As soon as they had made their meager1 breakfast of salt pork, coffee and biscuit, Clayton commenced work upon their house, for he realized that they could hope for no safety and no peace of mind at night until four strong walls effectually barred the jungle life from them.
The task was an arduous2 one and required the better part of a month, though he built but one small room. He constructed his cabin of small logs about six inches in diameter, stopping the chinks with clay which he found at the depth of a few feet beneath the surface soil.
At one end he built a fireplace of small stones from the beach. These also he set in clay and when the house had been entirely3 completed he applied4 a coating of the clay to the entire outside surface to the thickness of four inches.
In the window opening he set small branches about an inch in diameter both vertically5 and horizontally, and so woven that they formed a substantial grating that could withstand the strength of a powerful animal. Thus they obtained air and proper ventilation without fear of lessening6 the safety of their cabin.
The A-shaped roof was thatched with small branches laid close together and over these long jungle grass and palm fronds7, with a final coating of clay.
The door he built of pieces of the packing-boxes which had held their belongings8, nailing one piece upon another, the grain of contiguous layers running transversely, until he had a solid body some three inches thick and of such great strength that they were both moved to laughter as they gazed upon it.
Here the greatest difficulty confronted Clayton, for he had no means whereby to hang his massive door now that he had built it. After two days’ work, however, he succeeded in fashioning two massive hardwood hinges, and with these he hung the door so that it opened and closed easily.
The stuccoing and other final touches were added after they moved into the house, which they had done as soon as the roof was on, piling their boxes before the door at night and thus having a comparatively safe and comfortable habitation.
The building of a bed, chairs, table, and shelves was a relatively9 easy matter, so that by the end of the second month they were well settled, and, but for the constant dread10 of attack by wild beasts and the ever growing loneliness, they were not uncomfortable or unhappy.
At night great beasts snarled11 and roared about their tiny cabin, but, so accustomed may one become to oft repeated noises, that soon they paid little attention to them, sleeping soundly the whole night through.
Thrice had they caught fleeting13 glimpses of great man-like figures like that of the first night, but never at sufficiently14 close range to know positively15 whether the half-seen forms were those of man or brute16.
The brilliant birds and the little monkeys had become accustomed to their new acquaintances, and as they had evidently never seen human beings before they presently, after their first fright had worn off, approached closer and closer, impelled17 by that strange curiosity which dominates the wild creatures of the forest and the jungle and the plain, so that within the first month several of the birds had gone so far as even to accept morsels18 of food from the friendly hands of the Claytons.
One afternoon, while Clayton was working upon an addition to their cabin, for he contemplated19 building several more rooms, a number of their grotesque20 little friends came shrieking21 and scolding through the trees from the direction of the ridge22. Ever as they fled they cast fearful glances back of them, and finally they stopped near Clayton jabbering23 excitedly to him as though to warn him of approaching danger.
At last he saw it, the thing the little monkeys so feared — the man-brute of which the Claytons had caught occasional fleeting glimpses.
It was approaching through the jungle in a semi-erect position, now and then placing the backs of its closed fists upon the ground — a great anthropoid24 ape, and, as it advanced, it emitted deep guttural growls25 and an occasional low barking sound.
Clayton was at some distance from the cabin, having come to fell a particularly perfect tree for his building operations. Grown careless from months of continued safety, during which time he had seen no dangerous animals during the daylight hours, he had left his rifles and revolvers all within the little cabin, and now that he saw the great ape crashing through the underbrush directly toward him, and from a direction which practically cut him off from escape, he felt a vague little shiver play up and down his spine26.
He knew that, armed only with an ax, his chances with this ferocious27 monster were small indeed — and Alice; O God, he thought, what will become of Alice?
There was yet a slight chance of reaching the cabin. He turned and ran toward it, shouting an alarm to his wife to run in and close the great door in case the ape cut off his retreat.
Lady Greystoke had been sitting a little way from the cabin, and when she heard his cry she looked up to see the ape springing with almost incredible swiftness, for so large and awkward an animal, in an effort to head off Clayton.
With a low cry she sprang toward the cabin, and, as she entered, gave a backward glance which filled her soul with terror, for the brute had intercepted28 her husband, who now stood at bay grasping his ax with both hands ready to swing it upon the infuriated animal when he should make his final charge.
“Close and bolt the door, Alice,” cried Clayton. “I can finish this fellow with my ax.”
But he knew he was facing a horrible death, and so did she.
The ape was a great bull, weighing probably three hundred pounds. His nasty, close-set eyes gleamed hatred29 from beneath his shaggy brows, while his great canine30 fangs31 were bared in a horrid32 snarl12 as he paused a moment before his prey33.
Over the brute’s shoulder Clayton could see the doorway34 of his cabin, not twenty paces distant, and a great wave of horror and fear swept over him as he saw his young wife emerge, armed with one of his rifles.
She had always been afraid of firearms, and would never touch them, but now she rushed toward the ape with the fearlessness of a lioness protecting its young.
“Back, Alice,” shouted Clayton, “for God’s sake, go back.”
But she would not heed35, and just then the ape charged, so that Clayton could say no more.
The man swung his ax with all his mighty36 strength, but the powerful brute seized it in those terrible hands, and tearing it from Clayton’s grasp hurled37 it far to one side.
With an ugly snarl he closed upon his defenseless victim, but ere his fangs had reached the throat they thirsted for, there was a sharp report and a bullet entered the ape’s back between his shoulders.
Throwing Clayton to the ground the beast turned upon his new enemy. There before him stood the terrified girl vainly trying to fire another bullet into the animal’s body; but she did not understand the mechanism38 of the firearm, and the hammer fell futilely39 upon an empty cartridge40.
Almost simultaneously41 Clayton regained42 his feet, and without thought of the utter hopelessness of it, he rushed forward to drag the ape from his wife’s prostrate43 form.
With little or no effort he succeeded, and the great bulk rolled inertly44 upon the turf before him — the ape was dead. The bullet had done its work.
A hasty examination of his wife revealed no marks upon her, and Clayton decided45 that the huge brute had died the instant he had sprung toward Alice.
Gently he lifted his wife’s still unconscious form, and bore her to the little cabin, but it was fully46 two hours before she regained consciousness.
Her first words filled Clayton with vague apprehension47. For some time after regaining48 her senses, Alice gazed wonderingly about the interior of the little cabin, and then, with a satisfied sigh, said:
“O, John, it is so good to be really home! I have had an awful dream, dear. I thought we were no longer in London, but in some horrible place where great beasts attacked us.”
“There, there, Alice,” he said, stroking her forehead, “try to sleep again, and do not worry your head about bad dreams.”
That night a little son was born in the tiny cabin beside the primeval forest, while a leopard49 screamed before the door, and the deep notes of a lion’s roar sounded from beyond the ridge.
Lady Greystoke never recovered from the shock of the great ape’s attack, and, though she lived for a year after her baby was born, she was never again outside the cabin, nor did she ever fully realize that she was not in England.
Sometimes she would question Clayton as to the strange noises of the nights; the absence of servants and friends, and the strange rudeness of the furnishings within her room, but, though he made no effort to deceive her, never could she grasp the meaning of it all.
In other ways she was quite rational, and the joy and happiness she took in the possession of her little son and the constant attentions of her husband made that year a very happy one for her, the happiest of her young life.
That it would have been beset50 by worries and apprehension had she been in full command of her mental faculties51 Clayton well knew; so that while he suffered terribly to see her so, there were times when he was almost glad, for her sake, that she could not understand.
Long since had he given up any hope of rescue, except through accident. With unremitting zeal52 he had worked to beautify the interior of the cabin.
Skins of lion and panther covered the floor. Cupboards and bookcases lined the walls. Odd vases made by his own hand from the clay of the region held beautiful tropical flowers. Curtains of grass and bamboo covered the windows, and, most arduous task of all, with his meager assortment53 of tools he had fashioned lumber54 to neatly55 seal the walls and ceiling and lay a smooth floor within the cabin.
That he had been able to turn his hands at all to such unaccustomed labor56 was a source of mild wonder to him. But he loved the work because it was for her and the tiny life that had come to cheer them, though adding a hundredfold to his responsibilities and to the terribleness of their situation.
During the year that followed, Clayton was several times attacked by the great apes which now seemed to continually infest57 the vicinity of the cabin; but as he never again ventured outside without both rifle and revolvers he had little fear of the huge beasts.
He had strengthened the window protections and fitted a unique wooden lock to the cabin door, so that when he hunted for game and fruits, as it was constantly necessary for him to do to insure sustenance58, he had no fear that any animal could break into the little home.
At first he shot much of the game from the cabin windows, but toward the end the animals learned to fear the strange lair59 from whence issued the terrifying thunder of his rifle.
In his leisure Clayton read, often aloud to his wife, from the store of books he had brought for their new home. Among these were many for little children — picture books, primers, readers — for they had known that their little child would be old enough for such before they might hope to return to England.
At other times Clayton wrote in his diary, which he had always been accustomed to keep in French, and in which he recorded the details of their strange life. This book he kept locked in a little metal box.
A year from the day her little son was born Lady Alice passed quietly away in the night. So peaceful was her end that it was hours before Clayton could awake to a realization60 that his wife was dead.
The horror of the situation came to him very slowly, and it is doubtful that he ever fully realized the enormity of his sorrow and the fearful responsibility that had devolved upon him with the care of that wee thing, his son, still a nursing babe.
The last entry in his diary was made the morning following her death, and there he recites the sad details in a matter-of-fact way that adds to the pathos61 of it; for it breathes a tired apathy62 born of long sorrow and hopelessness, which even this cruel blow could scarcely awake to further suffering:
My little son is crying for nourishment63 — O Alice, Alice, what shall I do?
And as John Clayton wrote the last words his hand was destined64 ever to pen, he dropped his head wearily upon his outstretched arms where they rested upon the table he had built for her who lay still and cold in the bed beside him.
For a long time no sound broke the deathlike stillness of the jungle midday save the piteous wailing65 of the tiny man-child.
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1
meager
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| adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的 | |
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arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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7
fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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8
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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9
relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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11
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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12
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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13
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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14
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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15
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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16
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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19
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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20
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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21
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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22
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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23
jabbering
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| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 )；急促兴奋地说话；结结巴巴 | |
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24
anthropoid
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| adj.像人类的，类人猿的；n.类人猿；像猿的人 | |
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25
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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26
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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27
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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28
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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29
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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30
canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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31
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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32
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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33
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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35
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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36
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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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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38
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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39
futilely
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| futile（无用的）的变形； 干 | |
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40
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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41
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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42
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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43
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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44
inertly
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| adv.不活泼地，无生气地 | |
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45
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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46
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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47
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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48
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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49
leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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50
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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51
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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52
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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53
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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54
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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55
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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56
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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57
infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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58
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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59
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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60
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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61
pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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62
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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63
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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64
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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65
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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