第10章

Mycompanion，Ibelieve，sleptprettysoundly；butatdaybreak，whenwerolledoutofourdwelling，Ifeltnearlydisqualifiedforanyfurtherefforts。Tobyprescribedasaremedyformyillnessthecontentsofoneofourlittlesilkpackages，tobetakenatonceinasingledose。Tothisspeciesofmedicaltreatment，however，I

wouldbynomeansaccede，muchasheinsisteduponit；andsowepartookofourusualmorsel，andsilentlyresumedourjourney。ItwasnowthefourthdaysinceweleftNukuheva，andthegnawingsofhungerbecamepainfullyacute。Wewerefaintopacifythembychewingthetenderbarkofrootsandtwigs，which，iftheydidnotaffordusnourishment，wereatleastsweetandpleasanttothetaste。

Ourprogressalongthesteepwatercoursewasnecessarilyslow，andbynoonwehadnotadvancedmorethanamile。Itwassomewherenearthispartofthedaythatthenoiseoffallingwaters，whichwehadfaintlycaughtintheearlymorning，becamemoredistinct；anditwasnotlongbeforewewerearrestedbyarockyprecipiceofnearlyahundredfeetindepth，thatextendedallacrossthechannel，andoverwhichthewildstreampouredinanunbrokenleap。Oneitherhandthewallsoftheravinepresentedtheiroverhangingsidesbothaboveandbelowthefall，affordingnomeanswhateverofavoidingthecataractbytakingacircuitroundit。

“What’stobedonenow，Toby？“saidI。

“Why，“rejoinedhe，“aswecannotretreat，Isupposewemustkeepshovingalong。“

“Verytrue，mydearToby；buthowdoyoupurposeaccomplishingthatdesirableobject？“

“Byjumpingfromthetopofthefall，iftherebenootherway，“

unhesitatinglyrepliedmycompanion；“itwillbemuchthequickestwayofdescent；butasyouarenotquiteasactiveasIam，wewilltrysomeotherway。“

Andsosaying，hecreptcautiouslyalongandpeeredoverintotheabyss，whileIremainedwonderingbywhatpossiblemeanswecouldovercomethisapparentlyinsuperableobstruction。Assoonasmycompanionhadcompletedhissurvey，Ieagerlyinquiredtheresult。

“Theresultofmyobservationsyouwishtoknow，doyou？“beganToby，deliberately，withoneofhisoddlooks:“well，mylad，theresultofmyobservationsisveryquicklyimparted。Itisatpresentuncertainwhichofourtwoneckswillhavethehonourtobebrokenfirst；butaboutahundredtoonewouldbeafairbetinfavourofthemanwhotakesthefirstjump。“

“Thenitisanimpossiblething，isit？“inquiredI，gloomily。

“No，shipmate；onthecontrary，itistheeasiestthinginlife:

theonlyawkwardpointisthesortofusagewhichourunhappylimbsmayreceivewhenwearriveatthebottom，andwhatsortoftravellingtrimweshallbeinafterwards。Butfollowmenow，andI

willshowyoutheonlychancewehave。“

Withthisheconductedmetothevergeofthecataract，andpointedalongthesideoftheravinetoanumberofcurious-lookingroots，somethreeorfourinchesinthickness，andseveralfeetlong，which，aftertwistingamongthefissuresoftherock，shotperpendicularlyfromit，andrantaperingtoapointintheair，hangingoverthegulflikesomanydarkicicles。Theycoverednearlytheentiresurfaceofonesideofthegorge，thelowestofthemreachingeventothewater。Manyweremoss-grownanddecayed，withtheirextremitiessnappedshortoff，andthoseintheimmediatevicinityofthefallwereslipperywithmoisture。

Toby’sscheme，anditwasadesperateone，wastoentrustourselvestothesetreacherous-lookingroots，andbyslippingdownfromonetoanothertogainthebottom。

“Areyoureadytoventureit？“askedToby，lookingatmeearnestly，butwithoutsayingawordastothepracticabilityoftheplan。

“Iam，“wasmyreply；forIsawitwasouronlyresourceifwewishedtoadvance，andasforretreating，allthoughtsofthatsorthadbeenlongabandoned。

AfterIhadsignifiedmyassent，Toby，withoututteringasingleword，crawledalongthedrippingledgeuntilhegainedapointfromwhencehecouldjustreachoneofthelargestofthependantroots；heshookit-itquiveredinhisgrasp，andwhenheletitgo，ittwangedintheairlikeastrongwiresharplystruck。Satisfiedbyhisscrutiny，mylight-limbedcompanionswunghimselfnimblyuponit，andtwistinghislegsrounditinsailorfashion，slippeddowneightortenfeet，wherehisweightgaveitamotionnotunlikethatofapendulum。Hecouldnotventuretodescendanyfarther；soholdingonwithonehand，hewiththeothershookonebyonealltheslenderrootsaroundhim，andatlast，findingonewhichhethoughttrustworthy，shiftedhimselftoitandcontinuedhisdownwardprogress。

Sofarsowell；butIcouldnotavoidcomparingmyheavierframeanddisabledconditionwithhislightfigureandremarkableactivity:buttherewasnohelpforit，andinlessthanaminute’stimeIwasswingingdirectlyoverhishead。Assoonashisupturnedeyescaughtaglimpseofme，heexclaimedinhisusualdrytone，forthedangerdidnotseemtodaunthimintheleast，“Mate，domethekindnessnottofalluntilIgetoutofyourway“；andthenswinginghimselfmoreononeside，hecontinuedhisdescent。Inthemeantime，I

cautiouslytransferredmyselffromthelimbdownwhichIhadbeenslippingtoacoupleofothersthatwerenearit，deemingtwostringstomybowbetterthanone，andtakingcaretotesttheirstrengthbeforeItrustedmyweighttothem。

Onarrivingtowardstheendofthesecondstageinthisverticaljourney，andshakingthelongrootswhichwereroundme，tomyconsternationtheysnappedoffoneafteranotherlikesomanypipestems，andfellinfragmentsagainstthesideofthegulf，splashingatlastintothewatersbeneath。

Asoneafteranotherthetreacherousrootsyieldedtomygrasp，andfellintothetorrent，myheartsunkwithinme。ThebranchesonwhichIwassuspendedovertheyawningchasmswangtoandfrointheair，andIexpectedthemeverymomenttosnapintwain。Appalledatthedreadfulfatethatmenacedme，Iclutchedfranticallyattheonlylargerootwhichremainednearme；butinvain；Icouldnotreachit，thoughmyfingerswerewithinafewinchesofit。AgainandagainItriedtoreachit，untilatlength，maddenedwiththethoughtofmysituation，Iswayedmyselfviolentlybystrikingmyfootagainstthesideoftherock，andattheinstantthatIapproachedthelargerootcaughtdesperatelyatit，andtransferredmyselftoit。

Itvibratedviolentlyunderthesuddenweight，butfortunatelydidnotgiveway。

MybraingrewdizzywiththeideaofthefrightfulriskIhadjustrun，andIinvoluntarilyclosedmyeyestoshutouttheviewofthedepthbeneathme。FortheinstantIwassafe，andIutteredadevoutejaculationofthanksgivingformyescape。

“Prettywelldone，“shoutedTobyunderneathme；“youarenimblerthanIthoughtyoutobe-hoppingaboutuptherefromroottorootlikeanyyoungsquirrel。Assoonasyouhavedivertedyourselfsufficiently，Iwouldadviseyoutoproceed。“

“Ay，ay，Toby，allingoodtime:twoorthreemoresuchfamousrootsasthis，andIshallbewithyou。“

Theresidueofmydownwardprogresswascomparativelyeasy；therootswereingreaterabundance，andinoneortwoplacesjuttingoutpointsofrockassistedmegreatly。InafewmomentsIwasstandingbythesideofmycompanion。

SubstitutingastoutstickfortheoneIhadthrownasideatthetopoftheprecipice，wenowcontinuedourcoursealongthebedoftheravine。Soonweweresalutedbyasoundinadvance，thatgrewbydegreeslouderandlouder，asthenoiseofthecataractwewereleavingbehindgraduallydiedohourears。

“Anotherprecipiceforus，Toby。“

“Verygood；wecandescendthem，youknow-comeon。“

Nothingindeedappearedtodepressorintimidatethisintrepidfellow。TypeesorNiagaras，hewasasreadytoengageoneastheother，andIcouldnotavoidathousandtimescongratulatingmyselfuponhavingsuchacompanioninanenterpriselikethepresent。

Afteranhour’spainfulprogress，wereachedthevergeofanotherfall，stillloftierthanthepreceding，andflankedbothaboveandbelowwiththesamesteepmassesofrock，presenting，however，hereandtherenarrowirregularledges，supportingashallowsoil，onwhichgrewavarietyofbushesandtrees，whosebrightverdurecontrastedbeautifullywiththefoamywatersthatflowedbetweenthem。