when the world shook-第46章

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stepped；　or　seemed　to　step　up　to　the　man　and　whispered；　or　seemed

to　whisper；　in　his　ear。



I　do　not　know　what　tongue　or　what　spirit　speech　he　used；　or

what　he　said；　but　the　bloated…faced　brute　turned　pale。　Yes；　he

drew　sick　with　fear。



〃I　think　there　are　spirits　in　this　place；〃　he　said　with　a

German　oath。　〃I　could　have　sworn　that　something　told　me　that　I

was　going　to　die。　Mount！〃



　The　Uhlans　mounted　and　began　to　ride　away。



〃Watch；〃　said　Oro。



As　he　spoke　out　of　a　dark　cloud　appeared　an　aeroplane。　Its

pilot　saw　the　band　of　Germans　beneath　and　dropped　a　bomb。　The　aim

was　good；　for　the　missile　exploded　in　the　midst　of　them；　causing

a　great　cloud　of　dust　from　which　arose　the　screams　of　men　and

horses。



〃Come　and　see；〃　said　Oro。



We　were　there。　Out　of　the　cloud　of　dust　appeared　one　man

galloping　furiously。　He　was　a　young　fellow　who；　as　I　noted；　had

turned　his　head　away　and　hidden　his　eyes　with　his　hand　when　the

horror　was　done　yonder。　All　the　others　were　dead　except　the

officer　who　had　worked　the　deed。　He　was　still　living；　but　both

his　hands　and　one　of　his　feet　had　been　blown　away。　Presently　he

died；　screaming　to　God　for　mercy。



We　passed　on　and　came　to　a　barn　with　wide　doors　that　swung　a

little　in　the　wind；　causing　the　rusted　hinges　to　scream　like　a

creature　in　pain。　On　each　of　these　doors　hung　a　dead　man

crucified。　The　hat　of　one　of　them　lay　upon　the　ground；　and　I　knew

from　the　shape　of　it　that　he　was　a　Colonial　soldier。



〃Did　you　not　tell　me；〃　said　Oro　after　surveying　them；　〃that

these　Germans　are　of　your　Christian　faith？〃



〃Yes；　and　the　Name　of　God　is　always　on　their　ruler's　lips。〃



〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃I　am　glad　that　I　worship　Fate。　Bastin　the

priest　need　trouble　me　no　more。〃



〃There　is　something　behind　Fate；〃　I　said；　quoting　Bastin

himself。



〃Perhaps。　So　indeed　I　have　always　held；　but　after　much　study　I

cannot　understand　the　manner　of　its　working。　Fate　is　enough　for

me。〃



We　went　on　and　came　to　a　flat　country　that　was　lined　with

ditches；　all　of　them　full　of　men；　Germans　on　one　side；　English

and　French　upon　the　other。　A　terrible　bombardment　shook　the

earth；　the　shells　raining　upon　the　ditches。　Presently　that　from

the　English　guns　ceased　and　out　of　the　trenches　in　front　of　them

thousands　of　men　were　vomited；　who　ran　forward　through　a　hail　of

fire　in　which　scores　and　hundreds　fell；　across　an　open　piece　of

ground　that　was　pitted　with　shell　craters。　They　came　to　barbed

wire　defenses；　or　what　remained　of　them；　cut　the　wire　with

nippers　and　pulled　up　the　posts。　Then　through　the　gaps　they

surged　in；　shouting　and　hurling　hand　grenades。　They　reached　the

German　trenches；　they　leapt　into　them　and　from　those　holes　arose

a　hellish　din。　Pistols　were　fired　and　everywhere　bayonets

flashed。



Behind　them　rushed　a　horde　of　little；　dark…skinned　men；　Indians

who　carried　great　knives　in　their　hands。　Those　leapt　over　the

first　trench　and　running　on　with　wild　yells；　dived　into　the

second；　those　who　were　left　of　them；　and　there　began　hacking　with

their　knives　at　the　defenders　and　the　soldiers　who　worked　the

spitting　maxim　guns。　In　twenty　minutes　it　was　over；　those　lines

of　trenches　were　taken；　and　once　more　from　either　side　the　guns

began　to　boom。



〃War　again；〃　said　Oro；　〃clean；　honest　war；　such　as　the　god　I

call　Fate　decrees　for　man。　I　have　seen　enough。　Now　I　would　visit

those　whom　you　call　Turks。　I　understand　they　have　another　worship

and　perhaps　they　are　nobler　than　these　Christians。〃



We　came　to　a　hilly　country　which　I　recognised　as　Armenia；　for

once　I　travelled　there；　and　stopped　on　an　seashore。　Here　were　the

Turks　in　thousands。　They　were　engaged　in　driving　before　them　mobs

of　men；　women　and　children　in　countless　numbers。　On　and　on　they

drove　them　till　they　reached　the　shore。　There　they　massacred　them

with　bayonets；　with　bullets；　or　by　drowning。　I　remember　a

dreadful　scene　of　a　poor　woman　standing　up　to　her　waist　in　the

water。　Three　children　were　clinging　to　herbut　I　cannot　go　on；

really　I　cannot　go　on。　In　the　end　a　Turk　waded　out　and　bayoneted

her　while　she　strove　to　protect　the　last　living　child　with　her

poor　body　whence　it　sprang。



〃These；　I　understand；〃　said　Oro；　pointing　to　the　Turkish

soldiers；　〃worship　a　prophet　who　they　say　is　the　voice　of　God。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃and　therefore　they　massacre　these　who　are

Christians　because　they　worship　God　without　a　prophet。〃



〃And　what　do　the　Christians　massacre　each　other　for？〃



〃Power　and　the　wealth　and　territories　that　are　power。　That　is；

the　King　of　the　Germans　wishes　to　rule　the　world；　but　the　other

Nations　do　not　desire　his　dominion。　Therefore　they　fight　for

Liberty　and　Justice。〃



〃As　it　was；　so　it　is　and　shall　be；〃　remarked　Oro；　〃only　with

this　difference。　In　the　old　world　some　were　wise；　but　here〃　and

he　stopped；　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　Armenian　woman　struggling　in

her　death　agony　while　the　murderer　drowned　her　child；　then　added：

〃Let　us　go。〃



Our　road　ran　across　the　sea。　On　it　we　saw　a　ship　so　large　that

it　attracted　Oro's　attention；　and　for　once　he　expressed

astonishment。



〃In　my　day；〃　he　said；　〃we　had　no　vessels　of　this　greatness　in

the　world。　I　wish　to　look　upon　it。〃



We　landed　on　the　deck　of　the　ship；　or　rather　the　floating

palace；　and　examined　her。　She　carried　many　passengers；　some

English；　some　American；　and　I　pointed　out　to　Oro　the　differences

between　the　two　peoples。　These　were　not；　he　remarked；　very　wide

except　that　the　American　women　wore　more　jewels；　also　that　some

of　the　American　men；　to　whom　we　listened　as　they　conversed；　spoke

of　the　greatness　of　their　country；　whereas　the　Englishmen；　if

they　said　anything　concerning　it；　belittled　their　country。



Presently；　on　the　surface　of　the　sea　at　a　little　distance

appeared　something　strange；　a　small　and　ominous　object　like　a　can

on　the　top　of　a　pole。　A　voice　cried　out　〃Submarine！〃　and　everyone

near　rushed　to　look。



〃If　those　Germans　try　any　of　their　monkey　tricks　on　us；　I　guess

the　United　States　will　give　them　hell；〃　said　another　voice　near

by。



Then　from　the　direction　of　the　pole　with　the　tin　can　on　the　top

of　it；　came　something　which　caused　a　disturbance　in　the　smooth

water　and　bubbles　to　rise　in　its　wake。



〃A　torpedo！〃　cried　some。



〃Shut　your　mouth；〃　said　the　voice。　〃Who　dare　torpedo　a　vessel

full　of　the　citizens　of　the　United　States？〃



Next　came　a　booming　crash　and　a　flood　of　upthrown　water；　in　the

wash　of　which　that　speaker　was　carried　away　into　the　deep。　Then

horror！　horror！　horror！　indescribable；　as　the　mighty　vessel　went

wallowing　to　her　doom。　Boats　launched；　boats　overset；　boats

dragged　under　by　her　rush　through　the　water　which　could　not　be

stayed。　Maddened　men　and　women　running　to　and　fro；　their　eyes

starting　from　their　heads；　clasping　children；　fastening　lifebelts

over　their　costly　gowns；　or　appearing　from　their　cabins；　their

hands　filled　with　jewels　that　they　sought　to　save。　Orders　cried

from　high　places　by　stern…faced　officers　doing　their　duty　to　the

last。　And　a　little　way　off　that　thin　pole　with　a　tin　can　on　the

top　of　it　watching　its　work。



Then　the　plunge　of　the　enormous　ship　into　the　deep；　its　huge

screws　still　whirling　in　the　air　and　the　boom　of　the　bursting

boilers。　Lastly　everything　gone　save　a　few　boats　floating　on　the

quiet　sea　and　around　them　dots　that　were　the　heads　of　struggling

human　beings。



〃Let　us　go　home；〃　said　Oro。　〃I　grow　tired　of　this　war　of　your

Christian　peoples。　It　is　no　better　than　that　of　the　barbarian

nations　of　the　early　world。　Indeed　it　is　worse；　since　then　we

worshipped　Fate　and　but　a　few　of　us　had　wisdom。　Now　you　all　claim

wisdom　and　declare　that　you　worship　a　God　of　Mercy。〃





With　these　words　still　ringing　in　my　ears　I　woke　up　upon　the

Island　of　Orofena；　filled　with　terror　at　the　horrible

possibilities　of　nightmare。



What　else　could　it　be？　There　was　the　brown　and　ancient　cone　of

the　extinct　volcano。　There　were　the　tall　palms　of　the　main　island

and　the　lake　glittering　in　the　sunlight　between。　There　was　Bastin

conducting　a　kind　of　Sunday　school　of　Orofenans　upon　the　point　of

the　Rock　of　Offerings；　as　now　he　had　obtained　the　leave　of　Oro　to

do。　There　was　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　and　issuing　from　it　Bickley；

who　by　help　of　one　of　the　hurricane　lamps　had　been　making　an

examination　of　the　buried　remains　of　what　he　supposed　to　be

flying　machines。　Without　doubt　it　was　nightmare；　and　I　would　say

nothing　to　them　about　it　for　fear　of　mockery。



Yet　two　nights　later　Oro　came　again　and　after　the　usual

preliminaries；　said：



〃Humphrey；　this　night　we　will　visit　that　mighty　American

nation；　of　which　you　have　told　me　so　much；　and　the　other　Neutral

Countries。





＇At　this　point　there　is　a　gap　in　Mr。　Arbuthnot's　M。S。；　so　Oro's

reflections　on　the　Neutral　Nations；　if　any；　remain　unrecorded。　It

continues：＇





On　our　homeward　way　we　passed　over　Australia；　making　a　detour

to　do　so。　Of　the　cities　Oro　took　no　account。　He　said　that　they

were　too　large　and　too　many；　but　the　country　interested　him　so

much　that　I　gathered　he　must　have　given　great　attention　to

agriculture　at　some　time　in　the　past。　He　pointed　out　to　me　that

the　climate　was　fine；　and　the　land　so　fertile　that　with　a　proper

system　of　irrigation　and　water…storage　it　could　support　tens　of

millions　and　feed　not　only　itself　but　a　great　part　of　the

outlying　world。



〃But　where　are　the　people？〃　he　asked。　〃Outside　of　those　huge

hives；〃　and　he　indicated　the　great　cities；　〃I　see　few　of　them；

though　doubtless　some　of　the　men　are　fighting　in　this　war。　Well；

in　the　days　to　come　this　must　be　remedied。〃



Over　New　Zealand；　which　he　found　beautiful；　he　shook　his　head

for　the　same　reason。



On　another　night　we　visited　the　East。　China　with　its　teeming

millions　interested　him　extremely；　partly　because　he　declared

these　to　be　the　descendants　of　one　of　the　barbarian　nations　of

his　own　day。　He　made　a　remark　to　the　effect　that　this　race　had

always　possessed　points　and　capacities；　and　that　he　thought　that

with　proper　government　and　instruction　their　Chinese　offspring

would　be　of　use　in　a　regenerated　world。



For　the　Japanese　and　all　that　they　had　done　in　two　short

generations；　he　went　so　far　as　to　express　real　admiration；　a　very

rare　thing　with　Oro；　who　was　by　nature　critical。　I　could　see　that

mentally　he　put　a　white　mark　against　their　name。



India；　too；　really　moved　him。　He　admired　the　ancient　buildings

at　Delhi　and　Agra；　especially　the　Taj　Mahal。　This；　he　declared；

was　reminiscent　of　some　of　the　palaces　that　stood　at　Pani；　the

capital　city　of　the　Sons　of　Wisdom；　before　it　was　destroyed　by

the　Barbarians。



The　English　administration　of　the　country　also　attracted　a　word

of　praise　from　him；　I　think　because　of　its　rather　autocratic

character。　Indeed　he　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that；　with　certain

modifications；　it