inca.gold-第85部分

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　　　　In　silence；　Captain　Diego　and　his　radioman　were　escorted　half　a　kilometer　（a　third　of　a　mile）　to　a　large　overhanging　rock　protruding　from　the　mountain。　There；　out　of　sight　of　anyone　on　the　peak；　Diego　found　his　entire　pany　of　men　sitting　nervously　in　a　tight　group　while　several　Indians　covered　them　with　their　own　weapons。
　　　　They　scrambled　to　their　feet　and　came　to　attention；　their　faces　reflecting　relief　at　seeing　their　manding　officer。　Two　lieutenants　and　a　sergeant　came　up　and　saluted。
　　　　〃Is　there　no　one　who　escaped？〃　asked　Diego。
　　　　One　of　the　lieutenants　shook　his　head。　〃No；　sir。　They　were　on　us　before　we　could　resist。〃
　　　　Diego　looked　around　at　the　Indians　guarding　his　men。　Including　Yuma；　he　counted　only　sixteen。　〃Is　this　all　of　you？〃　he　asked　unbelievingly。
　　　　Yuma　nodded。　〃We　did　not　need　more。〃
　　　　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　us？〃
　　　　〃Nothing；　soldier　boy。　My　neighbors　and　I　have　been　careful　not　to　harm　anyone。　You　and　your　men　will　enjoy　a　nice　siesta　for　a　few　hours；　and　then　you'll　be　free　to　leave　our　land。〃
　　　　〃And　if　we　attempt　to　escape？〃
　　　　Yuma　shrugged　indifferently。　〃Then　you　will　be　shot。　Something　you　should　think　about；　since　my　people　can　hit　a　running　rabbit　at　fifty　meters。〃
　　　　Yuma　had　said　all　he　had　to　say。　He　turned　his　back　on　Captain　Diego　and　began　climbing　an　almost　unrecognizable　trail　between　a　fissure　on　the　south　wall　of　the　mountain。　No　words　were　spoken　between　the　Montolos。　As　if　on　silent　mand；　ten　men　followed　Billy　Yuma　while　five　remained　behind　to　guard　the　prisoners。
　　　　The　ascent　went　faster　than　the　last　time。　He　profited　from　his　mistakes　and　ignored　the　wrong　turns　he　had　taken　that　curved　into　blind　chutes。　He　remembered　the　good　handholds　and　avoided　the　ones　that　were　badly　eroded。　But　it　was　still　tough　going　on　a　trail　no　self…respecting　pack　mule　would　be　caught　dead　on。
　　　　He　would　have　preferred　more　men　to　support　his　assault；　but　the　ten　men　struggling　behind　him　were　the　only　ones　who　were　not　afraid　of　the　mountain。　Or　that　was　what　they　claimed。　Yuma　was　not　blind　to　the　apprehension　in　their　eyes。
　　　　After　he　reached　a　flat　ledge；　he　stopped　to　catch　his　breath。　His　heart　was　beginning　to　pound；　but　his　body　was　tensed　with　the　nervous　energy　of　a　racehorse　ready　to　burst　from　the　gate。　He　pulled　an　old　pocket　watch　from　his　pants　pocket　and　checked　the　time。　He　nodded　to　himself　in　satisfaction　and　held　the　watch　face　for　the　others　to　see。　They　were　twenty　minutes　ahead　of　schedule。
　　　　High　above；　on　the　mountain's　summit；　the　helicopters　hovered　like　bees　around　a　hive。　They　were　loaded　with　I　as　much　of　the　treasure　as　they　could　lift　before　struggling　into　the　sky　and　setting　a　course　for　the　airstrip　in　the　Altar　Desert。
　　　　Colonel　Campos's　officers　and　men　were　working　so　fast；　and　were　so　awed　by　the　golden　hoard；　none　thought　to　check　the　security　forces　stationed　around　the　base　of　the　mountain。　The　radio　operator　on　the　peak　was　too　busy　coordinating　the　ings　and　goings　of　the　helicopters　to　ask　for　a　report　from　Captain　Diego。　No　one　took　the　time　to　look　over　the　edge　at　the　deserted　encampment　below。　Nor　did　they　notice　the　small　band　of　men　who　were　slowly　climbing　ever　closer　to　the　mountaintop。
　　　　Police　andante　Cortina　was　not　a　man　who　missed　much。　As　his　police　helicopter　rose　from　Cerro　el　Capirote　for　the　return　trip　to　his　headquarters；　he　stared　down　at　the　stone　beast　and　caught　something　that　was　missed　by　all　the　others。　A　pragmatic　man；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　put　it　off　as　a　trick　of　sunlight　and　shadows；　or　perhaps　the　angle　of　his　view。　But　when　he　refocused　his　eyes　on　the　ancient　sculpture；　he　could　have　sworn　the　vicious　expression　had　altered。　The　menacing　look　was　gone。
　　　　To　Cortina；　just　before　it　slipped　out　of　view　of　his　window；　the　fang…filled　jaws　on　the　guardian　of　the　dead　were　frozen　in　a　smile。

　　　　Pitt　felt　as　though　he　were　free…falling　down　a　mammoth　soda　straw　filled　with　cobalt　blue　mist。　The　sides　of　the　vertical　shaft　of　the　sinkhole　were　round　and　smooth；　almost　as　if　they　had　been　polished。　If　he　hadn't　been　able　to　see　his　diving　partner　through　the　transparent　water　a　short　distance　below；　the　shaft　would　have　seemed　bottomless。　He　cleared　his　ears　as　he　descended；　finning　easily　until　he　caught　up　with　Giordino；　who　was　towing　their　dry　transport　container　past　the　elbow　bend　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　Pitt　helped　by　pushing　his　end　through；　and　then　followed　in　its　wake。
　　　　He　glanced　at　his　depth…gauge　needle。　It　was　holding　steady　just　shy　of　the　60…meter　mark　（197　feet）。　From　here　on；　as　the　feeder　stream　sloped　up　toward　the　river；　the　water　pressure　would　decrease；　relieving　any　fear　of　depth　blackout。
　　　　This　was　nothing　like　the　dive　into　the　sacrificial　pool　on　the　jungled　slopes　of　the　Andes。　There；　he　had　used　a　strong　safety　line　with　munications　equipment。　And　except　for　the　brief　foray　into　the　side　cavern　to　rescue　Shannon　and　Miles；　he　was　never　out　of　sight　of　the　surface。　This　trip；　they'd　be　entering　an　underworld　of　perpetual　blackness　no　man　or　animal　had　ever　seen。
　　　　As　they　moved　their　bulky　canister　through　the　twists　and　turns　of　the　feeder　stream　leading　to　the　river；　Pitt　recalled　that　cave　diving　is　one　of　the　most　dangerous　sports　in　the　world。　There　was　the　Stygian　blackness；　the　claustrophobic　sensation　of　knowing　you're　far　beneath　the　solid　rock；　the　maddening　silence；　and　the　constant　threat　of　disorientation　if　silt　is　stirred　into　impenetrable　clouds。　All　this　could　lead　to　panic；　which　had　killed　scores　of　divers　who　were　trained　and　equipped　to　deal　with　the　perils；　and　made　cave　diving　a　morbid　fascination　that　could　not　be　learned　from　a　book。
　　　　What　was　it　his　instructor　from　the　National　Speleological　Society　had　told　him　before　his　first　dive　into　a　saltwater　cave　in　the　Bahamas？　〃Anyone　can　die　at　any　time　on　a　cave　dive。〃　In　that　peculiar　way　a　particular　fact　learned　in　youth　can　stick　in　your　mind　forever；　Pitt　remembered　that　during　the　year　1974；　twenty…six　divers　had　lost　their　lives　in　Florida's　underwater　caves　alone；　and　that　the　world　total　of　deaths　must　have　been　three　times　that　figure。
　　　　Pitt　had　never　suffered　from　claustrophobia　and　fear　seldom　distracted　him；　but　under　hazardous　conditions　he　experienced　just　enough　uneasiness　to　sharpen　his　senses　to　unexpected　dangers。
　　　　As　it　was；　he　didn't　look　forward　to　diving　without　a　fixed　guide　or　safety　line。　He　well　knew　this　operation　could　quickly　turn　into　an　exercise　in　self…destruction；　especially　once　they　became　uncontrollably　caught　up　in　the　river's　current。　Then　there　would　be　no　escape　until　they　reached　the　treasure　chamber。
　　　　The　horizontal　fissure　leading　to　the　river　expanded　and　tapered　in　a　series　of　hourglass　shapes。　At　100　meters　（328　feet）　from　the　sinkhole　they　lost　90　percent　of　the　outside　light。　They　switched　on　the　lamps　attached　to　their　hardhats。　Another　quick　glance　at　his　depth　gauge　told　Pitt　they　had　slowly　ascended　to　within　20　meters　（66　feet）　of　the　water　surface。
　　　　Giordino　ceased　his　forward　movement；　turned；　and　waved　with　one　hand。　They　had　reached　the　outlet　into　the　river　system。　Pitt　answered　with　the　hand　signal　for　OK。　Then　he　slipped　his　arm　through　the　strap　attached　to　the　transport　canister　so　it　wouldn't　be　torn　from　him　by　unforeseen　turbulence。
　　　　Giordino　kicked　his　fins　powerfully　and　angled　upstream　in　a　vigorous　effort　to　pull　the　canister　broadside　into　the　river　as　far　as　possible　before　the　main　flow　of　the　current　swung　him　downstream　before　Pitt　could　exit　the　feeder　stream。　His　timing　was　near　perfect。　Just　as　he　lost　his　momentum　and　the　current　caught　him　in　its　grip；　thrusting　him　around；　Pitt　and　his　end　of　the　canister　popped　out　of　the　side　gallery。
　　　　As　previously　planned；　they　calmly　inflated　their　buoyancy　pensators；　released　the　lead　weights　on　the　canister　to　make　it　buoyant；　and　calmly　drifted　upward　while　being　carried　downriver。　After　traveling　close　to　50　meters　（164　feet）；　they　broke　surface；　their　lights　revealing　a　large　open　gallery。　The　ceiling　was　covered　by　a　strange　black　rock　that　was　not　limestone。　Only　when　Pitt　steadied　his　light　did　he　recognize　it　as　volcanic。　Fortunately；　the　river's　flow　was　smooth　and　uninterrupted　by　rocks；　but　the　walls　of　the　passage　rose　steeply　out　of　the　water；　offering　them　no　place　to　land。
　　　　He　spit　out　his　regulator　mouthpiece　and　called　to　Giordino。　〃Be　ready　to　cut　to　the　side　when　you　see　an　open　spot　on　the　bank。〃
　　　　〃Will　do；〃　Giordino　said　over　his　shoulder。
　　　　They　quickly　passed　from　the　volcanic　intrusion　back　into　limestone　that　was　covered　by　an　odd　gray　coating　that　absorbed　their　light　beams　and　gave　the　impression　the　batteries　were　giving　out　on　their　lamps。　A　steady；　thunderous　sound　grew　and　echoed　through　the　passage。　Their　worst　fears　being　swept　through　unnavigable　rapids　or　going　over　a　waterfall　before　making　a　landingsuddenly　loomed　in　the　darkness　ahead。
　　　　〃Keep　a　tight　grip；〃　Giordino　shouted。　〃It　looks　like　we're　in　for　a　tumble。〃
　　　　Pitt　angled　his　head　downward　so　the　lights　on　his　hardhat　pointed　directly　to　the　front。　It　was　a　wasted　motion。　The　passage　was　soon　filled　with　a　mist　that　rose　out　of　the　water　like　steam。　Pitt　had　a　sudden　vision　of　going　over　Niagara　Falls　without　a　barrel。　The　roar　was　deafening　now；　magnified　by　the　acoustics　of　the　rocky　cavern。　And　then　Giordino　passed　into　the　mist　and　vanished。
　　　　Pitt　could　only　hold　on　to　the　canister　and　watch　with　strangely　paralyzed　fascination　as　he　was　enveloped　by　the　spray。　He　braced　himself　for　an　endless　fall。　But　the　endless　fall　never　came。　The　thunder　came　not　from　the　river　plunging　downward；　but　from　a　furious　torrent　that　crashed　down　from　above。
　　　　He　was　pummeled　by　a　surging　deluge　that　burst　in　a　great　plume　from　the　limestone　roof　of　the　cavern。　The　huge　torrent　of　water　barreled　down　a　tributary　that　fed　into　the　subterranean　river　from　another　source。　Pitt　was　baffled　by　the　sight　of　so　much　water　rushing　under　an　and　and　thirsty　desert　no　farther　away　than　the　distance　a　good　outfielder　could　throw　a　baseball。　He　decided　that　it　must　feed　into　the　river　by　great　pressure　from　a　system　of　underground　aqui