“Well, this beats anything I’ve ever seen!”
“Looks like the entrance to the bad place,” commented Herc.
All about the boys and their guide, not to forget Blue Lightning with his confining rope, shot up arid4 precipices5, wrought6 into fantastic forms by fire and lava7. Below them glowed the eternal fires of the volcano, and the air was filled with a sulphurous reek8 proceeding9 from several boiling springs.
Not a bush, or tree or a blade of vegetation of any sort was to be seen. Against the blue sky, like a smoking factory chimney, the crater poured heavenward unceasingly a veil of yellowish smoke.
[204]
The guide told them that it was some years since the volcano had been in eruption10, but that at times streams of lava had flowed down the mountain side, wiping out plantations11 and native huts. Far out at sea, ships had been showered with the ashes, and a pall12 of smoke so dense13 as to render the island almost invisible had involved it in a perpetual twilight14 during the hours when the sun was above the horizon.
“In our tongue we call that ‘Bad Year,’” volunteered the guide.
“I’d like to get some souvenirs of this place to take home,” remarked Herc. “Look at that shelf down there. It seems to be formed of some sort of glittering rocks. I guess I could get some easy enough.”
“You’ll stay right here,” rejoined Ned firmly. “Every time you come ashore15 you get into trouble and I’m determined16 to keep you out of it this trip if I can.”
“Pshaw! that ledge17 isn’t more than twenty feet[205] down and it’s an easy scramble18 for a sailor,” scoffed19 Herc.
“Yes, but if you ever slipped?”
“Well, I’d be cremated20 free of charge, unless the mountain refused to swallow me and chucked me up again with a fireworks display.”
Both boys peered over the edge into the fiery abyss below. Even in the daylight they could catch a faint glimpse of nature’s vast furnaces. The guide told them that not long before a love-sick young Hawaiian had cast himself into the depths of the volcano when he learned of the death of his sweetheart. In ancient times before the white man came, he said, when a chief died many of his subjects were thrown alive into the fiery pit as a sacrifice to the gods.
The guide told them to follow him to the other side of the crater where an even finer view could be obtained of the subterranean22 fires. Ned set[206] off by the Hawaiian’s side, listening with interest to his description of the old tribal23 rites24 that took place on the very ground which they now trod.
So engrossed25 was he with the guide’s tales and legends, as they made their way over the rough ground, that it was not till they had gone some distance that he noticed that Herc was not with them. At the same instant there came a wild yell and cry from the rear.
“Wow! Help! I’m a goner!”
A shoulder of rock hid from them the place where Ned had last seen Herc, but the boy darted26 quickly back. What he saw as he came into view of the spot almost froze the hot blood in his veins27.
Straight down toward the fiery mouth of the volcano Herc was tumbling, grabbing frantically28 as he went any projecting bit of rock. But none of them held him.
“Heavens! He’ll fall into the volcano!” almost screamed Ned.
[207]
The sight was almost too painful to be borne. There didn’t appear to be a chance that Herc could save himself. To Ned and the guide it seemed that he was doomed29 to be plunged30 into the crater and burned to death in its glowing, oven-like depths.
But suddenly Ned gave a cry of joy. In his fall, Herc had struck the very ledge upon which he had spied the glittering specimens31 of rock, one of which he had been so anxious to procure32. By an almost superhuman effort he had checked his fall, and was now lying trembling and pale on this insecure shelf overhanging the glowing mouth of the crater.
Ned set out running, with the guide at his heels. When he reached a spot directly above the ledge to which Herc was clinging, he shouted down at him:
“Are you all right, Herc?”
“Yes, so far; but the gases from this bake-oven are choking me. Get me out of here quick!”
[208]
“Can’t you climb up?”
“Goodness, what are we to do? Here, you,” to the guide, “hurry and get a rope some place.”
“No can get rope nearer than Glenwood,” declared the guide.
“That will take too long.”
Ned racked his wits desperately34 for some way out of the dilemma35. It was clear that Herc could not long hang suspended over the gaseous36 volcano without choking and losing his hold. And yet what was he to do?
In his quandary37 he glanced about him seeking some way out of the difficulty. Suddenly his eyes fell on Blue Lightning. The animal was nosing about among the rocks vainly seeking a blade of grass. From his neck trailed the long rope that Herc had purchased that morning.
“The very thing!” cried Ned, as his eyes fell on the rope. “What a bit of luck that Herc bought it!”
[209]
He ran to the edge of the cliff. Herc was still clinging on to the ledge.
“Hurry up on deck, there,” he hailed, “I’m getting sea-sick.”
“Can you hold on a few minutes longer?”
“I guess so; but this climate doesn’t agree with me very well.”
“Well, keep up your courage. I’m going to get you out.”
“How?”
“Wait a while and you’ll see. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Ned ran back and disengaged the rope from Blue Lightning’s neck. He raced for the cliff edge again, and having made a loop in the lower end of the rope, lowered it to Herc. He wished it had been thicker, but it appeared to be made of good, close-woven manila and Ned prayed that it would stand the strain.
“Place the loop under your arms,” called Ned.
“All right. I see I’m to be a sort of human elevator.”
[210]
“That’s it. Come on, Mr. Guide; lay hold here.”
Ned and the Hawaiian laid hold of the rope and began to haul with all their might. Herc helped them by digging his toes into the rocks and climbing upward, his weight supported by the rope.
But his jubilation39 was premature40. The Hawaiian, a short, slim fellow without much muscle or weight, gave a sudden yell.
“No can hold no more.”
He dropped the rope at the same instant, and Ned felt his feet fly from under him as the weight of Herc came suddenly on his arms alone.
“Wow! I’m gone!” came a terrified yell from Herc as he felt his body rush downward. All at once he was stopped with a jerk that almost dislocated his shoulders. There he hung, dangling41 out over the crater and wondering how long[211] it would be before he would be precipitated42 into the natural furnaces that seemed to be reaching out for him.
What had happened was this. Ned, after the first shock of surprise when the guide dropped the rope, had succeeded in digging his feet up against a rock as Herc’s weight pulled him toward the edge of the crater. This rock cropped out of the ground in pillar-like formation, and he had swiftly taken two turns around it with the rope as if it had been a hitching43 post. As he did so, a sudden idea came into his head.
“Bring up those ponies44,” he shouted to the cowardly, mean-spirited guide who had so nearly been responsible for Herc’s death.
The guide brought the little animals up.
“Now help me hold on to this rope,” ordered Ned brusquely. “If you let go again, you’ll go over into the volcano yourself, sabe?”
“Yes, mister. Me do as you say.”
“All right. You’d better. Ready now?”
[212]
Ned unwound the rope from the rock, being careful to take up the strain as it came. This done, he secured the rope around the pommels of the saddles of both the ponies, the saddles being of the high-peaked Mexican variety best adapted for mountain riding.
“Hold tight, Herc!” he shouted.
“All right!” came from below, and Herc began to feel himself rising as the two ponies were driven forward by the guide.
“Keep on going till I tell you to stop,” cried Ned to the man. Then the Dreadnought Boy hastened once more to the edge of the cliff. He could have shouted with joy as he saw Herc being drawn45 steadily46 upward toward him. But he dared not shout or talk till he had Herc safely beside him.
“Stop!” he yelled suddenly to the guide as Herc’s red head bobbed within reach.
“Go ahead—whoa!—ahead a little—stop!”
Ned reached out his arms and Herc grabbed[213] them. An instant later the Dreadnought Boys stood side by side on the lip of the crater in which Herc had so narrowly escaped immolation47.
“Yes, and I’ve brought you a little souvenir from there, too,” said Herc with perfect calmness, thrusting his hand into his blouse. “It was while I was rubbering over looking for specimens that I lost my grip and went topsy-turvy down the cliff. So while I was down there I thought I’d bring some up with me.”
He thrust into Ned’s hand a bit of the glittering stone to which he had first called attention.
“That’s worth more than a million dollars,” he said solemnly.
“How’s that, Herc?”
“Well, it would take about ten times that to persuade me to go down there again.”
The rope which had done such good service was attached to Blue Lightning again, and as[214] the boys had seen quite enough,—almost too much,—of the volcano, they began the descent without delay. The guide was full of all sorts of explanations for his action in dropping the rope, but as may be imagined the boys did not pay much attention to him.
As they rode into Glenwood in plenty of time to catch the evening train back to Hilo, a white-uniformed native policeman came up to them.
“You are to come with me,” he said.
“Delighted. But what for?” asked Herc. “Has some big-wig invited us to dinner?”
“No, you are under arrest.”
“Arrest!” cried Ned.
“What for, for trespassing49 inside the crater?” demanded Herc.
“I don’t know what you mean. You are charged with assault on Onamee, a farmer back on the mountain.”
A great light burst on both boys.
“Oh, it’s the picnic party we broke up,” cried[215] Herc. “Well, you’d better arrest the goat for that.”
“I have orders, also, to bring the goat before the magistrate,” was the serious reply.
“Oh, he wants to get our goat, does he?” demanded Herc.
“Herc, don’t make fun of this thing. It may be serious,” spoke50 Ned in a low voice. “We will go with you, sir,” he added, addressing the constable51.
“Very well. This way, please.”
“Great starboard salvos! In bad again,” groaned52 Herc dismally53 as, followed by a jeering54 crowd, they set off down the street.
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1
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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6
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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9
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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10
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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11
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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12
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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13
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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14
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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15
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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16
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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18
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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19
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
cremated
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| v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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22
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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24
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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27
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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28
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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29
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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30
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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31
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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32
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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33
bulges
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| 膨胀( bulge的名词复数 )； 鼓起； （身体的）肥胖部位； 暂时的激增 | |
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34
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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36
gaseous
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| adj.气体的，气态的 | |
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quandary
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| n.困惑，进迟两难之境 | |
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38
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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jubilation
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| n.欢庆，喜悦 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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41
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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42
precipitated
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| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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43
hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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44
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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45
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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46
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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47
immolation
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| n.牺牲品 | |
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48
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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49
trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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50
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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51
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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52
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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53
dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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54
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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