第 27 节
作者:一意孤行      更新:2021-02-19 18:24      字数:9322
  Finally she ran out of the hut。
  〃Where is she going?〃 asked Tom suspiciously。
  〃To get her grandfather。         He very old Indian。 He know story of buried
  cities   under   trees。    Very   old   storywhat   you   call   legend;   maybe。     But
  Goosal      know。    He    tell  same    as  his  grandfather     told  him。    You     wait。
  Goosal come; and you listen。〃
  〃Good; Ned!〃 suddenly cried Tom。               〃Maybe; we'll get on the track of
  lost   Kurzon   after   all;   through   some   ancient   Indian   legend。     Maybe   we
  won't need the map!〃
  〃It hardly seems possible;〃 said Ned slowly。 〃What can these Indians
  know  of   buried   cities   that   were   out   of   existence   before   Columbus   came
  here?     Why; they haven't any written history。〃
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  〃No; and that may be just the reason they are more likely to be right;〃
  returned Tom。       〃Legends handed down from one grandfather to another
  go back a good many hundred years。             If they were written they might be
  destroyed as the professor's map was。           Somehow or other; though I can't
  tell why; I begin to see daylight ahead of us。〃
  〃I wish I did;〃 remarked Ned。
  〃Here   comes   Goosal   I   think;〃   murmured   Tom;   and   he   pointed   to   an
  Indian; bent with the weight of years; who; led by Tal's wife; was slowly
  approaching the hut。
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  TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
  CHAPTER XXI
  THE CAVERN
  〃Now Goosal can tell you;〃 said Tal; evidently pleased that he had; in
  a   measure;   solved   the   problem   caused   by   the   burning   of   the   professor's
  map。     〃Goosal     very   old  Indian。    He    know    old  storieslegendsvery
  old。〃
  〃Well; if he can tell us how to find the buried city of Kurzon and the
  the things in it;〃 said Tom; 〃he's all right!〃
  The aged Indian proceeded slowly toward the hut where the impatient
  youths awaited him。
  〃I know what you seek in the buried city;〃 remarked Tal。
  〃Do you?〃 cried Tom; wondering if some one had indiscreetly spoken
  of the idol of gold。
  〃Yes   you   want   pieces   of   rock;   with   strange   writings   on   them;   old
  weapons; broken pots。 I know。          I have helped white men before。〃
  〃Yes; those are the things we want;〃 agreed Tom; with a glance at his
  chum。     〃That   issome   of   them。   But   does   your   wife's   grandfather   talk
  our language?〃
  〃No; but I can tell you what he says。〃
  By this time the old man; led by 〃Mrs。 Tal〃 as the young men called
  the   wife   of   the  Indian  they   had  helpedentered     the   hut。 He    seemed
  nervous and shy; and glanced from Tom and Ned to his grandson…in…law;
  as   the  latter  talked  rapidly   in  the  Indian   dialect。  Then     Goosal    made
  answer; but what it was all about the boys could not tell。
  〃Goosal say;〃 translated Tal; 〃that he know a story of a very old city
  away down under ground。〃
  〃Tell us about it!〃 urged Tom eagerly。
  But a difficulty very soon developed。          Tal's intentions were good; but
  he was not equal to the task of translating。         Nor was the understanding of
  Tom and Ned of Spanish quite up to the mark。
  〃Say;   this   is   too   much   for   me!〃   exclaimed   Tom。   〃We   are   losing   the
  most   valuable   part   of   this   by   not   understanding   what   Goosal   says;   and
  what Tal translates。〃
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  〃What can we do?〃 asked Ned。
  〃Get the professor here as soon as possible。 He can manage this dialect;
  and   he'll   get   the   information   at   first   hand。 If   Goosal   can   tell   where   to
  begin excavating for the city he ought to tell the professor; not us。〃
  〃That's right;〃 agreed Ned。          〃We'll bring the professor here as soon as
  we    can。〃     Accordingly       they   stopped     the  somewhat       difficult   task   of
  listening   to   the   translated   story  and   told Tal;   as   well   as   they  could;   that
  they would bring the 〃man…with…no…hair…on…his…head〃 to listen to the tale。
  This   seemed   to   suit   the   Indians;   all   of   whom   in   the   small   colony
  appeared to be very grateful to Tom and Ned for having saved the life of
  Tal。
  〃That was a good shot you made when you bowled over the jaguar;〃
  said Ned; as the two young explorers started back to their camp。
  〃Better than I realized; if it leads to the discovery of Kurzon and the
  idol of gold;〃 remarked Tom。
  〃And     to  think   we   should    come     across   the   oiled…  silk   holding    the
  poisoned   arrows!〃   went   on   Ned。   〃That's   the   strangest   part   of   the   whole
  affair。 If it hadn't been that you shot the jaguar this never would have come
  about。〃
  That    Professor     Bumper     was    astonished;    and   Mr。   Damon      likewise;
  when they heard the story of Tom and Ned; is stating it mildly。
  〃Come   on!〃   exclaimed   the   scientist;   as   Tom   finished;   〃we   must   see
  this Goosal at once。 If my map is destroyed; and it seems to be; this old
  Indian may be our only hope。 Where did he say the buried city was; Tom?〃
  〃Oh; somewhere in this vicinity; as nearly as I could make out。                     But
  you'd better talk with him yourself。           We didn't say anything about the idol
  of gold。〃
  〃That's right。     It's just as well to let the natives think we are only after
  ordinary relics。〃
  〃Bless   my   insurance   policy!〃   gasped   Mr。   Damon。   〃It   does   not   seem
  possible that we are on the right track。〃
  〃Well;  I   think   we   are;  from  what   little   information   Goosal   gave   us;〃
  remarked Tom。         〃This buried city of his must be a wonderful place。〃
  〃It is; if it is what I take it to be;〃 agreed the professor。            〃I told you I
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  would bring you to a land of wonders; Tom Swift; and they have hardly
  begun yet。      Come; I am anxious to talk to Goosal。〃
  In order that the Indians in the Bumper camp might not hear rumors of
  the   new   plan   to   locate   the   hidden   city;   and;   at   the   same   time;   to   keep
  rumors   from   spreading   to   the   camp   of   the   rivals;   the   scientist   and   his
  friends started a new shaft; and put a shift of men at work on it。
  〃We'll   pretend   we   are   on   the   right   track;   and   very   busy;〃   said   Tom。
  〃That will fool Beecher。〃
  〃Are you glad to know he did not take your map Professor Bumper?〃
  asked Mr。 Damon。
  〃Well; yes。     It is hard to believe such things of a fellow scientist。〃
  〃If he didn't take it he wanted to;〃 said Tom。 〃And he has done; or will
  do; things as unsportsmanlike。〃
  〃Oh; you are hardly fair; perhaps; Tom;〃 commented Ned。
  〃Um!〃 was all the answer he received。
  With   the   Indians   in   camp   busy   on   the   excavation   work;   and   having
  ascertained that similar work was going on in the Beecher outfit; Professor
  Bumper; with Mr。 Damon and the young men; set off to visit the Indian
  village   and   listen   to   Goosal's   story。 They  passed   the   place   where   Tom
  had slain the jaguar; but nothing was left but the bones; the ants; vultures
  and jungle animals having picked them clean in the night。
  On the arrival of Tom and his friends at the Indian's hut; Goosal told;
  in language which Professor Bumper could understand; the ancient legend
  of the buried city as he had had it from his grandfather。
  〃But is that all you know about it; Goosal?〃 asked the savant。
  〃No; Learned One。         It is true most of what I have told you was told to
  me by my father and his father's father。           But II myselfwith these eyes;
  have looked upon the lost city。〃
  〃You     have!〃   cried   the   professor;   this   time   in  English。    〃Where?
  When?       Take us to it! How do you get here?〃
  〃Through the cavern of the dead;〃 was the answer when the questions
  were modified。
  〃Bless    my    diamond     ring!〃  exclaimed     Mr。   Damon;     when     Professor
  Bumper translated the reply。 〃What does he mean?〃
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  And then; after some talk; this informa