the underground city-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


〃　　James　Starr　always　came　back　to　that。

On　the　other　hand；　the　engineer　knew　Ford　to　be　a　clever　miner；　peculiarly　endowed　with　the　instinct　of　his　trade。　He　had　not　seen　him　since　the　time　when　the　Aberfoyle　colliery　was　abandoned；　and　did　not　know　either　what　he　was　doing　or　where　he　was　living；　with　his　wife　and　his　son。　All　that　he　now　knew　was；　that　a　rendezvous　had　been　appointed　him　at　the　Yarrow　shaft；　and　that　Harry；　Simon　Ford's　son；　was　to　wait　for　him　during　the　whole　of　the　next　day　at　the　Callander　station。


〃I　shall　go；　I　shall　go！〃　said　Starr；　his　excitement　increasing　as　the　time　drew　near。

Our　worthy　engineer　belonged　to　that　class　of　men　whose　brain　is　always　on　the　boil；　like　a　kettle　on　a　hot　fire。　　In　some　of　these　brain　kettles　the　ideas　bubble　over；　in　others　they　just　simmer　quietly。　Now　on　this　day；　James　Starr's　ideas　were　boiling　fast。

But　suddenly　an　unexpected　incident　occurred。　　This　was　the　drop　of　cold　water；　which　in　a　moment　was　to　condense　all　the　vapors　of　the　brain。　About　six　in　the　evening；　by　the　third　post；　Starr's　servant　brought　him　a　second　letter。　　This　letter　was　enclosed　in　a　coarse　envelope；　and　evidently　directed　by　a　hand　unaccustomed　to　the　use　of　a　pen。　James　Starr　tore　it　open。　　It　contained　only　a　scrap　of　paper；　yellowed　by　time；　and　apparently　torn　out　of　an　old　copy　book。

On　this　paper　was　written　a　single　sentence；　thus　worded：

〃It　is　useless　for　the　engineer　James　Starr　to　trouble　himself；　Simon　Ford's　letter　being　now　without　object。〃

No　signature。


CHAPTER　II　ON　THE　ROAD


THE　course　of　James　Starr's　ideas　was　abruptly　stopped；　when　he　got　this　second　letter　contradicting　the　first。

〃What　does　this　mean？〃　said　he　to　himself。　　He　took　up　the　torn　envelope；　and　examined　it。　　Like　the　other；　it　bore　the　Aberfoyle　postmark。　It　had　therefore　come　from　the　same　part　of　the　county　of　Stirling。　The　old　miner　had　evidently　not　written　it。　　But；　no　less　evidently；　the　author　of　this　second　letter　knew　the　overman's　secret；　since　it　expressly　contradicted　the　invitation　to　the　engineer　to　go　to　the　Yarrow　shaft。

Was　it　really　true　that　the　first　communication　was　now　without　object？　Did　someone　wish　to　prevent　James　Starr　from　troubling　himself　either　uselessly　or　otherwise？　　Might　there　not　be　rather　a　malevolent　intention　to　thwart　Ford's　plans？

This　was　the　conclusion　at　which　James　Starr　arrived；　after　mature　reflection。　　The　contradiction　which　existed　between　the　two　letters　only　wrought　in　him　a　more　keen

desire　to　visit　the　Dochart　pit。　　And　besides；　if　after　all　it　was　a　hoax；　it　was　well　worth　while　to　prove　it。　　Starr　also　thought　it　wiser　to　give　more　credence　to　the　first　letter　than　to　the　second；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　request　of　such　a　man　as　Simon　Ford；　rather　than　to　the　warning　of　his　anonymous　contradictor。

〃Indeed；〃　said　he；　〃the　fact　of　anyone　endeavoring　to　influence　my　resolution；　shows　that　Ford's　communication　must　be　of　great　importance。　To…morrow；　at　the　appointed　time；　I　shall　be　at　the　rendezvous。〃

In　the　evening；　Starr　made　his　preparations　for　departure。　As　it　might　happen　that　his　absence　would　be　prolonged　for　some　days；　he　wrote　to　Sir　W。　Elphiston；　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　that　he　should　be　unable　to　be　present　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　Society。　　He　also　wrote　to　excuse　himself　from　two　or　three　engagements　which　he　had　made　for　the　week。　Then；　having　ordered　his　servant　to　pack　a　traveling　bag；　he　went　to　bed；　more　excited　than　the　affair　perhaps　warranted。

The　next　day；　at　five　o'clock；　James　Starr　jumped　out　of　bed；　dressed　himself　warmly；　for　a　cold　rain　was　falling；　and　left　his　house　in　the　Canongate；　to　go　to　Granton　Pier　to　catch　the　steamer；　which　in　three　hours　would　take　him　up　the　Forth　as　far　as　Stirling。

For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　perhaps；　in　passing　along　the　Canongate；　he　did　NOT　TURN　TO　LOOK　AT　HOLYROOD；　the　palace　of　the　former　sovereigns　of　Scotland。　　He　did　not　notice　the　sentinels　who　stood　before　its　gateways；　dressed　in　the　uniform　of　their　Highland　regiment；　tartan　kilt；　plaid　and　sporran　complete。　　His　whole　thought　was　to　reach　Callander　where　Harry　Ford　was　supposedly　awaiting　him。

The　better　to　understand　this　narrative；　it　will　be　as　well　to　hear　a　few　words　on　the　origin　of　coal。　　During　the　geological　epoch；　when　the　terrestrial　spheroid　was　still　in　course　of　formation；　a　thick　atmosphere　surrounded　it；　saturated　with　watery　vapors；　and　copiously　impregnated　with　carbonic　acid。　　The　vapors　gradually　condensed　in　diluvial　rains；　which　fell　as　if　they　had　leapt　from　the　necks　of　thousands　of　millions　of　seltzer　water　bottles。　This　liquid；　loaded　with　carbonic　acid；　rushed　in　torrents　over　a　deep　soft　soil；　subject　to　sudden　or　slow　alterations　of

form；　and　maintained　in　its　semi…fluid　state　as　much　by　the　heat　of　the　sun　as　by　the　fires　of　the　interior　mass。　　The　internal　heat　had　not　as　yet　been　collected　in　the　center　of　the　globe。　The　terrestrial　crust；　thin　and　incompletely　hardened；　allowed　it　to　spread　through　its　pores。　　This　caused　a　peculiar　form　of　vegetation；　such　as　is　probably　produced　on　the　surface　of　the　inferior　planets；　Venus　or　Mercury；　which　revolve　nearer　than　our　earth　around　the　radiant　sun　of　our　system。

The　soil　of　the　continents　was　covered　with　immense　forests。　Carbonic　acid；　so　suitable　for　the　development　of　the　vegetable　kingdom；　abounded。　　The　feet　of　these　trees　were　drowned　in　a　sort　of　immense　lagoon；　kept　continually　full　by　currents　of　fresh　and　salt　waters。　　They　eagerly　assimilated　to　themselves　the　carbon　which　they；　little　by　little；　extracted　from　the　atmosphere；　as　yet　unfit　for　the　function　of　life；　and　it　may　be　said　that　they　were　destined　to　store　it；　in　the　form　of　coal；　in　the　very　bowels　of　the　earth。

It　was　the　earthquake　period；　caused　by　internal　convulsions；　which　suddenly　modified　the　unsettled　features　of　the　terrestrial　surface。　　Here；　an　intumescence　which　was　to　become　a　mountain；　there；　an　abyss　which　was　to　be　filled　with　an　ocean　or　a　sea。　　There；　whole　forests　sunk　through　the　earth's　crust；　below　the　unfixed　strata；　either　until　they　found　a　resting…place；　such　as　the　primitive　bed　of　granitic　rock；　or；　settling　together　in　a　heap；　they　formed　a　solid　mass。

As　the　waters　were　contained　in　no　bed；　and　were　spread　over　every　part　of　the　globe；　they　rushed　where　they　liked；　tearing　from　the　scarcely…formed　rocks　material　with　which　to　compose　schists；　sandstones；　and　limestones。　　This　the　roving　waves　bore　over　the　submerged　and　now　peaty　forests；　and　deposited　above　them　the　elements　of　rocks　which　were　to　superpose　the　coal　strata。　In　course　of　time；　periods　of　which　include　millions　of　years；　these　earths　hardened　in　layers；　and　enclosed　under　a　thick　carapace　of　pudding…stone；　schist；　compact　or　friable　sandstone；　gravel　and　stones；　the　whole　of　the　massive　forests。

And　what　went　on　in　this　gigantic　crucible；　where　all　this　vegetable　matter　had　accumulated；　sunk　to　various　depths？　A　regular　chemical　operation；　a　sort　of　distillation。　All　the　carbon　contained　in　these　vegetables　had　agglomerated；　and　little　by　little　coal　was　forming　under　the　double　influence　of　enormous　pressure　and　the　high　temperature　maintained　by　the　internal　fires；　at　this　time　so　close　to　it。

Thus　there　was　one　kingdom　substituted　for　another　in　this　slow　but　irresistible　reaction。　　The　vegetable　was　transformed　into　a　mineral。　　Plants　which　had　lived　the　vegeta…tive　life　in　all　the　vigor　of　first　creation　became　petrified。　Some　of　the　substances　enclosed　in　this　vast　herbal　left　their　impression　on　the　other　more　rapidly　mineralized　products；　which　pressed　them　as　an　hydraulic　press　of　incalculable　power　would　have　done。

Thus　also　shells；　zoophytes；　star…fish；　polypi；　spirifores；　even　fish　and　lizards　brought　by　the　water；　left　on　the　yet　soft　coal　their　exact　likeness；　〃admirably　taken　off。〃

Pressure　seems　to　have　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　formation　of　carboniferous　strata。　　In　fact；　it　is　to　its　degree　of　power　that　are　due　the　different　sorts　of　coal；　of　which　industry　makes　use。　Thus　in　the　lowest　layers　of　the　coal　ground　appears　the　anthracite；　which；　being　almost　destitute　of　volatile　matter；　contains　the　greatest　quantity　of　carbon。　　In　the　higher　beds　are　found；　on　the　contrary；　lignite　and　fossil　wood；　substances　in　which　the　quantity　of　carbon　is　infinitely　less。　　Between　these　two　beds；　according　to　the　degree　of　pressure　to　which　they　have　been　subjected；　are　found　veins　of　graphite　and　rich　or　poor　coal。　　It　may　be　asserted　that　it　is　for　want　of　sufficient　pressure　that　beds　of　peaty　bog　have　not　been　completely　changed　into　coal。　　So　then；　the　origin　of　coal　mines；　in　whatever　part　of　the　globe　they　have　been　discovered；　is　this：　the　absorption　through　the　terrestrial　crust　of　the　great　forests　of　the　geological　period；　then；　the　mineralization　of　the　vegetables　obtained　in　the　course　of　time；　under　the　influence　of　pressure　and　heat；　and　under　the　action　of　carbonic　acid。

Now；　at　the　time　when　the　events　related　in　this　story　took　place；　some　of　the　most　important　mines　of　the　Scottish　coal　beds　had　been　exhausted　by　too　rapid　working。　　In　the　region　which　extends　between　Edinburgh　and　Glasgow；　for　a　distance　of　ten　or　twelve　miles；　lay　the　Aberfoyle　colliery；　of　which　the　engineer；　James　Starr；　had　so　long

directed　the　works。　　For　ten　years　these　mines　had　been　abandoned。　No　new　seams　had　been　discovered；　although　the　soundings　had　been　carried　to　a　depth　of　fifteen　hundred　or　even　of　two　thousand　feet；　and　when　James　Starr　had　retired；　it　was　with　the　full　conviction　that　even　the　smallest　vein　had　been　completely　exhausted。

Under　these　circumstances；　it　was　plain　that　the　discovery　of　a　new　seam　of　coal　would　be　an　important　event。　Could　Simon　Ford's　communication　relate　to　a　fact　of　this　nature？　This　question　James　Starr　could　not　cease　asking　himself。　Was　he　called　to　make　conquest　of　another　corner　of　these　rich　treasure　fields？　　Fain　would　he　hope　it　was　so。

The　second　letter　had　for　an　instant　checked　his　speculations　on　this　subject；　but　now　he　thought　of　that　letter　no　longer。　　Besides；　the　son　of　the　old　overman　was　there；　waiting　at　the　appointed