Erich von Harben stepped from his tent upon the slopes of the Wiramwazi Mountains to look upon a deserted1 camp.
When he had first awakened2, the unusual quiet of his surroundings had aroused within him a presentiment4 of ill, which was augmented5 when repeated calls for his body-servant, Gambula, elicited6 no response.
For weeks, as the safari7 had been approaching the precincts of the feared Wiramwazi, his men had been deserting by twos and threes until the preceding evening when they had made this camp well upon the mountain slopes only a terrified remnant of the original safari had remained with him. Now even these, overcome during the night by the terrors of ignorance and superstition8, had permitted fear to supplant9 loyalty10 and had fled from the impending11 and invisible terrors of this frowning range, leaving their master alone with the bloodthirsty spirits of the dead.
A hasty survey of the camp site revealed that the blacks had stripped von Harben of everything. All of his supplies were gone and his gun carriers had decamped with his rifles and all of his ammunition12, with the exception of a single Luger pistol and its belt of ammunition that had been in the tent with him.
Erich von Harben had had sufficient experience with these natives to understand fairly well the mental processes based upon their deep-rooted superstition that had led them to this seemingly inhuman13 and disloyal act and so he did not place so much blame upon them as might another less familiar with them.
While they had known their destination when they embarked14 upon the undertaking15, their courage had been high in direct proportion to the great distance that they had been from the Wiramwazi, but in proportion as the distance lessened16 with each day's march their courage had lessened until now upon the very threshold of horrors beyond the ken3 of human minds the last vestige17 of self-control had deserted them and they had fled precipitately18.
That they had taken his provisions, his rifles and his ammunition might have seemed the depth of baseness had von Harben not realized the sincerity19 of their belief that there could be no possible hope for him and that his immediate20 death was a foregone conclusion.
He knew that they had reasoned that under the circumstances it would be a waste of food to leave it behind for a man who was already as good as dead when they would need it for their return journey to their villages, and likewise, as the weapons of mortal man could avail nothing against the ghosts of Wiramwazi, it would have been a needless extravagance to have surrendered fine rifles and quantities of ammunition that von Harben could not use against his enemies of the spirit world.
Von Harben stood for some time looking down the mountain slope toward the forest, somewhere in the depths of which his men were hastening toward their own country. That he might overtake them was a possibility, but by no means a certainty, and if he did not he would be no better off alone in the jungle than he would be on the slopes of the Wiramwazi.
He faced about and looked up toward the rugged21 heights above him. He had come a long way to reach his goal, which now lay somewhere just beyond that serrated skyline, and he was of no mind to turn back now in defeat. A day or a week in these rugged mountains might reveal the secret of The Lost Tribe of legend, and surely a month would be sufficient to determine beyond a reasonable doubt that the story had no basis in fact, for von Harben believed that in a month he could fairly well explore such portions of the range as might naturally lend themselves to human habitation, where he hoped at best to find relics23 of the fabled24 tribe in the form of ruins or burial mounds25. For to a man of von Harben's training and intelligence there could be no thought that The Lost Tribe of legend, if it had ever existed, could be anything more than a vague memory surrounding a few moldy26 artifacts and some crumbling27 bones.
It did not take the young man long to reach a decision and presently he turned back to his tent and, entering it, packed a few necessities that had been left to him in a light haversack, strapped28 his ammunition belt about him, and stepped forth29 once more to turn his face upward toward the mystery of the Wiramwazi.
In addition to his Luger, von Harben carried a hunting-knife and with this he presently cut a stout staff from one of the small trees that grew sparsely30 upon the mountainside against the time when he might find an alpenstock indispensable.
A mountain rill furnished him pure, cold water to quench31 his thirst, and he carried his pistol cocked, hoping that he might bag some small game to satisfy his hunger. Nor had he gone far before a hare broke cover, and as it rolled over to the crack of the Luger, von Harben gave thanks that he had devoted32 much time to perfecting himself in the use of small arms.
On the spot he built a fire and grilled33 the hare, after which he lit his pipe and lay at ease while he smoked and planned. His was not a temperament34 to be depressed35 or discouraged by seeming reverses, and he was determined36 not to be hurried by excitement, but to conserve37 his strength at all times during the strenuous38 days that he felt must lie ahead of him.
All day he climbed, choosing the long way when it seemed safer, exercising all the lore22 of mountain-climbing that he had accumulated, and resting often. Night overtook him well up toward the summit of the highest ridge39 that had been visible from the base of the range. What lay behind, he could not even guess, but experience suggested that he would find other ridges40 and frowning peaks before him.
He had brought a blanket with him from the last camp and in this he rolled up on the ground. From below there came the noises of the jungle subdued41 by distance—the yapping of jackals and faintly from afar the roaring of a lion.
Toward morning he was awakened by the scream of a leopard42, not from the jungle far below, but somewhere upon the mountain slopes near by. He knew that this savage43 night prowler constituted a real menace, perhaps the greatest he would have to face, and he regretted the loss of his heavy rifle.
He was not afraid, for he knew that after all there was little likelihood that the leopard was hunting him or that it would attack him, but there was always that chance and so to guard against it he started a fire of dry wood that he had gathered for the purpose the night before. He found the warmth of the blaze welcome, for the night had grown cold, and he sat for some time warming himself.
Once he thought he heard an animal moving in the darkness beyond the range of the firelight, but he saw no shining eyes and the sound was not repeated. And then he must have slept, for the next thing that he knew it was daylight and only embers remained to mark where the beast fire had blazed.
Cold and without breakfast, von Harben continued the ascent44 from his cheerless camp, his eyes, under the constant urging of his stomach, always alert for food. The terrain45 offered few obstacles to an experienced mountain climber, and he even forgot his hunger in the thrill of expectancy46 in which he anticipated the possibilities hidden by the ridge whose summit now lay but a short distance ahead of him.
It is the summit of the next ridge that ever lures47 the explorer onward48. What new sights lie just beyond? What mysteries will its achievement unveil to the eager eyes of the adventurer? Judgment49 and experience joined forces to assure him that when his eyes surmounted50 the ridge ahead they would be rewarded with nothing more startling than another similar ridge to be negotiated; yet there was always that other hope hanging like a shining beacon51 just below the next horizon, above which the rays of its hidden light served to illuminate52 the figments of his desire, and his imagination transformed the figments into realities.
Von Harben, sane53 and phlegmatic54 as he was, was now keyed to the highest pitch of excitement as he at last scaled the final barrier and stood upon the crest55 of the ridge. Before him stretched a rolling plateau, dotted with stunted56 wind-swept trees, and in the distance lay the next ridge that he had anticipated, but indistinct and impurpled by the haze57 of distance. What lay between him and those far hills? His pulse quickened at the thought of the possibilities for exploration and discovery that lay before him, for the terrain that he looked upon was entirely58 different from what he had anticipated. No lofty peaks were visible except in the far distance, and between him and them there must lie intriguing59 ravines and valleys—virgin fields at the feet of the explorer.
Eagerly, entirely forgetful of his hunger or his solitude60, von Harben moved northward61 across the plateau. The land was gently rolling, rock-strewn, sterile62, and uninteresting, and when he had covered a mile of it he commenced to have misgivings63, for if it continued on without change to the dim hills in the distance, as it now seemed was quite likely the case, it could offer him neither interest nor sustenance64.
As these thoughts were commencing to oppress him, he became suddenly conscious of a vague change in the appearance of the terrain ahead. It was only an impression of unreality. The hills far away before him seemed to rise out of a great void, and it was as though between him and them there existed nothing. He might have been looking across an inland sea to distant, hazy65 shores—a waterless sea, for nowhere was there any suggestion of water—and then suddenly he came to a halt, startled, amazed. The rolling plateau ceased abruptly66 at his feet, and below him, stretching far to the distant hills, lay a great abyss—a mighty67 canyon68 similar to that which has made the gorge69 of the Colorado world-famous.
But here there was a marked difference. There were indications of erosion. The grim walls were scarred and water-worn. Towers and turrets71 and minarets72, carved from the native granite73, pointed74 upward from below, but they clung close to the canyon's wall, and just beyond them he could see the broad expanse of the floor of the canyon, which from his great height above it appeared as level as a billiard table. The scene held him in a hypnosis of wonderment and admiration75 as, at first swiftly and then slowly, his eyes encompassed76 the whole astounding77 scene.
Perhaps a mile below him lay the floor of the sunken canyon, the further wall of which he could but vaguely78 estimate to be somewhere between fifteen and twenty miles to the north, and this he realized was the lesser79 dimension of the canyon. Upon his right, to the east, and upon his left, to the west, he could see that the canyon extended to considerable distances—just how far he could not guess. He thought that to the east he could trace the wall that hemmed80 it upon that side, but from where he stood the entire extent of the canyon to the west was not visible, yet he knew that the floor that was visible to him must stretch fully81 twenty-five or thirty miles from east to west. Almost below him was a large lake or marsh82 that seemed to occupy the greater part of the east end of the canyon. He could see lanes of water winding83 through what appeared to be great growths of reeds and, nearer the northern shore, a large island. Three streams, winding ribbons far below, emptied into the lake, and in the far distance was another ribbon that might be a road. To the west the canyon was heavily wooded, and between the forest and the lake he saw moving figures of what he thought to be grazing game.
The sight below him aroused the enthusiasm of the explorer to its highest pitch. Here, doubtless, lay the secret of The Lost Tribe of the Wiramwazi and how well Nature had guarded this secret with stupendous barrier cliffs, aided by the superstitions84 of the ignorant black inhabitants of the outer slopes, was now easily understandable.
As far as he could see, the cliffs seemed sheer and impossible of descent, and yet he knew that he must find a way—that he would find a way down into that valley of enchantment85.
Moving slowly along the rim70 he sought some foothold, however slight, where Nature had lowered her guard, but it was almost night and he had covered but a short distance before he found even a suggestion of hope that the canyon was hemmed at any point by other than unbroken cliffs, whose perpendicular86 faces rose at their lowest point fully a thousand feet above any possible foothold for a human being.
The sun had already set when he discovered a narrow fissure87 in the granite wall. Crumbled88 fragments of the mother rock had fallen into and partially90 filled it so that near the surface, at least, it offered a means of descent below the level of the cliff top, but in the gathering91 darkness he could not determine how far downward this rough and precarious92 pathway led.
He could see that below him the cliffs rose in terraced battlements to within a thousand feet of where he stood, and if the narrow fissure extended to the next terrace below him, he felt that the obstacles thereafter would present fewer difficulties than those that baffled him up to the present time—for while he would still have some four thousand feet to descend93, the formation of the cliffs was much more broken at the foot of the first sheer drop and consequently might be expected to offer some avenues of descent of which an experienced mountain climber could take advantage.
Hungry and cold, he sat beneath the descending94 night, gazing down into the blackening void below. Presently, as the darkness deepened, he saw a light twinkling far below and then another and another and with each his excitement rose, for he knew that they marked the presence of man. In many places upon the marsh-like lake he saw the fires twinkling, and at a point which he took to mark the site of the island there were many lights.
What sort of men were they who tended these fires? Would he find them friendly or hostile? Were they but another tribe of African blacks, or could it be that the old legend was based upon truth and that far below him white men of The Lost Tribe cooked their evening meals above those tantalizing95 fires of mystery?
What was that? Von Harben strained his ears to catch the faint suggestion of a sound that arose out of the shadowy abyss below—a faint, thin sound that barely reached his ears, but he was sure that he could not be mistaken—the sound was the voices of men.
And now from out of the valley came the scream of a beast and again a roar that rumbled89 upward like distant thunder. To the music of these sounds, von Harben finally succumbed96 to exhaustion97; sleep for the moment offering him relief from cold and hunger.
When morning came he gathered wood from the stunted trees near by and built a fire to warm himself. He had no food, nor all the previous day since he had reached the summit had he seen any sign of a living creature other than the game a mile beneath him on the verdant98 meadows of the canyon bottom.
He knew that he must have food and have it soon and food lay but a mile away in one direction. If he sought to circle the canyon in search of an easier avenue of descent, he knew that he might not find one in the hundred miles or more that he must travel. Of course he might turn back. He was sure that he could reach the base of the outer slopes of the Wiramwazi, where he knew that game might be found before exhaustion overcame him, but he had no mind to turn back and the thought of failure was only a vague suggestion that scarcely ever rose above the threshold of his conscious mind.
Having warmed himself before the fire, he turned to examine the fissure by the full light of day. As he stood upon its brink99 he could see that it extended downward for several hundred feet, but there it disappeared. However, he was by no means sure that it ended, since it was not a vertical100 cleft101, but tilted102 slightly from the perpendicular.
From where he stood he could see that there were places in the fissure where descent would be just possible, though it might be very difficult to reascend. He knew, therefore, that should he reach the bottom of the fissure and find that further descent was impossible he would be caught in a trap from which there might be no escape.
Although he felt as fit and strong as ever, he realized perfectly103 that the contrary was the fact and that his strength must be ebbing105 and that it would continue to ebb104 still more rapidly the longer that he was forced to expend106 it in arduous107 efforts to descend the cliff and without any possibility of rebuilding it with food.
Even to Erich von Harben, young, self-confident and enthusiastic, his next step seemed little better than suicidal. To another the mere108 idea of attempting the descent of these towering cliffs would have seemed madness, but in other mountains von Harben had always found a way, and with this thin thread upon which to hang his hopes he faced the descent into the unknown. Now he was just about to lower himself over the edge of the fissure when he heard the sounds of footsteps behind him. Wheeling quickly, he drew his Luger.
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1
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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3
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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4
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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Augmented
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| adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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safari
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| n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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supplant
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| vt.排挤；取代 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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13
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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15
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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17
vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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18
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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20
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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21
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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22
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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23
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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24
fabled
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| adj.寓言中的，虚构的 | |
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25
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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moldy
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| adj.发霉的 | |
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crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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28
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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29
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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sparsely
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| adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地 | |
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31
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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32
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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grilled
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| adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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conserve
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| vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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39
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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41
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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42
leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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43
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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44
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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45
terrain
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| n.地面，地形，地图 | |
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46
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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47
lures
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| 吸引力，魅力（lure的复数形式） | |
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48
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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49
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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50
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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51
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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52
illuminate
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| vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释 | |
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53
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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54
phlegmatic
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| adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的 | |
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55
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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56
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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57
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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58
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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59
intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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60
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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61
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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62
sterile
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| adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的 | |
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63
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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64
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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65
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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66
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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67
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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68
canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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69
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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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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72
minarets
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| n.（清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的）光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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76
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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78
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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79
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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80
hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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81
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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82
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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83
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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84
superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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85
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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fissure
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| n.裂缝；裂伤 | |
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88
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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89
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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96
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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100
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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101
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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102
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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103
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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104
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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105
ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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106
expend
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| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
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107
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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