the metal monster- 第5部分

〃At　the　end　of　the　second　week；〃　she　said；　〃we　knew　we　were　lost。　We　were　deep　in　the　heart　of　the　range。　All　around　us　was　a　forest　of　enormous；　snow…topped　peaks。　The　gorges；　the　canyons；　the　valleys　that　we　tried　led　us　east　and　west；　north　and　south。

〃It　was　a　maze；　and　in　it　we　seemed　to　be　going　ever　deeper。　There　was　not　the　SLIGHTEST　sign　of　human　life。　It　was　as　though　no　human　beings　except　ourselves　had　ever　been　there。　Game　was　plentiful。　We　had　no　trouble　in　getting　food。　And　sooner　or　later；　of　course；　we　were　bound　to　find　our　way　out。　We　didn't　worry。

〃It　was　five　nights　ago　that　we　camped　at　the　head　of　a　lovely　little　valley。　There　was　a　mound　that　stood　up　like　a　tiny　watch…tower；　looking　down　it。　The　trees　grew　round　like　tall　sentinels。

〃We　built　our　fire　in　that　mound；　and　after　we　had　eaten；　Martin　slept。　I　sat　watching　the　beauty　of　the　skies　and　of　the　shadowy　vale。　I　heard　no　one　approachbut　something　made　me　leap　to　my　feet；　look　behind　me。

〃A　man　was　standing　just　within　the　glow　of　firelight；　watching　me。〃

〃A　Tibetan？〃　I　asked。　She　shook　her　head；　trouble　in　her　eyes。

〃Not　at　all。〃　Ventnor　turned　his　head。　〃Ruth　screamed　and　awakened　me。　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　fellow　before　he　vanished。

〃A　short　purple　mantle　hung　from　his　shoulders。　His　chest　was　covered　with　fine　chain　mail。　His　legs　were　swathed　and　bound　by　the　thongs　of　his　high　buskins。　He　carried　a　small；　round；　hide…covered　shield　and　a　short　two…edged　sword。　His　head　was　helmeted。　He　belonged；　in　factoh；　at　least　twenty　centuries　back。〃

He　laughed　in　plain　enjoyment　of　our　amazement。

〃Go　on；　Ruth；〃　he　said；　and　took　up　his　watch。

〃But　Martin　did　not　see　his　face；〃　she　went　on。　〃And　oh；　but　I　wish　I　could　forget　it。　It　was　as　white　as　mine；　Walter；　and　cruel；　so　cruel；　the　eyes　glowed　and　they　looked　upon　me　like　alike　a　slave　dealer。　They　shamed　meI　wanted　to　hide　myself。

　　〃I　cried　out　and　Martin　awakened。　As　he　moved；　the　man　stepped　out　of　the　light　and　was　gone。　I　think　he　had　not　seen　Martin；　had　believed　that　I　was　alone。

〃We　put　out　the　fire；　moved　farther　into　the　shadow　of　the　trees。　But　I　could　not　sleepI　sat　hour　after　hour；　my　pistol　in　my　hand；〃　she　patted　the　automatic　in　her　belt；　〃my　rifle　close　beside　me。

〃The　hours　went　bydreadfully。　At　last　I　dozed。　When　I　awakened　again　it　was　dawnandand〃　she　covered　her　eyes；　then：　〃TWO　men　were　looking　down　on　me。　One　was　he　who　had　stood　in　the　firelight。〃

〃They　were　talking；〃　interrupted　Ventnor　again；　〃in　archaic　Persian。〃

〃Persian；〃　I　repeated　blankly；　〃archaic　Persian？〃

〃Very　much　so；〃　he　nodded。　〃I've　a　fair　knowledge　of　the　modern　tongue；　and　a　rather　unusual　command　of　Arabic。　The　modern　Persian；　as　you　know；　comes　straight　through　from　the　speech　of　Xerxes；　of　Cyrus；　of　Darius　whom　Alexander　of　Macedon　conquered。　It　has　been　changed　mainly　by　taking　on　a　load　of　Arabic　words。　Well　there　wasn't　a　trace　of　the　Arabic　in　the　tongue　they　were　speaking。

〃It　sounded　odd；　of　coursebut　I　could　understand　quite　easily。　They　were　talking　about　Ruth。　To　be　explicit；　they　were　discussing　her　with　exceeding　frankness〃

〃Martin！〃　she　cried　wrathfully。

〃Well；　all　right；〃　he　went　on；　half　repentantly。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　seen　the　pair　steal　up。　My　rifle　was　under　my　hand。　So　I　lay　there　quietly；　listening。

〃You　can　realize；　Walter；　that　when　I　caught　sight　of　those　two；　looking　as　though　they　had　materialized　from　Darius's　ghostly　hordes；　my　scientific　curiosity　was　arousedprodigiously。　So　in　my　interest　I　passed　over　the　matter　of　their　speech；　not　alone　because　I　thought　Ruth　asleep　but　also　because　I　took　into　consideration　that　the　mode　of　polite　expression　changes　with　the　centuries　and　these　gentlemen　clearly　belonged　at　least　twenty　centuries　backthe　real　truth　is　I　was　consumed　with　curiosity。

〃They　had　got　to　a　point　where　they　were　detailing　with　what　pleasure　a　certain　mysterious　person　whom　they　seemed　to　regard　with　much　fear　and　respect　would　contemplate　her。　I　was　wondering　how　long　my　desire　to　observefor　to　the　anthropologist　they　were　most　fascinating　could　hold　my　hand　back　from　my　rifle　when　Ruth　awakened。

〃She　jumped　up　like　a　little　fury。　Fired　a　pistol　point　blank　at　them。　Their　amazement　waswellludicrous。　I　know　it　seems　incredible；　but　they　seemed　to　know　nothing　of　firearmsthey　certainly　acted　as　though　they　didn't。

〃They　simply　flew　into　the　timber。　I　took　a　pistol　shot　at　one　but　missed。　Ruth　hadn't　though；　she　had　winged　her　man；　he　left　a　red　trail　behind　him。

〃We　didn't　follow　the　trail。　We　made　for　the　opposite　directionand　as　fast　as　possible。

〃Nothing　happened　that　day　or　night。　Next　morning；　creeping　up　a　slope；　we　caught　sight　of　a　suspicious　glitter　a　mile　or　two　away　in　the　direction　we　were　going。　We　sought　shelter　in　a　small　ravine。　In　a　little　while；　over　the　hill　and　half　a　mile　away　from　us；　came　about　two　hundred　of　these　fellows；　marching　along。

〃And　they　were　indeed　Darius's　men。　Men　of　that　Persia　which　had　been　dead　for　millenniums。　There　was　no　mistaking　them；　with　their　high；　covering　shields；　their　great　bows；　their　javelins　and　armor。

〃They　passed；　we　doubled。　We　built　no　fires　that　night　and　we　ought　to　have　turned　the　pony　loose；　but　we　didn't。　It　carried　my　instruments；　and　ammunition；　and　I　felt　we　were　going　to　need　the　latter。

〃The　next　morning　we　caught　sight　of　another　band　or　the　same。　We　turned　again。　We　stole　through　a　tree…covered　plain；　we　struck　an　ancient　road。　It　led　south；　into　the　peaks　again。　We　followed　it。　It　brought　us　here。

〃It　isn't；　as　you　observe；　the　most　comfortable　of　places。　We　struck　across　the　hollow　to　the　crevicewe　knew　nothing　of　the　entrance　you　came　through。　The　hollow　was　not　pleasant；　either。　But　it　was　penetrable；　then。

〃We　crossed。　As　we　were　about　to　enter　the　cleft　there　issued　out　of　it　a　most　unusual　and　disconcerting　chorus　of　soundswailings；　crashings；　splinterings。〃

I　started；　shot　a　look　at　Dick；　absorbed；　he　was　drinking　in　Ventnor's　every　word。

〃So　unusual；　sowell；　disconcerting　is　the　best　word　I　can　think　of；　that　we　were　not　encouraged　to　proceed。　Also　the　peculiar　unpleasantness　of　the　hollow　was　increasing　rapidly。

〃We　made　the　best　time　we　could　back　to　the　fortress。　And　when　next　we　tried　to　go　through　the　hollow；　to　search　for　another　outletwe　couldn't。　You　know　why；〃　he　ended　abruptly。

〃But　men　in　ancient　armor。　Men　like　those　of　Darius。〃　Dick　broke　the　silence　that　had　followed　this　amazing　recital。　〃It's　incredible！〃

〃Yes；〃　agreed　Ventnor；　〃isn't　it。　But　there　they　were。　Of　course；　I　don't　maintain　that　they　WERE　relics　of　Darius's　armies。　They　might　have　been　of　Xerxes　before　himor　of　Artaxerxes　after　him。　But　there　they　certainly　were；　Drake；　living；　breathing　replicas　of　exceedingly　ancient　Persians。

〃Why；　they　might　have　been　the　wall　carvings　on　the　tomb　of　Khosroes　come　to　life。　I　mention　Darius　because　he　fits　in　with　the　most　plausible　hypothesis。　When　Alexander　the　Great　smashed　his　empire　he　did　it　rather　thoroughly。　There　wasn't　much　sympathy　for　the　vanquished　in　those　days。　And　it's　entirely　conceivable　that　a　city　or　two　in　Alexander's　way　might　have　gathered　up　a　fleeting　regiment　or　so　for　protection　and　have　decided　not　to　wait　for　him；　but　to　hunt　for　cover。

〃Naturally；　they　would　have　gone　into　the　almost　inaccessible　heart　of　the　high　ranges。　There　is　nothing　impossible　in　the　theory　that　they　found　shelter　at　last　up　here。　As　long　as　history　runs　this　has　been　a　well…nigh　unknown　land。　Penetrating　some　mountain…guarded；　easily　defended　valley　they　might　have　decided　to　settle　down　for　a　time；　have　rebuilt　a　city；　raised　a　government；　laying　low；　in　a　sentence；　waiting　for　the　storm　to　blow　over。

〃Why　did　they　stay？　Well；　they　might　have　found　the　new　life　more　pleasant　than　the　old。　And　they　might　have　been　locked　in　their　valley　by　some　accidentlandslides；　rockfalls　sealing　up　the　entrance。　There　are　a　dozen　reasonable　possibilities。〃

〃But　those　who　hunted　you　weren't　locked　in；〃　objected　Drake。

〃No；〃　Ventnor　grinned　ruefully。　〃No；　they　certainly　weren't。　Maybe　we　drifted　into　their　preserves　by　a　way　they　don't　know。　Maybe　they've　found　another　way　out。　I'm　sure　I　don't　know。　But　I　DO　know　what　I　saw。〃

〃The　noises；　Martin；〃　I　said；　for　his　description　of　these　had　been　the　description　of　those　we　had　heard　in　the　blue　valley。　〃Have　you　heard　them　since？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　hesitating　oddly。

〃And　you　think　thosethose　soldiers　you　saw　are　still　hunting　for　you？〃

〃Haven't　a　doubt　of　it；〃　he　replied　more　cheerfully。　〃They　didn't　look　like　chaps　who　would　give　up　a　hunt　easilyat　least　not　a　hunt　for　such　novel；　interesting；　and　therefore　desirable　and　delectable　game　as　we　must　have　appeared　to　them。〃

〃Martin；〃　I　said　decisively；　〃where's　your　pony？　We'll　try　the　hollow　again；　at　once。　There's　Ruthand　we'd　never　be　able　to　hold　back　such　numbers　as　you've　described。〃

〃You　feel　strong　enough　to　try　it？〃





CHAPTER　IV

METAL　WITH　A　BRAIN

The　eagerness；　the　relief　in　his　voice　betrayed　the　tension；　the　anxiety　which　until　now　he　had　hidden　so　well；　and　hot　shame　burned　me　for　my　shrinking；　my　dread　of　again　passing　through　that　haunted　vale。

〃I　certainly　DO。〃　I　was　once　more　master　of　myself。　〃Drakedon't　you　agree？〃

〃Sure；〃　he　replied。　〃Sure。　I'll　look　after　RutherI　mean　Miss　Ventnor。〃

The　glint　of　amusement　in　Ventnor's　eyes　at　this　faded　abruptly；　his　face　grew　somber。

〃Wait；〃　he　said。　〃I　carried　away　somesome　exhibits　from　the　crevice　of　the　noises；　Goodwin。〃

〃What　kind　of　exhibits？〃　I　asked；　eagerly。

〃Put　'em　where　they'd　be　safe；〃　he　continued。　〃I've　an　idea　they're　far　more　curious　than　our　armored　men　and　of　far　more　importance。　At　any　rate；　we　must　take　them　with　us。

〃Go　with　Ruth；　you　and　Drake；　and　look　at　them。　And　bring　them　back　with　the　pony。　Then　we'll　make　a　start。　A　few　minutes　more　probably　won't　make　much　difference　but　hurry。〃

He　turned　back　to　his　watch。　Ordering　Chiu…Ming　to　stay　with　him　I　followed　Ruth　and　Drake　down　the　ruined　stairway。　At　the　bottom　she　came　to　me；　laid　little　hands　on　my　shoulders。

〃Walter；〃　she　breathed；　〃I'm　frightened。　I'm　so　frightened　I'm　afraid