Latest / Classic Adventure Books Collection / 26 - Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey
Transcript
- Chapter twenty six, how the quarrymen of King Gelidus cleft asunder the crystal prison of the little man with a frozen smile my bitter disappointment, and how I bore it wonderful happenings of the night that followed. Bulgar again proves himself to be an animal of extraordinary sagacity. Bulgar and I had little appetite for the dainty breakfast of stewed sweetbreads which the Colti corpse set before us next morning, for I knew and he half suspected, that something important was going to happen, being nothing less than the cleavness under of the crystal cell which had held the little Chimpanzee a prisoner for so many centuries. Walking beside the merry Princess Schnibulet, who was delighted to know that his frigid majesty her father had at last yielded to my wishes, Bulgar and I set out for the beautiful ice grotto. Behind us walked Frosty Fizz and Glacier Boy, with instructions from the King to supervise the cleavingess under of the block of ice. And after them came four of King Yeladas's quarrymen, two bearing flint axes with helves of polished bone, and two carrying the flint wedges to be used in the work. We soon entered Schneebula's grotto, and the task was at once entered upon. It seemed to me I could almost see the little man with the frozen smile wink as eyelids as the quarrymen set their wedges in place and began to mark the line of fracture. But of course, dear friends, you know what imagination I have, especially when I get worked up over anything. So you must take what I say sometimes with a grain of salt, although as a rule you may accept my statements with childlike confidence. With such wonderful skill did the Cultiquorpian quarrymen use their axes and wedges that in a few moments, to my great delight, the huge block of ice fell asunder in perfect halves, in one of which the little manlike creature lay on his side, like a casting in a mold. I made haste to lift him out and wrap him in a soft pelt, which I had brought along for that purpose, And then I turned to retrace my steps to my chamber, where I intended to begin at once my study of whatever inscription should be found upon his curious caller. Remember, little Baron, said glacier boy, by express command of his frigid majesty, the little man with a frozen smile, must be returned to his crystal cell to morrow morning. At this very hour I bowed assent, and then, having accompanied Princess Schnebulet as far as the bottom of the grand staircase leading to the Ice Palace, I turned away, and was soon in the privacy of my own apartment. Now came for me one of the bitterest disappointments of my life. But I submitted with a good grace, for it was fit punishment visit upon me for my foolish vanity in striving to unearth some older record of the human race than had yet been done by any of the great searchers and philosophers, not even excepting that master of masters don Strefalo fijiquinarius foon. No, then, dear friends, that the quaint collar, made up of gold and silver, or disks cunningly linked together, which encircled the animal's neck, contained not a single word or letter of any language. The undersides being quite blank, and the upper merely having rough carved outlines of an object which might possibly have been intended for the sun. Wrapping the animal up in the soft pelt, I laid him away in the corner of my divan and betook myself to the palace of his frigid Majesty, where I frankly informed King Gelidus of my great disappointment in not finding some few words, or even a single word of a language unknown to the wisest heads of the upper world. Schnebole was so touched by my sadness that had I not skillfully kept out of her way, I verily believed she would have thrown her arms around my neck and imprinted upon my cheek the kiss which would have made me the king of the Colti Corpse. But I had no longing to spend the rest of my life in the icy domains of his frigid Majesty, even though my brow would be crowned with the cold crown of the Colti corpse. If I had been an old man with slow and feeble pulse, it would have been very different. But my heart was too warm and my blood too hot to fill such a position with agreeableness to myself or satisfaction to the people of this icy underworld. So I kept the little princess busy enough I can assure you, first with songs, then with dance, and then with story telling. That night, King Gilidus ordered a magnificent fete to be held in my honor. Five hundred more alabaster lamps were lighted, and the royal divans were laid with the richest pelts in the palace. And after the dancing and singing had ended, frozen tidbits from the royal kitchen were passed around on alabaster salvers, and Bulgar and I ate until our teeth ached. It was late when we reached our own apartment, and so full were my thoughts of the beautiful sights which we had gazed upon in the throne room that I had quite forgotten about the poor little man with a frozen smile, whom I had covered up and tucked away on my divan. But Bulgar had not been so hard hearted. Twenty times during the evening he had given me a sly tug at my sleeve, as much as to say, well, little master, let's hurry back. Does not remember that we left my poor little frozen brother, tucked away in that icy chamber, all alone by himself. I was very weary, and I fell off to sleep almost immediately. And yet I had an indistinct recollection that Bulgar was not in his place against my breast. I remembered feeling for him, but that's all never flashed upon me that he had gone and laying down beside the poor little stranger whom I had so unfeelingly lifted from his last resting place. And yet such must have been the case. For about midnight, it seemed to me I was awakened by a gentle tugging at my sleeve. It was my faithful Bulgar, but half awake and half asleep as I was, I merely thought that he was only asking for a caress, as was often his wont when he fell a thinking about home. So I reached out and stroked his head several times, and dropped off again. But the tugging began anew, and this time twas more vigorous, and with it came an impatient whine, which meant, come cut my little master us. Thee dost suppose I would break they rest unless I was good reason for it. I didn't need a third reminder, But with a single bound landed on my feet, and reaching out for one of the tiny tapers which the Coltiquips make use of as lighters, I carried the flames from the single lamp burning on the wall to the three others hanging here and there. The icy walls of my chamber were now ablaze with light. There sat Bulgar on the fur covered divan, beside the place where the little man with a frozen smile lay hidden under the pelt. His tail was wagging nervously, and his large, lustrous eyes were fixed first upon me and then upon the covering of his dead brother, with an expression I never remembered having seen in them before. And then, with a sudden movement, he laid hold of the pelt, and, drawing it aside, showed me what think you, dear friends? What I ask, in a tone of half whisper, half gasp. For now, years after, I still can feel that one thrill which I felt then. Why it was alive, that ape like creature had come to life after his sleep of thousands of years. In that narrow crystal cell. Bulgar had lain down beside his frozen brother and warmed him back to life again. Oh, it was wondrously wonderful to see that pair of little eyes, bead like in brightness, look up and blink at me. And then to hear that low moaning voice, so human like as if it whimpered with a shake and a shiver. Oh, how cold it is, How very cold it is. Where's the sun? Where's a soft warm wind? And where are the cloudless skies? So blue, oh, so beautifully blue that used to hang over my head. Bidding Bulgar to lie down again beside him and snuggle up as close as possible, I made haste to cover them both with the softest skins I could find. In a few moments, there came from underneath the pile a low contented cry of hoosia, hoozia, hoosia, followed by a cureus. Additions sounded like fuff fuf fuff. So I put them all together and name the strange newcomer to the icy domain of King Galadas fuff cuja sleep any more? That night, not a wink. The same joy came over me that I used to feel on Christmas morning long ago, when Chris Kringle brought me some wonderful bit of mechanism, moved by a secret spring. For I always scorned to accept ordinary toys like ordinary children. And oh how I longed for the morning when it would be time for me to bundle up the little man no longer him with a frozen smile, but fuff Guja, the live boy from far away, with his curious little face screwed up into such a funny look, and carry him to the palace. How delighted Schneeboo I will be, thought I, and King Galadhus too, How he will unbend from his frigid majesty as he watches the antics of fuff Guja. And how pleased all the dignified cold ecorpions, including Frosty Fizz and Glacier Boy, will be when I tell them that the little man with a frozen smile has come to life again. What crowds of coldi corps men, women and children will rush up the long flights of steps leading to the Ice Palace, begging, entreating King Gelidas to let them have just a little look at Fuffcuja, the little man set free from his icy cell by the famous traveler Baron Sebastian van Trump. End of chapter twenty six