迪文小说

第9部分（第2页）

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　said　he；　〃you　see　this　immense　cavern；　this　subterranean　lake；　whose　waters　bathe　this　strand　at　our　feet？　Well！　it　is　to　this　place　I　mean　to　change　my　dwelling；　here　I　will　build　a　new　cottage；　and　if　some　brave　fellows　will　follow　my　example；　before　a　year　is　over　there　will　be　one　town　more　inside　old　England。〃

James　Starr；　smiling　approval　of　Fords　plans；　pressed　his　hand；　and　all　three；　preceding　Madge；　re…entered　the　gallery；　on　their　way　back　to　the　Dochart　pit。　　For　the　first　mile　no　incident　occurred。　Harry　walked　first；　holding　his　lamp　above　his　head。　He　carefully　followed　the　principal　gallery；　without　ever　turning　aside　into　the　narrow　tunnels　which　radiated　to　the　right　and　left。　It　seemed　as　if　the　returning　was　to　be　acplished　as　easily　as　the　going；　when　an　unexpected　accident　occurred　which　rendered　the　situation　of　the　explorers　very　serious。

Just　at　a　moment　when　Harry　was　raising　his　lamp　there　came　a　rush　of　air；　as　if　caused　by　the　flapping　of　invisible　wings。　The　lamp　escaped　from　his　hands；　fell　on　the　rocky　ground；　and　was　broken　to　pieces。

James　Starr　and　his　panions　were　suddenly　plunged　in　absolute　darkness。　　All　the　oil　of　the　lamp　was　spilt；　and　it　was　of　no　further　use。　　〃Well；　Harry；〃　cried　his　father；

〃do　you　want　us　all　to　break　our　necks　on　the　way　back　to　the　cottage？〃

Harry　did　not　answer。　　He　wondered　if　he　ought　to　suspect　the　hand　of　a　mysterious　being　in　this　last　accident？　Could　there　possibly　exist　in　these　depths　an　enemy　whose　unaccountable　antagonism　would　one　day　create　serious　difficulties？　Had　someone　an　interest　in　defending　the　new　coal　field　against　any　attempt　at　working　it？　　In　truth　that　seemed　absurd；　yet　the　facts　spoke　for　themselves；　and　they　accumulated　in　such　a　way　as　to　change　simple　presumptions　into　certainties。

In　the　meantime　the　explorers　situation　was　bad　enough。　They　had　now；　in　the　midst　of　black　darkness；　to　follow　the　passage　leading　to　the　Dochart　pit　for　nearly　five　miles。　There　they　would　still　have　an　hours　walk　before　reaching　the　cottage。

〃e　along；〃　said　Simon　Ford。　　〃We　have　no　time　to　lose。　We　must　grope　our　way　along；　like　blind　men。　　Theres　no　fear　of　losing　our　way。　　The　tunnels　which　open　off　our　road　are　only　just　like　those　in　a　molehill；　and　by　following　the　chief　gallery　we　shall　of　course　reach　the　opening　we　got　in　at。　After　that；　it　is　the　old　mine。　　We　know　that；　and　it　wont　be　the　first　time　that　Harry　and　I　have　found　ourselves　there　in　the　dark。　　Besides；　there　we　shall　find　the　lamps　that　we　left。　Forward　then！　　Harry；　go　first。　　Mr。　Starr；　follow　him。　Madge；　you　go　next；　and　I　will　bring　up　the　rear。　Above　everything；　dont　let　us　get　separated。〃

All　plied　with　the　old　overmans　instructions。　As　he　said；　by　groping　carefully；　they　could　not　mistake　the　way。　It　was　only　necessary　to　make　the　hands　take　the　place　of　the　eyes；　and　to　trust　to　their　instinct；　which　had　with　Simon　Ford　and　his　son　bee　a　second　nature。

James　Starr　and　his　panions　walked　on　in　the　order　agreed。　They　did　not　speak；　but　it　was　not　for　want　of　thinking。　　It　became　evident　that　they　had　an　adversary。　　But　what　was　he；　and　how　were　they　to　defend　themselves　against　these　mysteriously…prepared　attacks？　These　disquieting　ideas　crowded　into　their　brains。　　However；　this　was　not　the　moment　to　get　discouraged。

Harry；　his　arms　extended；　advanced　with　a　firm　step；　touching　first　one　and　then　the　other　side　of　the　passage。

If　a　cleft　or　side　opening　presented　itself；　he　felt　with　his　hand　that　it　was　not　the　main　way；　either　the　cleft　was　too　shallow；　or　the　opening　too　narrow；　and　he　thus　kept　in　the　right　road。

In　darkness　through　which　the　eye　could　not　in　the　slightest　degree　pierce；　this　difficult　return　lasted　two　hours。　By　reckoning　the　time　since　they　started；　taking　into　consideration　that　the　walking　had　not　been　rapid；　Starr　calculated　that　he　and　his　panions　were　near　the　opening。　In　fact；　almost　immediately；　Harry　stopped。

〃Have　we　got　to　the　end　of　the　gallery？〃　asked　Simon　Ford。

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　young　miner。

〃Well！　have　you　not　found　the　hole　which　connects　New　Aberfoyle　with　the　Dochart　pit？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Harry；　whose　impatient　hands　met　with　nothing　but　a　solid　wall。

The　old　overman　stepped　forward；　and　himself　felt　the　schistous　rock。　A　cry　escaped　him。

Either　the　explorers　had　strayed　from　the　right　path　on　their　return；　or　the　narrow　orifice；　broken　in　the　rock　by　the　dynamite；　had　been　recently　stopped　up。　　James　Starr　and　his　panions　were　prisoners　in　New　Aberfoyle。

CHAPTER　IX　THE　FIRE…MAIDENS

A　WEEK　after　the　events　just　related　had　taken　place；　James　Starrs　friends　had　bee　very　anxious。　　The　engineer　had　disappeared；　and　no　reason　could　be　brought　forward　to　explain　his　absence。　They　learnt；　by　questioning　his　servant；　that　he　had　embarked　at　Granton　Pier。　　But　from　that　time　there　were　no　traces　of　James　Starr。　　Simon　Fords　letter　had　requested　secrecy；　and　he　had　said　nothing　of　his　departure　for　the　Aberfoyle　mines。

Therefore　in　Edinburgh　nothing　was　talked　of　but　the　unaccountable　absence　of　the　engineer。　　Sir　W。　Elphiston；　the　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　municated　to　his　colleagues　a　letter　which　James　Starr　had　sent　him；　excusing　himself　from　being　present　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　society。　Two　or　three　others　produced　similar　letters。　　But

though　these　documents　proved　that　Starr　had　left　Edinburgh……　which　was　known　before……they　threw　no　light　on　what　had　bee　of　him。　　Now；　on　the　part　of　such　a　man；　this　prolonged　absence；　so　contrary　to　his　usual　habits；　naturally　first　caused　surprise；　and　then　anxiety。

A　notice　was　inserted　in　the　principal　newspapers　of　the　United　Kingdom　relative　to　the　engineer　James　Starr；　giving　a　description　of　him　and　the　date　on　which　he　left　Edinburgh；　nothing　more　could　be　done　but　to　wait。　　The　time　passed　in　great　anxiety。　The　scientific　world　of　England　was　inclined　to　believe　that　one　of　its　most　distinguished　members　had　positively　disappeared。　At　the　same　time；　when　so　many　people　were　thinking　about　James　Starr；　Harry　Ford　was　the　subject　of　no　less　anxiety。　Only；　instead　of　occupying　public　attention；　the　son　of　the　old　overman　was　the　cause　of　trouble　alone　to　the　generally　cheerful　mind　of　Jack　Ryan。

It　may　be　remembered　that；　in　their　encounter　in　the　Yarrow　shaft；　Jack　Ryan　had　invited　Harry　to　e　a　week　afterwards　to　the　festivities　at　Irvine。　　Harry　had　accepted　and　promised　expressly　to　be　there。　Jack　Ryan　knew；　having　had　it　proved　by　many　circumstances；　that　his　friend　was　a　man　of　his　word