He held the paddle suspended, and looked around.
The surface was as calm as the face of a mirror, and in the strong moonlight, as he looked down he could see that it was of crystalline clearness—so much so, indeed, that a boat or any floating object looked as if suspended in mid-air.
It expanded right and left and in front, until he could barely discern the dim outlines of trees and rocks that shut it in. It was probably two or three square miles in extent, and to the westward1 the shore appeared to be composed of enormous boulders3 and masses of rocks.
Directly ahead, was a crag more massive than the rest, towering a hundred feet above the lake, with a breadth fully4 one half as great. It resembled some gigantic sentinel, keeping ward2 and watch over the strange region unknown to few if any white man.
Ashman turned to his companion with the question, what course he should take, and, without speaking, she pointed5 to the rock which she saw had attracted his attention.
Very slight effort was required to propel the delicate craft, which seemed to become sentient6, and to move forward in obedience7 to the wishes of its occupants. He barely dipped the blade into the water, when it skimmed forward like a swallow. After a number of strokes he ceased and fixed8 his eyes on the landmark9 by which he was proceeding10.
A singular emotion held him speechless for the time. The vast mass of stone appeared to be slowly rising from the bosom11 of the lake, and, instead of remaining motionless, was advancing to meet the tiny canoe and its awed12 occupants. One moment, it was like some vast ogre, stealing silently about to crush them beneath the clear waters, and then it became a friendly giant, reaching out its hand to lead them forward.
But for the distant sounds of firing at the Murhapa village, Fred Ashman would have felt that it was all a vision of sleep, from which he must soon awake to the realities of life.
But that horrible, grinding discord13 continually creeping into their ears told too plainly the dreadful scenes at comparatively a short distance. Even in his exalted14 mental state, Ashman began to ask himself what was to be the end of the strange venture upon which he had started. A disquieting15 misgiving16 arose, that perhaps he had not done the wisest thing in leaving his imperilled friends.
But he reflected that he had only obeyed the orders of Ziffak, who indeed would not have permitted his wishes to be disregarded, for who should know the wisest course so well as he? Besides, his own reason told him that if the Professor and his companion were attacked in the cabin, it was impossible for him to raise a finger in their behalf.
And so he dismissed that phase of the marvellous business from his mind and faced the present situation.
He had fled with Ariel from her father, King Haffgo. Instead of turning to the northward17 down the Xingu, they had gone further up the stream and directly away from the right course out of the perilous18 country.
But while, in one sense, this might be looked upon as the height of recklessness, he saw it was unavoidable. Had they turned down the Xingu, there would have been no escaping their foes19, while the enchanted20 lake and its surroundings must afford secure shelter for a time.
But for how long?
That was the question which obtruded21 itself, even while filled with the delightful22 thrill of his new love, and when en rapport23 with his marvellous surroundings.
The intimate knowledge which Ariel possessed24 of the region would guide them to some spot where they could reasonably hope to be safe from pursuit, unless such pursuit was led by her enraged25 parent.
Ashman was still scrutinizing26 the great mass of rock, steadily27 assuming more definite shape in the moonlight as the intervening distance decreased, when he was surprised that he had not noticed the mountainous elevation28 behind it. The immense rock seemed but the beginning of others rising beyond to the height of a thousand feet, while they broadened to the right and left until they stretched over an extent of several miles.
It seemed to him that these constituted a spur of the Geral range, which extend in a northwesterly direction between the Guapore River (forming a part of the eastern boundary of Bolivia) and the headwaters of the Tapajos and Xingu. If so, their extent was continuous for a hundred miles.
Ashman had ceased paddling, though, under the faint momentum29 remaining, the canoe continued slowly moving over the lake and gradually drawing near the rock. He did not break the silence, but asked himself what could be the reason of Ariel's direction for him to paddle toward the rock. He supposed there was some place of concealment30 which she had in mind, though he discerned nothing of that nature.
"We cannot stay there forever," was the practical thought in the mind of the lover, who felt the next moment as though he would be happy to dwell forever anywhere with her.
"After we have staid here until pursuit is given up—if it ever will be—then we must leave the country. I will take her to my home in North America, where I shall love and cherish her and become the envied of all men."
"We are approaching the rock," he said, addressing her; "what next, dearest Ariel."
"Paddle right on," was the astonishing reply.
He looked at her with a questioning smile. Could she be in earnest?
"Right on," she repeated, reading his thoughts aright.
"Very well; the slave obeys his mistress," he replied, giving the paddle another dip in the water.
Gazing ahead, he instantly discovered the cause of her reply. A tunnel opened into the rock, seemingly near the centre. It was perhaps ten feet in height and with a width slightly greater. Could it be she meant he should enter that black forbidding passage? He asked the question and she replied that such was her wish.
He could not decline to take her whither she desired to go. Gently swaying the blade, he sent the boat within the dark opening, which appeared to distend31 its jaws32 to swallow the canoe and them from the world to which they had bidden good-bye.
Ashman was beginning to ask himself how he was to continue the advance in the darkness, which must become impenetrable as they passed beyond the limit of the moonlight, when he perceived the water into which he dipped the paddle.
Not only that, but it grew more distinct as he progressed, until once more the form of his beloved came out to view, as she sat near him in the canoe.
Wondering what it all meant, he gazed ahead. The surface of the water grew plainer, as his eye ranged along the tunnel, until, only a short distance away, the view was clearer than on the lake itself, beneath the full moon.
What was the explanation of this wonderful sea of illumination into which he was guiding the canoe?
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1
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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2
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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3
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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4
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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6
sentient
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| adj.有知觉的，知悉的；adv.有感觉能力地 | |
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7
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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8
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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9
landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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10
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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11
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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12
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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14
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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15
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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16
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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17
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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18
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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19
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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20
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21
obtruded
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| v.强行向前，强行，强迫( obtrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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23
rapport
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| n.和睦，意见一致 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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25
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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26
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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28
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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29
momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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30
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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31
distend
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| vt./vi.（使）扩大，（使）扩张 | |
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32
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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