We explored one after another all the caves leading out of the main cavern2. Some of them were narrow and tortuous3; some were wide and low with roof dropping down, down, until it was impossible for anything in the shape of humanity to pass. All these, however, with one exception, ended in those fissure-like clefts4, running somewhere to a point, which characterise cavern formations. The exception was at the north west side of the cavern where a high, fairly wide passage extended, with an even floor as though it too had been levelled by rolling pebbles5. It kept on straight for a good length, and then curved round gently to the right, all the while fairly maintaining its proportions. Presently it grew so high that it was like a narrow way between tall houses. I lit a white light, and in the searching glare noticed that far overhead the rocky walls leaned together till they touched. This spot, just above us, was evidently the highest point; the roof thence fell rapidly till at last it was only some ten feet high. A little further on it came to a sudden end.
Here there was a great piled-up mass of huge, sharp-edged rocks, at the base of which were stones of all[286] sizes, some round and some jagged. Scattered6 near and isolated7 were many stones rounded by constant friction8.
As I looked, the whole circumstances seemed to come to me. “See,” I cried to Marjory, “this was evidently another entrance to the cave. The tides, ebbing9 or flowing, drove in through one way and out at the other; and the floor was worn level in process of countless10 years by rolling pebbles like these. Then came some upheaval11 or wearing away by water drift of supporting walls of rock; and this mouth of the cave fell in. We must be by now somewhere at the Cruden side of Whinnyfold; we are facing almost due north.”
As there was manifestly nothing to be done here, we took our way back to the main cavern. When we began to look around us for a new place to explore, Marjory said:
“There doesn’t seem to be any treasure cave at all here. We have now tried everywhere.” Then it was that my mind went back again to the Don’s description “Black on the one hand and red on the other.” “Come,” I said, “let us go back till we find the joining of the gneiss and granite12.” As we went back the floor was almost dry; only a few pools of water here and there, lying in the depressions, called attention to the fact that we were under tidal influence. As we went we kept a careful look-out for the fusion13 of the rocks; and found it where the passage with the descending14 roof debouched into that which led from the blocked up entrance of the cave. There was here, however, no sign of another passage, and the main one outside was like that under my own house, entirely15 through the gneiss.
I could not help feeling a little disappointed. For many weeks my mind had been set on finding the Pope’s treasure; and though I believe it was not greed which controlled me even to any great extent, I was deeply[287] chagrined16. I had a sort of unworthy fear that it might lower me in the eyes of Marjory. This feeling, however, was only momentary17; and when it went, it went for good. Drawing in my note-book a rough outline of Whinnyfold, I dotted lines where I took the various branches of the cave to lie and then marked in the line of fusion of the gneiss and the granite as it was manifest on the cliffs and on the shore beyond. Marjory was at once convinced; indeed when I saw my surmise18 put down in black and white it seemed to me quite apparent that it must be correct. The treasure cave must be within that space which lay between the dismantled19 entrance on the side of the Skares, and that which had fallen in on the north side. The logical inference was that if there was an entrance to be found at all it would be close to the debris20 from the Don’s explosion. So we took in silence, our way back to that point and began at once to examine the debris for any sign of an opening in the rock to the north side. Marjory scrambled21 up to the top of the pile whilst I explored the base. Turning my lantern on the rocky wall I began to examine it foot by foot and inch by inch.
Suddenly Marjory cried out. I raised my head and looked at her. Her face, lit by the rays of my own lamp which, with the habit of searching now familiar to me I had turned as my eyes turned, was radiant with joy and excitement.
“Look! look!” she cried. “Oh, Archie, there is the top of an opening here. The stones fill it up.” As she spoke22 she pushed at a stone on the top of the pile; under her hand it moved and disappeared with a hollow rattle23. By this time I had scrambled up the slippery pile and was beside her. The disappearance24 of the stone had enlarged the opening, and something like a foot square was discovered.
So we began to work at the heap of stones, only we[288] pulled and threw them into the cave where we were so as not to block the place we aimed at. The top layer of stones was easy to move, as they were comparatively small, and were not interlocked, but below them we found a much more difficult task. Here the rocks were larger and more irregular in shape, and their points and edges interlocked. We did not mind, however, but toiled25 on. I could not but notice as we did so, a trait of Marjory’s coolness of head in the midst of all her excitement, when she took from her pocket a pair of heavy gloves and put them on.
In some fifteen or twenty minutes we had unmasked a hole sufficiently26 large to pass through comfortably. I found that the oil of my lamp was running low; so I refilled it and Marjory’s also. Then holding my own lamp carefully, whilst Marjory turned hers in the direction I was going, I passed over the top of the miniature moraine, and in a few seconds was on the floor of the other cave. Marjory threw me the ball of string and scrambling27 down joined me at once. We went along carefully, for the roof of the cave dipped very low and we had in more than one place to bend considerably28; even then we were walking in a couple of feet of water as the floor dipped as well as the roof. When we had gone some distance, however, the roof rose as the cave turned sharp to the left, round a corner of very broken and jagged rock in which I could see signs of the fusion of the two geological formations. Our hearts beat high and we took hands instinctively29; we were now confident that we were in the treasure house at last.
As we went up the cave, here running, so far as I could ascertain30 by the compass, straight in and from the sea, we could note, as we turned our lamps now and again to either side, that on our left was all black rock whilst on the right was all red. The cave was not a long one;[289] nothing to compare with those we had left. It was not very many seconds, though we had to go slow as we did not know for certain as to the floor level, before the cave began to expand.
When, however, it widened and became more lofty, the floor rose in all some three feet and we went up a sharp incline though not of very great magnitude. This dipped a little again forming a pool which spread ahead of us so far as we could see by the dim light of our bicycle lamps. As we did not know the depth I waded31 in, Marjory enjoining32 me anxiously to be careful. I found it deepened very slowly; so she joined me and we went on together. By my advice, Marjory kept a few feet in the rear, so that in case I should stumble or meet with a deep hole and so lose my light, hers would still be safe. I was so intent on my feet, for I feared lest Marjory following so close might get into some trouble, that I hardly looked ahead, but kept cautiously on my way. Marjory, who was flashing her lamp all around as she went, suddenly called out:
“Look! look! There to the right, the figure of the San Cristobal with the golden Christ on his shoulder.”
I turned my lantern to the angles of the cave to the right to which we were now close. The two lamps gave us light enough to see well.
There, rising from the water under the shelf of rock, was the figure that Benvenuto had wrought33, as Don Bernardino had left it three centuries ago.
As I moved forwards I stumbled; in trying to save myself the lamp was shaken from my hand and fell hissing34 in the dark water. As it fell I saw by the flash of light the white bones of a skeleton under the San Cristobal. Instinctively I called out to Marjory:
“Stand still and take care of your lamp; I’ve dropped mine!”
[290]
“All right!” came back her answer coolly; she had quite command of herself. She turned the lamp downwards35, so that we could see into the water, and I found I had stumbled against an iron box, beside which, in about two feet of water, lay my lamp. I picked this up first and shook the water from it and laid it on the shelf of rock. “Wait here a moment,” I said, “I shall run back and get a torch.” For I had left the tin box on the top of the heap of debris when we had scrambled through the hole. I was starting back at once when she said after me, and in that cave the voice came after me “monotonous and hollow like a ghost’s:”
“Take my lamp with you dear. How can you find the box, or even the way to it, in the dark?”
“But I can’t leave you alone here; all in the dark, too.”
“Oh, I’m all right,” she answered gaily36, “I don’t mind a bit! And besides it will be a new sensation to be here alone—with Olgaref and the treasure. You won’t be long, will you, dear?” I felt that her query37 almost belied38 her brave words; but I knew that behind the latter lay her pride which I must not offend; so I took the lamp she was holding out to me and hurried on. In a few minutes I had found the box and brought it back; but I could see that even those minutes had been a trying time to Marjory, who was deathly white. When I came close, she clung to me; after a second or two she said, as she drew herself away, looking at me diffidently as though to excuse herself, or rather to account for her perturbation:
“The moment you had gone and I was alone in the dark with the treasure, all the weird39 prophecying of Gormala came back to me. The very darkness itself made light patches, and I saw shrouds40 floating everywhere. But it’s all right now that you are here. Light a torch, and we shall look at the Pope’s treasure.” I took a torch out of the box and lit it; she laid it so that the lighted end[291] projected well beyond the shelf of rock and gave a fine if fitful, light to all around. We found water about three feet deep at its worst; in the glare of the torch and because of its crystal purity, it did not look even so much. We stooped down to examine the box, which was only one of several lying in front of a great heap of something, all dark with rust41 and age, which filled up a whole corner of the cave.
The hasp was eaten through with rust, as well it might be after three centuries in the water, and only retained its form. This was doubtless due to the stillness of the water, for even the shock of my striking the box with my boot had broken it across. When I pulled at it, it crumbled42 to pieces in my fingers. In the same way the iron of the box itself was rusted43 right through; and as I tried to lift the lid which was annealed by corrosion44 to the sides of the box, it broke in my hands. I was able to tear it away like matchwood. The contents were not corroded45, but were blackened by the sea. It was all money, but whether silver or gold we could not tell, and did not stop to see. Then we opened box after box in the same way, and in all but one found coins. This took a considerable time; but we did not in our excitement note its flying. The heap in the corner was composed of great ingots, to lift any of which took a distinct effort of strength. The one box unfilled with coins contained smaller boxes or caskets which were uncorroded and were, we presumed, of some superior metal, silver or gold. They were all locked; I lifted one of them and laid it on the shelf of rock whilst I searched for a key. It was a difficult matter to find any definite thing whilst stooping in the water, so I took my knife and tried with its point to prise open the casket. The lock must have been of iron and corroded; it gave way instantly under pressure, disclosing a glittering heap of stones which, even through[292] all the cloudiness of the saline deposit of centuries, flashed red lights everywhere.
“Rubies!” cried Marjory who stood close to me, clapping her hands. “Oh! how lovely. Darling!” she added kissing me, for her expression of delight had to find a vent46 on something.
I drew back with a shudder48; Marjory looking anxiously at my face divined the cause and cried in genuine alarm:
“The tide! The tide is rising; and is shutting us in!”
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1
systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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4
clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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6
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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7
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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8
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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10
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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11
upheaval
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| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
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12
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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13
fusion
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| n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接 | |
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14
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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15
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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16
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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19
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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21
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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24
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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25
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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26
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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28
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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29
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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30
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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31
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
enjoining
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| v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) | |
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33
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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34
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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35
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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36
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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37
query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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38
belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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39
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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40
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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41
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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42
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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43
rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
corrosion
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| n.腐蚀，侵蚀；渐渐毁坏，渐衰 | |
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45
corroded
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| 已被腐蚀的 | |
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46
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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47
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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48
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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