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Thenextpartofourproblemwasthehardestofall:howtorollaside,pulldownorbreakopen,thatgiganticslab.
Aswegazedupatittoweringaboveourheads,itlookedindeedahopelesstaskforourtinystrength.
Butthesoundsoflifefrominsidethemountainhadputnewheartinus.
Andinamomentwewereallscramblingaroundtryingtofindanyopeningorcrevicewhichwouldgiveussomethingtoworkon.
Chee-Cheescaledupthesheerwalloftheslabandexaminedthetopofitwhereitleanedagainstthemountain'sside;Iuprootedbushesandstrippedoffhangingcreepersthatmightconcealaweakplace;theDoctorgotmoreleavesandcomposednewpicture-lettersfortheJabizritotakeinifheshouldturnupagain;whilstPolynesiacarriedupahandfulofnutsandpushedthemintothebeetle'shole,onebyone,fortheprisonersinsidetoeat.
"Nutsaresonourishing,"shesaid.
ButJipitwaswho,scratchingatthefootoftheslablikeagoodratter,madethediscoverywhichledtoourfinalsuccess.
"Doctor,"hecried,runninguptoJohnDolittlewithhisnoseallcoveredwithblackmud,"thisslabisrestingonnothingbutabedofsoftearth.Youneversawsucheasydigging.
IguessthecavebehindmustbejusttoohighupfortheIndianstoreachtheearthwiththeirhands,ortheycouldhavescrapedawayoutlongago.
Ifwecanonlyscratchtheearth-bedawayfromunder,theslabmightdropalittle.
ThenmaybetheIndianscanclimboutoverthetop."
TheDoctorhurriedtoexaminetheplacewhereJiphaddug.
"Why,yes,"hesaid,"ifwecangettheearthawayfromunderthisfrontedge,theslabisstandingupsostraight,wemightevenmakeitfallrightdowninthisdirection.It'swellworthtrying.Let'sgetatit,quick."
Wehadnotoolsbutthesticksandsliversofstonewhichwecouldfindaround.
Astrangesightwemusthavelooked,thewholecrewofussquattingdownonourheels,scratchingandburrowingatthefootofthemountain,likesixbadgersinarow.
Afteraboutanhour,duringwhichinspiteofthecoldthesweatfellfromourforeheadsinalldirections,theDoctorsaid,
"Bereadytojumpfromunder,clearoutoftheway,ifsheshowssignsofmoving.Ifthisslabfallsonanybody,itwillsquashhimflatterthanapancake."
Presentlytherewasagrating,grindingsound.
"Lookout!"yelledJohnDolittle,"hereshecomes!—Scatter!"
Weranforourlives,outwards,towardthesides.
Thebigrockslidgentlydown,aboutafoot,intothetroughwhichwehadmadebeneathit.
ForamomentIwasdisappointed,forlikethat,itwasashopelessasbefore—nosignsofacave-mouthshowingaboveit.
ButasIlookedupward,Isawthetopcomingveryslowlyawayfromthemountainside.Wehadunbalanceditbelow.
Asitmovedapartfromthefaceofthemountain,soundsofhumanvoices,cryinggladlyinastrangetongue,issuedfrombehind.
Fasterandfasterthetopswungforward,downward.
Then,witharoaringcrashwhichshookthewholemountain-rangebeneathourfeet,itstrucktheearthandcrackedinhalves.
HowcanIdescribetoanyonethatfirstmeetingbetweenthetwogreatestnaturaliststheworldeverknew,LongArrow,thesonofGoldenArrowandJohnDolittle,M.D.,ofPuddleby-on-the-Marsh?
Thescenerisesbeforemenow,plainandclearineverydetail,thoughittookplacesomany,manyyearsago.
ButwhenIcometowriteofit,wordsseemsuchpoorthingswithwhichtotellyouofthatgreatoccasion.
IknowthattheDoctor,whoselifewassurelyfullenoughofbighappenings,alwayscountedthesettingfreeoftheIndianscientistasthegreatestthingheeverdid.
Formypart,knowinghowmuchthismeetingmustmeantohim,Iwasonpinsandneedlesofexpectationandcuriosityasthegreatstonefinallythundereddownatourfeetandwegazedacrossittoseewhatlaybehind.
Thegloomyblackmouthofatunnel,fulltwentyfeethigh,wasrevealed.
InthecentreofthisopeningstoodanenormousredIndian,sevenfeettall,handsome,muscular,slimandnaked—butforabeadedclothabouthismiddleandaneagle'sfeatherinhishair.
Heheldonehandacrosshisfacetoshieldhiseyesfromtheblindingsunwhichhehadnotseeninmanydays.
"Itishe!"IheardtheDoctorwhisperatmyelbow."Iknowhimbyhisgreatheightandthescaruponhischin."
Andhesteppedforwardslowlyacrossthefallenstonewithhishandoutstretchedtotheredman.
PresentlytheIndianuncoveredhiseyes.
AndIsawthattheyhadacuriouspiercinggleaminthem—liketheeyesofaneagle,butkinderandmoregentle.
Heslowlyraisedhisrightarm,therestofhimstillandmotionlesslikeastatue,andtooktheDoctor'shandinhis.Itwasagreatmoment.
Polynesianoddedtomeinaknowing,satisfiedkindofway.
AndIheardoldBumposnifflesentimentally.
ThentheDoctortriedtospeaktoLongArrow.
ButtheIndianknewnoEnglishofcourse,andtheDoctorknewnoIndian.
Presently,tomysurprise,IheardtheDoctortryinghimindifferentanimallanguages.
"Howdoyoudo?"hesaidindog-talk;"Iamgladtoseeyou,"inhorse-signs;"Howlonghaveyoubeenburied?"indeer-language.
StilltheIndianmadenomovebutstoodthere,straightandstiff,understandingnotaword.
TheDoctortriedagain,inseveralotheranimaldialects.Butwithnoresult.
Tillatlasthecametothelanguageofeagles.
"GreatRed-Skin,"hesaidinthefiercescreamsandshortgruntsthatthebigbirdsuse,"neverhaveIbeensogladinallmylifeasIamto-daytofindyoustillalive."
InaflashLongArrow'sstonyfacelitupwithasmileofunderstanding;andbackcametheanswerineagle-tongue,
"MightyWhiteMan,Iowemylifetoyou.FortheremainderofmydaysIamyourservanttocommand."
AfterwardsLongArrowtoldusthatthiswastheonlybirdoranimallanguagethathehadeverbeenabletolearn.Butthathehadnotspokenitinalongtime,fornoeaglesevercametothisisland.
ThentheDoctorsignaledtoBumpowhocameforwardwiththenutsandwater.ButLongArrowneitheratenordrank.
Takingthesupplieswithanodofthanks,heturnedandcarriedthemintotheinnerdimnessofthecave.Wefollowedhim.
InsidewefoundnineotherIndians,men,womenandboys,lyingontherockfloorinadreadfulstateofthinnessandexhaustion.
Somehadtheireyesclosed,asifdead.QuicklytheDoctorwentroundthemallandlistenedtotheirhearts.Theywereallalive;butonewomanwastooweakeventostanduponherfeet.
AtawordfromtheDoctor,Chee-CheeandPolynesiaspedoffintothejunglesaftermorefruitandwater.
WhileLongArrowwashandingroundwhatfoodwehadtohisstarvingfriends,wesuddenlyheardasoundoutsidethecave.
Turningaboutwesaw,clusteredattheentrance,thebandofIndianswhohadmetussoinhospitablyatthebeach.
Theypeeredintothedarkcavecautiouslyatfirst.
ButassoonastheysawLongArrowandtheotherIndianswithus,theycamerushingin,laughing,clappingtheirhandswithjoyandjabberingawayatatremendousrate.
LongArrowexplainedtotheDoctorthatthenineIndianswehadfoundinthecavewithhimweretwofamilieswhohadaccompaniedhimintothemountainstohelphimgathermedicine-plants.
Andwhiletheyhadbeensearchingforakindofmoss—goodforindigestion—whichgrowsonlyinsideofdampcaves,thegreatrockslabhadsliddownandshutthemin.
Thenfortwoweekstheyhadlivedonthemedicine-mossandsuchfreshwaterascouldbefounddrippingfromthedampwallsofthecave.
TheotherIndiansontheislandhadgiventhemupforlostandmournedthemasdead;andtheywerenowverysurprisedandhappytofindtheirrelativesalive.
WhenLongArrowturnedtothenewcomersandtoldthemintheirownlanguagethatitwasthewhitemanwhohadfoundandfreedtheirrelatives,theygatheredroundJohnDolittle,alltalkingatonceandbeatingtheirbreasts.
LongArrowsaidtheywereapologizingandtryingtotelltheDoctorhowsorrytheywerethattheyhadseemedunfriendlytohimatthebeach.
Theyhadneverseenawhitemanbeforeandhadreallybeenafraidofhim—especiallywhentheysawhimconversingwiththeporpoises.
TheyhadthoughthewastheDevil,theysaid.
Thentheywentoutsideandlookedatthegreatstonewehadthrowndown,bigasameadow;andtheywalkedroundandroundit,pointingtothebreakrunningthroughthemiddleandwonderinghowthetrickoffellingitwasdone.
TravelerswhohavesincevisitedSpidermonkeyIslandtellmethatthathugestoneslabisnowoneoftheregularsightsoftheisland.
AndthattheIndianguides,whenshowingittovisitors,alwaystellTHEIRstoryofhowitcamethere.
TheysaythatwhentheDoctorfoundthattherockshadentrappedhisfriend,LongArrow,hewassoangrythatherippedthemountaininhalveswithhisbarehandsandlethimout.
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