Meanwhile, Lewis and Emma, having taken the opportunity to search for plants, had wandered on a little in advance, and had come to another steep slope, which was, however, covered with snow at its upper part. Below, where it became steeper, there was no snow, only pure ice, which extended downwards8 to an immense distance, broken only here and there by a few rocks that cropped through its surface. It terminated in a rocky gorge9, which was strewn thickly with débris from above.
“Let us cross this,” said Emma, with a look of glee, for she possessed10 an adventurous11 spirit.
“We’d better not,” answered Lewis. “The slope is very steep.”
“True, O cautious cousin,” retorted Emma, with a laugh, “but it is covered here with snow that is soft and probably knee-deep. Go on it, sir, and try.”
Thus commanded, Lewis obeyed, and found that the snow was indeed knee-deep, and that there was no possibility of their either slipping or falling, unless one were unusually careless, and even in that case the soft snow would have checked anything like an involuntary glissade.
“Let me go first,” said Lewis.
“Nay, I will go first,” returned Emma, “you will follow and pick me up if I should fall.”
So saying, she stepped lightly into the snow and advanced, while her companion stood looking at her with a half-amused, half-anxious smile.
She had not made six steps, and Lewis was on the point of following, when he observed that there was a crack across the snow just above where he stood, and the whole mass began to slide. For a moment he was transfixed with horror. The next he had sprung to his cousin’s side and seized her arm, shouting—
“Emma! Emma! come back. Quick! It moves.” But poor Emma could not obey. She would as soon have expected the mountain itself to give way as the huge mass of snow on which she stood. At first its motion was slow, and Lewis struggled wildly to extricate12 her, but in vain, for the snow avalanche13 gathered speed as it advanced, and in its motion not only sank them to their waists, but turned them helplessly round, thus placing Lewis farthest from the firm land. He shouted now with all the power of his lungs for help, while Emma screamed from terror.
Lawrence chanced to be nearest to them. He saw at a glance what had occurred, and dashed down the hill-side at headlong speed. A wave was driving in front of the couple, who were now embedded nearly to their armpits, while streams of snow were hissing14 all round them, and the mass was beginning to rush. One look sufficed to show Lawrence that rescue from the side was impossible, but, with that swift power of perception which is aroused in some natures by the urgent call to act, he observed that some yards lower down—near the place where the ice-slope began—there was a rock near to the side in the track of the avalanche, which it divided. Leaping down to this, he sprang into the sliding flood a little above it, and, with a powerful effort, caught the rock and drew himself upon it. Next moment Emma was borne past out of reach of his hand. Lawrence rushed deep into the snow and held out his alpenstock. Emma caught it. He felt himself turned irresistibly15 round, and a sick feeling of despair chilled his life-blood. At the same moment a powerful hand grasped his collar.
“Hold on, Monsieur,” cried Antoine, in a deep, yet encouraging voice, “I’ve got you safe.”
As he spoke16, Emma shrieked17, “I cannot hold on!”
No wonder! She had not only to resist the rushing snow, but to sustain the drag of Lewis, who, as we have said, had been carried beyond his cousin, and whose only chance now lay in his retaining hold of her arm. Ere the words had quite left her lips, Lewis was seen deliberately18 to let go his hold and throw up his arm—it seemed as if waving it.
Next moment Emma was dragged on the rock, where she and her companions stood gazing in horror as their companion was swept upon the ice-slope and carried down headlong. The snow was by this time whirled onward19 in a sort of mist or spray, in the midst of which Lewis was seen to strike a rock with his shoulder and swing violently round, while parts of his clothing were plainly rent from his body, but the painful sight did not last long. A few seconds more and he was hurled20, apparently21 a lifeless form, among the débris and rocks far below.
Death, in such a case, might have been expected to be instantaneous, but the very element that caused the poor youth’s fall, helped to save him. During the struggle for life while clinging to Emma’s arm, the check, brief though it was, sufficed to allow most of the snow to pass down before him, so that he finally fell on a comparatively soft bed; but it was clear that he had been terribly injured, and, what made matters worse, he had fallen into a deep gorge surrounded by precipices22, which seemed to some of the party to render it quite impossible to reach him.
“What is to be done?” exclaimed Lawrence, with intense anxiety. “He must be got at immediately. Delay of treatment in his case, even for a short time, may prove fatal.”
“I know it, Monsieur,” said Antoine, who had been quietly but quickly uncoiling his rope. “One of the porters and I will descend23 by the precipices. They are too steep for any but well-accustomed hands and feet. You, Monsieur, understand pretty well the use of the axe24 and rope. Cut your way down the ice-slope with Jacques. He is a steady man, and may be trusted. Run, Rollo (to the third porter), and fetch aid from Gaspard’s châlet. It is the nearest. I need not say make haste.”
These orders were delivered in a low, rapid voice. The men proceeded at once to obey them. At the same time Antoine and his comrade swung themselves down the cliffs, and were instantly lost to view. The young porter, whom he had named Rollo, was already going down the mountain at a smart run, and Jacques was on the ice-slope wielding25 his axe with ceaseless energy and effect, while Lawrence held the rope to which he was attached, and descended26 the rude and giddy staircase behind him.
It was a terrible time for those who were left above in a state of inaction and deep anxiety, but there was no help for it. They had to content themselves with watching the rescue, and praying for success.
It was not long before the guide and porter reached the spot where poor Lewis lay. He was not insensible, but a deadly pallor overspread his scarred face, and the position in which he lay betokened27 utter helplessness. He could scarcely speak, but whispered that he fancied he was not so much hurt as might have been expected, and expressed wonder at their having been so long in reaching him.
The guide spoke to him with the tenderness of a woman. He knew well how severely28 the poor youth was injured, and handled him very delicately while making such preliminary arrangements as were in his power. A few drops of brandy and water were administered, the poor limbs were arranged in a position of greater comfort, and the torn rags of clothing wrapped round him.
Soon they were joined by Lawrence, who merely whispered a few kind words, and proceeded at once to examine him. His chief anxiety was as to the amount of skin that had been destroyed. The examination revealed a terrible and bloody30 spectacle; over which we will draw a veil; yet there was reason to believe that the amount of skin torn off and abraded31 was not sufficient to cause death. Lawrence was comforted also by finding that no bones appeared to have been broken.
Nothing could be done in the way of attempting a removal until the return of Rollo with a litter. Fortunately this was not long of being brought, for the young porter was active and willing, and Gaspard had promptly32 accompanied him with men and materials for the rescue.
But it was a sad, slow, and painful process, to bear the poor youth’s frame from that savage33 gorge, and convey him on a litter, carried by four men, over glaciers and down rugged34 mountain sides, even although done by tender hearts and strong hands. Everything that ingenuity35 could contrive36 was done to relieve the sufferer, and when at last, after weary hours, they reached the high-road of the valley, a carriage was found waiting. A messenger had been sent in advance to fetch it, and Mrs Stoutley was in it.
There was something quite touching37 in the quiet, firm air of self-restraint with which she met the procession, and afterwards tended her poor boy; it was so unlike her old character!
The sun was setting in a field of golden glory when they carried Lewis into the hotel at Chamouni, and laid him on his bed—a mere29 wreck38 of his former self.
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1
dilate
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| vt.使膨胀，使扩大 | |
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glacier
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| n.冰川，冰河 | |
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glaciers
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| 冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 ) | |
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4
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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7
chisels
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| n.凿子，錾子( chisel的名词复数 )；口凿 | |
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8
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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9
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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10
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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12
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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14
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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15
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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16
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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17
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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20
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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21
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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23
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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24
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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25
wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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27
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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29
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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30
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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31
abraded
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| adj.[医]刮擦的v.刮擦( abrade的过去式和过去分词 )；（在精神方面）折磨（人）；消磨（意志、精神等）；使精疲力尽 | |
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32
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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33
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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34
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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35
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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36
contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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37
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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38
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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