And then in a little, I was gone over into sleep, and waked not for
seven good hours; and then to hear the fizzing of the water, very brisk
and cheerful, and so to have mine eyes open in a moment, and to know by
my time-keeper or dial, that was somewhat like to a watch of this age,
that I had slumbered through seven good hours. But this to be learned
after that I had lookt to see whether Mine Own did be well, and whether
that the boulder did balance in the mouth-part of the cave. And surely, there did be nothing in harm; for the boulder was there, as
I did put it; and the Maid a little off from me, and did make ready the
water and the tablets, that we eat before our journeying. And I rose then, and in the same moment I did know that my mouth had
been kist whilst that I slept; and the knowing to come to me vague, as
that I had been kist in my dreams. And I lookt over toward the Maid; but she to have her lids something
down upon her eyes, and to seem very demure; so that I saw her
naughtiness was come again upon her. Yet, truly, I could not bear that I
not to have her into mine arms; for, indeed, her perverseness did seem
as that she did the more tempt me unto her. And thus I came to her in a
moment; but she neither to resist me, nor to give herself unto me; but
only to be still in mine arms, and to do no more than submit very quiet. And because of this, I loost her unkist, and was silent, and a little to
be angered, even whilst that my heart perceived the way of the working
of her heart. Yet truly I ached now that she come back to her dear
natural fashion. And I eat my tablets and drank some of the water; and the Maid to do
likewise. And afterward, I lookt well from the mouth of the cave; but did nowhere
see aught to put me in trouble for our safety, though, truly, as
presently I saw, there went an herd of strange creatures afar off in the
Northwestward part, which did be that way of the Country, beyond the
feet of the mountains, toward the In-Land. Now, when that I was something assured of the safeness of the way, I gat
the Diskos to my hip, and the Maid to have the scrip and the pouch ready
to my back, and her bundle to her hand; and so all to be ready. And I went downward from the cave, when that I was girt, and gave aid to
Mine Own; and so to be soon upon the journey. And surely, as we went onward, and I to look about me with
different-seeing eyes from my looking on mine outward way, I to see how
wondrous this part of the Land did be; and how that it did be truly like
a great and wondrous park, that did be made of the skill and labour of
godlike things; and truly this to show my feeling, as I lookt all-ways. And all that part did be bred of the inward forces of the world, and did
be burned clear in this place, and upheaved in that, and made to an hot
lake in another part; and odd whiles there to go a great steam fountain,
that did whistle a lonely song forever. And anon there to be a small
wood, and again a wood; and oft the quietness of great and strange
trees, that did stand alone. And here, and in that part, a little
fire-hill, that did be surely no greater than an house, and we to pass
seven of these in but three hours. And two to glow very steadfast, and
to make no vigour of burning; but the five others did burn very strong,
and sent out a smoke and ash, and made a small desolation all about
them; and of these five, there did be one that cast stones oft and
again, so that they went upward with a strange loud noise, and fell in
this place and that, all about, so that we came downward more nigh to
the shore, that we be a good way off. And here, as I do mind, there was a strangeness, in that there did be
many trees that had stones set in the branches; and this to be plainly
the work of the little fire-hill; and I to think it but something new
come, else surely there had been no trees within all that space that it
did throw; but yet, mayhap, I am wrong in this; for all things did seem
that they grew very easy in that Country; and indeed this to be for
surprise to me, only that I saw it with mine own eyes, as we do say. And alway as we did go, there were signs of inward life and forces; so
that we but to stand quiet to feel that the earth did tremble gently in
many parts. And presently there sounded for a great while a low and dull booming
sound; and this we found to be from a place amid certain great rocks
toward the mountains; for there came thence a mighty up-spouting of
boiling water, that went so high as an hundred feet, and oft to be
thrice so high, and belched a great steam; and there went up in the jet
of the water, a great rock, that was so big as an house, and did dance
and play in the might of the water, as that it had been no more than a
thing very light and easy. And when that the water fell, as it did oft,
the rock to go downward with the dull booming that we did hear. And I minded how that I had heard the booming upon mine outward way; but
had been then something more to the shore, so that it had been less
plain to mine ears, as you shall suppose; neither had it been then to my
sight, as now it did be to us because that we were come mayhap the half
of a mile more toward the In-Land of the Country. And truly, we lookt awhile at this huge great fountain and up-boiling,
and came nearer unto it; but yet to be a large space off, because of
the way that it did throw out a spattering of small stones odd whiles. And surely the thing did cough and roar in the deep earth, and anon to
gruntle gently and to sob and gurgle; and lo! to come forth in a moment
with a bellow, very hollow and strange, and the great rock to go
spinning upward, and all a-shine in the light from the volcanoes, and
was so round as a monstrous ball, and polished by the fret of the
waters, so that I saw it had surely danced in the great jet through a
weary time. And anon the jet to cease and to go downward with a great soughing and
thundering of waters, and the dancing rock to fall downward from that
height which did show very huge, now that we did be come so near. And
the rock surely to fall backward into some deep pit, whence came the
waters, and as it fell, there was again the dull booming. But why the
rock brake not, I could not perceive, save that it did alway fall into a
boiling up of waters, and had no hurt from the rock of the place whence
it was come. And the Maid and I both to have stood a while, that we stare at this
thing; for it did be more strange than I have made you to know; but now
I did make to our journey again, and did think the Maid followed; but
lo! in a moment, when that I lookt, she was to my back, and went toward
the great boiling fountain. Then I stopt very swift, and called to her;
but she did take no heed of me, and went onward very naughty, unto the
danger of the great boil of the Jet, and the constant flying out of the
stones, that you do know.