this　evening　Glenarvan　noticed　he　redoubled　his　care；　for　which　he　took　occasion　to　thank　him；　the　preservation　of　the　team　being　of　supreme　importance。　Meantime；　the　travelers　were　dispatching　a　hasty　supper。　Fatigue　and　heat　destroy　appetite；　and　sleep　was　needed　more　than　food。　Lady　Helena　and　Miss　Grant　speedily　bade　the　company　good…night；　and　retired。　　Their　companions　soon　stretched　themselves　under　the　tent　or　outside　under　the　trees；　which　is　no　great　hardship　in　this　salubrious　climate。　Gradually　they　all　fell　into　a　heavy　sleep。　　The　darkness　deepened　owing　to　a　thick　current　of　clouds　which　overspread　the　sky。　There　was　not　a　breath　of　wind。　　The　silence　of　night　was　only　interrupted　by　the　cries　of　the　〃morepork〃　in　the　minor　key；　like　the　mournful　cuckoos　of　Europe。　Towards　eleven　o'clock；　after　a　wretched；　heavy；　unre…freshing　sleep；　the　Major　woke。　　His　half…closed　eyes　were　struck　with　a　faint　light　running　among　the　great　trees。　　It　looked　like　a　white　sheet；　and　glittered　like　a　lake；　and　McNabbs　thought　at　first　it　was　the　commencement　of　a　fire。　He　started　up；　and　went　toward　the　wood；　but　what　was　his　surprise　to　perceive　a　purely　natural　phenomenon！　Before　him　lay　an　immense　bed　of　mushrooms；　which　emitted　a　phosphorescent　light。　　The　luminous　spores　of　the　cryptograms　shone　in　the　darkness　with　intensity。　The　Major；　who　had　no　selfishness　about　him；　was　going　to　waken　Paganel；　that　he　might　see　this　phenomenon　with　his　own　eyes；　when　something　occurred　which　arrested　him。　This　phosphorescent　light　illumined　the　distance　half　a　mile；　and　McNabbs　fancied　he　saw　a　shadow　pass　across　the　edge　of　it。　Were　his　eyes　deceiving　him？　　Was　it　some　hallucination？　McNabbs　lay　down　on　the　ground；　and；　after　a　close　scrutiny；　he　could　distinctly　see　several　men　stooping　down　and　lifting　themselves　up　alternately；　as　if　they　were　looking　on　the　ground　for　recent　marks。　The　Major　resolved　to　find　out　what　these　fellows　were　about；　and　without　the　least　hesitation　or　so　much　as　arousing　his　companions；　crept　along；　lying　flat　on　the　ground；　like　a　savage　on　the　prairies；　completely　hidden　among　the　long　grass。

CHAPTER　XVI　A　STARTLING　DISCOVERY

IT　was　a　frightful　night。　　At　two　A。　M。　the　rain　began　to　fall　in　torrents　from　the　stormy　clouds；　and　continued　till　daybreak。　　The　tent　became　an　insufficient　shelter。　Glenarvan　and　his　companions　took　refuge　in　the　wagon；　they　did　not　sleep；　but　talked　of　one　thing　and　another。　The　Major　alone；　whose　brief　absence　had　not　been　noticed；　contented　himself　with　being　a　silent　listener。　　There　was　reason　to　fear　that　if　the　storm　lasted　longer　the　Snowy　River　would　overflow　its　banks；　which　would　be　a　very　unlucky　thing　for　the　wagon；　stuck　fast　as　it　was　already　in　the　soft　ground。　Mulrady；　Ayrton　and　Mangles　went　several　times　to　ascertain　the　height　of　the　water；　and　came　back　dripping　from　head　to　foot。　At　last　day　appeared；　the　rain　ceased；　but　sunlight　could　not　break　through　the　thick　clouds。　　Large　patches　of　yellowish　water　muddy；　dirty　ponds　indeed　they　werecovered　the　ground。　A　hot　steam　rose　from　the　soaking　earth；　and　saturated　the　atmosphere　with　unhealthy　humidity。　Glenarvan's　first　concern　was　the　wagon；　this　was　the　main　thing　in　his　eyes。　　They　examined　the　ponderous　vehicle；　and　found　it　sunk　in　the　mud　in　a　deep　hollow　in　the　stiff　clay。　　The　forepart　had　disappeared　completely；　and　the　hind　part　up　to　the　axle。　It　would　be　a　hard　job　to　get　the　heavy　conveyance　out；　and　would　need　the　united　strength　of　men；　bullocks；　and　horses。　〃At　any　rate；　we　must　make　haste；〃　said　John　Mangles。　　〃If　the　clay　dries；　it　will　make　our　task　still　more　difficult。〃　〃Let　us　be　quick；　then；〃　replied　Ayrton。　Glenarvan；　his　two　sailors；　John　Mangles；　and　Ayrton　went　off　at　once　into　the　wood；　where　the　animals　had　passed　the　night。　It　was　a　gloomy…looking　forest　of　tall　gum…trees；　nothing　but　dead　trees；　with　wide　spaces　between；　which　had　been　barked　for　ages；　or　rather　skinned　like　the　cork…oak　at　harvest　time。　　A　miserable　network　of　bare　branches　was　seen　above　two　hundred　feet　high　in　the　air。　Not　a　bird　built　its　nest　in　these　aerial　skeletons；　not　a　leaf　trembled　on　the　dry　branches；　which　rattled　together　like　bones。　To　what　cataclysm　is　this　phenomenon　to　be　attributed；　so　frequent　in　Australia；　entire　forests　struck　dead　by　some　epidemic；　no　one　knows；　neither　the　oldest　natives；　nor　their　ancestors　who　have　lain　long　buried　in　the　groves　of　the　dead；　have　ever　seen　them　green。　Glenarvan　as　he　went　along　kept　his　eye　fixed　on　the　gray　sky；　on　which　the　smallest　branch　of　the　gum…trees　was　sharply　defined。　Ayrton　was　astonished　not　to　discover　the　horses　and　bullocks　where　he　had　left　them　the　preceding　night。　　They　could　not　have　wandered　far　with　the　hobbles