Not one but had a keen desire to know what the meaning of the light was. So after a few moments Randall said:
“That beats me! What is it?”
“Give it up,” said Wendel.
“We ought to investigate it. Eh, Frank?”
“That’s what we’re here for,” replied the young inventor.
He stepped into the coracle. It would hold three easily.
A moment later they were boldly sallying forth2 upon the waters of the underground lake. Frank, however, was very careful to keep his bearings, leaving the lantern to mark the spot they had just left.
Wendel and Randall used the paddles, while Frank steered3. Thus they made their way over the underground waters.
They were placid4, even dead, for there was no breeze to ripple5 their surface.
But there was another power, and it was felt before the voyagers were half across.
Suddenly the coracle began to wabble and turn. Randall and the sailors pulled harder at the paddles.
But it did no good. The little craft began to rock most violently.
“What in the deuce is the matter?” asked Randall, excitedly. “What ails6 the boat?”
“I think the waves are rising in the lake,” said Wendel. “Yes, there is really some commotion7 under us, mates.”
“Right!” cried Frank, as he balanced the coracle. “Keep steady, or we’ll be over.”
It seemed as if the boat had become a boiling cauldron.
The water foamed8 and surged and pitched until the three voyagers were certain that they would go to the bottom.
But they did not.
A distant, sullen9, booming sound was heard, like rumbling10 thunder. Then there was a muffled11 explosion, a hissing12 cloud of steam surged across the lake, and then all became quiet again.
The coracle rested safely once more upon the placid waters.
Then the voyagers collected their wits. Light from the electric lantern yet shone obliquely14 across the little craft, and in the water Frank saw some small objects floating.
He put his hand over the thwarts15 and picked up one.
It was cold and slimy and slid out of his hand into the bottom of the boat.
“What’s that?” cried Randall.
“A fish!” ejaculated Frank. “The water is alive with them. Something has killed them.”
This was true.
The surface of the lake was covered with the dead fish. Surely some internal convulsion had taken place.
The red fire at the other end of the lake could now be seen plainer than ever.
It was like looking into a veritable Hades, or through the yawning jaws16 of a red-hot furnace. The voyagers gazed wonder-struck at it.
Then they paddled on slowly.
“Shall we go ahead, mates?” asked Wendel.
“Why not?” ejaculated Randall.
“Nothing, only if another whirl of the waters took place again like that we might have to swim.”
“I am willing to risk it,” said Randall, looking at Frank.
“It will probably not occur again,” declared the young inventor.
“Then we will go ahead.”
“Yes.”
Randall and the sailor gave way at the paddles. The coracle sped on and every moment drew nearer the fiery17 furnace.
Then it was seen that the cavern18 here enlarged into a mighty19, yawning pit, which was filled with smoke and flames, and from which arose fearful fumes20.
It was evidently a volcano.
A gallery ran from the lake shore to this pit and divided the two by about fifty feet of solid rock. The heat of the furnace was intense.
But the voyagers did not hesitate to draw the coracle up on the shore and walk over to the fiery pit.
It covered fully21 an acre. High above it was a funnel-like shaft22. All in that instant Frank guessed the truth.
“By Jove!” he exclaimed, “I know where we are!”
“Eh!” exclaimed Randall.
“We are in the volcano!”
“The volcano?”
“Yes.”
“Impossible!”
“Not so! If you remember, we have traveled a good ways underground, and it has carried us without a doubt under the plateaus and straight into the heart of the mountain. Probably this is only one of half a hundred or more internal craters23.”
The logic25 of this assumption was at once obvious.
Certainly in no other way could this crater24 of fire be explained. For a time the three men were silent.
They studied the strange scene awhile, then Randall said:
“Well, Frank, what shall we do about it?”
“Follow me,” said the young inventor.
Frank led the way around the gallery. It trended upward, and soon shot off at right angles into a serpentine26 course beyond the wall of the pit of fire.
It was as if this corkscrew-like passage had been bored for just such a purpose as it was now used. Frank led the way.
It was like ascending27 a winding28 stair in a tower. But before they had gone far Randall asked:
“Where are we going, Frank?”
“To follow this passage to its end,” was the reply.
“Where do you think it will end?”
“I don’t know. It may come out on top of the volcano.”
“But—is there no danger of losing our way?”
“I think not.”
“And if we come out on top of the mountain, shall we return this way?”
“We shall see.”
As they advanced now, the situation became one filled with terrors.
It was as if they were in a literal pandemonium29. All sorts of strange sounds were about them.
There was a rumble30 of thunder, the gurgle of molten liquid and the hiss13 of steam. Then terrific explosions came with fearful echoes through the cavernous depths.
It was sufficient to strike fear into a strong man’s bosom31. For a time even Frank Reade, Jr., himself was a trifle daunted32.
“Is it quite safe, Frank?” asked Randall, with some apprehension33. “Suppose a stream of lava34 should come tearing down this passage?”
“It would cook us,” said Frank, imperturbably35, “but we won’t anticipate that.”
“Ugh!” exclaimed Wendel, “I think we’d better get out of here as soon as possible!”
“And so we will,” declared Frank, “but this is a watercourse. I don’t believe we need fear lava. We ought to be near the summit.”
But they toiled36 on for another hour. Then, however, they emerged into the open air.
The transition was for a moment surprising. Even the semi-gloom of the Antarctic night was dazzling.
But they were high in the air, and a mighty panorama37 of country lay before their gaze.
To the northward38, shrouded39 in dull gloom, was the barrier of ice and snow; to the south, the Polar Continent, in its green hue40.
To the east, the great pass, and west, the line of mighty craters, which belched41 at intervals42 their fiery contents a thousand feet into the air.
It was a spectacle which literally43 appalled44 the adventurers. They were truly on a new continent in an unexplored world.
Then Randall exclaimed:
“How is it, Frank? Shall we stay here long?”
“No,” replied Frank. “I have accomplished45 my object. Let us now return to the Scorcher.”
Randall was about to re-enter the downward passage, but Frank cried:
“Not that way!”
“What?”
“We will not return that way.”
“Why not?”
“It is too far, and too perilous46. We can just slide down the mountain side here easier.”
“But we left the electric lantern on the shore of that lake——”
“Hang the lantern,” cried Frank. “We’ll let it stay there. We’ll not go back for it now, at least.”
“All right,” cried Randall, “I’m more than agreeable. Let’s slide on down.”
And down the crater side they proceeded to travel. Leaping from rock to rock they went rapidly down.
Soon the plateau below was reached. Then they saw the Scorcher dimly in the distance down the valley.
It was quite a long tramp down over the steeps to where the machine was. Barney and Pomp were not in sight.
When the three explorers reached the Scorcher after threading their way among the ruins they were surprised to find the two jokers missing.
What had become of them?
The truth was, they had gone upon a little exploring expedition of their own.
When Frank and his companions disappeared in the old ruin, the Celt turned a handspring on the pavement, and cried:
“Be me sowl, naygur, phwat do yez say av we have a little exploration av our own?”
“I’se wif yo’, I’sh. Wha’ am we gwine fo’ to explore?”
“The whole town, yez ignoramus! Shure, it’s loikely we may foind some valuable relics47 ourselves. Thin Misther Frank will be afther thankin’ us fer thim!”
Pomp hesitated.
“Wha’ do yo’ fink ob leavin’ de Scorcher?” he asked.
“Shure, that will be all roight. Don’t yez have no fears about that, at all, at all!”
“A’right, I go yo’ I’sh. Jes’ yo’ lead de way an’ I follers on!”
“Which it’s proper yez should, considerin’ me superior advantages.” declared Barney, in his puffiest way. “Do yez see that big heap av sthone down yonder?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I believe that’s some koind av a ruined temple or the loikes, an’ we’ll thry that first off!”
“A’right, I’sh. Yo’ go ahead.”
In a few moments they were among the ruins of a huge building, which Barney said might have been a temple.
They passed among a heap of fallen pillars, and just as the others had done found a descending48 stairway.
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1
cupidity
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| n.贪心，贪财 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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4
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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6
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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7
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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9
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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10
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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11
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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12
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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13
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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14
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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15
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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16
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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17
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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18
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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20
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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21
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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23
craters
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| n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等 | |
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24
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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25
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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26
serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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27
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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28
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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29
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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30
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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31
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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32
daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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34
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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35
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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36
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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37
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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38
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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39
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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40
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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41
belched
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| v.打嗝( belch的过去式和过去分词 )；喷出，吐出；打（嗝）；嗳（气） | |
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42
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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43
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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44
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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45
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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46
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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47
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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48
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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