Foul Play
Page 28
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AFTER toiling up a rugged and steep ascent, encumbered with blocks ofgray stone, of which the island seemed to be formed, forcing his way overfallen trees and through the tangled undergrowth of a species of wildvine, which abounded on the mountain-side, Hazel stopped to breathe andpeer around as well as the dense foliage permitted. He was up to hiswaist in scrub, and the stiff leaves of the bayonet plant renderedcaution necessary in walking. At moments, through the dense foliage, hecaught a glisten of the sea. The sun was in the north behind him, and bythis alone he guided his road due southerly and upward. Once only hefound a small cleared space about an acre in extent, and here it was heuttered the cry Helen heard. He waited a few moments in the hope to hearher voice in reply, but it did not reach him. Again he plunged upward,and now the ascent became at times so arduous that more than once healmost resolved to relinquish, or, at least, to defer his task; but amoment's rest recalled him to himself, and he was one not easily baffledby difficulty or labor, so he toiled on until he judged the summit oughtto have been reached. After pausing to take breath and counsel, hefancied that he had borne too much to the left, the ground to his rightappeared to rise more than the path that he was pursuing, which hadbecome level, and he concluded that, instead of ascending, he wascircling the mountain-top. He turned aside therefore, and after tenminutes' hard climbing he was pushing through a thick and high scrub,when the earth seemed to give way beneath him, and he fell--into anabyss.
He was ingulfed. He fell from bush to bush-- down-- down-- scratch--rip-- plump! until he lodged in a prickly bush more winded than hurt. Outof this he crawled, only to discover himself thus landed in a great andperfectly circular plain of about thirty acres in extent, or about threehundred and fifty yards in diameter. In the center was a lake, alsocircular. The broad belt of shore around this lake was covered with richgrass, level as a bowling green, and all this again was surrounded by anearly perpendicular cliff, down which indeed he had fallen. This cliffwas thickly clothed with shrubs and trees.
Hazel recognized the crater of an extinct volcano.
On examining the lake he found the waters impregnated with volcanicproducts. Its bottom was formed of asphaltum. Having made a circuit ofthe shores, he perceived on the westerly side--that next the island--abreak in the cliff; and on a narrow examination he discovered an outlet.It appeared to him that the lake at one time had emptied its watersthrough this ancient water-course. The descent here was not only gradual,but the old river-bed was tolerably free from obstructions, especially ofthe vegetable kind.
He made his way rapidly downward, and in half an hour reached marshyground. The cane-brake now lay before him. On his left he saw the sea onthe south, about a third of a mile. He knew that to the right must be thesea on the north, about half a mile or so. He bent his way thither. Theedge of the swamp was very clear, and, though somewhat spongy, affordedgood walking unimpeded. As he approached the spot where he judged theboat to be, the underwood thickened, the trees again interlaced theirarms, and he had to struggle through the foliage. At length he struck thesmaller lagoon, and, as he was not certain whether it was fordable, hefollowed its course to the shore, where he had previously crossed. In afew moments he reached the boat, and was pleased to find her afloat. Therising tide had even moved her a few feet back into the canal.
Hazel shouted to apprise Miss Rolleston of his return, and then proceededto restore the mast to its place, and replace the rigging and the oars.This occupied some little time. He felt surprised that she had notappeared. He shouted again. No reply.