小说园

第11部分（第2页）

had　bee　very　thoughtful。　　〃e；　my　lad；　lead　us　to　the　cottage。　There　we　shall　ascertain　the　truth。〃

Jack　Ryan　shook　his　head；　as　if　not　at　all　convinced。　Then；　taking　a　lamp　from　the　hands　of　one　of　the　men；　he　proceeded　with　a　rapid　step　along　the　principal　passage　of　the　Dochart　pit。　The　others　all　followed　him。

In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　party　arrived　at　the　excavation　in　which　stood　Simon　Fords　cottage。　　There　was　no　light　in　the　window。　　Ryan　darted　to　the　door；　and　threw　it　open。　The　house　was　empty。

They　examined　all　the　rooms　in　the　somber　habitation。　No　trace　of　violence　was　to　be　found。　　All　was　in　order；　as　if　old　Madge　had　been　still　there。　　There　was　even　an　ample　supply　of　provisions；　enough　to　last　the　Ford　family　for　several　days。

The　absence　of　the　tenants　of　the　cottage　was　quite　unaccountable。　But　was　it　not　possible　to　find　out　the　exact　time　they　had　quitted　it？　Yes；　for　in　this　region；　where　there　was　no　difference　of　day　or　night；　Madge　was　accustomed　to　mark　with　a　cross　each　day　in　her　almanac。

The　almanac　was　pinned　up　on　the　wall；　and　there　the　last　cross　had　been　made　at　the　6th　of　December；　that　is　to　say；　a　day　after　the　arrival　of　James　Starr；　to　which　Ryan　could　positively　swear。　It　was　clear　that　on　the　6th　of　December；　ten　days　ago；　Simon　Ford；　his　wife；　son；　and　guest；　had　quitted　the　cottage。　Could　a　fresh　exploration　of　the　mine；　undertaken　by　the　engineer；　account　for　such　a　long　absence？　　Certainly　not。

It　was　intensely　dark　all　round。　　The　lamps　held　by　the　men　gave　light　only　just　where　they　were　standing。　　Suddenly　Jack　Ryan　uttered　a　cry。　〃Look　there；　there！〃

His　finger　was　pointing　to　a　tolerably　bright　light；　which　was　moving　about　in　the　distance。　　〃After　that　light；　my　men！〃　exclaimed　Sir　William。

〃Its　a　goblin　light！〃　said　Ryan。　　〃So　whats　the　use？　We　shall　never　catch　it。〃

The　president　and　his　men；　little　given　to　superstition；　darted　off　in　the　direction　of　the　moving　light。　　Jack　Ryan；　bravely　following　their　example；　quickly　overtook　the　head…most　of　the　party。

It　was　a　long　and　fatiguing　chase。　　The　lantern　seemed　to　be　carried　by　a　being　of　small　size；　but　singular　agility。

Every　now　and　then　it　disappeared　behind　some　pillar；　then　was　seen　again　at　the　end　of　a　cross　gallery。　　A　sharp　turn　would　place　it　out　of　sight；　and　it　seemed　to　have　pletely　disappeared；　when　all　at　once　there　would　be　the　light　as　bright　as　ever。　However；　they　gained　very　little　on　it；　and　Ryans　belief　that　they　could　never　catch　it　seemed　far　from　groundless。

After　an　hour　of　this　vain　pursuit　Sir　William　Elphiston　and　his　panions　had　gone　a　long　way　in　the　southwest　direction　of　the　pit；　and　began　to　think　they　really　had　to　do　with　an　impalpable　being。　Just　then　it　seemed　as　if　the　distance　between　the　goblin　and　those　who　were　pursuing　it　was　being　less。　　Could　it　be　fatigued；　or　did　this　invisible　being　wish　to　entice　Sir　William　and　his　panions　to　the　place　where　the　inhabitants　of　the　cottage　had　perhaps　themselves　been　enticed。　It　was　hard　to　say。

The　men；　seeing　that　the　distance　lessened；　redoubled　their　efforts。　The　light　which　had　before　burnt　at　a　distance　of　more　than　two　hundred　feet　before　them　was　now　seen　at　less　than　fifty。　The　space　continued　to　diminish。　　The　bearer　of　the　lamp　became　partially　visible。　　Sometimes；　when　it　turned　its　head；　the　indistinct　profile　of　a　human　face　could　be　made　out；　and　unless　a　sprite　could　assume　bodily　shape；　Jack　Ryan　was　obliged　to　confess　that　here　was　no　supernatural　being。　Then；　springing　forward；……

〃Courage；　rades！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃it　is　getting　tired！　We　shall　soon　catch　it　up　now；　and　if　it　can　talk　as　well　as　it　can　run　we　shall　hear　a　fine　story。〃

But　the　pursuit　had　suddenly　bee　more　difficult。　They　were　in　unknown　regions　of　the　mine；　narrow　passages　crossed　each　other　like　the　windings　of　a　labyrinth。　The　bearer　of　the　lamp　might　escape　them　as　easily　as　possible；　by　just　extinguishing　the　light　and　retreating　into　some　dark　refuge。

〃And　indeed；〃　thought　Sir　William；　〃if　it　wishes　to　avoid　us；　why　does　it　not　do　so？〃

Hitherto　there　had　evidently　been　no　intention　to　avoid　them；　but　just　as　the　thought　crossed　Sir　Williams　mind　the　light　suddenly　disappeared；　and　the　party；　continuing　the　pursuit；　found　themselves　before　an　extremely　narrow　natural　opening　in　the　schistous　rocks。

To　trim　their　lamps；　spring　forward；　and　dart　through　the　opening；　was　for　Sir　William　and　his　party　but　the　work　of　an　instant。　But　before　they　had　gone　a　hundred　paces　along　this　new　gallery；　much　wider　and　loftier　than　the　former；　they　all　stopped　short。　There；　near　the　wall；　lay　four　bodies；　stretched　on　the　ground……　four　corpses；　perhaps！

〃James　Starr！〃　exclaimed　Sir　William　Elphiston。

〃Harry！　　Harry！〃　cried　Ryan；　throwing　himself　down　beside　his　friend。

It　was　indeed　the　engineer；　Madge；　Simon；　and　Harry　Ford　who　were　lying　there　motionless。　　But　one　of　the　bodies　moved　slightly；　and　Madges　voice　was　heard　faintly　murmuring；　〃See　to　the　others！　help　them　first！〃

Sir　William；　Jack；　and　their　panions　endeavored　to　reanimate　the　engineer　and　his　friends　by　getting　them　to　swallow　a　few　drops　of　brandy。　　They　very　soon　succeeded。　　The　unfortunate　people；　shut　up　in　that　dark　cavern　for　ten　days；　were　dying　of　starvation。　They　must　have　perished　had　they　not　on　three　occasions　found　a　loaf　of　bread　and　a　jug　of　water　set　near　them。　No　doubt　the　charitable　being　to　whom　they　owed　their　lives　was　unable　to　do　more　for　them。

Sir　William　wondered　whether　this　might　not　have　been　the　work　of　the　strange　sprite　who　had　allured　them　to　the　very　spot　where　James　Starr　and　his　panions　lay。

However　that　might　be；　the　engineer；　Madge；　Simon；　and　Harry　Ford　were　saved。　　They　were　assisted　to　the　cottage；　passing　through　the　narrow　opening　which　the　bearer　of　the　strange　light　had　apparently　wished　to　point　out　to　Sir　William。　　This　was　a　natural