第 7 节
作者:津鸿一瞥      更新:2021-10-16 18:44      字数:9322
  the sound of my watch tickingthings which seemed to link me to
  other people; but the screaming of the wood…hens frightened me; as
  also a chattering bird which I had never heard before; and which
  seemed to laugh at me; though I soon got used to it; and before
  long could fancy that it was many years since I had first heard it。
  I took off my clothes; and wrapped my inside blanket about me; till
  my things were dry。  The night was very still; and I made a roaring
  fire; so I soon got warm; and at last could put my clothes on
  again。  Then I strapped my blanket round me; and went to sleep as
  near the fire as I could。
  I dreamed that there was an organ placed in my master's wool…shed:
  the wool…shed faded away; and the organ seemed to grow and grow
  amid a blaze of brilliant light; till it became like a golden city
  upon the side of a mountain; with rows upon rows of pipes set in
  cliffs and precipices; one above the other; and in mysterious
  caverns; like that of Fingal; within whose depths I could see the
  burnished pillars gleaming。  In the front there was a flight of
  lofty terraces; at the top of which I could see a man with his head
  buried forward towards a key…board; and his body swaying from side
  to side amid the storm of huge arpeggioed harmonies that came
  crashing overhead and round。  Then there was one who touched me on
  the shoulder; and said; 〃Do you not see? it is Handel〃;but I had
  hardly apprehended; and was trying to scale the terraces; and get
  near him; when I awoke; dazzled with the vividness and distinctness
  of the dream。
  A piece of wood had burned through; and the ends had fallen into
  the ashes with a blaze:  this; I supposed; had both given me my
  dream and robbed me of it。  I was bitterly disappointed; and
  sitting up on my elbow; came back to reality and my strange
  surroundings as best I could。
  I was thoroughly arousedmoreover; I felt a foreshadowing as
  though my attention were arrested by something more than the dream;
  although no sense in particular was as yet appealed to。  I held my
  breath and waited; and then I heardwas it fancy?  Nay; I listened
  again and again; and I DID hear a faint and extremely distant sound
  of music; like that of an AEolian harp; borne upon the wind which
  was blowing fresh and chill from the opposite mountains。
  The roots of my hair thrilled。  I listened; but the wind had died;
  and; fancying that it must have been the wind itselfno; on a
  sudden I remembered the noise which Chowbok had made in the wool…
  shed。  Yes; it was that。
  Thank Heaven; whatever it was; it was over now。  I reasoned with
  myself; and recovered my firmness。  I became convinced that I had
  only been dreaming more vividly than usual。  Soon I began even to
  laugh; and think what a fool I was to be frightened at nothing;
  reminding myself that even if I were to come to a bad end it would
  be no such dreadful matter after all。  I said my prayers; a duty
  which I had too often neglected; and in a little time fell into a
  really refreshing sleep; which lasted till broad daylight; and
  restored me。  I rose; and searching among the embers of my fire; I
  found a few live coals and soon had a blaze again。  I got
  breakfast; and was delighted to have the company of several small
  birds; which hopped about me and perched on my boots and hands。  I
  felt comparatively happy; but I can assure the reader that I had
  had a far worse time of it than I have told him; and I strongly
  recommend him to remain in Europe if he can; or; at any rate; in
  some country which has been explored and settled; rather than go
  into places where others have not been before him。  Exploring is
  delightful to look forward to and back upon; but it is not
  comfortable at the time; unless it be of such an easy nature as not
  to deserve the name。
  CHAPTER V:  THE RIVER AND THE RANGE
  My next business was to descend upon the river。  I had lost sight
  of the pass which I had seen from the saddle; but had made such
  notes of it that I could not fail to find it。  I was bruised and
  stiff; and my boots had begun to give; for I had been going on
  rough ground for more than three weeks; but; as the day wore on;
  and I found myself descending without serious difficulty; I became
  easier。  In a couple of hours I got among pine forests where there
  was little undergrowth; and descended quickly till I reached the
  edge of another precipice; which gave me a great deal of trouble;
  though I eventually managed to avoid it。  By about three or four
  o'clock I found myself on the river…bed。
  From calculations which I made as to the height of the valley on
  the other side the saddle over which I had come; I concluded that
  the saddle itself could not be less than nine thousand feet high;
  and I should think that the river…bed; on to which I now descended;
  was three thousand feet above the sea…level。  The water had a
  terrific current; with a fall of not less than forty to fifty feet
  per mile。  It was certainly the river next to the northward of that
  which flowed past my master's run; and would have to go through an
  impassable gorge (as is commonly the case with the rivers of that
  country) before it came upon known parts。  It was reckoned to be
  nearly two thousand feet above the sea…level where it came out of
  the gorge on to the plains。
  As soon as I got to the river side I liked it even less than I
  thought I should。  It was muddy; being near its parent glaciers。
  The stream was wide; rapid; and rough; and I could hear the smaller
  stones knocking against each other under the rage of the waters; as
  upon a seashore。  Fording was out of the question。  I could not
  swim and carry my swag; and I dared not leave my swag behind me。
  My only chance was to make a small raft; and that would be
  difficult to make; and not at all safe when it was made;not for
  one man in such a current。
  As it was too late to do much that afternoon; I spent the rest of
  it in going up and down the river side; and seeing where I should
  find the most favourable crossing。  Then I camped early; and had a
  quiet comfortable night with no more music; for which I was
  thankful; as it had haunted me all day; although I perfectly well
  knew that it had been nothing but my own fancy; brought on by the
  reminiscence of what I had heard from Chowbok and by the over…
  excitement of the preceding evening。
  Next day I began gathering the dry bloom stalks of a kind of flag
  or iris…looking plant; which was abundant; and whose leaves; when
  torn into strips; were as strong as the strongest string。  I
  brought them to the waterside; and fell to making myself a kind of
  rough platform; which should suffice for myself and my swag if I
  could only stick to it。  The stalks were ten or twelve feet long;
  and very strong; but light and hollow。  I made my raft entirely of
  them; binding bundles of them at right angles to each other; neatly
  and strongly; with strips from the leaves of the same plant; and
  tying other rods across。  It took me all day till nearly four
  o'clock to finish the raft; but I had still enough daylight for
  crossing; and resolved on doing so at once。
  I had selected a place where the river was broad and comparatively
  still; some seventy or eighty yards above a furious rapid。  At this
  spot I had built my raft。  I now launched it; made my swag fast to
  the middle; and got on to it myself; keeping in my hand one of the
  longest blossom stalks; so that I might punt myself across as long
  as the water was shallow enough to let me do so。  I got on pretty
  well for twenty or thirty yards from the shore; but even in this
  short space I nearly upset my raft by shifting too rapidly from one
  side to the other。  The water then became much deeper; and I leaned
  over so far in order to get the bloom rod to the bottom that I had
  to stay still; leaning on the rod for a few seconds。  Then; when I
  lifted up the rod from the ground; the current was too much for me
  and I found myself being carried down the rapid。  Everything in a
  second flew past me; and I had no more control over the raft;
  neither can I remember anything except hurry; and noise; and waters
  which in the end upset me。  But it all came right; and I found
  myself near the shore; not more than up to my knees in water and
  pulling my raft to land; fortunately upon the left bank of the
  river; which was the one I wanted。  When I had landed I found that
  I was about a mile; or perhaps a little less; below the point from
  which I started。  My swag was wet upon the outside; and I was
  myself dripping; but I had gained my point; and knew that my
  difficulties were for a time over。  I then lit my fire and dried
  myself; having done so I caught some of the young ducks and sea…
  gulls; which were abundant on and near the river…bed; so that I had
  not only a good meal; of which I was in great want; having had an
  insufficient diet from the time that Chowbok left me; but was also
  well provided for the morrow。
  I thought of Chowbok; and felt how useful he had been to me; and in
  how many ways I was the loser by his absence; having now to do all
  sorts of things for myself which he had hitherto done for me; and
  could do infinitely better than I could。  Moreover; I had set my
  heart upon making him a real