《the underground city-地下城(英文版)》地下城(英文版)-第34章

in　the　glorious　light　of　day？〃
〃No；　Harry；〃　replied　the　girl；　〃I　shall　like　to　think　about　it；　but　I　am　glad　to　go　back　with　you　to　our　dear　old　home。〃
〃Nell！〃　said　Harry；　vainly　attempting　to　steady　his　voice；　〃are　you　willing　to　be　bound　to　me　by　the　most　sacred　tie？　Could　you　marry　me；　Nell？〃
〃Yes；　Harry；　I　could；　if　you　are　sure　that　I　am　able　to　make　you　happy；〃　answered　the　maiden；　raising　her　innocent　eyes　to　his。
Scarcely　had　she　pronounced　these　words　when　an　unaccountable　phenomenon　took　place。 The　Rob　Roy；　still　half　a　mile　from　land；　experienced　a　violent　shock。 She　suddenly　grounded。　No　efforts　of　the　engine　could　move　her。
The　cause　of　this　accident　was　simply　that　Loch　Katrine　was　all　at　once　emptied；　as　though　an　enormous　fissure　had　opened　in　its　bed。　In　a　few　seconds　it　had　the　appearance　of　a　sea　beach　at　low　water。　Nearly　the　whole　of　its　contents　had　vanished　into　the　bosom　of　the　earth。
〃My　friends！〃　exclaimed　James　Starr；　as　the　cause　of　this　marvel　became　suddenly　clear　to　him；　〃God　help　New　Aberfoyle！〃
CHAPTER　XVI　A　FINAL　THREAT
ON　that　day；　in　the　colliery　of　New　Aberfoyle；　work　was　going　on　in　the　usual　regular　way。 In　the　distance　could　be　heard　the　crash　of　great　charges　of　dynamite；　by　which　the　carboniferous　rocks　were　blasted。　Here　masses　of　coal　were　loosened　by　pick…ax　and　crowbar；　there　the　perforating　machines；　with　their　harsh　grating；　bored　through　the　masses　of　sandstone　and　schist。
Hollow；　cavernous　noises　resounded　on　all　sides。　Draughts　of　air　rushed　along　the　ventilating　galleries；　and　the　wooden　swing…doors　slammed　beneath　their　violent　gusts。　In　the　lower　tunnels；　trains　of　trucks　kept　passing　along　at　the　rate　of　fifteen　miles　an　hour；　while　at　their　approach　electric　bells　warned　the　workmen　to　cower　down　in　the　refuge　places。　Lifts　went　incessantly　up　and　down；　worked　by　powerful　engines　on　the　surface　of　the　soil。 Coal　Town　was　throughout　brilliantly　lighted　by　the　electric　lamps　at　full　power。
Mining　operations　were　being　carried　on　with　the　greatest　activity；　coal　was　being　piled　incessantly　into　the　trucks；　which　went　in　hundreds　to　empty　themselves　into　the　corves　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　While　parties　of　miners　who
had　labored　during　the　night　were　taking　needful　rest；　the　others　worked　without　wasting　an　hour。
Old　Simon　Ford　and　Madge；　having　finished　their　dinner；　were　resting　at　the　door　of　their　cottage。 Simon　smoked　a　good　pipe　of　tobacco；　and　from　time　to　time　the　old　couple　spoke　of　Nell；　of　their　boy；　of　Mr。　Starr；　and　wondered　how　they　liked　their　trip　to　the　surface　of　the　earth。 Where　would　they　be　now？ What　would　they　be　doing？　How　could　they　stay　so　long　away　from　the　mine　without　feeling　homesick？
Just　then　a　terrific　roaring　noise　was　heard。 It　was　like　the　sound　of　a　mighty　cataract　rushing　down　into　the　mine。 The　old　people　rose　hastily。　They　perceived　at　once　that　the　waters　of　Loch　Malcolm　were　rising。
A　great　wave；　unfurling　like　a　billow；　swept　up　the　bank　and　broke　against　the　walls　of　the　cottage。 Simon　caught　his　wife　in　his　arms；　and　carried　her　to　the　upper　part　of　their　dwelling。
At　the　same　moment；　cries　arose　from　all　parts　of　Coal　Town；　which　was　threatened　by　a　sudden　inundation。 The　inhabitants　fled　for　safety　to　the　top　of　the　schist　rocks　bordering　the　lake；　terror　spread　in　all　directions；　whole　families　in　frantic　haste　rushed　towards　the　tunnel　in　order　to　reach　the　upper　regions　of　the　pit。
It　was　feared　that　the　sea　had　burst　into　the　colliery；　for　its　galleries　and　passages　perated　as　far　as　the　Caledonian　Canal。 In　that　case　the　entire　excavation；　vast　as　it　was；　would　be　pletely　flooded。　Not　a　single　inhabitant　of　New　Aberfoyle　would　escape　death。
But　when　the　foremost　fugitives　reached　the　entrance　to　the　tunnel；　they　encountered　Simon　Ford；　who　had　quitted　his　cottage。　〃Stop；　my　friends；　stop！〃　shouted　the　old　man；　〃if　our　town　is　to　be　overwhelmed；　the　floods　will　rush　faster　than　you　can；　no　one　can　possibly　escape。 But　see！　the　waters　are　rising　no　further！　it　appears　to　me　the　danger　is　over。〃
〃And　our　rades　at　the　far　end　of　the　works……what　about　them？〃　cried　some　of　the　miners。
〃There　is　nothing　to　fear　for　them；〃　replied　Simon；　〃they　are　working　on　a　higher　level　than　the　bed　of　the　loch。〃
It　was　soon　evident　that　the　old　man　was　in　the　right。　The　sudden　influx　of　water　had　rushed　to　the　very　lowest
bed　of　the　vast　mine；　and　its　only　ultimate　effect　was　to　raise　the　level　of　Loch　Malcolm　a　few　feet。 Coal　Town　was　uninjured；　and　it　was　reasonable　to　hope　that　no　one　had　perished　in　the　flood　of　water　which　had　descended　to　the　depths　of　the　mine　never　yet　perated　by　the　workmen。
Simon　and　his　men　could　not　decide　whether　this　inundation　was　owing　to　the　overflow　of　a　subterranean　sheet　of　water　perating　fissures　in　the　solid　rock；　or　to　some　underground　torrent　breaking　through　its　worn　bed；　and　precipitating　itself　to　the　lowest　level　of　the　mine。　But　that　very　same　evening　they　knew　what　to　think　about　it；　for　the　local　papers　published　an　account　of　the　marvelous　phenomenon　which　Loch　Katrine　had　exhibited。
The　surprising　news　was　soon　after　confirmed　by　the　four　travelers；　who；　returning　with　all　possible　speed　to　the　cottage；　learned　with　extreme　satisfaction　that　no　serious　damage　was　done　in　New　Aberfoyle。
The　bed　of　Loch　Katrine　had　fairly　given　way。 The　waters　had　suddenly　broken　through　by　an　enormous　fissure　into　the　mine　beneath。　Of　Sir　Walter　Scott"s　favorite　loch　there　was　not　left　enough　to　wet　the　pretty　foot　of　the　Lady　of　the　Lake；　all　that　remained　was　a　pond　of　a　few　acres　at　the　further　extremity。
This　singular　event　made　a　profound　sensation　in　the　country。　It　was　a　thing　unheard　of　that　a　lake　should　in　the　space　of　a　few　minutes　empty　itself；　and　disappear　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　erase　Loch　Katrine　from　the　map　of　Scotland　until　（by　public　subscription）　it　could　be　refilled；　care　being　of　course　taken；　in　the　first　place；　to　stop　the　rent　up　tight。　This　catastrophe　would　have　been　the　death　of　Sir　Walter　Scott；　had　he　still　been　in　the　world。
The　accident　was　exp