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When the World Shook-Part18_H.Rider Haggard(1856-1925)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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preferred his notion of a flying man, since by constitution he

was unable to discover anything spiritual in any religion except



his own. Bickley agreed that it was probably an allegorical

representation of death but sniffed at my interpretation of the



wings and the torch, since by constitution he could not believe

that the folly of a belief in immortality could have developed so



early in the world, that is, among a highly civilised people such

as must have produced this statue.



What we could none of us understand was why this ominous image

with its dead, cold face should have been placed in an aerodrome,



nor in fact did we ever discover. Possibly it was there long

before the cave was put to this use. At first the place may have



been a temple and have so remained until circumstances forced the

worshippers to change their habits, or even their Faith.



We examined this wondrous work and the pedestal on which it

stood as closely as we were able by the dim light of our candles.



I was anxious to go further and see what lay beyond it; indeed we

did walk a few paces, twenty perhaps, onward into the recesses of



the cave.

Then Bickley discovered something that looked like the mouth of



a well down which he nearly tumbled, and Bastin began to complain

that he was hot and very thirsty; also to point out that he



wished for no more caves and idols at present.

"Look here, Arbuthnot," said Bickley, "these candles are



burning low and we don't want to use up more if we can prevent

it, for we may need what we have got very badly later on. Now,



according to my pocket compass the mouth of this cave points due

east; probably at the beginning it was orientated to the rising



sun for purposes of astronomical observation or of worship at

certain periods of the year. From the position of the sun when we



landed on the rock this morning I imagine that just now it rises

almost exactly opposite to the mouth of the cave. If this is so,



to-morrow at dawn, for a time at least, the light should

penetrate as far as the statue, and perhaps further. What I



suggest is that we should walt till then to explore."

I agreed with him, especially as I was feeling tired, being



exhausted by wonder, and wanted time to think. So we turned back.

As we did so I missed Tommy and inquired anxiously where he was,



being afraid lest he might have tumbled down the well-like hole.

"He's all right," said Bastin. "I saw him sniffing at the base



of that statue. I expect there is a rat in there, or perhaps a

snake."



Sure enough when we reached it there was Tommy with his black

nose pressed against the lowest of the tiers that formed the base



of the statue, and sniffing loudly. Also he was scratching in the

dust as a dog does when he has winded a rabbit in a hole. So



engrossed was he in this occupation that it was with difficulty

that I coaxed him to leave the place.



I did not think much of the incident at that time, but

afterwards it came back to me, and I determined to investigate



those stones at the first opportunity.

Passing the wrecks of the machines, we emerged on to the



causeway without accident. After we had rested and washed we set

to work to draw our canoe with its precious burden of food right



into the mouth of the cave, where we hid it as well as we could.

This done we went for a walk round the base of the peak. This



proved to be a great deal larger than we had imagined, over two

miles in circumference indeed. All about it was a belt of fertile



land, as I suppose deposited there by the waters of the great

lake and resulting from the decay of vegetation. Much of this



belt was covered with ancient forest ending in mud flats that

appeared to have been thrown up recently, perhaps at the time of



the tidal wave which bore us to Orofena. On the higher part of

the belt were many of the extraordinary crater-like holes that I



have mentioned as being prevalent on the main island; indeed the

place had all the appearance of having been subjected to a



terrific and continuous bombardment.

When we had completed its circuit we set to work to climb the



peak in order to explore the terraces of which I have spoken and

the ruins which I had seen through my field-glasses. It was quite



true; they were terraces cut with infinite labour out of the




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