《the underground city-地下城(英文版)》地下城(英文版)-第23章

〃You　know　well　enough；　Jack。〃
〃What？　the　old　story？〃
〃Yes；　the　same　thoughts　haunt　me。〃
〃Ah；　poor　fellow！〃　said　Jack；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃If　you　would　only　do　like　me；　and　set　all　the　queer　things　down　to　the　account　of　the　goblins　of　the　mine；　you　would　be　easier　in　your　mind。〃
〃But；　Jack；　you　know　very　well　that　these　goblins　exist　only　in　your　imagination；　and　that；　since　the　works　here　have　been　reopened；　not　a　single　one　has　been　seen。〃
〃That"s　true；　Harry；　but　if　no　spirits　have　been　seen；　neither　has　anyone　else　to　whom　you　could　attribute　the　extraordinary　doings　we　want　to　account　for。〃
〃I　shall　discover　them。〃
〃Ah；　Harry！ Harry！　it"s　not　so　easy　to　catch　the　spirits　of　New　Aberfoyle！〃
〃I　shall　find　out　the　spirits　as　you　call　them；〃　said　Harry；　in　a　tone　of　firm　conviction。
〃Do　you　expect　to　be　able　to　punish　them？〃
〃Both　punish　and　reward。 Remember；　if　one　hand　shut　us　up　in　that　passage；　another　hand　delivered　us！ I　shall　not　soon　forget　that。〃
〃But；　Harry；　how　can　we　be　sure　that　these　two　hands　do　not　belong　to　the　same　body？〃
〃What　can　put　such　a　notion　in　your　head；　Jack？〃　asked　Harry。
〃Well；　I　don"t　know。 Creatures　that　live　in　these　holes；　Harry；　don"t　you　see？　they　can"t　be　made　like　us；　eh？〃
〃But　they　ARE　just　like　us；　Jack。〃
〃Oh；　no！　don"t　say　that；　Harry！ Perhaps　some　madman　managed　to　get　in　for　a　time。〃
〃A　madman！ No　madman　would　have　formed　such　connected　plans；　or　done　such　continued　mischief　as　befell　us　after　the　breaking　of　the　ladders。〃
〃Well；　but　anyhow　he　has　done　no　harm　for　the　last　three　years；　either　to　you；　Harry；　or　any　of　your　people。〃
〃No　matter；　Jack；〃　replied　Harry；　〃I　am　persuaded　that　this　malignant　being；　whoever　he　is；　has　by　no　means　given　up　his　evil　intentions。　I　can　hardly　say　on　what　I
found　my　convictions。 But　at　any　rate；　for　the　sake　of　the　new　works；　I　must　and　will　know　who　he　is　and　whence　he　es。〃
〃For　the　sake　of　the　new　works　did　you　say？〃　asked　Jack；　considerably　surprised。
〃I　said　so；　Jack；〃　returned　Harry。 〃I　may　be　mistaken；　but；　to　me；　all　that　has　happened　proves　the　existence　of　an　interest　in　this　mine　in　strong　opposition　to　ours。　Many　a　time　have　I　considered　the　matter；　I　feel　almost　sure　of　it。　Just　consider　the　whole　series　of　inexplicable　circumstances；　so　singularly　linked　together。 To　begin　with；　the　anonymous　letter；　contradictory　to　that　of　my　father；　at　once　proves　that　some　man　had　bee　aware　of　our　projects；　and　wished　to　prevent　their　acplishment。 Mr。　Starr　es　to　see　us　at　the　Dochart　pit。　No　sooner　does　he　enter　it　with　me　than　an　immense　stone　is　cast　upon　us；　and　munication　is　interrupted　by　the　breaking　of　the　ladders　in　the　Yarrow　shaft。 We　mence　exploring。　An　experiment；　by　which　the　existence　of　a　new　vein　would　be　proved；　is　rendered　impossible　by　stoppage　of　fissures。　Notwithstanding　this；　the　examination　is　carried　out；　the　vein　discovered。 We　return　as　we　came；　a　prodigious　gust　of　air　meets　us；　our　lamp　is　broken；　utter　darkness　surrounds　us。 Nevertheless；　we　make　our　way　along　the　gloomy　passage　until；　on　reaching　the　entrance；　we　find　it　blocked　up。　There　we　were……imprisoned。 Now；　Jack；　don"t　you　see　in　all　these　things　a　malicious　intention？ Ah；　yes；　believe　me；　some　being　hitherto　invisible；　but　not　supernatural；　as　you　will　persist　in　thinking；　was　concealed　in　the　mine。 For　some　reason；　known　only　to　himself；　he　strove　to　keep　us　out　of　it。　WAS　there；　did　I　say？ I　feel　an　inward　conviction　that　he　IS　there　still；　and　probably　prepares　some　terrible　disaster　for　us。　Even　at　the　risk　of　my　life；　Jack；　I　am　resolved　to　discover　him。〃
Harry　spoke　with　an　earnestness　which　strongly　impressed　his　panion。　〃Well；　Harry；〃　said　he；　〃if　I　am　forced　to　agree　with　you　in　certain　points；　won"t　you　admit　that　some　kind　fairy　or　brownie；　by　bringing　bread　and　water　to　you；　was　the　means　of……〃
〃Jack；　my　friend；〃　interrupted　Harry；　〃it　is　my　belief　that　the　friendly　person；　whom　you　will　persist　in　calling　a　spirit；　exists　in　the　mine　as　certainly　as　the　criminal　we
speak　of；　and　I　mean　to　seek　them　both　in　the　most　distant　recesses　of　the　mine。〃
〃But；〃　inquired　Jack；　〃have　you　any　possible　clew　to　guide　your　search？〃
〃Perhaps　I　have。 Listen　to　me！ Five　miles　west　of　New　Aberfoyle；　under　the　solid　rock　which　supports　Ben　Lomond；　there　exists　a　natural　shaft　which　descends　perpendicularly　into　the　vein　beneath。　A　week　ago　I　went　to　ascertain　the　depth　of　this　shaft。　While　sounding　it；　and　bending　over　the　opening　as　my　plumb…line　went　down；　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　air　within　was　agitated；　as　though　beaten　by　huge　wings。〃
〃Some　bird　must　have　got　lost　among　the　lower　galleries；〃　replied　Jack。
〃But　that　is　not　all；　Jack。 This　very　morning　I　went　back　to　the　place；　and；　listening　attentively；　I　thought　I　could　detect　a　sound　like　a　sort　of　groaning。〃
〃Groaning！〃　cried　Jack；　〃that　must　be　nonsense；　it　was　a　current　of　air……　unless　indeed　some　ghost……〃
〃I　shall　know　to…morrow　what　it　was；〃　said　Harry。
〃To…morrow？〃　answered　Jack；　looking　at　his　friend。
〃Yes；　to…morrow　I　am　going　down　into　that　abyss。〃
〃Harry！　that　will　be　a　tempting　of　Providence。〃
〃No；　Jack；　Providence　will　aid　me　in　the　attempt。 Tomorrow；　you　and　some　of　our　rades　will　go　with　me　to　that　shaft。　I　will　fasten　myself　to　a　long　rope；　by　which　you　can　let　me　down；　and　draw　me　up　at　a　given　signal。 I　may　depend　upon　you；　Jack？〃
〃Well；　Harry；〃　said　Jack；　shaking　his　head；　〃I　will　do　as　you　wish　me；　but　I　tell　you　all　the　same；　you　are　very　wrong。〃
〃Nothing　venture　nothing　win；〃　said　Harry；　in　a　tone　of　decision。　〃To…morrow　morning；　then；　at　six　o"clock。　Be　silent；　and　farewell！〃
It　must　be　admitted　that　Jack　Ryan"s　fears　were　far　from　groundless。　Harry　would　expose　himself　to　very　great　danger；　supposing　the　enemy　he　sought　for　lay　concealed　at　the　bottom　of　the　pit　into　which　he　was　going　to　descend。 It　did　not　seem　likely　that　such　was　the　case；　however。
〃Why　in　the　world；〃　repeated　Jack　Ryan；　〃should　he　take　all　this　trouble　to　account　for　a　set　of　facts　so　very
easily　and　simply　explained　by　the　supernatural　intervention　of　the　spirits　of　the