the moon pool- 第3部分

reassure　him。　　At　any　rate；　when　he　sat　again　he　was　entirely

calm。



〃There　are　no　more　wonderful　ruins　in　the　world；〃　he

began　almost　casually。　　〃They　take　in　some　fifty　islets　and

cover　with　their　intersecting　canals　and　lagoons　about

twelve　square　miles。　　Who　built　them？　　None　knows。　　When

were　they　built？　　Ages　before　the　memory　of　present　man；

that　is　sure。　　Ten　thousand；　twenty　thousand；　a　hundred

thousand　years　agothe　last　more　likely。



〃All　these　islets；　Walter；　are　squared；　and　their　shores　are

frowning　seawalls　of　gigantic　basalt　blocks　hewn　and　put　in

place　by　the　hands　of　ancient　man。　　Each　inner　water…front

is　faced　with　a　terrace　of　those　basalt　blocks　which　stand

out　six　feet　above　the　shallow　canals　that　meander　between

them。　　On　the　islets　behind　these　walls　are　time…shattered

fortresses；　palaces；　terraces；　pyramids；　immense　courtyards

strewn　with　ruinsand　all　so　old　that　they　seem　to　wither

the　eyes　of　those　who　look　on　them。



〃There　has　been　a　great　subsidence。　　You　can　stand　out　of

Metalanim　harbour　for　three　miles　and　look　down　upon

the　tops　of　similar　monolithic　structures　and　walls　twenty

feet　below　you　in　the　water。



〃And　all　about；　strung　on　their　canals；　are　the　bulwarked

islets　with　their　enigmatic　walls　peering　through　the　dense

growths　of　mangrovesdead；　deserted　for　incalculable

ages；　shunned　by　those　who　live　near。



〃You　as　a　botanist　are　familiar　with　the　evidence　that　a

vast　shadowy　continent　existed　in　the　Pacifica　continent

that　was　not　rent　asunder　by　volcanic　forces　as　was　that

legendary　one　of　Atlantis　in　the　Eastern　Ocean。*1　My　work

in　Java；　in　Papua；　and　in　the　Ladrones　had　set　my　mind

upon　this　Pacific　lost　land。　　Just　as　the　Azores　are　believed

to　be　the　last　high　peaks　of　Atlantis；　so　hints　came　to　me

steadily　that　Ponape　and　Lele　and　their　basalt　bulwarked

islets　were　the　last　points　of　the　slowly　sunken　western　land

clinging　still　to　the　sunlight；　and　had　been　the　last　refuge

and　sacred　places　of　the　rulers　of　that　race　which　had　lost

their　immemorial　home　under　the　rising　waters　of　the

Pacific。





*1　For　more　detailed　observations　on　these　points　refer　to　G。　Volkens；

Uber　die　Karolinen　Insel　Yap；　in　Verhandlungen　Gesellschaft　Erd…

kunde　Berlin；　xxvii　（1901）；　J。　S。　Kubary；　Ethnographische　Beitrage

zur　Kentniss　des　Karolinen　Archipel　（Leiden；　1889…1892）；　De　Abrade

Historia　del　Conflicto　de　las　Carolinas；　etc。　（Madrid；　1886）。W。　T。　G。







〃I　believed　that　under　these　ruins　I　might　find　the　evi…

dence　that　I　sought。



〃Mymy　wife　and　I　had　talked　before　we　were　married

of　making　this　our　great　work。　　After　the　honeymoon　we

prepared　for　the　expedition。　　Stanton　was　as　enthusiastic　as

ourselves。　　We　sailed；　as　you　know；　last　May　for　fulfilment

of　my　dreams。





　〃At　Ponape　we　selected；　not　without　difficulty；　workmen

to　help　usdiggers。　　I　had　to　make　extraordinary　induce…

ments　before　I　could　get　together　my　force。　　Their　beliefs　are

gloomy；　these　Ponapeans。　　They　people　their　swamps；　their

forests；　their　mountains；　and　shores；　with　malignant　spirits

ani　they　call　them。　　And　they　are　afraidbitterly　afraid　of

the　isles　of　ruins　and　what　they　think　the　ruins　hide。　　I　do　not

wondernow！



〃When　they　were　told　where　they　were　to　go；　and　how

long　we　expected　to　stay；　they　murmured。　　Those　who；　at　last；

were　tempted　made　what　I　thought　then　merely　a　super…

stitious　proviso　that　they　were　to　be　allowed　to　go　away　on

the　three　nights　of　the　full　moon。　　Would　to　God　we　had

heeded　them　and　gone　too！〃



〃We　passed　into　Metalanim　harbour。　　Off　to　our　lefta

mile　away　arose　a　massive　quadrangle。　　Its　walls　were　all　of

forty　feet　high　and　hundreds　of　feet　on　each　side。　　As　we　drew

by；　our　natives　grew　very　silent；　watched　it　furtively；　fear…

fully。　　I　knew　it　for　the　ruins　that　are　called　Nan…Tauach；　the

'place　of　frowning　walls。'　And　at　the　silence　of　my　men　I

recalled　what　Christian　had　written　of　this　place；　of　how　he

had　come　upon　its　'ancient　platforms　and　tetragonal　enclo…

sures　of　stonework；　its　wonder　of　tortuous　alleyways　and

labyrinth　of　shallow　canals；　grim　masses　of　stonework　peer…

ing　out　from　behind　verdant　screens；　cyclopean　barricades；'

and　of　how；　when　he　had　turned　'into　its　ghostly　shadows；

straight…way　the　merriment　of　guides　was　hushed　and　con…

versation　died　down　to　whispers。'



He　was　silent　for　a　little　time。



〃Of　course　I　wanted　to　pitch　our　camp　there；〃　he　went　on

again　quietly；　〃but　I　soon　gave　up　that　idea。　　The　natives　were

panic…strickenthreatened　to　turn　back。　　'No；'　they　said；　'too

great　ani　there。　　We　go　to　any　other　placebut　not　there。'



〃We　finally　picked　for　our　base　the　islet　called　Uschen…

Tau。　　It　was　close　to　the　isle　of　desire；　but　far　enough　away

from　it　to　satisfy　our　men。　　There　was　an　excellent　camping…

place　and　a　spring　of　fresh　water。　　We　pitched　our　tents；　and

in　a　couple　of　days　the　work　was　in　full　swing。〃











CHAPTER　III



The　Moon　Rock



〃I　DO　not　intend　to　tell　you　now；〃　Throckmartin　continued；

〃the　results　of　the　next　two　weeks；　nor　of　what　we　found。

Laterif　I　am　allowed；　I　will　lay　all　that　before　you。　　It　is

sufficient　to　say　that　at　the　end　of　those　two　weeks　I　had

found　confirmation　for　many　of　my　theories。



〃The　place；　for　all　its　decay　and　desolation；　had　not　in…

fected　us　with　any　touch　of　morbiditythat　is　not　Edith；

Stanton；　or　myself。　　But　Thora　was　very　unhappy。　　She　was　a

Swede；　as　you　know；　and　in　her　blood　ran　the　beliefs　and　su…

perstitions　of　the　Northlandsome　of　them　so　strangely　akin

to　those　of　this　far　southern　land；　beliefs　of　spirits　of　moun…

tain　and　forest　and　water　werewolves　and　beings　malign。

From　the　first　she　showed　a　curious　sensitivity　to　what；　I

suppose；　may　be　called　the　'influences'　of　the　place。　　She　said

it　'smelled'　of　ghosts　and　warlocks。



　〃I　laughed　at　her　then



〃Two　weeks　slipped　by；　and　at　their　end　the　spokesman　for

our　natives　came　to　us。　　The　next　night　was　the　full　of　the

moon；　he　said。　　He　reminded　me　of　my　promise。　　They　would

go　back　to　their　village　in　the　morning；　they　would　return

after　the　third　night；　when　the　moon　had　begun　to　wane。

They　left　us　sundry　charms　for　our　'protection；'　and　solemnly

cautioned　us　to　keep　as　far　away　as　possible　from　Nan…

Tauach　during　their　absence。　　Half…exasperated；　half…amused

I　watched　them　go。



〃No　work　could　be　done　without　them；　of　course；　so　we

decided　to　spend　the　days　of　their　absence　junketing　about

the　southern　islets　of　the　group。　　We　marked　down　several

spots　for　subsequent　exploration；　and　on　the　morning　of　the

third　day　set　forth　along　the　east　face　of　the　breakwater　for

our　camp　on　Uschen…Tau；　planning　to　have　everything　in

readiness　for　the　return　of　our　men　the　next　day。



　〃We　landed　just　before　dusk；　tired　and　ready　for　our　cots。

It　was　only　a　little　after　ten　o'clock　that　Edith　awakened　me。



　〃'Listen！'　she　said。　　'Lean　over　with　your　ear　close　to　the

ground！'



〃I　did　so；　and　seemed　to　hear；　far；　far　below；　as　though

coming　up　from　great　distances；　a　faint　chanting。　　It　gathered

strength；　died　down；　ended；　began；　gathered　volume；　faded

away　into　silence。



〃'It's　the　waves　rolling　on　rocks　somewhere；'　I　said。　　'We're

probably　over　some　ledge　of　rock　that　carries　the　sound。'



　〃'It's　the　first　time　I've　heard　it；'　replied　my　wife　doubt…

fully。　　We　listened　again。　　Then　through　the　dim　rhythms；

deep　beneath　us；　another　sound　came。　　It　drifted　across　the

lagoon　that　lay　between　us　and　Nan…Tauach　in　little　tinkling

waves。　　It　was　musicof　a　sort；　I　won't　describe　the　strange

effect　it　had　upon　me。　　You've　felt　it〃



　〃You　mean　on　the　deck？〃　I　asked。　　Throckmartin　nodded。



〃I　went　to　the　flap　of　the　tent；〃　he　continued；　〃and　peered

out。　　As　I　did　so　Stanton　lifted　his　flap　and　walked　out　into　the

moonlight；　looking　over　to　the　other　islet　and　listening。　　I

called　to　him。



〃'That's　the　queerest　sound！'　he　said。　　He　listened　again。

'Crystalline！　　Like　little　notes　of　translucent　glass。　　Like　the

bells　of　crystal　on　the　sistrums　of　Isis　at　Dendarah　Temple；'

he　added　half…dreamily。　　We　gazed　intently　at　the　island。

Suddenly；　on　the　sea…wall；　moving　slowly；　rhythmically；　we

saw　a　little　group　of　lights。　　Stanton　laughed。



〃'The　beggars！'　he　exclaimed。　　'That's　why　they　wanted　to

get　away；　is　it？　　Don't　you　see；　Dave；　it's　some　sort　of　a　fes…

tivalrites　of　some　kind　that　they　hold　during　the　full　moon！

That's　why　they　were　so　eager　to　have　us　KEEP　away；　too。'



　〃The　explanation　seemed　good。　　I　felt　a　curious　sense　of　re…

lief；　although　I　had　not　been　sensible　of　any　oppression。



〃'Let's　slip　over；'　suggested　Stantonbut　I　would　not。



〃'They're　a　difficult　lot　as　it　is；'　I　said。　　'If　we　break　into　one

of　their　religious　ceremonies　they'll　probably　never　forgive

us。　Let's　keep　out　of　any　family　party　where　we　haven't　been

invited。'



　〃'That's　so；'　agreed　Stanton。



　〃The　strange　tinkling　rose　and　fell；　rose　and　fell



〃'There's　somethingsomething　very　unsettling　about　it；'

said　Edith　at　last　soberly。　　'I　wonder　what　they　make　those

sounds　with。　　They　frighten　me　half　to　death；　and；　at　the　same

time。　they　make　me　feel　as　though　some　enormous　rapture

were　just　around　the　corner。'



　〃'It's　devilish　uncanny！'　broke　in　Stanton。



〃And　as　he　spoke　the　flap　of　Thora's　tent　was　raised　and

out　into　the　moonlight　strode　the　old　Swede。　　She　was　the

great　Norse　typetall；　deep…breasted；　moulded　on　the　old

Viking　lines。　　Her　sixty　years　had　slipped　from　her。　　She

looked　like　some　ancient　priestess　of　Odin。



〃She　stood　there；　her　eyes　wide；　brilliant；　staring。　　She

thrust　her　head　forward　toward　Nan…Tauach；　regarding　the

moving　lights；　she　listened。　　Suddenly　she　raised　her　arms

and　made　a　curious　gesture　to　the　moon。　　It　wasan　archaic

movement；　s