English
TheKingoftheGoldenRiverhadhardlymadetheextraordinaryexitrelatedinthelastchapter,beforeHansandSchwartzcameroaringintothehouse,verysavagelydrunk.
ThediscoveryofthetotallossoftheirlastpieceofplatehadtheeffectofsoberingthemjustenoughtoenablethemtostandoverGluck,beatinghimverysteadilyforaquarterofanhour;attheexpirationofwhichperiodtheydroppedintoacoupleofchairs,andrequestedtoknowwhathehadtosayforhimself.
Glucktoldthemhisstory,ofwhich,ofcourse,theydidnotbelieveaword.
Theybeathimagain,tilltheirarmsweretired,andstaggeredtobed.
Inthemorning,however,thesteadinesswithwhichheadheredtohisstoryobtainedhimsomedegreeofcredence;theimmediateconsequenceofwhichwas,thatthetwobrothers,afterwranglingalongtimeontheknottyquestion,whichofthemshouldtryhisfortunefirst,drewtheirswordsandbeganfighting.
Thenoiseofthefrayalarmedtheneighbourswho,findingtheycouldnotpacifythecombatants,sentfortheconstable.
Hans,onhearingthis,contrivedtoescape,andhidhimself;butSchwartzwastakenbeforethemagistrate,finedforbreakingthepeace,and,havingdrunkouthislastpennytheeveningbefore,wasthrownintoprisontillheshouldpay.
WhenHansheardthis,hewasmuchdelighted,anddeterminedtosetoutimmediatelyfortheGoldenRiver.
Howtogettheholywaterwasthequestion.
Hewenttothepriest,butthepriestcouldnotgiveanyholywatertosoabandonedacharacter.
SoHanswenttovespersintheeveningforthefirsttimeinhislife,and,underpretenceofcrossinghimself,stoleacupfulandreturnedhomeintriumph.
Nextmorninghegotupbeforethesunrose,puttheholywaterintoastrongflask,andtwobottlesofwineandsomemeatinabasket,slungthemoverhisback,tookhisalpinestaffinhishand,andsetoffforthemountains.
Onhiswayoutofthetownhehadtopasstheprison,andashelookedinatthewindows,whomshouldheseebutSchwartzhimselfpeepingoutofthebars,andlookingverydisconsolate.
“Goodmorning,brother,”saidHans;“haveyouanymessagefortheKingoftheGoldenRiver?”
Schwartzgnashedhisteethwithrage,andshookthebarswithallhisstrength;butHansonlylaughedathim,andadvisinghimtomakehimselfcomfortabletillhecamebackagain,shoulderedhisbasket,shookthebottleofholywaterinSchwartz’sfacetillitfrothedagain,andmarchedoffinthehighestspiritsintheworld.
Itwas,indeed,amorningthatmighthavemadeanyonehappy,evenwithnoGoldenRivertoseekfor.
Levellinesofdewymistlaystretchedalongthevalley,outofwhichrosethemassymountains—theirlowercliffsinpalegrayshadow,hardlydistinguishablefromthefloatingvapour,butgraduallyascendingtilltheycaughtthesunlight,whichraninsharptouchesofruddycolouralongtheangularcrags,andpierced,inlonglevelrays,throughtheirfringesofspear-likepine.
Farabove,shotupredsplinteredmassesofcastellatedrock,jaggedandshiveredintomyriadsoffantasticforms,withhereandthereastreakofsunlitsnow,traceddowntheirchasmslikealineofforkedlightning;and,farbeyond,andfaraboveallthese,fainterthanthemorningcloud,butpurerandchangeless,slept,inthebluesky,theutmostpeaksoftheeternalsnow.
TheGoldenRiver,whichsprangfromoneofthelowerandsnowlesselevations,wasnownearlyinshadow;allbuttheuppermostjetsofspray,whichroselikeslowsmokeabovetheundulatinglineofthecataract,andfloatedawayinfeeblewreathsuponthemorningwind.
Onthisobject,andonthisalone,Hans’seyesandthoughtswerefixed;forgettingthedistancehehadtotraverse,hesetoffatanimprudentrateofwalking,whichgreatlyexhaustedhimbeforehehadscaledthefirstrangeofthegreenandlowhills.
Hewas,moreover,surprised,onsurmountingthem,tofindthatalargeglacier,ofwhoseexistence,notwithstandinghispreviousknowledgeofthemountains,hehadbeenabsolutelyignorant,laybetweenhimandthesourceoftheGoldenRiver.
Heenteredonitwiththeboldnessofapractisedmountaineer;yethethoughthehadnevertraversedsostrangeorsodangerousaglacierinhislife.
Theicewasexcessivelyslippery,andoutofallitschasmscamewildsoundsofgushingwater;notmonotonousorlow;butchangefulandloud,risingoccasionallyintodriftingpassagesofwildmelody,thenbreakingoffintoshortmelancholytones,orsuddenshrieks,resemblingthoseofhumanvoicesindistressorpain.
Theicewasbrokenintothousandsofconfusedshapes,butnone,Hansthoughtliketheordinaryformsofsplinteredice.
Thereseemedacuriousexpressionaboutalltheiroutlines—aperpetualresemblancetolivingfeatures,distortedandscornful.
Myriadsofdeceitfulshadows,andluridlights,playedandfloatedaboutandthroughthepale-bluepinnacles,dazzlingandconfusingthesightofthetraveller;whilehisearsgrewdullandhisheadgiddywiththeconstantgushandroaroftheconcealedwaters.
Thesepainfulcircumstancesincreaseduponhimasheadvanced;theicecrashedandyawnedintofreshchasmsathisfeet,totteringspiresnoddedaroundhim,andfellthunderingacrosshispath;and,thoughhehadrepeatedlyfacedthesedangersonthemostterrificglaciers,andinthewildestweather,itwaswithanewandoppressivefeelingofpanicterrorthatheleapedthelastchasm,andflunghimself,exhaustedandshuddering,onthefirmturfofthemountain.
Hehadbeencompelledtoabandonhisbasketoffood,whichbecameaperilousincumbranceontheglacier,andhadnownomeansofrefreshinghimselfbutbybreakingoffandeatingsomeofthepiecesofice.
This,however,relievedhisthirst;anhour’sreposerecruitedhishardyframe,and,withtheindomitablespiritofavarice,heresumedhislaboriousjourney.
Hiswaynowlaystraightuparidgeofbareredrocks,withoutabladeofgrasstoeasethefoot,oraprojectingangletoaffordaninchofshadefromthesouthsun.
Itwaspastnoon,andtheraysbeatintenselyuponthesteeppath,whilethewholeatmospherewasmotionless,andpenetratedwithheat.
IntensethirstwassoonaddedtothebodilyfatiguewithwhichHanswasnowafflicted;glanceafterglancehecastontheflaskofwaterwhichhungathisbelt.
“Threedropsareenough,”atlastthoughthe;“Imay,atleast,coolmylipswithit.”
Heopenedtheflask,andwasraisingittohislips,whenhiseyefellonanobjectlyingontherockbesidehim;hethoughtitmoved.
Itwasasmalldog,apparentlyinthelastagonyofdeathfromthirst.
Itstonguewasout,itsjawsdry,itslimbsextendedlifelessly,andaswarmofblackantswerecrawlingaboutitslipsandthroat.
ItseyemovedtothebottlewhichHansheldinhishand.
Heraisedit,drank,spurnedtheanimalwithhisfoot,andpassedon.
Andhedidnotknowhowitwas,buthethoughtthatastrangeshadowhadsuddenlycomeacrossthebluesky.
Thepathbecamesteeperandmoreruggedeverymoment;andthehighhillair,insteadofrefreshinghim,seemedtothrowhisbloodintoafever.
Thenoiseofthehillcataractssoundedlikemockeryinhisears;theywerealldistant,andhisthirstincreasedeverymoment.
Anotherhourpassed,andheagainlookeddowntotheflaskathisside;itwashalfempty;buttherewasmuchmorethanthreedropsinit.
Hestoppedtoopenit,andagain,ashedidso,somethingmovedinthepathabovehim.
Itwasafairchild,stretchednearlylifelessontherock,itsbreastheavingwiththirst,itseyesclosed,anditslipsparchedandburning.
Hanseyeditdeliberately,drank,andpassedon.
Andadark-graycloudcameoverthesun,andlong,snake-likeshadowscreptupalongthemountainsides.Hansstruggledon.
Thesunwassinking,butitsdescentseemedtobringnocoolness;theleadenweightofthedeadairpresseduponhisbrowandheart,butthegoalwasnear.
HesawthecataractoftheGoldenRiverspringingfromthehillside,scarcelyfivehundredfeetabovehim.
Hepausedforamomenttobreathe,andsprangontocompletehistask.
Atthisinstantafaintcryfellonhisear.
Heturned,andsawagray-hairedoldmanextendedontherocks.
Hiseyesweresunk,hisfeaturesdeadlypale,andgatheredintoanexpressionofdespair.“Water!”
hestretchedhisarmstoHans,andcriedfeebly,“Water!Iamdying.”
“Ihavenone,”repliedHans;“thouhasthadthyshareoflife.”
Hestrodeovertheprostratebody,anddartedon.
Andaflashofbluelightningroseoutoftheeast,shapedlikeasword;itshookthriceoverthewholeheaven,andleftitdarkwithoneheavy,impenetrableshade.
Thesunwassetting;itplungedtowardthehorizonlikeared-hotball.
TheroaroftheGoldenRiverroseonHans’sear.
Hestoodatthebrinkofthechasmthroughwhichitran.
Itswaveswerefilledwiththeredgloryofthesunset:theyshooktheircrestsliketonguesoffire,andflashesofbloodylightgleamedalongtheirfoam.
Theirsoundcamemightierandmightieronhissenses;hisbraingrewgiddywiththeprolongedthunder.
Shudderinghedrewtheflaskfromhisgirdle,andhurleditintothecentreofthetorrent.
Ashedidso,anicychillshotthroughhislimbs:hestaggered,shrieked,andfell.Thewatersclosedoverhiscry.
Andthemoaningoftheriverrosewildlyintothenight,asitgushedoverTheBlackStone.
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