Within half an hour the gig had reached the mouth of the cave. As the coxswain had predicted, the seas ran into the lofty entrance. Elsewhere the surf fell whitely, but through the arch the waves rolled unbroken into a heavy stillness. Only as the boat hovered1 for a moment at the face of the cliff could the exploring party hear, far within, the hollow boom that told of breakers on a distant, subterranean2 beach.
"Run her in easy," came the captain's order. "Keep a sharp lookout3 for hidden rocks."
To the whispering plash of the oars4 they moved from sunlight into twilight5, from twilight into darkness. Of a sudden the oars jerked convulsively. A great roar had broken upon the ears of the sailors; the invisible roof above them, the water heaving beneath them, the walls that hemmed6 them in, called, with a multiplication7 of resonance8, upon the name of Darrow. The boat quivered with the start of its occupants. Then one or two laughed weakly as they realised that what they had heard was no supernatural voice. It was the captain hailing for the marooned9 man.
No vocal10 answer came. But an indeterminable space away they could hear a low splash followed by a second and a third. Something coughed weakly in front and to the right. Trendon's hand went to his revolver. The men sat, stiffened11. One of them swore, in a whisper, and the oath came back upon them, echoing the name of the Saviour12 in hideous13 sibilance.
"Silence in the boat," said the captain, in such buoyant tones that the men braced14 themselves against the expected peril15.
"Light the lantern and pass it to me," came the order. "Keep below the gunwale, men."
As the match spluttered: "Do you see something, a few rods to port?" asked the captain in Trendon's ear.
"Pair of green lights," said Trendon. "Eyes. _Seals!_"
"_Seals! Seals! Seals_!" shouted the walls, for the surgeon had suddenly released his voice. And as the mockery boomed, the green lights disappeared and there was more splashing from the distance. The crew sat up again.
The lantern spread its radiance. It was reflected from battlements of fairy beauty. Everywhere the walls were set, as with gems16, in broad wales of varied17 and vivid hues18. Dazzled at first, the explorers soon were able to discern the general nature of the subterranean world which they had entered. In most places the walls rose sheer and unscaleable from the water. In others, turretted rocks thrust their gleaming crags upward. Over to starboard a little beach shone with Quaker greyness in that spectacular display. The end of the cavern19 was still beyond the area of light.
"Must have been a swimmer to get in here," commented Trendon, glancing at the walls.
"Unless he had a boat," said the captain. "But why doesn't he answer?"
"Better try again. No telling how much more there is of this."
The surgeon raised his ponderous20 bellow21, and the cave roared again with the summons. Silence, formidable and unbroken, succeeded.
"House to house search is now in order," he said. "Must be in here somewhere--unless the seals got him."
Cautiously the boat moved forward. Once she grazed on a half submerged rock. Again a tiny islet loomed22 before her. Scattered23 bones glistened24 on the rocky shore, but they were not human relics25. Occasional beaches tempted26 a landing, but all of these led back to precipitous cliffs except one, from the side of which opened two small caves. Into the first the lantern cast its glare, revealing emptiness, for the arch was wide and the cave shallow. The entrance to the other was so narrow as to send a visitor to his knees. But inside it seemed to open out. Moreover, there were fish bones at the entrance. The captain, the surgeon, and Congdon, the coxswain, landed. Captain Parkinson reached the spot first. Stooping, he thrust his head in at the orifice. A sharp exclamation27 broke from him. He rose to his feet, turning a contorted face to the others.
"Poisonous," he cried.
"More volcano," said Trendon. He bent28 to the black hole and sniffed29 cautiously.
"I'll go in, sir," volunteered Congdon. "I've had fire-practice."
"My business," said Trendon, briefly30. "Decomposition31; unpleasant, but not dangerous."
Pushing the lantern before him, he wormed his way until the light was blotted32 out. Presently it shone forth33 from the funnel34, showing that the explorer had reached the inner open space. Captain Parkinson dropped down and peered in, but the evil odour was too much for him. He retired35, gagging and coughing. Trendon was gone for what seemed an interminable time. His superior officer fidgeted uneasily. At last he could stand it no longer.
"Dr. Trendon, are you all right?" he shouted.
"Yup," answered a choked voice. "Cubbing oud dow."
Again the funnel was darkened. A pair of feet appeared; then the surgeon's chunky trunk, his head, and the lantern. Once, twice, and thrice he inhaled36 deeply.
"Phew!" he gasped37. "Thought I was tough, but--Phee-ee-ee-ew!"
"Did you find--"
"No, sir. Not Darrow. Only a poor devil of a seal that crawled in there to die."
The exploration continued. Half a mile, as they estimated, from the open, they reached a narrow beach, shut off by a perpendicular38 wall of rock. Skirting this, they returned on the other side, minutely examining every possible crevice39. When they again reached the light of day, they had arrived at the certain conclusion that no living man was within those walls.
"Would a corpse40 rise to the surface soon in waters such as these, Dr. Trendon?" asked the captain.
"Might, sir. Might not. No telling that."
The captain ruminated41. Then he beat his fist on his knee.
"The other cave!"
"What other cave?" asked the surgeon.
"The cave where they killed the seals."
"Surely!" exclaimed Trendon. "Wait, though. Didn't Slade say it was between here and the point?"
"Yes. Beyond the small beach."
"No cave there," declared the surgeon positively42.
"There must be. Congdon, did you see an opening anywhere in the cliff as we came along?"
"No, sir. This is the only one, sir."
"We'll see about that," said the captain, grimly. "Head her about. Skirt the shore as near the breakers as you safely can."
The gig retraced43 its journey.
"There's the beach, as Slade described it," said Captain Parkinson, as they came abreast44 of the little reach of sand.
"And what are those two bird-roosts on it?" asked Trendon. "See 'em? Dead against that patch of shore-weed."
"Bits of wreckage45 fixed46 in the sand."
"Don't think so, sir. Too well matched."
"We have no time to settle the matter now," said the captain impatiently. "We must find that cave, if it is to be found."
Hovering47 just outside the final drag of the surf, under the skilful48 guidance of Congdon, the boat moved slowly along the line of beach to the line of cliff. All was open as the day. The blazing sun picked out each detail of jut49 and hollow. Evidently the poisonous vapours from the volcano had not spread their blight50 here, for the face of the precipice51 was bright with many flowers. So close in moved the boat that its occupants could even see butterflies fluttering above the bloom. But that which their eager eyes sought was still denied them. No opening offered in that smiling cliff-side. Not by so much as would admit a terrier did the mass of rock and rubble52 gape53.
"And Slade described the cave as big enough to ram54 the _Wolverine_ into," muttered Trendon.
Up to the point of the headland, and back, passed the boat. Blank disappointment was the result.
"What is your opinion now, Dr. Trendon?" asked the captain of the older man.
"Don't know, sir," answered the surgeon hopelessly. "Looks as if the cave might have been a hallucination."
"I shall have something to say to Mr. Slade on our return," said the captain crisply. "If the cave was an hallucination, as you suggest, the seal-murder was fiction."
"Looks so," agreed the other.
"And the murder of the captain. How about that?"
"And the mutiny of the men," added the surgeon.
"And the killing55 of the doctor. Your patient seems to be a romantic genius."
"And the escape of Darrow. Hold hard," quoth Trendon. "Darrow's no romance. Nothing fictional56 about the flag and ledger57."
"True enough," said the captain, and fell to consideration.
"Anyway," said Trendon vigorously, "I'd like to have a look at those bird- roosts. Mighty58 like signposts, to my mind."
"Very well," said the captain. "It'll cost us only a wetting. Run her in, Congdon."
With all the coxswain's skill, and the oarsmen's technique, the passage of the surf was a lively one, and little driblets of water marked the trail of the officers as they shuffled59 up the beach.
The two slabs61 stood less than fifty yards beyond high water tide. Nearing them, the visitors saw that each marked a mound62, but not until they were close up could they read the neat carving63 on the first. It ran as follows:
_Here lies_
SOLOMON ANDERSON
_alias_
HANDY SOLOMON
_who murdered his employer,
his captain, and his shipmates,
and was found, dead
of his deserts, on these shores,
June 5, 1904.
This slab60 is erected64 as a
memento65 of admiring esteem66
by
the last of his victims.
"And you can kiss the
Book on that."_
"Percy Darrow _fecit_," said the surgeon. "You can kiss the Book on _that_, too."
"Then Slade was telling the truth!"
"Apparently67. Seems good corroboration68."
The captain turned to the other mound. Its slab was carved by the same hand.
_Sacred to the memory of an
Ensign of the U. S. Navy,
whose body, washed upon this
coast, is here buried with all
reverence69, by strange hands;
whose soul may God rest.
"The seas shall sing his
requiem70." June the Sixth,
MXMIV._
"Billy Edwards," said the captain, very low.
He uncovered. The surgeon did likewise. So, for a space, they stood with bared heads between the twin graves.
收听单词发音 |
1
hovered
|
|
| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
subterranean
|
|
| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
lookout
|
|
| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
oars
|
|
| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
twilight
|
|
| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
hemmed
|
|
| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
multiplication
|
|
| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
resonance
|
|
| n.洪亮；共鸣；共振 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
marooned
|
|
| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
vocal
|
|
| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
stiffened
|
|
| 加强的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
saviour
|
|
| n.拯救者，救星 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
braced
|
|
| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
gems
|
|
| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
varied
|
|
| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
hues
|
|
| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
cavern
|
|
| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
ponderous
|
|
| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bellow
|
|
| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
loomed
|
|
| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
glistened
|
|
| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
relics
|
|
| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
tempted
|
|
| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
sniffed
|
|
| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
decomposition
|
|
| n. 分解, 腐烂, 崩溃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
blotted
|
|
| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
funnel
|
|
| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
inhaled
|
|
| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
perpendicular
|
|
| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
crevice
|
|
| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
ruminated
|
|
| v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
retraced
|
|
| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
abreast
|
|
| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
wreckage
|
|
| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
hovering
|
|
| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
skilful
|
|
| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
jut
|
|
| v.突出；n.突出，突出物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
blight
|
|
| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
precipice
|
|
| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
rubble
|
|
| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
gape
|
|
| v.张口，打呵欠，目瞪口呆地凝视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
ram
|
|
| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
fictional
|
|
| adj.小说的，虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
ledger
|
|
| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
shuffled
|
|
| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
slab
|
|
| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
slabs
|
|
| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
mound
|
|
| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
carving
|
|
| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
ERECTED
|
|
| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
memento
|
|
| n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
esteem
|
|
| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
corroboration
|
|
| n.进一步的证实，进一步的证据 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
reverence
|
|
| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
requiem
|
|
| n.安魂曲，安灵曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |