English
Weallagreedafterwardsthatnoneofushadeverworkedsohardinourlivesbeforeaswedidthatday.
Formypart,IknowIwasoftenonthepointofdroppingexhaustedwithfatigue;butIjustkeptongoing—likeamachine—determinedthat,whateverhappened,Iwouldnotbethefirsttogiveup.
Whenwehadscrambledtothetopofahighpeak,almostinstantlywesawthestrangemountainpicturedintheletter.
Inshapeitwastheperfectimageofahawk'shead,andwas,asfaraswecouldsee,thesecondhighestsummitintheisland.
Althoughwewerealloutofbreathfromourclimb,theDoctordidn'tletusrestasecondassoonashehadsightedit.
Withonelookatthesunfordirection,downhedashedagain,breakingthroughthickets,splashingoverbrooks,takingalltheshortcuts.
Forafatman,hewascertainlytheswiftestcross-countryrunnerIeversaw.
Weflounderedafterhimasfastaswecould.
WhenIsayWE,ImeanBumpoandmyself;fortheanimals,Jip,Chee-CheeandPolynesia,werealongwayahead—evenbeyondtheDoctor—enjoyingthehuntlikeapaper-chase.
Atlengthwearrivedatthefootofthemountainweweremakingfor;andwefounditssidesverysteep.SaidtheDoctor,
"Nowwewillseparateandsearchforcaves.
Thisspotwherewenoware,willbeourmeeting-place.
Ifanyonefindsanythinglikeacaveoraholewheretheearthandrockshavefallenin,hemustshoutandhulloatotherestofus.
Ifwefindnothingwewillallgatherhereinaboutanhour'stime—Everybodyunderstand?"
Thenweallwentoffourdifferentways.
Eachofus,youmaybesure,wasanxioustobetheonetomakeadiscovery.
Andneverwasamountainsearchedsothoroughly.Butalas!
nothingcouldwefindthatlookedintheleastlikeafallen-incave.
Therewereplentyofplaceswhererockshadtumbleddowntothefootoftheslopes;butnoneoftheseappearedasthoughcavesorpassagescouldpossiblyliebehindthem.
Onebyone,tiredanddisappointed,westraggledbacktothemeeting-place.TheDoctorseemedgloomyandimpatientbutbynomeansinclinedtogiveup.
"Jip,"hesaid,"couldn'tyouSMELLanythinglikeanIndiananywhere?"
"No,"saidJip."Isniffedateverycrackonthemountainside.
ButIamafraidmynosewillbeofnousetoyouhere,Doctor.
Thetroubleis,thewholeairissosaturatedwiththesmellofspider-monkeysthatitdrownseveryotherscent—Andbesides,it'stoocoldanddryforgoodsmelling."
"Itiscertainlythat,"saidtheDoctor—"andgettingcolderallthetime.
I'mafraidtheislandisstilldriftingtothesouthward.
Let'shopeitstopsbeforelong,orwewon'tbeabletogetevennutsandfruittoeat—everythingintheislandwillperish—Chee-Chee,whatluckdidyouhave?"
"None,Doctor.IclimbedtoeverypeakandpinnacleIcouldsee.Isearchedeveryhollowandcleft.ButnotoneplacecouldIfindwheremenmightbehidden."
"AndPolynesia,"askedtheDoctor,"didyouseenothingthatmightputusontherighttrack?"
"Notathing,Doctor—ButIhaveaplan."
"Ohgood!"criedJohnDolittle,fullofhoperenewed."Whatisit?Let'shearit."
"Youstillhavethatbeetlewithyou,"sheasked—"theBiz-biz,orwhateveritisyoucallthewretchedinsect?"
"Yes,"saidtheDoctor,producingtheglass-toppedboxfromhispocket,"hereitis."
"Allright.Nowlisten,"saidshe.
"Ifwhatyouhavesupposedistrue—thatis,thatLongArrowhadbeentrappedinsidethemountainbyfallingrock,heprobablyfoundthatbeetleinsidethecave—perhapsmanyotherdifferentbeetlestoo,eh?
Hewouldn'thavebeenlikelytotaketheBiz-bizinwithhim,wouldhe?
—Hewashuntingplants,yousay,notbeetles.Isn'tthatright?"
"Yes,"saidtheDoctor,"that'sprobablyso."
"Verywell.Itisfairtosupposethenthatthebeetle'shome,orhishole,isinthatplace—thepartofthemountainwhereLongArrowandhispartyareimprisoned,isn'tit?"
"Quite,quite."
"Allright.Thenthethingtodoistoletthebeetlego—andwatchhim;andsoonerorlaterhe'llreturntohishomeinLongArrow'scave.
Andtherewewillfollowhim—Oratallevents,"sheaddedsmoothingdownherwing-featherswithaverysuperiorair,"wewillfollowhimtillthemiserablebugstartsnosingundertheearth.
ButatleasthewillshowuswhatpartofthemountainLongArrowishiddenin."
"Buthemayfly,ifIlethimout,"saidtheDoctor."Thenweshalljustlosehimandbenobetteroffthanwewerebefore."
"LEThimfly,"snortedPolynesiascornfully.
"AparrotcanwingitasfastasaBiz-biz,Ifancy.
Ifhetakestotheair,I'llguaranteenottoletthelittledeviloutofmysight.
Andifhejustcrawlsalongthegroundyoucanfollowhimyourself."
"Splendid!"criedtheDoctor."Polynesia,youhaveagreatbrain.I'llsethimtoworkatonceandseewhathappens."
AgainweallclusteredroundtheDoctorashecarefullyliftedofftheglasslidandletthebigbeetleclimboutuponhisfinger.
"Ladybug,Ladybug,flyawayhome!"croonedBumpo."Yourhouseisonfireandyourchil—"
"Oh,bequiet!"snappedPolynesiacrossly."Stopinsultinghim!Don'tyousupposehehaswitsenoughtogohomewithoutyourtellinghim?"
"Ithoughtperchancehemightbeofaphilanderingdisposition,"saidBumpohumbly.
"Itcouldbethatheistiredofhishomeandneedstobeencouraged.
ShallIsinghim'HomeSweetHome,'thinkyou?"
"No.Thenhe'dnevergoback.Yourvoiceneedsarest.
Don'tsingtohim:justwatchhim—Oh,andDoctor,whynottieanothermessagetothecreature'sleg,tellingLongArrowthatwe'redoingourbesttoreachhimandthathemustn'tgiveuphope?"
"Iwill,"saidtheDoctor.Andinaminutehehadpulledadryleaffromabushnearbyandwascoveringitwithlittlepicturesinpencil.
Atlast,neatlyfixedupwithhisnewmail-bag,Mr.JabizricrawledofftheDoctor'sfingertothegroundandlookedabouthim.
Hestretchedhislegs,polishedhisnosewithhisfrontfeetandthenmovedoffleisurelytothewestward.
WehadexpectedhimtowalkUPthemountain;instead,hewalkedAROUNDit.
Doyouknowhowlongittakesabeetletowalkroundamountain?
Well,Iassureyouittakesanunbelievablylongtime.
Asthehoursdraggedby,wehopedandhopedthathewouldgetupandflytherest,andletPolynesiacarryontheworkoffollowinghim.Butheneveropenedhiswingsonce.
Ihadnotrealizedbeforehowharditisforahumanbeingtowalkslowlyenoughtokeepupwithabeetle.
ItwasthemosttediousthingIhaveevergonethrough.
Andaswedawdledalongbehind,watchinghimlikehawkslestwelosehimunderaleaforsomething,weallgotsocrossandill-temperedwewerereadytobiteoneanother'sheadsoff.
Andwhenhestoppedtolookatthesceneryorpolishhisnosesomemore,IcouldhearPolynesiabehindmelettingoutthemostdreadfulseafaringswear-wordsyoueverheard.
Afterhehadledusthewholewayroundthemountainhebroughtustotheexactspotwherewestartedfromandtherehecametoadeadstop.
"Well,"saidBumpotoPolynesia,"whatdoyouthinkofthebeetle'ssensenow?YouseeheDOESN'Tknowenoughtogohome."
"Oh,bestill,youHottentot!"snappedPolynesia.
"Wouldn'tYOUwanttostretchyourlegsforexerciseifyou'dbeenshutupinaboxallday.
Probablyhishomeisnearhere,andthat'swhyhe'scomeback."
"Butwhy,"Iasked,"didhegothewholewayroundthemountainfirst?"
Thenthethreeofusgotintoaviolentargument.ButinthemiddleofitalltheDoctorsuddenlycalledout,
"Look,look!"
WeturnedandfoundthathewaspointingtotheJabizri,whowasnowwalkingUPthemountainatamuchfasterandmorebusiness-likegait.
"Well,"saidBumposittingdownwearily;"ifheisgoingtowalkOVERthemountainandback,formoreexercise,I'llwaitforhimhere.Chee-CheeandPolynesiacanfollowhim."
Indeeditwouldhavetakenamonkeyorabirdtoclimbtheplacewhichthebeetlewasnowwalkingup.Itwasasmooth,flatpartofthemountain'sside,steepasawall.
Butpresently,whentheJabizriwasnomorethantenfeetaboveourheads,weallcriedouttogether.
For,evenwhilewewatchedhim,hehaddisappearedintothefaceoftherocklikearaindropsoakingintosand.
"He'sgone,"criedPolynesia."Theremustbeaholeupthere."Andinatwinklingshehadfluttereduptherockandwasclingingtothefaceofitwithherclaws.
"Yes,"sheshouteddown,"we'verunhimtoearthatlast.Hisholeisrighthere,behindapatchoflichen—bigenoughtogettwofingersin."
"Ah,"criedtheDoctor,"thisgreatslabofrockthenmusthavesliddownfromthesummitandshutoffthemouthofthecavelikeadoor.Poorfellows!
Whatadreadfultimetheymusthavespentinthere!
—Oh,ifweonlyhadsomepicksandshovelsnow!"
"Picksandshovelswouldn'tdomuchgood,"saidPolynesia."Lookatthesizeoftheslab:ahundredfeethighandasmanybroad.Youwouldneedanarmyforaweektomakeanyimpressiononit."
"Iwonderhowthickitis,"saidtheDoctor;andhepickedupabigstoneandbangeditwithallhismightagainstthefaceoftherock.
Itmadeahollowboomingsound,likeagiantdrum.
Weallstoodstilllisteningwhiletheechoofitdiedslowlyaway.
Andthenacoldshiverrandownmyspine.For,fromwithinthemountain,backcamethreeansweringknocks:BOOM!...BOOM!...BOOM!
Wide-eyedwelookedatoneanotherasthoughtheearthitselfhadspoken.AndthesolemnlittlesilencethatfollowedwasbrokenbytheDoctor.
"ThankHeaven,"hesaidinahushedreverentvoice,"someofthematleastarealive!"
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