the coming race- 第1部分

The　Coming　Race

by　Edward　Bulwer　Lytton




Chapter　I。


I　am　a　native　of　_____；　in　the　United　States　of　America。　　My　ancestors　migrated　from　England　in　the　reign　of　Charles　II。；　and　my　grandfather　was　not　undistinguished　in　the　War　of　Independence。　　My　family；　therefore；　enjoyed　a　somewhat　high　social　position　in　right　of　birth；　and　being　also　opulent；　they　were　considered　disqualified　for　the　public　service。　　My　father　once　ran　for　Congress；　but　was　signally　defeated　by　his　tailor。　After　that　event　he　interfered　little　in　politics；　and　lived　much　in　his　library。　　I　was　the　eldest　of　three　sons；　and　sent　at　the　age　of　sixteen　to　the　old　country；　partly　to　complete　my　literary　education；　partly　to　commence　my　commercial　training　in　a　mercantile　firm　at　Liverpool。　　My　father　died　shortly　after　I　was　twenty…one；　and　being　left　well　off；　and　having　a　taste　for　travel　and　adventure；　I　resigned；　for　a　time；　all　pursuit　of　the　almighty　dollar；　and　became　a　desultory　wanderer　over　the　face　of　the　earth。

In　the　year　18__；　happening　to　be　in　_____；　I　was　invited　by　a　professional　engineer；　with　whom　I　had　made　acquaintance；　to　visit　the　recesses　of　the　________　mine；　upon　which　he　was　employed。

The　reader　will　understand；　ere　he　close　this　narrative；　my　reason　for　concealing　all　clue　to　the　district　of　which　I　write；　and　will　perhaps　thank　me　for　refraining　from　any　description　that　may　tend　to　its　discovery。

6Let　me　say；　then；　as　briefly　as　possible；　that　I　accompanied　the　engineer　into　the　interior　of　the　mine；　and　became　so　strangely　fascinated　by　its　gloomy　wonders；　and　so　interested　in　my　friend's　explorations；　that　I　prolonged　my　stay　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　descended　daily；　for　some　weeks；　into　the　vaults　and　galleries　hollowed　by　nature　and　art　beneath　the　surface　of　the　earth。　　The　engineer　was　persuaded　that　far　richer　deposits　of　mineral　wealth　than　had　yet　been　detected；　would　be　found　in　a　new　shaft　that　had　been　commenced　under　his　operations。　　In　piercing　this　shaft　we　came　one　day　upon　a　chasm　jagged　and　seemingly　charred　at　the　sides；　as　if　burst　asunder　at　some　distant　period　by　volcanic　fires。　　Down　this　chasm　my　friend　caused　himself　to　be　lowered　in　a　'cage；'　having　first　tested　the　atmosphere　by　the　safety…lamp。　　He　remained　nearly　an　hour　in　the　abyss。　　When　he　returned　he　was　very　pale；　and　with　an　anxious；　thoughtful　expression　of　face；　very　different　from　its　ordinary　character；　which　was　open；　cheerful；　and　fearless。

He　said　briefly　that　the　descent　appeared　to　him　unsafe；　and　leading　to　no　result；　and；　suspending　further　operations　in　the　shaft；　we　returned　to　the　more　familiar　parts　of　the　mine。

All　the　rest　of　that　day　the　engineer　seemed　preoccupied　by　some　absorbing　thought。　　He　was　unusually　taciturn；　and　there　was　a　scared；　bewildered　look　in　his　eyes；　as　that　of　a　man　who　has　seen　a　ghost。　　At　night；　as　we　two　were　sitting　alone　in　the　lodging　we　shared　together　near　the　mouth　of　the　mine；　I　said　to　my　friend；…

〃Tell　me　frankly　what　you　saw　in　that　chasm：　I　am　sure　it　was　something　strange　and　terrible。　　Whatever　it　be；　it　has　left　your　mind　in　a　state　of　doubt。　　In　such　a　case　two　heads　are　better　than　one。　　Confide　in　me。〃


The　engineer　long　endeavoured　to　evade　my　inquiries；　but　as；　while　he　spoke；　he　helped　himself　unconsciously　out　of　the　brandy…flask　to　a　degree　to　which　he　was　wholly　unaccustomed；　7for　he　was　a　very　temperate　man；　his　reserve　gradually　melted　away。　　He　who　would　keep　himself　to　himself　should　imitate　the　dumb　animals；　and　drink　water。　　At　last　he　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　all。　　When　the　cage　stopped；　I　found　myself　on　a　ridge　of　rock；　and　below　me；　the　chasm；　taking　a　slanting　direction；　shot　down　to　a　considerable　depth；　the　darkness　of　which　my　lamp　could　not　have　penetrated。　　But　through　it；　to　my　infinite　surprise；　streamed　upward　a　steady　brilliant　light。　　Could　it　be　any　volcanic　fire？　In　that　case；　surely　I　should　have　felt　the　heat。　　Still；　if　on　this　there　was　doubt；　it　was　of　the　utmost　importance　to　our　common　safety　to　clear　it　up。　　I　examined　the　sides　of　the　descent；　and　found　that　I　could　venture　to　trust　myself　to　the　irregular　projection　of　ledges；　at　least　for　some　way。　　I　left　the　cage　and　clambered　down。　　As　I　drew　nearer　and　nearer　to　the　light；　the　chasm　became　wider；　and　at　last　I　saw；　to　my　unspeakable　amaze；　a　broad　level　road　at　the　bottom　of　the　abyss；　illumined　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　by　what　seemed　artificial　gas…lamps　placed　at　regular　intervals；　as　in　the　thoroughfare　of　a　great　city；　and　I　heard　confusedly　at　a　distance　a　hum　as　of　human　voices。　　I　know；　of　course；　that　no　rival　miners　are　at　work　in　this　district。　　Whose　could　be　those　voices？　What　human　hands　could　have　levelled　that　road　and　marshalled　those　lamps？

〃The　superstitious　belief；　common　to　miners；　that　gnomes　or　fiends　dwell　within　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　began　to　seize　me。　　I　shuddered　at　the　thought　of　descending　further　and　braving　the　inhabitants　of　this　nether　valley。　　Nor　indeed　could　I　have　done　so　without　ropes；　as　from　the　spot　I　had　reached　to　the　bottom　of　the　chasm　the　sides　of　the　rock　sank　down　abrupt；　smooth；　and　sheer。　　I　retraced　my　steps　with　some　difficulty。　　Now　I　have　told　you　all。〃

〃You　will　descend　again？〃

〃I　ought；　yet　I　feel　as　if　I　durst　not。〃

〃A　trusty　companion　halves　the　journey　and　doubles　the　courage。　8I　will　go　with　you。　　We　will　provide　ourselves　with　ropes　of　suitable　length　and　strength…　and…　pardon　me…　you　must　not　drink　more　to…night。　　our　hands　and　feet　must　be　steady　and　firm　tomorrow。〃


Chapter　II。

With　the　morning　my　friend's　nerves　were　rebraced；　and　he　was　not　less　excited　by　curiosity　than　myself。　　Perhaps　more；　for　he　evidently　believed　in　his　own　story；　and　I　felt　considerable　doubt　of　it；　not　that　he　would　have　wilfully　told　an　untruth；　but　that　I　thought　he　must　have　been　under　one　of　those　hallucinations　which　seize　on　our　fancy　or　our　nerves　in　solitary；　unaccustomed　places；　and　in　which　we　give　shape　to　the　formless　and　sound　to　the　dumb。

We　selected　six　veteran　miners　to　watch　our　descent；　and　as　the　cage　held　only　one　at　a　time；　the　engineer　descended　first；　and　when　he　had　gained　the　ledge　at　which　he　had　before　halted；　the　cage　rearose　for　me。　　I　soon　gained　his　side。　　We　had　provided　ourselves　with　a　strong　coil　of　rope。

The　light　struck　on　my　sight　as　it　had　done　the　day　before　on　my　friend's。　　The　hollow　through　which　it　came　sloped　diagonally：　it　seemed　to　me　a　diffused　atmospheric　light；　not　like　that　from　fire；　but　soft　and　silvery；　as　from　a　northern　star。　　Quitting　the　cage；　we　descended；　one　after　the　other；　easily　enough；　owing　to　the　juts　in　the　side；　till　we　reached　the　place　at　which　my　friend　had　previously　halted；　and　which　was　a　projection　just　spacious　enough　to　allow　us　to　stand　abreast。　　From　this　spot　the　chasm　widened　rapidly　like　the　lower　end　of　a　vast　funnel；　and　I　saw　distinctly　the　valley；　the　road；　the　lamps　which　my　companion　had　described。　　He　had　exaggerated　nothing。　　I　heard　the　sounds　he　had　heard…　a　mingled　indescribable　hum　as　of　voices　and　a　dull　tramp　as　of　9feet。　　Straining　my　eye　farther　down；　I　clearly　beheld　at　a　distance　the　outline　of　some　large　building。　　It　could　not　be　mere　natural　rock；　it　was　too　symmetrical；　with　huge　heavy　Egyptian…like　columns；　and　the　whole　lighted　as　from　within。　　I　had　about　me　a　small　pocket…telescope；　and　by　the　aid　of　this；　I　could　distinguish；　near　the　building　I　mention；　two　forms　which　seemed　human；　though　I　could　not　be　sure。　　At　least　they　were　living；　for　they　moved；　and　both　vanished　within　the　building。　　We　now　proceeded　to　attach　the　end　of　the　rope　we　had　brought　with　us　to　the　ledge　on　which　we　stood；　by　the　aid　of　clamps　and　grappling　hooks；　with　which；　as　well　as　with　necessary　tools；　we　were　provided。

We　were　almost　silent　in　our　work。　　We　toiled　like　men　afraid　to　speak　to　each　other。　　One　end　of　the　rope　being　thus　apparently　made　firm　to　the　ledge；　the　other；　to　which　we　fastened　a　fragment　of　the　rock；　rested　on　the　ground　below；　a　distance　of　some　fifty　feet。　　I　was　a　younger　man　and　a　more　active　man　than　my　companion；　and　having　served　on　board　ship　in　my　boyhood；　this　mode　of　transit　was　more　familiar　to　me　than　to　him。　　In　a　whisper　I　claimed　the　precedence；　so　that　when　I　gained　the　ground　I　might　serve　to　hold　the　rope　more　steady　for　his　descent。　　I　got　safely　to　the　ground　beneath；　and　the　engineer　now　began　to　lower　himself。　　But　he　had　scarcely　accomplished　ten　feet　of　the　descent；　when　the　fastenings；　which　we　had　fancied　so　secure；　gave　way；　or　rather　the　rock　itself　proved　treacherous　and　crumbled　beneath　the　strain；　and　the　unhappy　man　was　precipitated　to　the　bottom；　falling　just　at　my　feet；　and　bringing　down　with　his　fall　splinters　of　the　rock；　one　of　which；　fortunately　but　a　small　one；　struck　and　for　the　time　stunned　me。　　When　I　recovered　my　senses　I　saw　my　companion　an　inanimate　mass　beside　me；　life　utterly　extinct。　　While　I　was　bending　over　his　corpse　in　grief　and　horror；　I　heard　close　at　hand　a　strange　sound　between　a　snort　and　a　hiss；　and　turning　instinctively　to　the　quarter　from　10which　it　came；　I　saw　emerging　from　a　dark　fissure　in　the　rock　a　vast　and　terrib