CHAPTER XXXII.THE TORTUOUS TRAMP.
Our friends might have turned and faced the natives but they were still a great number of them following, and the capture of the strangers would have been certain if they had tried to fight it out. Their treatment at the hands of these natives had been such that they might expect nothing else but death if they were again captured, so the thought of taking any risk by fighting had not occurred to them until the last moment. There was but one way to escape these beings and that was by flight and they had been so intent on making their escape in this way, that they had forgotten for the moment the windy corridor, their former experience in this and the experience of the native of On, which their new companion had so recently related. They had rushed madly forward, caring little where the cross corridor led, so long as it enabled them to keep ahead of their pursuers. And they had dashed into the windy corridor, not giving it a thought and were now being blown through this at break neck speed.
It would be impossible for human being to stand alone in this gale, and in an instant the men were thrown violently forward and were now rolling over and over unable to stop themselves. Onrai, although he carried the wounded native, was the first in the tunnel and was now some feet ahead of his companions, but was being borne on just as fast as the others.The native had fallen behind him and his wounded body was suffering fearful tortures in this violent exercise; each time the wounded side would strike the rock a cry of pain would escape him. Mr. Bruce was right back of the native, and after a while managed to call to Onrai to work himself toward the wall, if possible, and get head on to the wind and thus offer less resistance to the awful gale. Onrai immediately began edging his way toward the wall and would have succeeded in doing this if the native had not struck him full force on the side, thus starting him rolling again. But Onrai had caught the native and had clung fast to him and they were not moved nearly so rapidly, being together. As a consequence Mr. Bruce, Mr. Graham and Harry came bowling along and bumped into them, and as they did this the men grabbed each other, and held on, and in this way they were all joined and the wind could no longer move them.
“Now,” said Mr. Bruce, “let us get into position and try to regain our feet, and in single file, as we did upon our first entering this corridor, try to resist its awful power.”
They worked around until one was immediately behind the other, and at a given signal, first rose to one knee and then to both knees, and in this way continued until they were standing on their feet. The poor native asked them to leave him in the corridor to die, but they would not hear of this, and Onrai again threw him over his shoulder, when they were ready to move. They started, leaning well back so to offer greater resistance to the wind, but it was hard work tramping along in this darkness, frequently hitting up againstthe walls, and bruising their already sore bodies. And then the uncertainty of where the tunnel would finally land them, was making things all the more unpleasant. They could not possibly guess where this would lead them; they had had some experience in the tunnel before, and had heard more about it from the native, but all this had told them nothing. They knew that this gale of wind must have an outlet some place, but what sort of place was this? Would it be a shaft leading to the surface as did the shaft which seemed to be its source? Would it take them back to the great cavern, or to the center of the earth, or where? The thought was maddening, but they could do nothing but go with it, wherever it might lead them.
They had gone on in this way for miles, they thought, and their bodies were bruised and exhausted; still there was no way to stop and rest even for a moment; they would have to keep up the awful rush until too exhausted to longer keep their feet, they would drop and be blown—where? To death, surely. Onrai, who was still carrying the native, tried hard to keep up, but he was fast giving out, and our friends knew that when he should do so, their mainstay was gone, and hope might be abandoned. Onrai suddenly stumbled, and would have fallen had not Mr. Bruce, who was next to him, held fast, thus saving him and may be the others.
“What is wrong, Onrai,” asked Mr. Bruce.
“It was something on the floor,” said Onrai. He had hardly said this when he stumbled again, and this time Mr. Bruce lost his hold, and Onrai went down bearing the native with him. The others threw themselvesback, and managed to save themselves from falling.
“Can you get up, Onrai?” asked Mr. Bruce.
“I will try in a moment,” said Onrai. “But can you take the native?”
The others now held on to Mr. Bruce, and he stooped and raised the native.
“Can you stand?” asked Mr. Bruce of the native.
“Yes,” the man answered; but when Mr. Bruce lowered him to the ground, the poor fellow’s legs gave way under him, and he would have fallen had not Mr. Bruce held him. He then raised him again with the others’ help, and threw the man over his shoulder.
Onrai had risen and had again taken his place at the head of the column. But they had noticed something; the wind was not blowing so violently in this part of the tunnel. They could not account for this, neither did they try to, but it made their progress much easier. And another thing which was being forced on their notice, was the great number of loose stones which covered the floor of the tunnel at this point; it must be that the tunnel here had never been finished completely, or it might be that the rock, being softer at this point, had crumbled and fallen from the ceiling. They were suddenly brought up by Onrai striking violently against a rock, which seemed to end the tunnel. For a moment they stood still, Onrai having been shocked in being brought up so suddenly.
“What is it, now?” asked Mr. Bruce.
“It is the end of the tunnel,” said Onrai, “or else we have suddenly turned in our course and have struck the side wall.”
“Move to your right, and see if there be an opening,” said Mr. Bruce.
Onrai did so and then moved forward again.
“It seemed to be a projection,” said Onrai.
He kept his hand on the rock and followed its curves closely until they were on the other side of it and at last they were out of the fearful wind.
“Have you a match?” asked Mr. Graham of Mr. Bruce. “If you have, light a torch and let us see each other. Onrai move about and see what kind of a place we are in.”
Mr. Bruce fumbled about his tunic for a moment and then produced a match; this flickered for a moment as he applied it to the torch and then a bright light lit up the scene about them. They were surprised at the strange scene, for they were no longer in the smooth walled and floored tunnel, but in a natural cave, which looked very much like the great cavern; but whether it was the same or not, they could not say. The ceiling was high above their heads and could just be seen in the dim rays of light. The wall to which belonged the projecting rock, behind which they were now standing, was ribbed and seamed and was the only one to be seen. The cavern had widened until they could not see across it.
“If this be the large cave then we are safe, for all we have to do is to look for the hidden door,” said Harry.
“But I do not think it is the same,” said Mr. Bruce, “for the reason, that never, in the large cavern, did we feel this draught or wind.”
“That is so;” said Harry, “we must have struckanother cave altogether, and it is probably all the worse for us that we have.”
“Why do you think so?” asked Onrai.
“Why, because we knew how to get out of the other, but how to find an opening to the outside world here, we have no idea.”
“I believe, though,” said Mr. Bruce, “that if we can hold out longer, we will come to a shaft leading up to the surface.”
“There must be some great hole leading to the surface, which causes this draught.”
“It would be well for us to take some rest before trying it again,” said Mr. Graham.
“But what of the poor native?” asked Onrai.
They had forgotten him in their surprise at finding themselves where they did, and the poor fellow had laid on the floor of the cave almost dead with pain and fatigue. They went to work on him, though, and used very nearly all of the little water left, bathing his wounds. Then they rearranged the bandages and fixed them as comfortable as possible, so that he might rest; then they also laid down and were soon asleep.
The native laid for a long time with his eyes closed, completely exhausted; but he could not sleep, and after a while his eyes again opened, and he looked about him. The torch had been left in a crevice in the projecting rock, and it threw its fitful glare about them. The ceiling arched far above them, the torchlight throwing long shadows along its rugged crevices; the wall at his side he could follow with his eyes for some distance, but it was then lost in the gloom. He tried to penetrate this gloom and look far beyond and find there a ray of that same light which he had heard his friendstell about. If he could only see such a light, then he would know that these kind companions, who had done so much for him, when they could have left him behind to die, he would know then that they were safe, and that they would again reach their friends. He cared little for himself, for his life had never known any of that strange feeling which he had heard his present companions speak of. He was nothing but a burden and retarded their progress. Oh, if he could but die before they again awakened, it would be so much better for both him and those who had so long kept him with them, even when they would have been fully justified in leaving him behind. Suddenly he starts and half rises. What was that he saw away off there in the darkness? Was it a light? Yes, several of them. They were very dim; in fact he could hardly say they were lights, but they surely resembled the lights of torches in the distance, and they were growing thicker. He could see great numbers of them moving about like will-o’-the-wisps, or was it his fevered brain which was calling up these phantom lights? He raised a little higher to look at the things about him so as to assure himself that he was still in his right mind and would then let his gaze penetrate the gloom, seeking the strange lights.
Yes, he could not be mistaken, they were torchlights; but did they belong to his people or some other strange people, who inhabited this part of the cave. He could not tell this, and as he was not certain that there were others near them, he determined to awaken his companions. Leaning over and touching Onrai, who was lying next to him, he wakened him and then pointinginto the darkness said, “Look, do you not see the lights?”
Onrai looked long and carefully before he spoke, then said, “Yes, they must be,” and waking his other companions he bade them look also.
It was soon decided by all that there were others in the cavern beside themselves, but who these others were was the question, and could only be answered by getting closer to them. Eating a small lunch of fish and merely wetting the lips with the little water which they had, they again started, Onrai carrying the native. They blew out the torch before starting, thinking it best not to attract attention with it.
The strong wind, too, which still blew from out the tunnel, would make it almost impossible to keep the torch lit. So they stumbled along in the darkness, feeling their way as best they could, but receiving frequent bumps, which bruised their bodies and exhausted their patience; but they kept the flickering lights in view.
The air was, for some reason or other, getting much cooler, and the explorers began to shudder, and hurry as they would, the exercise would not keep them warm. Every moment now the wind blew colder, and seemed to come from a direction to the right. The scant clothing, which had covered their bodies at the start, had mostly been torn away in the rough experiences which they had had, and their bodies were almost laid bare to this merciless cold. And the poor native had nothing on whatever, excepting a bandage, which bound his side.
They were nearing the lights very rapidly, and now dark forms could be seen moving about. But the coldhad grown so intense, they doubted if they would be able to hold out until they reached the strangers. When these were reached what might they expect? Would they be antagonistic or friendly; they could not be a body of the tribe which they had already found, for the native now with them had never heard of such a cold region as this, and had never seen one of his tribe wearing clothing, and it would be an utter physical impossibility to remain here and not wear clothing.
But who were they then? It mattered little, for they must seek aid of them. So stumbling and falling, their benumbed flesh freezing to the bone, they hurried on as fast as they could. They had again clasped hands for fear of getting lost one from the other, and in this way one helped the other.
A horrible rumbling sound now broke on their ears, and grew louder as they advanced. They were getting closer and closer to the men, and far beyond them they could now see one bright ray of daylight. This spurred them on until completely exhausted, their bodies frozen and bleeding, they fell at the feet of the surprised torchbearers.
They had come to the cave of ice.