Daylight was coming now with great strides. The morning mists clung sluggishly5 about the lower part of the steep incline leading up from the hollow where the camp was situated6. As we topped the path we came into view of the shores of a little cove7 and glimpsed a long, grey motor-launch that lay at anchor. This, as Marjorie told me afterwards, was Sturt Bay which, I remembered, the "Sailing Directions" had mentioned as the only practicable landing-place other than Horseshoe Bay on the island. In that deep hollow the sheds must have been invisible both from the land and the sea side. When, later on, Marjorie told me that Clubfoot's men, in their talk among themselves, always referred to the huts as "The Petrol Store," I thought I understood why such care had been taken to conceal8 the camp from prying9 eyes.
Now we were in the forest following a winding10 track. Though, on looking back, it seems to have been the height of foolhardiness, I do not think we could have acted otherwise. For it was essential that we should reach the high ground undiscovered before it was fully11 light and we might have wasted hours trying to find the way through these dense12 woods where, though day was at hand, the shadows of the night yet lingered.
The noises I had heard on the outskirts13 of the camp had ceased. The silence made me uneasy. We relaxed our pace to a walk and went along swiftly and softly, our feet making no sound on the spongy ground. Suddenly, from a clump14 of rich green ferns, not a pace away from me, a man's head arose. I did not require to see the heavily bruised15 features to recognise Custrin. If ever the intent to kill peered out of a man's face, it did from the quick, black eyes of the doctor of the Naomi.
It happened far quicker than it takes to write it down. I could not see his hands; but there was a warning rustle16 of the ferns, a sudden change in the face, which told me he was going to shoot. The index finger of my right hand was crooked17 round the trigger of my pistol as it lay in the side pocket of my jacket....
We fired together. Something "whooshed18" by my ear. In accents of shrill19 surprise Custrin cried out: "Oh!" stared at me stupidly for the fraction of a second through the blue haze20 that drifted on the air between us, then pitched forward on his face into the clump of ferns. There was a horrid gush—a convulsive movement of the hands—and the body lay still. The woods seemed to ring with the report, and there was a smell of singed21 cloth in the air. The pocket of my jacket was smouldering....
Now silence descended22 once more upon the forest, broken only by a faintly audible drip! drip! from the drooping23 head at my feet. Then suddenly a distant hallo went echoing through the woods; another shout, much nearer at hand, answered it and was answered by another until the whole forest rang again.
I turned to Marjorie. White to the lips, she stood with her face averted24 from that limp form sprawling25 in the ferns.
"We must make a dash for it, partner!" said I.
"Don't go too fast!" she pleaded, "I'm—I'm—afraid of being left behind...."
Hand-in-hand, like the Babes in the Wood, we set off again through the forest, pelting27 headlong down the track. Unmolested we reached the lip of the clearing and dropped down into the hollow where the grave lay bathed in the lemon-coloured light of the new day. In front of us towered the rugged28 mass of rock for which we were making and my eye sought on the topmost terrace that pillar of dressed stone which held, as I firmly hoped, the secret of the treasure.
Panting we scrambled29 up the shelving slabs30 of stone which led to the foot of the crag. In order to reach the first shelf I had given Garth a back; but I guessed that the track I had seen winding aloft from the first terrace must, somehow, find its way to the ground.
We followed the base of the rock round till, presently, we came upon a tiny, zigzag31 foot-path, crumbling32 and precipitate33, leading upwards34. By this we were out of sight of the clearing, but the sounds of pursuit drifted across to us more plainly every minute.... the noisy passage of men through the undergrowth, raucous35 shouts. They seemed to be beating the jungle, keeping in touch with each other by calling.
The attack, when it came, would come from the rear. Therefore, I made Marjorie go first up the path. I looked at her anxiously. She was game all through, this girl; but her eyes were wistful and her mouth drooped36 pathetically. The path, winding its way across the face of the rock, brought us on to the first shelf and thence, from the far end, pursued its course aloft. As we stepped out on the terrace a shout rang out from below and at the same moment a bullet hit the rock with a rebounding37 thwack right next to my ear while another whined38 shrilly39 over our heads.
"Go on, go on!" I cried to Marjorie. Together we dashed across the terrace and then the winding of the path brought us under cover again. We toiled40 on, the path growing steeper and steeper. I kept looking round to see if we were followed; but the grey path below us remained deserted41.
As we mounted higher I noticed that the shelves cut out of the rock face grew narrower. The second terrace was scarcely more than twelve feet wide. Since we had left the first terrace we had looked out over a stern landscape of barren rock and lonely crag without a vestige42 of green. But, when we were within measurable distance of the third and topmost terrace, the path suddenly bent43 to the left and a magnificent panorama44 of land and sea burst upon our gaze.
Far below us the belt of green jungle was spread out at our feet; the waving green trees sloped down to the cliff-sheltered anchorage where the white wings of sea-birds flashed in the sun; a broad belt of deep blue sea ran out to the horizon all round. In the foreground our narrow path zigzagged45 to and fro, like a fluffy46 grey ribbon gummed to the rock. Just beyond we looked into the cup-shaped hollow with the grave. Tiny figures, every detail clear-cut and distinct in that limpid47 air, were dotted about the clearing. One leant heavily upon a stick which, as we stood and gazed upon the view, he raised and with it pointed48 aloft.
"Hurry, hurry!" I cried to Marjorie, but almost before I spoke49 a rifle again rang out in the hollow below and the dust spurted50 at my feet. It was some thirty yards to where the path, turning once more, would bring us out of sight and we scrambled forward with the bullets "zipping" angrily in the dust or noisily flattening51 themselves out on the rock. Several of the men in the clearing seemed to be firing, for the bullets came pretty fast.
It was a harrowing experience to be shot at at that height, perched on a precipitate path like flies on a ceiling. I plunged52 forward, my heart in my mouth. Now Marjorie had reached the bend and having rounded it into cover, had halted, waiting for me to draw level. A bullet struck the ground between us splashing the grey volcanic53 dust knee-high and the next moment I had scrambled into safety. Then I saw that the topmost terrace was only a few yards from us.
I turned to the girl. She had gone very white and she seemed to be leaning for support on the rocky wall at her side. Before I could speak she heaved a little sigh and pitched forward. I caught her in my arms.
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1
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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3
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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sluggishly
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| adv.懒惰地；缓慢地 | |
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6
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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7
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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10
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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13
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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15
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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16
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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17
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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18
whooshed
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| v.（使）飞快移动( whoosh的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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21
singed
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿] | |
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22
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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24
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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25
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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docilely
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| adv.容易教地，易驾驶地，驯服地 | |
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pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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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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30
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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31
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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32
crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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34
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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raucous
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| adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的 | |
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36
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rebounding
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| 蹦跳运动 | |
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38
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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39
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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40
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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41
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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42
vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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43
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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44
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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45
zigzagged
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| adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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47
limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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48
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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49
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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50
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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51
flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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52
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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53
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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