第95章

The whole position was so tremendous and so absolutely unearthly that I believe it actually lulled our sense of terror, but to this hour I often see it in my dreams, and wake up covered with cold perspiration at its mere fantasy.

"On! on!" cried the white form before us, for now the cloak had gone _i_ She _i_ was robed in white, and looked more like a spirit riding down the gale than a woman; "On, or ye will fall and be dashed to pieces.

Keep your eyes fixed upon the ground, and closely hug the rock."We obeyed her, and crept painfully along the quivering path, against which the wind shrieked and wailed as it shook it, causing it to murmur like a vast tuning-fork.On we went, I do not know for how long, only gazing round now and again, when it was absolutely necessary, until at last we saw that we were on the very tip of the spur, a slab of rock little larger than an ordinary table, and that throbbed and jumped like any over-engined steamer.There we lay on our stomachs, clinging to the ground, and looked about us, while Ayesha stood leaning out against the wind, down which her long hair streamed, and, absolutely heedless of the hideous depth that yawned beneath, pointed before her.Then we saw why the narrow plank, which Job and I had painfully dragged along between us, had been provided.Before us was an empty space, on the other side of which was something, as yet we could not see what, for here either owing to the shadow of the opposite cliff, or from some other cause-the gloom was that of night.

"We must wait awhile," called Ayesha; "soon there will be light."At the moment I could not imagine what she meant.How could more light than there was ever come to this dreadful spot? While I was still debating in my mind, suddenly, like a great sword of flame, a beam from the setting sun pierced the Stygian gloom, and smote upon the point of rock whereon we lay illumining Ayesha's lovely form with an unearthly splendor.I only wish that I could describe the wild and marvellous beauty of that sword of fire, laid across the darkness and rushing mist-wreaths of the gulf.How it got there Ido not to this moment know, but I presume that there was some cleft or hole in the opposing cliff, through which it.pierced when the setting orb was in a direct line therewith.All I say is, that the effect was the most wonderful that I ever saw.Right through the heart of the darkness that flaming sword was stabbed, and where it lay there was the most surpassingly vivid light, so vivid that even at a distance one could see the grain of the rock, while, outside of ityes, within a few inches of its keen edgewas naught but clustering shadows.

And now, by this ray of light, for which _i_ She _i_had been waiting, and timed our arrival to meet, knowing that at this season for thousands of years it had always struck thus at sunset, we saw what was before us.Within eleven or twelve feet of the very tip of the tongue-like rock whereon we stood there arose, presumably from the far bottom of the gulf, a sugar loaf-shaped cone, of which the summit was exactly opposite to us.But had there been a summit only it would not have helped us much, for the nearest point of its circumference was some forty feet from where we were.On the lip of this summit, however, which was circular and hollow, rested a tremendous flat stone, something like a glacier stoneperhaps it was one, for all I know to the contraryand the end of this stone approached to within twelve feet or so of us.This huge boulder was nothing more or less than a gigantic rocking-stone, accurately balanced upon the edge of the cone or miniature crater, like a half crown on the rim of a wineglass; for, in the fierce light that played upon it and us, we could see it oscillating in the gusts of wind.

"Quick!" said Ayesha; "the plankwe must cross while the light endures; presently it will be gone.""Oh, Lord, sir!" groaned Job, "surely she don't mean us to walk across that there place on that there thing," as in obedience to my direction he pushed the long board towards me.

"That's it, Job," I halloaed, in ghastly merriment, though the idea of walking the plank was no pleasanter to me than to him.

I pushed the board on to Ayesha, who deftly ran it across the gulf so that one end of it rested on the rocking-stone, the other remaining on the extremity of the trembling spur.Then, placing her foot upon it to prevent it from being blown away, she turned to me.