English
ButthechangeofheartintheBag-jagderagswasreallysincere.
TheDoctorhadmadeagreatimpressiononthem—adeeperonethanevenhehimselfrealizedatthetime.
InfactIsometimesthinkthatthatspeechofhisfromthepalace-stepshadmoreeffectupontheIndiansofSpidermonkeyIslandthanhadanyofhisgreatdeedswhich,greatthoughtheywere,werealwaysmagnifiedandexaggeratedwhenthenewsofthemwaspassedfrommouthtomouth.
Asickgirlwasbroughttohimashereachedtheplacewheretheboatslay.
Sheturnedouttohavesomequitesimpleailmentwhichhequicklygavetheremedyfor.
Butthisincreasedhispopularitystillmore.
Andwhenhesteppedintohiscanoe,thepeopleallaroundusactuallyburstintotears.
Itseems(Ilearnedthisafterwards)thattheythoughthewasgoingawayacrossthesea,forgood,tothemysteriousforeignlandsfromwhichhehadcome.
SomeofthechieftainsspoketothePopsipetelsaswepushedoff.
WhattheysaidIdidnotunderstand;butwenoticedthatseveralcanoesfilledwithBag-jagderagsfollowedusatarespectfuldistanceallthewaybacktoPopsipetel.
TheDoctorhaddeterminedtoreturnbytheothershore,sothatweshouldbethusabletomakeacompletetriproundtheisland'sshores.
Shortlyafterwestarted,whilestilloffthelowerendoftheisland,wesightedasteeppointonthecoastwheretheseawasinagreatstateofturmoil,whitewithsoapyfroth.
Ongoingnearer,wefoundthatthiswascausedbyourfriendlywhaleswhowerestillfaithfullyworkingawaywiththeirnosesagainsttheendoftheisland,drivingusnorthward.
Wehadbeenkeptsobusywiththewarthatwehadforgottenallaboutthem.
Butaswepausedandwatchedtheirmightytailslashingandchurningthesea,wesuddenlyrealizedthatwehadnotfeltcoldinquitealongwhile.
Speedingupourboatlesttheislandbecarriedawayfromusaltogether,wepassedonupthecoast;andhereandtherewenoticedthatthetreesontheshorealreadylookedgreenerandmorehealthy.
SpidermonkeyIslandwasgettingbackintoherhomeclimates.
AbouthalfwaytoPopsipetelwewentashoreandspenttwoorthreedaysexploringthecentralpartoftheisland.
OurIndianpaddlerstookusupintothemountains,verysteepandhighinthisregion,overhangingthesea.
AndtheyshoweduswhattheycalledtheWhisperingRocks.
Thiswasaverypeculiarandstrikingpieceofscenery.
Itwaslikeagreatvastbasin,orcircus,inthemountains,andoutofthecentreofitthereroseatableofrockwithanivorychairuponit.
Allaroundthisthemountainswentuplikestairs,ortheatre-seats,toagreatheight—exceptatonenarrowendwhichwasopentoaviewofthesea.
Youcouldimagineitacouncil-placeorconcert-hallforgiants,andtherocktableinthecentrethestageforperformersorthestandforthespeaker.
WeaskedourguideswhyitwascalledtheWhisperingRocks;andtheysaid,"Godownintoitandwewillshowyou."
Thegreatbowlwasmilesdeepandmileswide.
Wescrambleddowntherocksandtheyshowedushow,evenwhenyoustoodfar,farapartfromoneanother,youmerelyhadtowhisperinthatgreatplaceandeveryoneinthetheatrecouldhearyou.
Thiswas,theDoctorsaid,onaccountoftheechoeswhichplayedbackwardsandforwardsbetweenthehighwallsofrock.
Ourguidestoldusthatitwashere,indayslonggonebywhenthePopsipetelsownedthewholeofSpidermonkeyIsland,thatthekingswerecrowned.
Theivorychairuponthetablewasthethroneinwhichtheysat.
AndsogreatwasthebigtheatrethatalltheIndiansintheislandwereabletogetseatsinittoseetheceremony.
Theyshowedusalsoanenormoushangingstoneperchedontheedgeofavolcano'scrater—thehighestsummitinthewholeisland.
Althoughitwasveryfarbelowus,wecouldseeitquiteplainly,anditlookedwobblyenoughtobepushedoffitsperchwiththehand.
Therewasalegendamongthepeople,theysaid,thatwhenthegreatestofallPopsipetelkingsshouldbecrownedintheivorychair,thishangingstonewouldtumbleintothevolcano'smouthandgostraightdowntothecentreoftheearth.
TheDoctorsaidhewouldliketogoandexamineitcloser.
Andwhenwewerecometothelipofthevolcano(ittookushalfadaytogetuptoit)wefoundthestonewasunbelievablylarge—bigasacathedral.
Underneathitwecouldlookrightdownintoablackholewhichseemedtohavenobottom.
TheDoctorexplainedtousthatvolcanoessometimesspurtedupfirefromtheseholesintheirtops;butthatthoseonfloatingislandswerealwayscoldanddead.
"Stubbins,"hesaid,lookingupatthegreatstonetoweringaboveus,"doyouknowwhatwouldmostlikelyhappenifthatbouldershouldfallin?"
"No,"saidI,"what?"
"Youremembertheair-chamberwhichtheporpoisestoldusliesunderthecentreoftheisland?"
"Yes."
"Well,thisstoneisheavyenough,ifitfellintothevolcano,tobreakthroughintothatair-chamberfromabove.
Andonceitdid,theairwouldescapeandthefloatingislandwouldfloatnomore.Itwouldsink."
"Buttheneverybodyonitwouldbedrowned,wouldn'tthey?"saidBumpo.
"Ohno,notnecessarily.Thatwoulddependonthedepthoftheseawherethesinkingtookplace.
Theislandmighttouchbottomwhenithadonlygonedown,say,ahundredfeet.
Buttherewouldbelotsofitstillstickingupabovethewaterthen,wouldn'tthere?"
"Yes,"saidBumpo,"Isupposetherewould.
Well,letushopethattheponderousfragmentdoesnotloseitsequilibriosity,forIdon'tbelieveitwouldstopatthecentreoftheearth—morelikelyitwouldfallrightthroughtheworldandcomeouttheotherside."
Manyotherwonderstherewerewhichthesemenshowedusinthecentralregionsoftheirisland.ButIhavenottimeorspacetotellyouofthemnow.
Descendingtowardstheshoreagain,wenoticedthatwewerestillbeingwatched,evenhereamongthehighlands,bytheBag-jagderagswhohadfollowedus.
AndwhenweputtoseaoncemoreaboatloadofthemproceededtogoaheadofusinthedirectionofPopsipetel.
Havinglightercanoes,theytraveledfasterthanourparty;andwejudgedthattheyshouldreachthevillage—ifthatwaswheretheyweregoing—manyhoursbeforewecould.
TheDoctorwasnowbecominganxioustoseehowLongArrowwasgettingon,sowealltookturnsatthepaddlesandwentontravelingbymoonlightthroughthewholenight.
WereachedPopsipeteljustasthedawnwasbreaking.
Toourgreatsurprisewefoundthatnotonlywe,butthewholevillagealso,hadbeenupallnight.
Agreatcrowdwasgatheredaboutthedeadchief'shouse.
Andaswelandedourcanoesuponthebeachwesawalargenumberofoldmen,theseniorsofthetribe,comingoutatthemaindoor.
Weinquiredwhatwasthemeaningofallthis;andweretoldthattheelectionofanewchiefhadbeengoingonallthroughthewholenight.
Bumpoaskedthenameofthenewchief;butthis,itseemed,hadnotyetbeengivenout.Itwouldbeannouncedatmid-day.
AssoonastheDoctorhadpaidavisittoLongArrowandseenthathewasdoingnicely,weproceededtoourownhouseatthefarendofthevillage.
Hereweatesomebreakfastandthenlaydowntotakeagoodrest.
Rest,indeed,weneeded;forlifehadbeenstrenuousandbusyforuseversincewehadlandedontheisland.
Anditwasn'tmanyminutesafterourwearyheadsstruckthepillowsthatthewholecrewofusweresoundasleep.
Share this article to
FINISH