登陆注册
5388000000008

第8章

He had seen, he said, a pair of eyes moving down in a cave of the rocks which he well knew. He had been in the cave often, he said, and could get there again. But not now; not while that pair of eyes was moving at the bottom of it. And so they all went up over the hill, Morton leading the way with hot haste. In his waist-band he held a pistol, and his hand grasped a short iron bar with which he had armed himself. They ascended the top of the hill, and when there, the open sea was before them on two sides, and on the third was the narrow creek over which the ferry passed. Immediately beneath their feet were the broken rocks; for on that side, towards the sea, the earth and grass of the hill descended but a little way towards the water. Down among the rocks they all went, silently, Caleb Morton leading the way, and Danny Lund directing him from behind.

"Mr. Morton," said an elderly man from St. George, "had you not better let the warders of the gaol go first; he is a desperate man, and they will best understand his ways?"In answer to this Morton said nothing, but he would let no one put a foot before him. He still pressed forward among the rocks, and at last came to a spot from whence he might have sprung at one leap into the ocean. It was a broken cranny on the sea-shore into which the sea beat, and surrounded on every side but the one by huge broken fragments of stone, which at first sight seemed as though they would have admitted of a path down among them to the water's edge; but which, when scanned more closely, were seen to be so large in size, that no man could climb from one to another. It was a singularly romantic spot, but now well known to them all there, for they had visited it over and over again that morning.

"In there," said Danny Lund, keeping well behind Morton's body, and pointing at the same time to a cavern high up among the rocks, but quite on the opposite side of the little inlet of the sea. The mouth of the cavern was not twenty yards from where they stood, but at the first sight it seemed as though it must be impossible to reach it. The precipice on the brink of which they all now stood, ran down sheer into the sea, and the fall from the mouth of the cavern on the other side was as steep. But Danny solved the mystery by pointing upwards, and showing them how he had been used to climb to a projecting rock over their heads, and from thence creep round by certain vantages of the stone till he was able to let himself down into the aperture. But now, at the present moment, he was unwilling to make essay of his prowess as a cragsman. He had, he said, been up on that projecting rock thrice, and there had seen the eyes moving in the cavern. He was quite sure of that fact of the pair of eyes, and declined to ascend the rock again.

Traces soon became visible to them by which they knew that some one had passed in and out of the cavern recently. The stone, when examined, bore those marks of friction which passage and repassage over it will always give. At the spot from whence the climber left the platform and commenced his ascent, the side of the stone had been rubbed by the close friction of a man's body. A light boy like Danny Lund might find his way in and out without leaving such marks behind him, but no heavy man could do so. Thus before long they all were satisfied that Aaron Trow was in the cavern before them.

Then there was a long consultation as to what they would do to carry on the hunt, and how they would drive the tiger from his lair. That he should not again come out, except to fall into their hands, was to all of them a matter of course. They would keep watch and ward there, though it might be for days and nights. But that was a process which did not satisfy Morton, and did not indeed well satisfy any of them. It was not only that they desired to inflict punishment on the miscreant in accordance with the law, but also that they did not desire that the miserable man should die in a hole like a starved dog, and that then they should go after him to take out his wretched skeleton. There was something in that idea so horrid in every way, that all agreed that active steps must be taken. The warders of the prison felt that they would all be disgraced if they could not take their prisoner alive. Yet who would get round that perilous ledge in the face of such an adversary? A touch to any man while climbing there would send him headlong down among the wave! And then his fancy told to each what might be the nature of an embrace with such an animal as that, driven to despair, hopeless of life, armed, as they knew, at any rate, with a knife! If the first adventurous spirit should succeed in crawling round that ledge, what would be the reception which he might expect in the terrible depth of that cavern?

They called to their prisoner, bidding him come out, and telling him that they would fire in upon him if he did not show himself; but not a sound was heard. It was indeed possible that they should send their bullets to, perhaps, every corner of the cavern; and if so, in that way they might slaughter him; but even of this they were not sure. Who could tell that there might not be some protected nook in which he could lay secure? And who could tell when the man was struck, or whether he were wounded?

"I will get to him," said Morton, speaking with a low dogged voice, and so saying he clambered up to the rock to which Danny Lund had pointed. Many voices at once attempted to restrain him, and one or two put their hands upon him to keep him back, but he was too quick for them, and now stood upon the ledge of rock. "Can you see him?"they asked below.

"I can see nothing within the cavern," said Morton.

同类推荐
  • 西方要决释疑通规

    西方要决释疑通规

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乐府古题要解

    乐府古题要解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 慈悲道场水忏法科注

    慈悲道场水忏法科注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Doctor

    The Doctor

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德经

    道德经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 癌前革命

    癌前革命

    2012末日的预言已被瓦解,癌症的梦魇却依然盛行。从“癌症受害者”到“健康创造者”仅一步之遥,快来恶补防癌策略,一起加入逃生训练营。
  • 学仙辨真诀

    学仙辨真诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东宫有本难念的经

    东宫有本难念的经

    宝庆十九年春,大佑国皇太子大婚,大将军之女入主东宫。一个不是淑女的将门千金遭遇一个不是文韬武略的中庸太子,到底是佳偶天成,还是冤家路窄?成婚一年不足,太子忽然休妻。迷影重重,生死茫茫,这样一来,还是不是大团圆结局?
  • 太上洞神太元河图三元仰谢仪

    太上洞神太元河图三元仰谢仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 未若柳絮因风起:古诗词中的传奇女子

    未若柳絮因风起:古诗词中的传奇女子

    在传奇里寻找普通人,在普通人里寻找传奇。让我们随着作者的思绪,穿越千年时光,从诗词入手,在珠玉之中去拾掇那些离尘绝俗的灵慧之气,从她们身上学习那些我们一直似懂非懂的生活真意。那些诗词中所咏叹的女子,她们或是在历史上真实存在过,或是来自于文人们的天才想象,她们都是诗词中缱绻着的一缕浪漫传奇,一抹悒郁清愁,一丝恬柔回忆。作者带着我们一起寻找那些传奇女子。
  • 感谢你来过我的世界

    感谢你来过我的世界

    这是一本心灵励志书,24个关于爱情的暖心故事,记录那些被藏在心底的故事,记录那些年爱的认真的自己。虽然这一生没能和你在一起,但我曾经有过你,有过你的欢喜与哭泣。有些人适合陪伴在身边,相守到老;有些人适合留在心里,温暖时光、惊艳回忆。
  • 元曲三百首

    元曲三百首

    《中华国学经典读本:元曲三百首》介绍了元曲的整体风貌,并同唐诗宋词进行了横向比较,使读者对中国诗歌的多元成就有所会心,且获得文学知识与情操素养的全面享受。《中华国学经典读本:元曲三百首》内容丰富,每首元曲后都有注释、语译、赏析三方面内容。
  • 非常爱情

    非常爱情

    我是与妻子赵美茹同去北京时认识寂寞嫦娥的,这之前我正与一个叫绿叶轻风的网上恋人爱得死去活来。我与妻子去北京,是送我们的儿子冯小东,他在这年的高考中,一举以全县第一的高分被清华大学自动化系所录取。他是这一年我们这个山区小县惟一一个踏进清华园的大学生。我们是坐公共汽车去省城,再从省城坐特快列车到达北京的。当一家三口携带着一大堆行囊走出北京站,就看见妻子的同学谭美婷。她是前来接站的,穿着一条紧身筒裙,头发高高地挽着,看上去十分有贵族气质。她是开着一辆宝马小轿车来的,看见我们后从车里钻出来,一下子就与妻子亲热在一起了。
  • 漫画跟梁漱溟学儒

    漫画跟梁漱溟学儒

    本书通过通俗的文字和200多幅漫画和插图, 介绍了梁漱溟对传统儒家文化的体认和研究, 兼及其以儒家思想为指导的人生实践, 是一部引导读者了解中国历史和传统文化并启发读者思考人生问题的入门读物。
  • 攻心太子妃

    攻心太子妃

    狗血穿越,大娘冷眉,妹妹骄纵,姨娘居心叵测,丞相府中波涛暗涌;骄横的千金,跋扈的公主,众美女恨之入骨,众帅哥虎视眈眈;还好她天生腹黑,且看她如何拍飞惹是生非的众女,抵挡各路帅哥进攻,踏出一片锦绣荣华。