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A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, Chapter 4. The Sight of Human Beings

Chapter 4. The Sight of Human Beings

The sight of human beings, thus unexpectedly found, filled us with strange feelings--feelings which I cannot explain. The country was still iron-bound and dark and forbidding, and the stream ran on in a strong current, deep, black as ink, and resistless as fate; the sky behind was lighted up by the volcanic glare which still shone from afar; and in front the view was bounded by the icy heights of a mountain chain. Here was, indeed, a strange country for a human habitation; and strange, indeed, were the human beings whom we saw.

"Shall we land?" said Agnew.

"Oh no," said I. "Don't be hasty. The elements are sometimes kinder than men, and I feel safer here, even in this river of death, than ashore with such creatures as those." Agnew made no reply. We watched the figures on the shore. We saw them coming down, staring and gesticulating. We drew on nearer to them till we were able to see them better. A nearer view did not improve them. They were human beings, certainly, but of such an appalling aspect that they could only be likened to animated mummies. They were small, thin, shrivelled, black, with long matted hair and hideous faces. They all had long spears, and wore about the waist short skirts that seemed to be made of the skin of some sea-fowl.

We could not imagine how these creatures lived, or where. There were no signs of vegetation of any kind--not a tree or a shrub. There were no animals; but there were great flocks of birds, some of which seemed different from anything that we had ever seen before. The long spears which the natives carried might possibly be used for catching these, or for fishing purposes. This thought made them seem less formidable, since they would thus be instruments of food rather than weapons of war. Meanwhile we drifted on as before, and the natives watched us, running along the shore abreast of us, so as to keep up with the boat. There seemed over a hundred of them. We could see no signs of any habitations--no huts, however humble; but we concluded that their abodes were farther inland. As for the natives themselves, the longer we looked at them the more abhorrent they grew. Even the wretched aborigines of Van Dieman's Land, who have been classed lowest in the scale of humanity, were pleasing and congenial when compared with these, and the land looked worse than Tierra del Fuego. It looked like a land of iron, and its inhabitants like fiends.

Agnew again proposed to land, but I refused.

"No," I said; "I'd rather starve for a week, and live on hope. Let us drift on. If we go on we may have hope if we choose, but if we land here we shall lose even that. Can we hope for anything from such things as these? Even if they prove friendly, can we live among them? To stay here is worse than death; our only hope is to go on." Agnew made no reply, and we drifted on for two hours, still followed by the natives. They made no hostile demonstrations. They merely watched us, apparently from motives of curiosity. All this time we were drawing steadily nearer to the line of lofty mountains, which with their icy crests rose before us like an inaccessible and impassable barrier, apparently closing up all farther progress; nor was there any indication of any pass or any opening, however narrow, through which the great stream might run. Nothing was there but one unbroken wall of iron cliffs and icy summits. At last we saw that the sloping shores grew steeper, until, about a mile or two before us, they changed to towering cliffs that rose up on each side for about a thousand feet above the water; here the stream ran, and became lost to view as completely as though swallowed up by the earth.

"We can go no farther," said Agnew. "See--this stream seems to make a plunge there into the mountains. There must be some deep canyon there with cataracts. To go on is certain death. We must stop here, if only to deliberate. Say, shall we risk it among these natives? After all, there is not, perhaps, any danger among them. They are little creatures and seem harmless. They are certainly not very good-looking; but then, you know, appearances often deceive, and the devil's not so black as he's painted. What do you say?" "I suppose we can do nothing else," said I. In fact, I could see that we had reached a crisis in our fate. To go on seemed certain death. To stop was our only alternative; and as we were armed we should not be altogether at the mercy of these creatures. Having made this decision we acted upon it at once, for in such a current there was no time for delay; and so, seizing the oars, we soon brought the boat ashore.

As we approached, the crowd of natives stood awaiting us, and looked more repulsive than ever. We could see the emaciation of their bony frames; their toes and fingers were like birds' claws; their eyes were small and dull and weak, and sunken in cavernous hollows, from which they looked at us like corpses--a horrible sight. They stood quietly, however, and without any hostile demonstration, holding their spears carelessly resting upon the ground.

"I don't like the looks of them," said I. "I think I had better fire a gun." "Why?" cried Agnew. "For Heaven's sake, man, don't hurt any of them!" "Oh no," said I; "I only mean to inspire a little wholesome respect." Saying this I fired in the air. The report rang out with long echoes, and as the smoke swept away it showed us all the natives on the ground. They had seated themselves with their hands crossed on their laps, and there they sat looking at us as before, but with no manifestation of fear or even surprise. I had expected to see them run, but there was nothing of the kind. This puzzled us. Still, there was no time now for any further hesitation. The current was sweeping us toward the chasm between the cliffs, and we had to land without delay. This we did, and as I had another barrel still loaded and a pistol, I felt that with these arms and those of Agnew we should be able to defend ourselves. It was in this state of mind that we landed, and secured the boat by means of the grappling-iron.

The natives now all crowded around us, making many strange gestures, which we did not understand. Some of them bowed low, others prostrated themselves; on the whole these seemed like marks of respect, and it occurred to me that they regarded us as superior beings of some sort. It was evident that there was nothing like hostility in their minds. At the same time, the closer survey which I now made of them filled me with renewed horror; their meagre frames, small, watery, lack-lustre eyes, hollow, cavernous sockets, sunken cheeks, protruding teeth, claw-like fingers, and withered skins, all made them look more than ever like animated mummies, and I shrank from them involuntarily, as one shrinks from contact with a corpse.

Agnew, however, was very different, and it was evident that he felt no repugnance whatever. He bowed and smiled at them, and shook hands with half a dozen of them in succession. The hand-shaking was a new thing to them, but they accepted it in a proper spirit, and renewed their bows and prostrations. After this they all offered us their lances. This certainly seemed like an act of peace and good-will. I shook my head and declined to touch them; but Agnew accepted one of them, and offered his rifle in return. The one to whom he offered it refused to take it. He seemed immensely gratified because Agnew had taken his lance, and the others seemed disappointed at his refusal to take theirs. But I felt my heart quake as I saw him offer his rifle, and still more when he offered it to one or two others, and only regained my composure as I perceived that his offer was refused by all.

They now made motions to us to follow, and we all set forth together.

"My dear More," said Agnew, cheerily, "they're not a bad lot. They mean well. They can't help their looks. You're too suspicious and reserved. Let's make friends with them, and get them to help us. Do as I do." I tried to, but found it impossible, for my repugnance was immovable. It was like the horror which one feels toward rats, cockroaches, earwigs, or serpents. It was something that defied reason. These creatures seemed like human vermin.

We marched inland for about half a mile, crossed a ridge, and came to a valley, or rather a kind of hollow, at the other side of which we found a cave with a smouldering fire in front. The fire was made of coal, which must exist here somewhere. It was highly bituminous, and burned with a great blaze.

The day was now drawing to a close; far away I could see the lurid glow of the volcanoes, which grew brighter as the day declined: above, the skies twinkled with innumerable stars, and the air was filled with the moan of rushing waters.

We entered the cave. As we did so the natives heaped coal upon the fire, and the flames arose, lighting up the interior. We found here a number of women and children, who looked at us without either fear or curiosity. The children looked like little dwarfs; the women were hags, hideous beyond description. One old woman in particular, who seemed to be in authority, was actually terrible in her awful and repulsive ugliness. A nightmare dream never furnished forth a more frightful object. This nightmare hag prostrated herself before each of us with such an air of self-immolation that she looked as though she wished us to kill her at once. The rough cave, the red light of the fire, all made the scene more awful; and a wild thought came to me that we had actually reached, while yet living, the infernal world, and that this was the abode of devils. Yet their actions, it must be confessed, were far from devilish. Everyone seemed eager to serve us. Some spread out couches formed of the skins of birds for us to sit on; others attended to the fire; others offered us gifts of large and beautiful feathers, together with numerous trinkets of rare and curious workmanship. This kind attention on their part was a great puzzle to me, and I could not help suspecting that beneath all this there must be some sinister design. Resolving to be prepared for the worst, I quietly reloaded the empty barrel of my rifle and watched with the utmost vigilance. As for Agnew, he took it all in the most unsuspicious manner. He made signs to them, shook hands with them, accepted their gifts, and even tried to do the agreeable to the formidable hags and the child-fiends around him. He soon attracted the chief attention, and while all looked admiringly upon him, I was left to languish in comparative neglect.

At length a savory odor came through the cave, and a repast was spread before us. It consisted of some large fowl that looked like a goose, but was twice as large as the largest turkey that I had ever seen. The taste was like that of a wild-goose, but rather fishy. Still to us it seemed delicious, for our prolonged diet of raw seal had made us ready to welcome any other food whatever; and this fowl, whatever it was, would not have been unwelcome to any hungry man. It was evident that these people lived on the flesh of birds of various sorts. All around us we saw the skins of birds dried with the feathers on, and used for clothing, for mats, and for ornaments.

The repast being finished, we both felt greatly strengthened and refreshed. Agnew continued to cultivate his new acquaintances, and seeing me holding back, he said,

"More, old fellow, these good people give me to understand that there is another place better than this, and want me to go with them. Will you go?" At this a great fear seized me.

"Don't go!" I cried--"don't go! We are close by the boat here, and if anything happens we can easily get to it." Agnew laughed in my face.

"Why, you don't mean to tell me," said he, "that you are still suspicious, and after that dinner? Why, man, if they wanted to harm us, would they feast us in this style? Nonsense, man! Drop your suspicions and come along." I shook my head obstinately.

"Well," said he, "if I thought there was anything in your suspicions I would stay by you; but I'm confident they mean nothing but kindness, so I'm going off to see the place." "You'll be back again?" said I.

"Oh yes," said he, "of course I'll come back, and sleep here." With these words he left, and nearly all the people accompanied him. I was left behind with the women and children and about a dozen men. These men busied themselves with some work over bird-skins; the women were occupied with some other work over feathers. No one took any notice of me. There did not seem to be any restraint upon me, nor was I watched in any way. Once the nightmare hag came and offered me a small roasted fowl, about the size of a woodcock. I declined it, but at the same time this delicate attention certainly surprised me.

I was now beginning to struggle with some success against my feelings of abhorrence, when suddenly I caught sight of something which chased away every other thought, and made my blood turn cold in my veins. It was something outside. At the mouth of the cave--by the fire which was still blazing bright, and lighting up the scene--I saw four men who had just come to the cave: they were carrying something which I at first supposed to be a sick or wounded companion. On reaching the fire they put it down, and I saw, with a thrill of dismay, that their burden was neither sick nor wounded, but dead, for the corpse lay rigid as they had placed it. Then I saw the nightmare hag approach it with a knife. An awful thought came to me--the crowning horror! The thought soon proved to be but too well founded. The nightmare hag began to cut, and in an instant had detached the arm of the corpse, which she thrust among the coals in the very place where lately she had cooked the fowl. Then she went back for more.

For a moment my brain reeled, and I gasped for breath. Then I rose and staggered out, I know not how. No one tried to stop me, nor did anyone follow me; and, for my part, I was ready to blow out the brains of the first who dared to approach me. In this way I reached the open air, and passed by the hag and the four men as they were busy at their awful work. But at this point I was observed and followed. A number of men and women came after me, jabbering their uncouth language and gesticulating. I warned them off, angrily. They persisted, and though none of them were armed, yet I saw that they were unwilling to have me leave the cave, and I supposed that they would try to prevent me by force.

The absence of Agnew made my position a difficult one. Had it not been for this I would have burst through them and fled to the boat; but as long as he was away I felt bound to wait; and though I longed to fly, I could not for his sake. The boat seemed to be a haven of rest. I longed to be in her once more, and drift away, even if it should be to my death. Nature was here less terrible than man; and it seemed better to drown in the waters, to perish amid rocks and whirlpools, than to linger here amid such horrors as these. These people were not like human beings. The vilest and lowest savages that I had ever seen were not so odious as these. A herd of monkeys would be far more congenial, a flock of wolves less abhorrent. They had the caricature of the human form; they were the lowest of humanity; their speech was a mockery of language; their faces devilish, their kindness a cunning pretence; and most hideous of all was the nightmare hag that prepared the cannibal repast.

I could not begin hostilities, for I had to wait for Agnew; so I stood and looked, and then walked away for a little distance. They followed me closely, with eager words and gesticulations, though as yet no one touched me or threatened me. Their tone seemed rather one of persuasion. After a few paces I stood still, with all of them around me. The horrible repast showed plainly all that was in store for us. They received us kindly and fed us well only to devote us to the most abhorrent of deaths. Agnew, in his mad confidence, was only insuring his own doom. He was putting himself completely in the power of devils, who were incapable of pity and strangers to humanity. To make friends with such fiends was impossible, and I felt sure that our only plan was to rule by terror--to seize, to slay, to conquer. But still I had to wait for him, and did not dare to resort to violence while he was absent; so I waited, while the savages gathered round me, contenting themselves with guarding me, and neither touching me nor threatening me. And all this time the hag went on, intent on her preparation of the horrible repast.

While standing there looking, listening, waiting for Agnew, I noticed many things. Far away the volcanoes blazed, and the northern sky was red with a lurid light. There, too, higher up, the moon was shining overhead, the sky was gleaming with stars; and all over the heavens there shone the lustre of the aurora australis, brighter than any I had ever seen--surpassing the moon and illuminating all. It lighted up the haggard faces of the devils around me, and it again seemed to me as though I had died and gone to the land of woe--an iron land, a land of despair, with lurid fires all aglow and faces of fear.

Suddenly, there burst upon my ears the report of a gun, which sounded like a thunder-peal, and echoed in long reverberations. At once I understood it. My fears had proved true. These savages had enticed Agnew away to destroy him. In an instant I burst through the crowd around me, and ran wildly in the direction of that sound, calling his name, as I ran, at the top of my voice.

I heard a loud cry; then another report. I hurried on, shouting his name in a kind of frenzy. The strange courage of these savages had already impressed me deeply. They did not fear our guns. They were all attacking him, and he was alone, fighting for his life.

Then there was another report; it was his pistol. I still ran on, and still shouted to him.

At last I received an answer. He had perhaps heard me, and was answering, or, at any rate, he was warning me.

"More," he cried, "fly, fly, fly to the boat! Save yourself!" "Where are you?" I cried, as I still rushed on.

"Fly, More, fly! Save yourself! You can't save me. I'm lost. Fly for your life!" Judging from his cries, he did not seem far away. I hurried on. I could see nothing of him. All the time the savages followed me. None were armed; but it seemed to me that they were preparing to fling themselves upon me and overpower me with their numbers. They would capture me alive, I thought, bind me, and carry me back, reserving me for a future time!

I turned and waved them back. They took no notice of my gesture. Then I ran on once more. They followed. They could not run so fast as I did, and so I gained on them rapidly, still shouting to Agnew. But there was no response. I ran backward and forward, crossing and recrossing, doubling and turning, pursued all the time by the savages. At last, in rage and despair, I fired upon them, and one of them fell. But, to my dismay, the others did not seem to care one whit; they did not stop for one moment, but pursued as before.

My situation was now plain in all its truth. They had enticed Agnew away; they had attacked him. He had fought, and had been overpowered. He had tried to give me warning. His last words had been for me to fly--to fly: yes, for he well knew that it was better far for me to go to death through the raging torrent than to meet the fate which had fallen upon himself. For him there was now no more hope. That he was lost was plain. If he were still alive he would call to me; but his voice had been silenced for some time. All was over, and that noble heart that had withstood so bravely and cheerily the rigors of the storm, and the horrors of our desperate voyage, had been stilled in death by the vilest of miscreants.

I paused for a moment. Even though Agnew was dead, I could not bear to leave him, but felt as though I ought to share his fate. The savages came nearer. At their approach I hesitated no longer. That fate was too terrible: I must fly.

But before I fled I turned in fury to wreak vengeance upon them for their crimes. Full of rage and despair, I discharged my remaining rifle-barrel into the midst of the crowd. Then I fled toward the boat. On the way I had a frightful thought that she might have been sent adrift; but, on approaching the place, I found her there just as I had left her. The savages, with their usual fearlessness, still pursued. For a moment I stood on the shore, with the grapple in my hand and the boat close by, and as they came near I discharged my pistol into the midst of them. Then I sprang into the boat; the swift current bore me away, and in a few minutes the crowd of pursuing demons disappeared from view.

Chapter 4. The Sight of Human Beings Κεφάλαιο 4. Η όραση των ανθρώπινων όντων Глава 4. Зрение человеческих существ

The sight of human beings, thus unexpectedly found, filled us with strange feelings--feelings which I cannot explain. Η θέα των ανθρώπινων όντων, που βρέθηκε έτσι απροσδόκητα, μας γέμισε περίεργα συναισθήματα-συναισθήματα που δεν μπορώ να εξηγήσω. Вид неожиданно обнаруженных человеческих существ наполнил нас странными чувствами, которые я не могу объяснить. The country was still iron-bound and dark and forbidding, and the stream ran on in a strong current, deep, black as ink, and resistless as fate; the sky behind was lighted up by the volcanic glare which still shone from afar; and in front the view was bounded by the icy heights of a mountain chain. Η χώρα ήταν ακόμα σιδερένια και σκοτεινή και απαγορευτική, και το ρέμα έτρεχε με ένα δυνατό ρεύμα, βαθύ, μαύρο σαν το μελάνι, και αδιάφορο σαν τη μοίρα. Ο ουρανός πίσω φωτίστηκε από την ηφαιστειακή λάμψη που έλαμπε ακόμα από μακριά. και μπροστά η θέα οριοθετούνταν από τα παγωμένα ύψη μιας οροσειράς. Le pays était encore ferré, sombre et intimidant, et le ruisseau coulait dans un courant puissant, profond, noir comme de l'encre et sans résistance comme le destin ; le ciel derrière était éclairé par l'éclat volcanique qui brillait encore de loin ; et en face, la vue était délimitée par les hauteurs glacées d'une chaîne de montagnes. Страна по-прежнему была скована железом, темна и запретна, и поток бежал по ней сильным течением, глубоким, черным, как чернила, и непоколебимым, как судьба; небо позади освещалось вулканическими бликами, которые все еще светились издалека, а впереди вид ограничивали ледяные высоты горной цепи. Here was, indeed, a strange country for a human habitation; and strange, indeed, were the human beings whom we saw. Εδώ ήταν, πράγματι, μια παράξενη χώρα για ανθρώπινη κατοικία. και παράξενα, πράγματι, ήταν τα ανθρώπινα όντα που είδαμε. Это была странная страна для обитания людей, и, конечно, странными были люди, которых мы видели.

"Shall we land?" «Θα προσγειωθούμε;» "Может, приземлимся?" said Agnew.

"Oh no," said I. "Don’t be hasty. «Μην βιάζεσαι. The elements are sometimes kinder than men, and I feel safer here, even in this river of death, than ashore with such creatures as those." Τα στοιχεία είναι μερικές φορές πιο ευγενικά από τους άντρες, και νιώθω πιο ασφαλής εδώ, ακόμα και σε αυτό το ποτάμι του θανάτου, παρά στην ξηρά με τέτοια πλάσματα όπως αυτά». Элементы иногда добрее людей, и я чувствую себя здесь в большей безопасности, даже в этой реке смерти, чем на берегу с такими существами, как они ". Agnew made no reply. We watched the figures on the shore. We saw them coming down, staring and gesticulating. We drew on nearer to them till we were able to see them better. A nearer view did not improve them. Более близкий просмотр не улучшил их. They were human beings, certainly, but of such an appalling aspect that they could only be likened to animated mummies. Ήταν ανθρώπινα όντα, ασφαλώς, αλλά τόσο φρικιαστικής πτυχής που θα μπορούσαν να παρομοιαστούν μόνο με μούμιες κινουμένων σχεδίων. C'étaient des êtres humains, certes, mais d'un aspect si épouvantable qu'on ne pouvait les assimiler qu'à des momies animées. Конечно, они были людьми, но такого ужасающего вида, что их можно было сравнить только с одушевленными мумиями. They were small, thin, shrivelled, black, with long matted hair and hideous faces. Ήταν μικρά, αδύνατα, ζαρωμένα, μαύρα, με μακριά μπερδεμένα μαλλιά και αποκρουστικά πρόσωπα. Ils étaient petits, maigres, ratatinés, noirs, avec de longs cheveux emmêlés et des visages hideux. Они были маленькими, худыми, сморщенными, черными, с длинными свалявшимися волосами и отвратительными лицами. They all had long spears, and wore about the waist short skirts that seemed to be made of the skin of some sea-fowl. Όλοι είχαν μακριά δόρατα και φορούσαν κοντές φούστες στη μέση που έμοιαζαν να είναι φτιαγμένες από δέρμα θαλάσσιων πτηνών. Ils avaient tous de longues lances et portaient jusqu'à la taille des jupes courtes qui semblaient être faites de la peau d'un oiseau marin. Ze hadden allemaal lange speren en droegen korte rokjes om hun middel die van de huid van een of andere zeevogel leken te zijn gemaakt. У каждого из них были длинные копья, а на талии они носили короткие юбки, которые, казалось, были сделаны из кожи какой-то морской птицы.

We could not imagine how these creatures lived, or where. We konden ons niet voorstellen hoe deze wezens leefden, of waar. There were no signs of vegetation of any kind--not a tree or a shrub. Здесь не было никаких признаков растительности - ни одного дерева или кустарника. There were no animals; but there were great flocks of birds, some of which seemed different from anything that we had ever seen before. Er waren geen dieren; maar er waren grote zwermen vogels, waarvan sommige anders leken dan alles wat we ooit eerder hadden gezien. Животных не было, зато были огромные стаи птиц, некоторые из которых казались непохожими на всех, кого мы когда-либо видели. The long spears which the natives carried might possibly be used for catching these, or for fishing purposes. Длинные копья, которые носили туземцы, возможно, использовались для их ловли или для рыболовства. This thought made them seem less formidable, since they would thus be instruments of food rather than weapons of war. От этой мысли они казались не такими грозными, ведь в этом случае они будут скорее орудиями питания, чем оружием войны. Meanwhile we drifted on as before, and the natives watched us, running along the shore abreast of us, so as to keep up with the boat. Pendant ce temps, nous continuâmes à dériver comme auparavant, et les indigènes nous surveillaient, courant le long du rivage à notre hauteur, afin de suivre le bateau. Тем временем мы дрейфовали, как и прежде, а туземцы наблюдали за нами, бегая по берегу за нами, чтобы не отстать от лодки. There seemed over a hundred of them. We could see no signs of any habitations--no huts, however humble; but we concluded that their abodes were farther inland. Мы не заметили никаких признаков жилья - ни одной хижины, какой бы скромной она ни была, - но пришли к выводу, что их жилища находятся дальше вглубь острова. As for the natives themselves, the longer we looked at them the more abhorrent they grew. Что касается самих туземцев, то чем дольше мы смотрели на них, тем большее отвращение они вызывали. Even the wretched aborigines of Van Dieman’s Land, who have been classed lowest in the scale of humanity, were pleasing and congenial when compared with these, and the land looked worse than Tierra del Fuego. Даже жалкие аборигены Земли Ван Димана, которые занимают самую низкую позицию в шкале человечности, были приятными и приятными по сравнению с ними, а земля выглядела хуже, чем Огненная Земля. It looked like a land of iron, and its inhabitants like fiends. Он был похож на железную землю, а его жители - на извергов.

Agnew again proposed to land, but I refused. Агню снова предложил высадиться, но я отказался.

"No," I said; "I’d rather starve for a week, and live on hope. "Нет, - сказал я, - я лучше поголодаю недельку и буду жить надеждой". Let us drift on. Пойдемте дальше. If we go on we may have hope if we choose, but if we land here we shall lose even that. Если мы пойдем дальше, у нас будет надежда, если мы захотим, но если мы высадимся здесь, то потеряем даже ее. Can we hope for anything from such things as these? Можем ли мы надеяться на что-то от таких вещей? Even if they prove friendly, can we live among them? Даже если они окажутся дружелюбными, сможем ли мы жить среди них? To stay here is worse than death; our only hope is to go on." Agnew made no reply, and we drifted on for two hours, still followed by the natives. Агню ничего не ответил, и мы дрейфовали еще два часа, все еще преследуемые туземцами. They made no hostile demonstrations. They merely watched us, apparently from motives of curiosity. Они просто наблюдали за нами, очевидно, из любопытства. All this time we were drawing steadily nearer to the line of lofty mountains, which with their icy crests rose before us like an inaccessible and impassable barrier, apparently closing up all farther progress; nor was there any indication of any pass or any opening, however narrow, through which the great stream might run. Все это время мы неуклонно приближались к линии высоких гор, которые своими ледяными гребнями возвышались перед нами как недоступный и непроходимый барьер, закрывающий все дальнейшие пути; не было никаких признаков прохода или какого-либо отверстия, пусть даже узкого, через которое мог бы течь большой поток. Nothing was there but one unbroken wall of iron cliffs and icy summits. Здесь не было ничего, кроме сплошной стены железных утесов и ледяных вершин. At last we saw that the sloping shores grew steeper, until, about a mile or two before us, they changed to towering cliffs that rose up on each side for about a thousand feet above the water; here the stream ran, and became lost to view as completely as though swallowed up by the earth. Enfin, nous vîmes que les rives en pente devenaient de plus en plus raides, jusqu'à ce qu'à environ un mille ou deux avant nous, elles se transforment en d'imposantes falaises qui s'élevaient de chaque côté à environ mille pieds au-dessus de l'eau ; ici le ruisseau coulait et se perdait de vue aussi complètement que s'il était englouti par la terre. Наконец мы увидели, что пологие берега становились все круче, и примерно за милю или две перед нами они превратились в высокие скалы, которые поднимались с каждой стороны примерно на тысячу футов над водой; здесь ручей бежал и исчез из виду так же полностью, как если бы его поглотила земля.

"We can go no farther," said Agnew. "See--this stream seems to make a plunge there into the mountains. "Видите - этот ручей, похоже, уходит в горы. There must be some deep canyon there with cataracts. Там должен быть глубокий каньон с катарактами. To go on is certain death. Продолжение пути - верная смерть. We must stop here, if only to deliberate. Il faut s'arrêter là, ne serait-ce que pour délibérer. Мы должны остановиться здесь, хотя бы для того, чтобы поразмыслить. Say, shall we risk it among these natives? Может, рискнем среди этих туземцев? After all, there is not, perhaps, any danger among them. Ведь среди них нет, пожалуй, никакой опасности. They are little creatures and seem harmless. Это маленькие существа и кажутся безобидными. They are certainly not very good-looking; but then, you know, appearances often deceive, and the devil’s not so black as he’s painted. Они, конечно, не очень хороши собой, но, как известно, внешность часто обманчива, и дьявол не так черен, как его рисуют. What do you say?" "I suppose we can do nothing else," said I. "Полагаю, нам больше ничего не остается, - сказал я. In fact, I could see that we had reached a crisis in our fate. En fait, je voyais bien que nous étions arrivés à une crise de notre destin. На самом деле я видел, что в нашей судьбе наступил кризис. To go on seemed certain death. Продолжать путь казалось верной смертью. To stop was our only alternative; and as we were armed we should not be altogether at the mercy of these creatures. Остановиться было нашей единственной альтернативой, и, поскольку мы были вооружены, мы не должны были полностью отдаваться на милость этих существ. Having made this decision we acted upon it at once, for in such a current there was no time for delay; and so, seizing the oars, we soon brought the boat ashore. Ayant pris cette décision, nous avons agi sur-le-champ, car dans un tel courant, il n'y avait pas de temps pour s'attarder ; et ainsi, saisissant les rames, nous avons bientôt ramené le bateau à terre. Приняв это решение, мы сразу же приступили к его исполнению, ведь в таком течении медлить было нельзя, и, взявшись за весла, мы вскоре вытащили лодку на берег.

As we approached, the crowd of natives stood awaiting us, and looked more repulsive than ever. Когда мы приблизились, толпа туземцев стояла в ожидании нас и выглядела еще более отталкивающе, чем раньше. We could see the emaciation of their bony frames; their toes and fingers were like birds' claws; their eyes were small and dull and weak, and sunken in cavernous hollows, from which they looked at us like corpses--a horrible sight. Мы могли видеть истощение их костлявых каркасов; их пальцы рук и ног были похожи на птичьи когти; их глаза были маленькими, тусклыми и слабыми и утопали в пещерных впадинах, из которых они смотрели на нас, как на трупы - ужасное зрелище. They stood quietly, however, and without any hostile demonstration, holding their spears carelessly resting upon the ground. Однако они стояли спокойно, не проявляя никакой враждебности, небрежно упираясь копьями в землю.

"I don’t like the looks of them," said I. "Мне не нравится, как они выглядят", - сказал я. "I think I had better fire a gun." "Думаю, мне лучше выстрелить из пистолета". "Why?" cried Agnew. "For Heaven’s sake, man, don’t hurt any of them!" "Ради всего святого, не трогай никого из них!" "Oh no," said I; "I only mean to inspire a little wholesome respect." « Oh non », dis-je ; "Je veux seulement inspirer un peu de respect sain." "О нет, - сказал я, - я просто хотел внушить вам немного здорового уважения". Saying this I fired in the air. Сказав это, я выстрелил в воздух. The report rang out with long echoes, and as the smoke swept away it showed us all the natives on the ground. Доклад разнесся долгим эхом, и, когда дым рассеялся, мы увидели всех туземцев на земле. They had seated themselves with their hands crossed on their laps, and there they sat looking at us as before, but with no manifestation of fear or even surprise. Они уселись, скрестив руки на коленях, и сидели, глядя на нас, как и прежде, но без малейшего проявления страха или даже удивления. I had expected to see them run, but there was nothing of the kind. Я ожидал увидеть их бегущими, но ничего подобного не произошло. This puzzled us. Still, there was no time now for any further hesitation. Однако сейчас не было времени на дальнейшие колебания. The current was sweeping us toward the chasm between the cliffs, and we had to land without delay. Течение уносило нас в пропасть между скалами, и мы должны были высадиться на берег без промедления. This we did, and as I had another barrel still loaded and a pistol, I felt that with these arms and those of Agnew we should be able to defend ourselves. Мы так и сделали, и, поскольку у меня был еще один заряженный ствол и пистолет, я решил, что с этим оружием и оружием Агню мы сможем защитить себя. It was in this state of mind that we landed, and secured the boat by means of the grappling-iron. Het was in deze gemoedstoestand dat we landden en de boot vastmaakten door middel van het grijpijzer. Именно в таком состоянии мы высадились на берег и закрепили лодку с помощью грейферного железа.

The natives now all crowded around us, making many strange gestures, which we did not understand. Теперь туземцы столпились вокруг нас, делая множество странных жестов, которых мы не понимали. Some of them bowed low, others prostrated themselves; on the whole these seemed like marks of respect, and it occurred to me that they regarded us as superior beings of some sort. Некоторые из них низко кланялись, другие простерлись ниц; в целом это выглядело как знаки уважения, и мне пришло в голову, что они считают нас в некотором роде высшими существами. It was evident that there was nothing like hostility in their minds. Было очевидно, что в их умах не было ничего похожего на вражду. At the same time, the closer survey which I now made of them filled me with renewed horror; their meagre frames, small, watery, lack-lustre eyes, hollow, cavernous sockets, sunken cheeks, protruding teeth, claw-like fingers, and withered skins, all made them look more than ever like animated mummies, and I shrank from them involuntarily, as one shrinks from contact with a corpse. En même temps, l'examen plus approfondi que j'en faisais maintenant me remplissait d'une horreur renouvelée ; leurs maigres montures, leurs petits yeux larmoyants et ternes, leurs orbites creuses et caverneuses, leurs joues enfoncées, leurs dents saillantes, leurs doigts en forme de griffes et leur peau flétrie, tout leur faisait ressembler plus que jamais à des momies animées, et je me suis éloigné d'eux involontairement , comme on craint le contact avec un cadavre. В то же время при ближайшем рассмотрении они вновь внушали мне ужас: их скудные каркасы, маленькие, водянистые, бледные глаза, впалые глазницы, впалые щеки, торчащие зубы, когтистые пальцы, иссохшая кожа - все это делало их как никогда похожими на ожившие мумии, и я невольно отшатнулся от них, как отшатываются от контакта с трупом.

Agnew, however, was very different, and it was evident that he felt no repugnance whatever. Агню, однако, был совсем другим, и было очевидно, что он не испытывает никакого отвращения. He bowed and smiled at them, and shook hands with half a dozen of them in succession. Он кланялся и улыбался им, а также пожал руку полудюжине из них подряд. The hand-shaking was a new thing to them, but they accepted it in a proper spirit, and renewed their bows and prostrations. Het handen schudden was nieuw voor hen, maar ze accepteerden het in een gepaste geest, en hernieuwden hun bogen en knielen. Рукопожатие было для них в новинку, но они приняли его с подобающим духом и вновь стали кланяться и простерлись ниц. After this they all offered us their lances. Après cela, ils nous ont tous offert leurs lances. После этого все они предложили нам свои копья. This certainly seemed like an act of peace and good-will. Это, конечно, выглядело как акт мира и доброй воли. I shook my head and declined to touch them; but Agnew accepted one of them, and offered his rifle in return. Я покачал головой и отказался прикасаться к ним, но Агню принял один из них и предложил взамен свою винтовку. The one to whom he offered it refused to take it. Тот, кому он предложил его, отказался взять его. He seemed immensely gratified because Agnew had taken his lance, and the others seemed disappointed at his refusal to take theirs. Hij leek enorm tevreden omdat Agnew zijn lans had genomen, en de anderen leken teleurgesteld over zijn weigering om de hunne te nemen. Он, казалось, был безмерно рад, что Агню взял его копье, а остальные были разочарованы тем, что он отказался взять их. But I felt my heart quake as I saw him offer his rifle, and still more when he offered it to one or two others, and only regained my composure as I perceived that his offer was refused by all. Но я почувствовал, как мое сердце содрогнулось, когда я увидел, как он предлагает свою винтовку, и еще больше, когда он предложил ее одному или двум другим, и только восстановил самообладание, когда я понял, что его предложение было отвергнуто всеми.

They now made motions to us to follow, and we all set forth together. Ils nous firent alors signe de suivre, et nous partîmes tous ensemble.

"My dear More," said Agnew, cheerily, "they’re not a bad lot. "Мой дорогой Мор, - весело сказал Агню, - они не так уж плохи. They mean well. Они имеют в виду хорошо. They can’t help their looks. Они не могут помочь своей внешности. You’re too suspicious and reserved. Вы слишком подозрительны и сдержанны. Let’s make friends with them, and get them to help us. Давайте подружимся с ними и попросим их помочь нам. Do as I do." Делай, как я". I tried to, but found it impossible, for my repugnance was immovable. It was like the horror which one feels toward rats, cockroaches, earwigs, or serpents. C'était comme l'horreur que l'on éprouve envers les rats, les cafards, les perce-oreilles ou les serpents. Это было похоже на ужас, который человек испытывает перед крысами, тараканами, уховертками или змеями. It was something that defied reason. Это было нечто, не поддающееся разуму. These creatures seemed like human vermin.

We marched inland for about half a mile, crossed a ridge, and came to a valley, or rather a kind of hollow, at the other side of which we found a cave with a smouldering fire in front. Nous marchâmes à l'intérieur des terres sur environ un demi-mille, traversâmes une crête et arrivâmes à une vallée, ou plutôt à une sorte de creux, de l'autre côté de laquelle nous trouvâmes une grotte avec un feu couvant devant. We marcheerden ongeveer een halve mijl landinwaarts, staken een heuvelrug over en kwamen bij een vallei, of liever een soort holte, aan de andere kant waarvan we een grot vonden met een smeulend vuur ervoor. Мы прошли вглубь острова около полумили, перевалили через хребет и попали в долину, точнее, в лощину, на другом конце которой обнаружили пещеру с тлеющим костром. The fire was made of coal, which must exist here somewhere. Огонь разводили углем, который наверняка где-то здесь есть. It was highly bituminous, and burned with a great blaze. Il était très bitumineux et a brûlé avec un grand incendie. Он был очень битумным и горел с большим пылом.

The day was now drawing to a close; far away I could see the lurid glow of the volcanoes, which grew brighter as the day declined: above, the skies twinkled with innumerable stars, and the air was filled with the moan of rushing waters. La journée touchait maintenant à sa fin ; au loin, je pouvais voir la lueur sinistre des volcans, qui devenait plus brillante à mesure que le jour déclinait : au-dessus, le ciel scintillait d'innombrables étoiles et l'air était rempli du gémissement des eaux tumultueuses. День клонился к концу; вдали виднелось яркое зарево вулканов, которое становилось все ярче по мере того, как день шел на убыль: над головой небо мерцало бесчисленными звездами, а воздух был наполнен стоном стремительных вод.

We entered the cave. As we did so the natives heaped coal upon the fire, and the flames arose, lighting up the interior. Pendant que nous le faisions, les indigènes entassés du charbon sur le feu, et les flammes s'élevèrent, éclairant l'intérieur. Когда мы это сделали, туземцы подбросили в костер угля, и пламя разгорелось, осветив все внутри. We found here a number of women and children, who looked at us without either fear or curiosity. The children looked like little dwarfs; the women were hags, hideous beyond description. De kinderen zagen eruit als kleine dwergen; de vrouwen waren heksen, afschuwelijk onbeschrijfelijk. Дети были похожи на маленьких карликов, а женщины - на ведьм, отвратительных до невозможности. One old woman in particular, who seemed to be in authority, was actually terrible in her awful and repulsive ugliness. Одна старуха, особенно та, что казалась властной, на самом деле была ужасна в своем ужасном и отталкивающем уродстве. A nightmare dream never furnished forth a more frightful object. Кошмарный сон никогда не представлял более пугающего предмета. This nightmare hag prostrated herself before each of us with such an air of self-immolation that she looked as though she wished us to kill her at once. Cette sorcière de cauchemar se prosterna devant chacun de nous avec un tel air d'immolation qu'elle eut l'air de vouloir que nous la tuions tout de suite. Эта кошмарная карга распростерлась перед каждым из нас с таким видом самосожжения, словно желала, чтобы мы немедленно ее убили. The rough cave, the red light of the fire, all made the scene more awful; and a wild thought came to me that we had actually reached, while yet living, the infernal world, and that this was the abode of devils. La grotte rugueuse, la lumière rouge du feu, tout rendait la scène plus horrible ; et une folle pensée me vint que nous avions atteint, de notre vivant, le monde infernal, et que c'était la demeure des démons. Неровная пещера, красный свет костра - все это делало сцену еще более ужасной; и мне пришла в голову дикая мысль, что мы попали, пока еще живем, в адский мир, и что это - обитель дьяволов. Yet their actions, it must be confessed, were far from devilish. Однако их действия, надо признать, были далеко не дьявольскими. Everyone seemed eager to serve us. Казалось, все стремятся нас обслужить. Some spread out couches formed of the skins of birds for us to sit on; others attended to the fire; others offered us gifts of large and beautiful feathers, together with numerous trinkets of rare and curious workmanship. Certains étendirent des canapés formés de peaux d'oiseaux pour nous asseoir ; d'autres s'occupaient du feu ; d'autres nous ont offert en cadeau de grandes et belles plumes, ainsi que de nombreux bibelots d'un travail rare et curieux. Одни расстилали перед нами диваны из птичьих шкур, чтобы мы могли на них сидеть; другие занимались огнем; третьи преподносили нам в дар большие и красивые перья, а также многочисленные безделушки редкой и диковинной работы. This kind attention on their part was a great puzzle to me, and I could not help suspecting that beneath all this there must be some sinister design. Такое внимание с их стороны было для меня большой загадкой, и я не мог не подозревать, что под всем этим должен скрываться какой-то зловещий замысел. Resolving to be prepared for the worst, I quietly reloaded the empty barrel of my rifle and watched with the utmost vigilance. Решив быть готовым к худшему, я спокойно перезарядил пустой ствол винтовки и стал наблюдать за происходящим с величайшей бдительностью. As for Agnew, he took it all in the most unsuspicious manner. Что касается Агню, то он воспринял все это самым недоверчивым образом. He made signs to them, shook hands with them, accepted their gifts, and even tried to do the agreeable to the formidable hags and the child-fiends around him. Он делал им знаки, пожимал руки, принимал их подарки и даже старался быть приятным грозным ведьмам и окружавшим его детям. He soon attracted the chief attention, and while all looked admiringly upon him, I was left to languish in comparative neglect. Вскоре он привлек к себе главное внимание, и пока все с восхищением смотрели на него, я остался томиться в сравнительном забвении.

At length a savory odor came through the cave, and a repast was spread before us. Вскоре в пещере появился ароматный запах, и перед нами развернулась трапеза. It consisted of some large fowl that looked like a goose, but was twice as large as the largest turkey that I had ever seen. Il s'agissait d'une grosse volaille qui ressemblait à une oie, mais qui était deux fois plus grosse que la plus grosse dinde que j'avais jamais vue. Это была какая-то крупная птица, похожая на гуся, но вдвое больше самой большой индейки, которую я когда-либо видел. The taste was like that of a wild-goose, but rather fishy. Le goût était comme celui d'une oie sauvage, mais plutôt de poisson. Вкус был похож на вкус дикого гуся, но скорее рыбный. Still to us it seemed delicious, for our prolonged diet of raw seal had made us ready to welcome any other food whatever; and this fowl, whatever it was, would not have been unwelcome to any hungry man. Но нам она показалась очень вкусной, поскольку длительная диета из сырого тюленя сделала нас готовыми к любой другой пище, а эта птица, чем бы она ни была, не могла не понравиться любому голодному человеку. It was evident that these people lived on the flesh of birds of various sorts. Было очевидно, что эти люди питались плотью птиц разных видов. All around us we saw the skins of birds dried with the feathers on, and used for clothing, for mats, and for ornaments. Повсюду мы видели высушенные шкуры птиц с перьями, которые использовались для изготовления одежды, циновок и украшений.

The repast being finished, we both felt greatly strengthened and refreshed. Закончив трапезу, мы оба почувствовали себя значительно окрепшими и посвежевшими. Agnew continued to cultivate his new acquaintances, and seeing me holding back, he said, Agnew continua à cultiver ses nouvelles connaissances, et me voyant me retenir, dit-il, Агню продолжал развивать свои новые знакомства и, видя, что я сдерживаюсь, сказал,

"More, old fellow, these good people give me to understand that there is another place better than this, and want me to go with them. Will you go?" At this a great fear seized me.

"Don’t go!" I cried--"don’t go! We are close by the boat here, and if anything happens we can easily get to it." Мы находимся рядом с лодкой, и если что-то случится, мы сможем легко добраться до нее". Agnew laughed in my face.

"Why, you don’t mean to tell me," said he, "that you are still suspicious, and after that dinner? "Вы же не хотите сказать, - сказал он, - что все еще сомневаетесь, да еще после того ужина? Why, man, if they wanted to harm us, would they feast us in this style? Почему, если бы они хотели причинить нам вред, они бы пировали в таком стиле? Nonsense, man! Глупости! Drop your suspicions and come along." Отбросьте свои подозрения и идите с нами". I shook my head obstinately. Я упрямо покачала головой.

"Well," said he, "if I thought there was anything in your suspicions I would stay by you; but I’m confident they mean nothing but kindness, so I’m going off to see the place." "Ну, - сказал он, - если бы я думал, что в ваших подозрениях есть хоть что-то, я бы остался с вами; но я уверен, что они ничего не значат, кроме доброты, поэтому я отправляюсь посмотреть это место". "You’ll be back again?" "Вы еще вернетесь?" said I.

"Oh yes," said he, "of course I’ll come back, and sleep here." With these words he left, and nearly all the people accompanied him. С этими словами он ушел, и почти все люди проводили его. I was left behind with the women and children and about a dozen men. Меня оставили с женщинами и детьми и примерно дюжиной мужчин. These men busied themselves with some work over bird-skins; the women were occupied with some other work over feathers. Мужчины были заняты работой с птичьими шкурами, а женщины - с перьями. No one took any notice of me. Никто не обратил на меня внимания. There did not seem to be any restraint upon me, nor was I watched in any way. Il ne semblait y avoir aucune contrainte sur moi, et je n'étais pas non plus surveillé de quelque façon que ce soit. Казалось, меня никто не сдерживал и не следил за мной. Once the nightmare hag came and offered me a small roasted fowl, about the size of a woodcock. Op een keer kwam de nachtmerrie-heks en bood me een klein geroosterd gevogelte aan, ongeveer zo groot als een houtsnip. Однажды кошмарная карга пришла и предложила мне небольшую зажаренную птицу, размером с вальдшнепа. I declined it, but at the same time this delicate attention certainly surprised me. Я отказался, но в то же время такое деликатное внимание меня очень удивило.

I was now beginning to struggle with some success against my feelings of abhorrence, when suddenly I caught sight of something which chased away every other thought, and made my blood turn cold in my veins. Je commençais maintenant à lutter avec un certain succès contre mes sentiments d'horreur, quand tout à coup j'aperçus quelque chose qui chassait toute autre pensée et me glaçait le sang dans les veines. Я уже начал с некоторым успехом бороться с чувством отвращения, как вдруг увидел нечто такое, что прогнало все остальные мысли и заставило кровь стынуть в жилах. It was something outside. At the mouth of the cave--by the fire which was still blazing bright, and lighting up the scene--I saw four men who had just come to the cave: they were carrying something which I at first supposed to be a sick or wounded companion. A l'entrée de la grotte, près du feu qui flambait toujours et éclairait la scène, j'ai vu quatre hommes qui venaient d'arriver à la grotte : ils portaient quelque chose que j'ai d'abord supposé être un malade ou un compagnon blessé. В устье пещеры - у костра, который все еще ярко пылал и освещал сцену, - я увидел четырех мужчин, которые только что подошли к пещере: они несли что-то, что я сначала принял за больного или раненого товарища. On reaching the fire they put it down, and I saw, with a thrill of dismay, that their burden was neither sick nor wounded, but dead, for the corpse lay rigid as they had placed it. Дойдя до костра, они положили его, и я с ужасом увидел, что их ноша не больная и не раненая, а мертвая, потому что труп лежал так, как они его положили. Then I saw the nightmare hag approach it with a knife. Затем я увидел, как кошмарная карга приближается к нему с ножом. An awful thought came to me--the crowning horror! Une pensée terrible m'est venue, l'horreur suprême ! Een vreselijke gedachte kwam bij me op - de bekronende horror! Меня посетила ужасная мысль - ужас! The thought soon proved to be but too well founded. La pensée se révéla bientôt trop fondée. Вскоре эта мысль оказалась слишком обоснованной. The nightmare hag began to cut, and in an instant had detached the arm of the corpse, which she thrust among the coals in the very place where lately she had cooked the fowl. Кошмарная карга начала резать и в мгновение ока отделила руку трупа, которую бросила в угли на том самом месте, где недавно готовила птицу. Then she went back for more. Потом она вернулась за добавкой.

For a moment my brain reeled, and I gasped for breath. L'espace d'un instant, mon cerveau chancela et je repris mon souffle. Even wankelden mijn hersenen en snakte ik naar adem. На мгновение мой мозг перевернулся, и я задыхался. Then I rose and staggered out, I know not how. Alors je me suis levé et j'ai titubé, je ne sais comment. Затем я поднялся и, пошатываясь, вышел, сам не знаю как. No one tried to stop me, nor did anyone follow me; and, for my part, I was ready to blow out the brains of the first who dared to approach me. Никто не пытался меня остановить и не преследовал, а я, со своей стороны, был готов вышибить мозги первому, кто осмелится ко мне подойти. In this way I reached the open air, and passed by the hag and the four men as they were busy at their awful work. Так я вышел на открытый воздух и прошел мимо карга и четырех мужчин, занятых своей ужасной работой. But at this point I was observed and followed. Но в этот момент за мной наблюдали и следили. A number of men and women came after me, jabbering their uncouth language and gesticulating. Несколько мужчин и женщин шли за мной, болтая на своем нездоровом языке и жестикулируя. I warned them off, angrily. Je les ai mis en garde, avec colère. Я сердито предупредил их. They persisted, and though none of them were armed, yet I saw that they were unwilling to have me leave the cave, and I supposed that they would try to prevent me by force. Они упорствовали, и хотя никто из них не был вооружен, я видел, что они не хотят, чтобы я покидал пещеру, и предполагал, что они попытаются помешать мне силой.

The absence of Agnew made my position a difficult one. Отсутствие Агню сделало мое положение сложным. Had it not been for this I would have burst through them and fled to the boat; but as long as he was away I felt bound to wait; and though I longed to fly, I could not for his sake. Если бы не это, я бы прорвалась сквозь них и убежала в лодку; но пока его не было, я чувствовала себя обязанной ждать; и хотя мне очень хотелось улететь, я не могла этого сделать ради него. The boat seemed to be a haven of rest. Лодка казалась пристанищем для отдыха. I longed to be in her once more, and drift away, even if it should be to my death. Я жаждал снова оказаться в ней и унестись прочь, пусть даже на верную смерть. Nature was here less terrible than man; and it seemed better to drown in the waters, to perish amid rocks and whirlpools, than to linger here amid such horrors as these. Природа здесь была менее страшной, чем человек, и казалось, что лучше утонуть в водах, погибнуть среди скал и водоворотов, чем оставаться здесь среди таких ужасов, как эти. These people were not like human beings. The vilest and lowest savages that I had ever seen were not so odious as these. Самые мерзкие и низкие дикари, которых я когда-либо видел, не были так одиозны, как эти. A herd of monkeys would be far more congenial, a flock of wolves less abhorrent. Стадо обезьян было бы гораздо более дружелюбным, а стая волков - менее отвратительной. They had the caricature of the human form; they were the lowest of humanity; their speech was a mockery of language; their faces devilish, their kindness a cunning pretence; and most hideous of all was the nightmare hag that prepared the cannibal repast.

I could not begin hostilities, for I had to wait for Agnew; so I stood and looked, and then walked away for a little distance. Я не мог начать боевые действия, так как должен был дождаться Агню; поэтому я стоял и смотрел, а затем отошел на небольшое расстояние. They followed me closely, with eager words and gesticulations, though as yet no one touched me or threatened me. Они внимательно следили за мной, нетерпеливо переговариваясь и жестикулируя, хотя никто не трогал меня и не угрожал мне. Their tone seemed rather one of persuasion. Их тон казался скорее убеждающим. After a few paces I stood still, with all of them around me. Пройдя несколько шагов, я замер на месте, а все они стояли вокруг меня. The horrible repast showed plainly all that was in store for us. L'horrible repas montra bien tout ce qui nous attendait. Ужасная трапеза наглядно продемонстрировала все, что нас ожидало. They received us kindly and fed us well only to devote us to the most abhorrent of deaths. Они принимали нас любезно и хорошо кормили только для того, чтобы предать нас самой отвратительной из смертей. Agnew, in his mad confidence, was only insuring his own doom. Agnew, dans sa folle confiance, n'assurait que sa propre perte. Агню в своей безумной самоуверенности лишь застраховал себя от гибели. He was putting himself completely in the power of devils, who were incapable of pity and strangers to humanity. Он полностью отдавал себя во власть дьяволов, не способных на жалость и чуждых человечности. To make friends with such fiends was impossible, and I felt sure that our only plan was to rule by terror--to seize, to slay, to conquer. Подружиться с такими извергами было невозможно, и я был уверен, что наш единственный план - править с помощью террора: захватывать, убивать, покорять. But still I had to wait for him, and did not dare to resort to violence while he was absent; so I waited, while the savages gathered round me, contenting themselves with guarding me, and neither touching me nor threatening me. Но я все равно должен был ждать его, а прибегать к насилию в его отсутствие не решался; так что я ждал, пока дикари собирались вокруг меня, довольствуясь тем, что охраняли меня, не трогая и не угрожая мне. And all this time the hag went on, intent on her preparation of the horrible repast. А карга все это время продолжала готовить ужасную трапезу.

While standing there looking, listening, waiting for Agnew, I noticed many things. Пока я стоял и смотрел, слушал и ждал Агню, я заметил много интересного. Far away the volcanoes blazed, and the northern sky was red with a lurid light. Вдали полыхали вулканы, а северное небо было красным от яркого света. There, too, higher up, the moon was shining overhead, the sky was gleaming with stars; and all over the heavens there shone the lustre of the aurora australis, brighter than any I had ever seen--surpassing the moon and illuminating all. Там, выше, над головой светила луна, небо сверкало звездами, а по всему небу сиял блеск австралийской авроры, ярче которой я никогда не видел - она превосходила луну и освещала все вокруг. It lighted up the haggard faces of the devils around me, and it again seemed to me as though I had died and gone to the land of woe--an iron land, a land of despair, with lurid fires all aglow and faces of fear. Il a illuminé les visages hagards des démons autour de moi, et il m'a de nouveau semblé comme si j'étais mort et parti pour le pays du malheur - une terre de fer, une terre de désespoir, avec des feux affreux tout illuminés et des visages de peur . Он осветил унылые лица окружавших меня дьяволов, и мне снова показалось, что я умер и попал в страну горя - железную страну, страну отчаяния, где пылают яркие костры, а на лицах - страх.

Suddenly, there burst upon my ears the report of a gun, which sounded like a thunder-peal, and echoed in long reverberations. Tout à coup, éclata à mes oreilles le bruit d'un coup de canon, qui sonnait comme un coup de tonnerre et résonnait en de longues réverbérations. Вдруг до моих ушей донесся звук выстрела, который прозвучал как раскат грома и отдался долгим эхом. At once I understood it. My fears had proved true. Мои опасения оправдались. These savages had enticed Agnew away to destroy him. Ces sauvages avaient attiré Agnew pour le détruire. Эти дикари заманили Агню, чтобы уничтожить его. In an instant I burst through the crowd around me, and ran wildly in the direction of that sound, calling his name, as I ran, at the top of my voice. En un instant, j'ai fait irruption à travers la foule autour de moi et j'ai couru sauvagement dans la direction de ce son, appelant son nom, alors que je courais, à tue-tête. В одно мгновение я прорвался сквозь толпу, окружавшую меня, и с диким криком побежал в направлении этого звука, на бегу выкрикивая его имя во весь голос.

I heard a loud cry; then another report. J'ai entendu un grand cri ; puis un autre rapport. Я услышал громкий крик, затем еще один доклад. I hurried on, shouting his name in a kind of frenzy. Я поспешил дальше, выкрикивая его имя в каком-то неистовстве. The strange courage of these savages had already impressed me deeply. Странное мужество этих дикарей уже произвело на меня глубокое впечатление. They did not fear our guns. Они не боялись нашего оружия. They were all attacking him, and he was alone, fighting for his life. Все они напали на него, а он остался один, сражаясь за свою жизнь.

Then there was another report; it was his pistol. Затем раздался еще один выстрел - это был его пистолет. I still ran on, and still shouted to him. Я все еще бежал и кричал ему.

At last I received an answer. Наконец я получил ответ. He had perhaps heard me, and was answering, or, at any rate, he was warning me. Возможно, он услышал меня и отвечал, или, во всяком случае, предупреждал меня.

"More," he cried, "fly, fly, fly to the boat! "Еще, - кричал он, - летите, летите, летите к лодке! Save yourself!" "Where are you?" I cried, as I still rushed on. J'ai pleuré, alors que je continuais à me précipiter. Я заплакал, продолжая спешить.

"Fly, More, fly! « Volez, Plus, volez ! Save yourself! You can’t save me. I’m lost. Fly for your life!" Judging from his cries, he did not seem far away. Судя по его крикам, он был недалеко. I hurried on. Я поспешил дальше. I could see nothing of him. Я ничего не мог разглядеть. All the time the savages followed me. None were armed; but it seemed to me that they were preparing to fling themselves upon me and overpower me with their numbers. Никто из них не был вооружен, но мне показалось, что они готовятся броситься на меня и одолеть своей численностью. They would capture me alive, I thought, bind me, and carry me back, reserving me for a future time! Они схватят меня живьем, думал я, свяжут и унесут обратно, оставив для будущего времени!

I turned and waved them back. Je me suis retourné et leur ai fait signe de revenir. Я повернулся и помахал им в ответ. They took no notice of my gesture. Then I ran on once more. They followed. They could not run so fast as I did, and so I gained on them rapidly, still shouting to Agnew. Они не могли бежать так быстро, как я, и поэтому я быстро настигал их, продолжая кричать Агню. But there was no response. Но ответа не последовало. I ran backward and forward, crossing and recrossing, doubling and turning, pursued all the time by the savages. Je courais d'avant en arrière, croisant et repassant, doublant et tournant, toujours poursuivi par les sauvages. Я бежал то вперед, то назад, пересекал и переходил, сворачивал и разворачивался, преследуемый все время дикарями. At last, in rage and despair, I fired upon them, and one of them fell. Наконец, в ярости и отчаянии, я выстрелил в них, и один из них упал. But, to my dismay, the others did not seem to care one whit; they did not stop for one moment, but pursued as before. Mais, à mon grand désarroi, les autres ne semblaient pas s'en soucier du tout ; ils ne s'arrêtèrent pas un instant, mais poursuivirent comme auparavant. Но, к моему ужасу, остальных это ничуть не волновало; они не останавливались ни на секунду, а продолжали идти, как и прежде.

My situation was now plain in all its truth. Ma situation était maintenant claire dans toute sa vérité. Теперь моя ситуация была очевидна во всей ее правдивости. They had enticed Agnew away; they had attacked him. Они выманили Агню и напали на него. He had fought, and had been overpowered. Il s'était battu et avait été vaincu. Он сражался, но был побежден. He had tried to give me warning. Он пытался предупредить меня. His last words had been for me to fly--to fly: yes, for he well knew that it was better far for me to go to death through the raging torrent than to meet the fate which had fallen upon himself. Его последними словами были слова о том, чтобы я летел... летел... Да, ведь он прекрасно понимал, что для меня лучше погибнуть в бушующем потоке, чем встретить ту участь, которая постигла его самого. For him there was now no more hope. Для него больше не было надежды. That he was lost was plain. То, что он заблудился, было очевидным. If he were still alive he would call to me; but his voice had been silenced for some time. Если бы он был жив, то позвал бы меня, но его голос уже давно затих. All was over, and that noble heart that had withstood so bravely and cheerily the rigors of the storm, and the horrors of our desperate voyage, had been stilled in death by the vilest of miscreants. Tout était fini, et ce noble cœur qui avait résisté si bravement et si gaiement aux rigueurs de la tempête et aux horreurs de notre voyage désespéré, avait été calmé dans la mort par le plus vil des mécréants. Все было кончено, и благородное сердце, так мужественно и радостно выдержавшее суровую бурю и ужасы нашего отчаянного плавания, было умерщвлено подлейшим из злодеев.

I paused for a moment. Even though Agnew was dead, I could not bear to leave him, but felt as though I ought to share his fate. Même si Agnew était mort, je ne pouvais pas supporter de le quitter, mais je sentais que je devais partager son sort. Несмотря на то что Агню был мертв, я не мог смириться с тем, что покинул его, но чувствовал, что должен разделить его судьбу. The savages came nearer. At their approach I hesitated no longer. При их приближении я больше не колебался. That fate was too terrible: I must fly. Эта судьба была слишком ужасна: я должен лететь.

But before I fled I turned in fury to wreak vengeance upon them for their crimes. Mais avant de m'enfuir, je suis devenu furieux pour me venger d'eux pour leurs crimes. Но прежде чем бежать, я в ярости обратился к ним, чтобы отомстить за их преступления. Full of rage and despair, I discharged my remaining rifle-barrel into the midst of the crowd. Полный ярости и отчаяния, я разрядил оставшийся ствол винтовки в толпу. Then I fled toward the boat. Затем я побежал к лодке. On the way I had a frightful thought that she might have been sent adrift; but, on approaching the place, I found her there just as I had left her. По дороге мне пришла в голову страшная мысль, что ее могли отправить на дрейф; но, подъехав к месту, я обнаружил ее там, где оставил. The savages, with their usual fearlessness, still pursued. Дикари со свойственным им бесстрашием продолжали преследовать. For a moment I stood on the shore, with the grapple in my hand and the boat close by, and as they came near I discharged my pistol into the midst of them. На мгновение я замер на берегу с грейфером в руках и лодкой рядом, а когда они приблизились, разрядил пистолет в их сторону. Then I sprang into the boat; the swift current bore me away, and in a few minutes the crowd of pursuing demons disappeared from view. Затем я прыгнул в лодку; быстрое течение унесло меня, и через несколько минут толпа преследующих демонов исчезла из виду.