when the world shook-第51部分

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her　death　agony　while　the　murderer　drowned　her　child；　then　added：

〃Let　us　go。〃



Our　road　ran　across　the　sea。　On　it　we　saw　a　ship　so　large　that

it　attracted　Oro's　attention；　and　for　once　he　expressed

astonishment。



〃In　my　day；〃　he　said；　〃we　had　no　vessels　of　this　greatness　in

the　world。　I　wish　to　look　upon　it。〃



We　landed　on　the　deck　of　the　ship；　or　rather　the　floating

palace；　and　examined　her。　She　carried　many　passengers；　some

English；　some　American；　and　I　pointed　out　to　Oro　the　differences

between　the　two　peoples。　These　were　not；　he　remarked；　very　wide

except　that　the　American　women　wore　more　jewels；　also　that　some

of　the　American　men；　to　whom　we　listened　as　they　conversed；　spoke

of　the　greatness　of　their　country；　whereas　the　Englishmen；　if

they　said　anything　concerning　it；　belittled　their　country。



Presently；　on　the　surface　of　the　sea　at　a　little　distance

appeared　something　strange；　a　small　and　ominous　object　like　a　can

on　the　top　of　a　pole。　A　voice　cried　out　〃Submarine！〃　and　everyone

near　rushed　to　look。



〃If　those　Germans　try　any　of　their　monkey　tricks　on　us；　I　guess

the　United　States　will　give　them　hell；〃　said　another　voice　near

by。



Then　from　the　direction　of　the　pole　with　the　tin　can　on　the　top

of　it；　came　something　which　caused　a　disturbance　in　the　smooth

water　and　bubbles　to　rise　in　its　wake。



〃A　torpedo！〃　cried　some。



〃Shut　your　mouth；〃　said　the　voice。　〃Who　dare　torpedo　a　vessel

full　of　the　citizens　of　the　United　States？〃



Next　came　a　booming　crash　and　a　flood　of　upthrown　water；　in　the

wash　of　which　that　speaker　was　carried　away　into　the　deep。　Then

horror！　horror！　horror！　indescribable；　as　the　mighty　vessel　went

wallowing　to　her　doom。　Boats　launched；　boats　overset；　boats

dragged　under　by　her　rush　through　the　water　which　could　not　be

stayed。　Maddened　men　and　women　running　to　and　fro；　their　eyes

starting　from　their　heads；　clasping　children；　fastening　lifebelts

over　their　costly　gowns；　or　appearing　from　their　cabins；　their

hands　filled　with　jewels　that　they　sought　to　save。　Orders　cried

from　high　places　by　stern…faced　officers　doing　their　duty　to　the

last。　And　a　little　way　off　that　thin　pole　with　a　tin　can　on　the

top　of　it　watching　its　work。



Then　the　plunge　of　the　enormous　ship　into　the　deep；　its　huge

screws　still　whirling　in　the　air　and　the　boom　of　the　bursting

boilers。　Lastly　everything　gone　save　a　few　boats　floating　on　the

quiet　sea　and　around　them　dots　that　were　the　heads　of　struggling

human　beings。



〃Let　us　go　home；〃　said　Oro。　〃I　grow　tired　of　this　war　of　your

Christian　peoples。　It　is　no　better　than　that　of　the　barbarian

nations　of　the　early　world。　Indeed　it　is　worse；　since　then　we

worshipped　Fate　and　but　a　few　of　us　had　wisdom。　Now　you　all　claim

wisdom　and　declare　that　you　worship　a　God　of　Mercy。〃





With　these　words　still　ringing　in　my　ears　I　woke　up　upon　the

Island　of　Orofena；　filled　with　terror　at　the　horrible

possibilities　of　nightmare。



What　else　could　it　be？　There　was　the　brown　and　ancient　cone　of

the　extinct　volcano。　There　were　the　tall　palms　of　the　main　island

and　the　lake　glittering　in　the　sunlight　between。　There　was　Bastin

conducting　a　kind　of　Sunday　school　of　Orofenans　upon　the　point　of

the　Rock　of　Offerings；　as　now　he　had　obtained　the　leave　of　Oro　to

do。　There　was　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　and　issuing　from　it　Bickley；

who　by　help　of　one　of　the　hurricane　lamps　had　been　making　an

examination　of　the　buried　remains　of　what　he　supposed　to　be

flying　machines。　Without　doubt　it　was　nightmare；　and　I　would　say

nothing　to　them　about　it　for　fear　of　mockery。



Yet　two　nights　later　Oro　came　again　and　after　the　usual

preliminaries；　said：



〃Humphrey；　this　night　we　will　visit　that　mighty　American

nation；　of　which　you　have　told　me　so　much；　and　the　other　Neutral

Countries。





＇At　this　point　there　is　a　gap　in　Mr。　Arbuthnot's　M。S。；　so　Oro's

reflections　on　the　Neutral　Nations；　if　any；　remain　unrecorded。　It

continues：＇





On　our　homeward　way　we　passed　over　Australia；　making　a　detour

to　do　so。　Of　the　cities　Oro　took　no　account。　He　said　that　they

were　too　large　and　too　many；　but　the　country　interested　him　so

much　that　I　gathered　he　must　have　given　great　attention　to

agriculture　at　some　time　in　the　past。　He　pointed　out　to　me　that

the　climate　was　fine；　and　the　land　so　fertile　that　with　a　proper

system　of　irrigation　and　water…storage　it　could　support　tens　of

millions　and　feed　not　only　itself　but　a　great　part　of　the

outlying　world。



〃But　where　are　the　people？〃　he　asked。　〃Outside　of　those　huge

hives；〃　and　he　indicated　the　great　cities；　〃I　see　few　of　them；

though　doubtless　some　of　the　men　are　fighting　in　this　war。　Well；

in　the　days　to　come　this　must　be　remedied。〃



Over　New　Zealand；　which　he　found　beautiful；　he　shook　his　head

for　the　same　reason。



On　another　night　we　visited　the　East。　China　with　its　teeming

millions　interested　him　extremely；　partly　because　he　declared

these　to　be　the　descendants　of　one　of　the　barbarian　nations　of

his　own　day。　He　made　a　remark　to　the　effect　that　this　race　had

always　possessed　points　and　capacities；　and　that　he　thought　that

with　proper　government　and　instruction　their　Chinese　offspring

would　be　of　use　in　a　regenerated　world。



For　the　Japanese　and　all　that　they　had　done　in　two　short

generations；　he　went　so　far　as　to　express　real　admiration；　a　very

rare　thing　with　Oro；　who　was　by　nature　critical。　I　could　see　that

mentally　he　put　a　white　mark　against　their　name。



India；　too；　really　moved　him。　He　admired　the　ancient　buildings

at　Delhi　and　Agra；　especially　the　Taj　Mahal。　This；　he　declared；

was　reminiscent　of　some　of　the　palaces　that　stood　at　Pani；　the

capital　city　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom；　before　it　was　destroyed　by

the　Barbarians。



The　English　administration　of　the　country　also　attracted　a　word

of　praise　from　him；　I　think　because　of　its　rather　autocratic

character。　Indeed　he　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that；　with　certain

modifications；　it　should　be　continued　in　the　future；　and　even　to

intimate　that　he　would　bear　the　matter　in　mind。　Democratic　forms

of　government　had　no　charms　for　Oro。



Amongst　other　places；　we　stopped　at　Benares　and　watched　the

funeral　rites　in　progress　upon　the　banks　of　the　holy　Ganges。　The

bearers　of　the　dead　brought　the　body　of　a　woman　wrapped　in　a　red

shroud　that　glittered　with　tinsel　ornaments。　Coming　forward　at　a

run　and　chanting　as　they　ran；　they　placed　it　upon　the　stones　for

a　little　while；　then　lifted　it　up　again　and　carried　it　down　the

steps　to　the　edge　of　the　river。　Here　they　took　water　and　poured

it　over　the　corpse；　thus　performing　the　rite　of　the　baptism　of

death。　This　done；　they　placed　its　feet　in　the　water　and　left　it

looking　very　small　and　lonely。　Presently　appeared　a　tall；

white…draped　woman　who　took　her　stand　by　the　body　and　wailed。　It

was　the　dead　one's　mother。　Again　the　bearers　approached　and　laid

the　corpse　upon　the　flaming　pyre。



〃These　rites　are　ancient；〃　said　Oro。　〃When　I　ruled　as　King　of

the　World　they　were　practised　in　this　very　place。　It　is　pleasant

to　me　to　find　something　that　has　survived　the　changefulness　of

Time。　Let　it　continue　till　the　end。〃





Here　I　will　cease。　These　experiences　that　I　have　recorded　are

but　samples；　for　also　we　visited　Russia　and　other　countries。

Perhaps；　too；　they　were　not　experiences　at　all；　but　only　dreams

consequent　on　my　state　of　health。　I　cannot　say　for　certain；

though　much　of　what　I　seemed　to　see　fitted　in　very　well　indeed

with　what　I　learned　in　after　days；　and　certainly　at　the　time　they

appeared　as　real　as　though　Oro　and　I　had　stood　together　upon

those　various　shores。







Chapter　XXI



Love's　Eternal　Altar





Now　of　all　these　happenings　I　said　very　little　to　Bastin　and

Bickley。　The　former　would　not　have　understood　them；　and　the

latter　attributed　what　I　did　tell　him　to　mental　delusions

following　on　my　illness。　To　Yva　I　did　speak　about　them；　however；

imploring　her　to　explain　their　origin　and　to　tell　me　whether　or

not　they　were　but　visions　of　the　night。



She　listened　to　me；　as　I　thought　not　without　anxiety；　from

which　I　gathered　that　she　too　feared　for　my　mind。　It　was　not　so；

however；　for　she　said：



〃I　am　glad；　O　Humphrey；　that　your　journeyings　are　done；　since

such　things　are　not　without　danger。　He　who　travels　far　out　of　the

body　may　chance　to　return　there　no　more。〃



〃But　were　they　journeyings；　or　dreams？〃　I　asked。



She　evaded　a　direct　answer。



〃I　cannot　say。　My　father　has　great　powers。　I　do　not　know　them

all。　It　is　possible　that　they　were　neither　journeyings　nor

dreams。　Mayhap　he　used　you　as　the　sorcerers　in　the　old　days　used

the　magic　glass；　and　after　he　had　put　his　spell　upon　you；　read　in

your　mind　that　which　passes　elsewhere。〃



I　understood　her　to　refer　to　what　we　call　clairvoyance；　when

the　person　entranced　reveals　secret　or　distant　things　to　the

entrancer。　This　is　a　more　or　less　established　phenomenon　and　much

less　marvelous　than　the　actual　transportation　of　the　spiritual

self　through　space。　Only　I　never　knew　of　an　instance　in　which　the

seer；　on　awaking；　remembered　the　things　that　he　had　seen；　as　in

my　case。　There；　however；　the　matter　rested；　or　rests；　for　I　could

extract　nothing　more　from　Yva；　who　appeared　to　me　to　have　her

orders　on　the　point。



Nor　did　Oro　ever　talk　of　what　I　had　seemed　to　see　in　his

company；　although　he　continued　from　time　to　time　to　visit　me　at

night。　But　now　our　conversation　was　of　other　matters。　As　Bastin

had　discovered；　by　some　extraordinary　gift　he　had　soon　learned

how　to　read　the　English　language；　although　he　never　spoke　a

single　word　in　that　tongue。　Among　our　reference　books　that　we

brought　from　the　yacht；　was　a　thin　paper　edition　of　the

Encyclopedia　Britannica；　which　he　borrowed　when　he　discovered

that　it　contained　compressed　information　about　the　various

countries　of　the　world；　also　concerning　al