世界尽头的那口井-CHAPTER 18 They Come to the Dry Tree
Presently as they rode they had before them one of the greatest of
those land-waves, and they climbed it slowly, going afoot and leading
their horses; but when they were but a little way from the brow they
saw, over a gap thereof, something, as it were huge horns rising up
into the air beyond the crest of the ridge. So they marvelled, and
drew their swords, and held them still awhile, misdoubting if this were
perchance some terrible monster of the waste; but whereas the thing
moved not at all, they plucked up heart and fared on.
So came they to the brow and looked over it into a valley, about which
on all sides went the ridge, save where it was broken down into a
narrow pass on the further side, so that the said valley was like to
one of those theatres of the ancient Roman Folk, whereof are some to be
seen in certain lands. Neither did those desert benches lack their
sitters; for all down the sides of the valley sat or lay children of
men; some women, but most men-folk, of whom the more part were
weaponed, and some with their drawn swords in their hands. Whatever
semblance of moving was in them was when the eddying wind of the valley
stirred the rags of their raiment, or the long hair of the women. But
a very midmost of this dreary theatre rose up a huge and monstrous
tree, whose topmost branches were even the horns which they had seen
from below the hill's brow. Leafless was that tree and lacking of
twigs, and its bole upheld but some fifty of great limbs, and as they
looked on it, they doubted whether it were not made by men's hands
rather than grown up out of the earth. All round about the roots of it
was a pool of clear water, that cast back the image of the valley-side
and the bright sky of the desert, as though it had been a mirror of
burnished steel. The limbs of that tree were all behung with blazoned
shields and knight's helms, and swords, and spears, and axes, and
hawberks; and it rose up into the air some hundred feet above the flat
of the valley.
For a while they looked down silently on to this marvel then from both
their lips at once came the cry THE DRY TREE. Then Ralph thrust his
sword back into his sheath and said: "Meseems I must needs go down
amongst them; there is naught to do us harm here; for all these are
dead like the others that we saw."
Ursula turned to him with burning cheeks and sparkling eyes, and said
eagerly: "Yea, yea, let us go down, else might we chance to miss
something that we ought to wot of."
Therewith she also sheathed her sword, and they went both of them down
together, and that easily; for as aforesaid the slope was as if it had
been cut into steps for their feet. And as they passed by the dead
folk, for whom they had often to turn aside, they noted that each of
the dead leathery faces was drawn up in a grin as though they had died
in pain, and yet beguiled, so that all those visages looked somewhat
alike, as though they had come from the workshop of one craftsman.
At last Ralph and Ursula stood on the level ground underneath the Tree,
and they looked up at the branches, and down to the water at their
feet; and now it seemed to them as though the Tree had verily growth in
it, for they beheld its roots, that they went out from the mound or
islet of earth into the water, and spread abroad therein, and seemed to
waver about. So they walked around the Tree, and looked up at the
shields that hung on its branches, but saw no blazon that they knew,
though they were many and diverse; and the armour also and weapons were
very diverse of fashion.
Now when they were come back again to the place where they had first
stayed, Ralph said: "I thirst, and so belike dost thou; and here is
water good and clear; let us drink then, and so spare our water-skins,
for belike the dry desert is yet long." And therewith he knelt down
that he might take of the water in the hollow of his hand. But Ursula
drew him back, and cried out in terror: "O Ralph, do it not! Seest
thou not this water, that although it be bright and clear, so that we
may see all the pebbles at the bottom, yet nevertheless when the wind
eddies about, and lifts the skirts of our raiment, it makes no ripple
on the face of the pool, and doubtless it is heavy with venom; and
moreover there is no sign of the way hereabout, as at other
watering-steads; O forbear, Ralph!"
Then he rose up and drew back with her but slowly and unwillingly as
she deemed; and they stood together a while gazing on these marvels.
But lo amidst of this while, there came a crow wheeling over the valley
of the dead, and he croaked over the Dry Tree, and let himself drop
down to the edge of the pool, whereby he stalked about a little after
the manner of his kind. Then he thrust his neb into the water and
drank, and thereafter took wing again; but ere he was many feet off the
ground he gave a grievous croak, and turning over in the air fell down
stark dead close to the feet of those twain; and Ralph cried out but
spake no word with meaning therein; then said Ursula: "Yea, thus are
we saved from present death." Then she looked in Ralph's face, and
turned pale and said hastily: "O my friend how is it with thee?" But
she waited not for an answer, but turned her face to the bent whereby
they had come down, and cried out in a loud, shrill voice: "O Ralph,
Ralph! look up yonder to the ridge whereby we left our horses; look,
look! there glitters a spear and stirreth! and lo a helm underneath the
spear: tarry not, let us save our horses!"
Then Ralph let a cry out from his mouth, and set off running to the
side of the slope, and fell to climbing it with great strides, not
heeding Ursula; but she followed close after, and scrambled up with
foot and hand and knee, till she stood beside him on the top, and he
looked around wildly and cried out: "Where! where are they?"
"Nowhere," she said, "it was naught but my word to draw thee from
death; but praise to the saints that thou are come alive out of the
accursed valley."
He seemed not to hearken, but turned about once, and beat the air with
his hands, and then fell down on his back and with a great wail she
cast herself upon him, for she deemed at first that he was dead. But
she took a little water from one of their skins, and cast it into his
face, and took a flask of cordial from her pouch, and set it to his
lips, and made him drink somewhat thereof. So in a while he came to
himself and opened his eyes and smiled upon her, and she took his head
in her hands and kissed his cheek, and he sat up and said feebly:
"Shall we not go down into the valley? there is naught there to harm
us."
"We have been down there already," she said, "and well it is that we
are not both lying there now."
Then he got to his feet, and stretched himself, and yawned like one
just awakened from long sleep. But she said: "Let us to horse and
begone; it is early hours to slumber, for those that are seeking the
Well at the World's End."
He smiled on her again and took her hand, and she led him to his horse,
and helped him till he was in the saddle and lightly she gat
a-horseback, and they rode away swiftly from that evil place; and after
a while Ralph was himself again, and remembered all that had happened
till he fell down on the brow of the ridge. Then he praised Ursula's
wisdom and valiancy till she bade him forbear lest he weary her.
Albeit she drew up close to him and kissed his face sweetly.