登陆注册
15451200000017

第17章 CHAPTER IV MY JOURNEY TO THE WINTER-VELD(3)

Then, taking my courage in both my hands, I decided. I gave my pony a cut, and set him off on the homeward road. I knew he was safe to get back in four or five hours, and in broad day there was little fear of wild beasts attacking him. I had tied my sleeping bag on to the saddle, and had with me but two pocketfuls of food. I had also fastened on the saddle a letter to my Dutch foreman, bidding him send a native with a spare horse to fetch me by the evening. Then I started off to look for a chimney. A boyhood spent on the cliffs at Kirkcaple had made me a bold cragsman, and the porphyry of the Rooirand clearly gave excellent holds. But I walked many weary miles along the cliff-foot before I found a feasible road. To begin with, it was no light task to fight one's way through the dense undergrowth of the lower slopes. Every kind of thorn-bush lay in wait for my skin, creepers tripped me up, high trees shut out the light, and I was in constant fear lest a black mamba might appear out of the tangle. It grew very hot, and the screes above the thicket were blistering to the touch. My tongue, too, stuck to the roof of my mouth with thirst. The first chimney I tried ran out on the face into nothingness, and I had to make a dangerous descent. The second was a deep gully, but so choked with rubble that after nearly braining myself I desisted. Still going eastwards, I found a sloping ledge which took me to a platform from which ran a crack with a little tree growing in it. My glass showed me that beyond this tree the crack broadened into a clearly defined chimney which led to the top. If I can once reach that tree, I thought, the battle is won. The crack was only a few inches wide, large enough to let in an arm and a foot, and it ran slantwise up a perpendicular rock. I do not think I realized how bad it was till I had gone too far to return. Then my foot jammed, and I paused for breath with my legs and arms cramping rapidly. I remember that I looked to the west, and saw through the sweat which kept dropping into my eyes that about half a mile off a piece of cliff which looked unbroken from the foot had a fold in it to the right. The darkness of the fold showed me that it was a deep, narrow gully. However, I had no time to think of this, for I was fast in the middle of my confounded crack. With immense labour I found a chockstone above my head, and managed to force my foot free. The next few yards were not so difficult, and then I stuck once more.

For the crack suddenly grew shallow as the cliff bulged out above me. I had almost given up hope, when I saw that about three feet above my head grew the tree. If I could reach it and swing out I might hope to pull myself up to the ledge on which it grew. I confess it needed all my courage, for I did not know but that the tree might be loose, and that it and I might go rattling down four hundred feet. It was my only hope, however, so I set my teeth, and wriggling up a few inches, made a grab at it. Thank God it held, and with a great effort I pulled my shoulder over the ledge, and breathed freely.

My difficulties were not ended, but the worst was past. The rest of the gully gave me good and safe climbing, and presently a very limp and weary figure lay on the cliff-top. It took me many minutes to get back my breath and to conquer the faintness which seized me as soon as the need for exertion was over.

When I scrambled to my feet and looked round, I saw a wonderful prospect. It was a plateau like the high-veld, only covered with bracken and little bushes like hazels. Three or four miles off the ground rose, and a shallow vale opened. But in the foreground, half a mile or so distant, a lake lay gleaming in the sun.

I could scarcely believe my eyes as I ran towards it, and doubts of a mirage haunted me. But it was no mirage, but a real lake, perhaps three miles in circumference, with bracken-fringed banks, a shore of white pebbles, and clear deep blue water. I drank my fill, and then stripped and swam in the blessed coolness. After that I ate some luncheon, and sunned myself on a flat rock. 'I have discovered the source of the Labongo,' I said to myself. 'I will write to the Royal Geographical Society, and they will give me a medal.'

同类推荐
  • 观物外篇

    观物外篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 溪山卧游录

    溪山卧游录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 古琴疏

    古琴疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 十六大罗汉因果识见颂

    十六大罗汉因果识见颂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金箓大斋启盟仪

    金箓大斋启盟仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • TFBOYS不变的爱恋

    TFBOYS不变的爱恋

    三个普通女孩,三个明星男孩,命运把她们引到了一起,又戏虐般的将他们分开。如今,女孩们长大了,失去了对别人的信任,失去了纯真,但唯一不变的,只有那对男孩心底的爱恋……本书为两人共写的书,喜欢的可以加我们共同的qq:2811641150希望大家喜欢哦*^_^*~
  • 凌云修仙传

    凌云修仙传

    不从狗血的家破人亡开始一个平凡的才子和一段不平凡的修仙旅程
  • 蜜宠香妻:总裁宠妻如命

    蜜宠香妻:总裁宠妻如命

    他是商政两界,见了都要礼让三分的神秘人物。她是被相恋七年男友跟妹妹背叛,身心伤痕累累的安家大小姐。*一场蓄意已久的阴谋,她前后失去了亲人,事业。磅礴大雨中,他撑着伞走到她面前,心疼地抚着她的脸,为她撑起一片不委屈的天空。她脱下那伪装已久坚强的躯壳,不由自主的沦陷在他无尽的宠溺里……而然,几番风雨突变,当年被公认为柔弱的兔子长出獠牙,步步为赢。
  • 凤宁染

    凤宁染

    一袭红衣,一舞惊鸿,一笑倾城,再笑倾国。这是一个外人看见的凤宁染。可事实,并不如意。幼年,家乡被屠城,父母的下落不明。凤宁染变成了一个人,并且不得不改名换姓。几年后,回到繁华的长安城,她发誓,要找出当年的幕后黑手,却意外的,发现的一件东西。从那之后,她无故多了与他的婚约,其实大家的目的都一样。一个是为了救人,一个是为了家族的天命。“命运,真是可命不可违的东西。”【简介不好,请看正文决定。】
  • 霸道恶魔的专属甜心

    霸道恶魔的专属甜心

    爱情的本质是懵懂的,爱情的真谛是纯真的,对于我们来说,爱情是全世界最真,最渴望两又望而却步的……
  • TFBOYS之致青春

    TFBOYS之致青春

    “撞包撞衫甚至撞脸都没令我那么害怕我最害怕的是你看别人的眼神跟看我时一样”---by上官雅。“他伤了你那么多次你怎么还没离开?”---by路人。“偶尔他也会给我敷药,喂我吃糖。”---by初萦。"“我都忘了这是我第几次说要放弃你,情不知所起,一往而深。我等一等,再放弃。”---by南宫紫璃。"你太重要,别人碰一下我都觉得是抢。"---by王俊凯。"如果有缘,错过了还会重来;如果无缘,相遇了也会离开。"---by王源。"最怕的是关系突然变淡而你却连原因都不知道。"by易烊千玺。
  • 斥候信条

    斥候信条

    或看到森林的宁静、荒野的凄凉,或看到敌人前进的目标、后撤的方向。站在这里,放弃了重骑兵的梦想,没有忘记平民的期盼和誓言的回响!———————————————————————希望大家能多多支持。
  • 霸世龙啸

    霸世龙啸

    悠悠沧海,混沌开,道法自燃,苍龙现……天雷滚滚,翔云密布,电闪雷鸣之后,只见苍穹金光一闪,骄儿降世。从此天下群雄角逐,一场浩劫,正在弥漫而来。张翎骄,一个猎户之子,又是如何得奇果、习武技、巧姻缘、组势力、分天下、压群雄、成霸业呢……
  • 鬼师倾城

    鬼师倾城

    倾尽家族,只为她回到起点。风华绝代,俯首覆国平天下。菁华浮梦,梦醒妆泪红阑干。玲珑骰子,入骨相思君知否?……封然:“如果我的男人连这点本事都没有,那我还要他干什么?”九黎:“如果连自己的女人也保护不了,这个圣尊不要也罢!”狐小狸:“谁敢拦我,杀了谁。”
  • 跨越千山万水:世间只得一个你

    跨越千山万水:世间只得一个你

    重逢之前,她将其他旧爱变为男闺蜜。再次相遇,方知有些人值得她再次付出。这个世界,真的有一个人的吻,一个人的怀抱,可以令你忘掉世界的其他纷扰,只顾沉溺其中。实力派言情女神蓝白色深度演绎都市女白领可能会遭遇到的三类典型男人:男闺蜜、相亲男和前男友,以及他们和女人之间的各种爱情对决。全球首发独家绝密番外:分别讲述火星暖男周子廷从“敝履”到“蜜糖”的新恋情、男女主角后续幸福,以及女主“神经男闺蜜”晟峻的最新爱情故事。