And I went upward of the river-bank, that I might come to some place
where the river did narrow; and surely I had been like to walk a mighty
distance to this purpose, but that I came soon to a second river that
did enter the first, not a mile above the shore of the sea; so that, as
you do perceive, there was the sea to one side of me, and this second
river unto the other, and the first river before me; and thus was I
sorely perplexed, as any had been truly that was in a like trouble. Yet, as it did chance, the need to go forward, and the danger of the
Humped Men, put wit into me, so that I lookt about for a tree that was
fallen. And there were many, yet great, so that I was much wearied and
something strained of the spirit, before that I gat two little trees
unto the water. Now, when this was done, I made me a rough pole of a young tree-plant;
and afterward, I lashed the two trees together with my belts and straps,
and so had somewhat of a raft. And you shall picture that, all the time as I did go about this
business, I was very heedful lest the Humped Men should come upon me,
ere that I was gone free upon the water. And this constant heeding did
double the labour of my work, as you shall perceive; yet, in the end, it
was done, and I ready to adventure over the river. And so I did push off with the pole, and I pusht and paddled maybe the
half of an hour, for, indeed it was all a clumsy contriving, and mayhap
I the more so in my labours. Yet, presently, I was come so far over,
that I drew nigh to the island; and it did seem a wise and proper thing
that I should have my slumber there, and afterward go onward to the
farther shore. And this I did; and after that I had eat and drunk, as
ever, I lay down to sleep. And by this time it was three and thirty
hours since last I did slumber; so that I was bitterly awearied. And I had a great and restful sleep; for, truly, the island did seem a
very safe place; and, in verity, I came to no harm, though I was as a
dead man for nine great hours; and so shall you perceive my weariness. And when I was come proper awake, I eat two of the tablets, and drank
some of the water; and afterward made an end of my voyage, and then did
take back my belts and straps from binding the trees, and so forward
again upon my way, and no more fearful of the Humped Men; for, surely, I
did think I had left them all upon the far shore of the river; though
afterward I minded me that they might grow likewise upon the two sides;
but yet was I only discovered by those upon the one, as you do know. And all that day I went very swift, and past many strange matters and
did coast upon wonders oft. And at the sixth and the twelfth hours did I
eat and drink, as ever; and between the eighth and the fourteenth hours
did I come past two mighty fire-hills, that made all the Country to
tremble with their noise. And four times did monstrous creatures pass by
me; but I was swift hid, and came to no harm. And oft as I did go, were my thoughts upon the dear Maid that I
journeyed to save from destruction. Yet, as you must see, always were my
thinkings brought sharply unto my going; so that scarce was I ever set
off to ponder upon Naani, but that there came some danger or wonder to
give me heed to my way. And because of this, as you have learned, I was
more put to plan free of the instant trouble and peril of my way,
through all that mighty journey, than to have quiet chance for thoughts
of love unto mine Own. Yet, truly, was not my journey one whole thought
of love unto Naani? And, that peril made oft dumb my brain, was but the
truer song unto my Maid. And at times I was among trees; but oft did go past unnumbered boiling
springs and small fire-hills; and oft was the air full of the noise of
the little fire-hills, and the roar of the boiling springs; but there
came no harm unto me. And a thousand times did I perceive things that had life; and I made a
very cautious way; though with a great speed and cleverness of going
that made my heart glad. And oft did I come to parts where a great life held the trees, and green
stuff did flourish exceedingly, and the air rich and full and wondrous
sweet; so that I was fain to think how that in some far-off time, it
might be that our children's children should come down unto this
Country, when the Upper Valley of the Night Land was grown to an utter
chill and lacking of air; and here build them a new Refuge, if, indeed
any should come clear of the Evil Forces and the Monsters that did live
about the Mighty Pyramid in the Night Land. Yet, how should they come
clear of those things; so that this is, as you do perceive, no more than
a thought that did rise vaguely in me. And yet, again, who shall say
what may be? And onward I did pass, and I do mind me how that I saw the lower fires
of that Country to burn very fierce; and this I set to the richness of
the air; but yet with no surety of knowledge; and do but tell the same
that you shall see the oddments of thought that went oft across my
brain, and so have so much knowledge as I, concerning this and that. Now, a little before the eighteenth hour was come, I came out from among
the trees, and the sea was downward of a great cliff unto my right, for
I had gone upward for a long and weary hour. And I did see now a thing
that made me to be cautious, and yet that did hold my heart to go
swiftly to perceive the thing; for it was very strange. And I went forward quickly, yet with a wise care; and so was come
presently more nigh. And I perceived that the thing was, in part, a high
rock, very tall and pointed and maybe an hundred feet high; but
afterward I did find it to be more. And there was a monstrous great
thing upon the top of the rock, that did seem very strange; and I stopt
and lookt, and afterward went forward again; and so for a time, until
that I was but a little way off. And now I saw that there did seem to be
a mighty long rock laid across the topmost part of the upstanding rock,
and yet had a very strange and shapely appearance; and did seem upon the
underpart to be as that I had lookt before upon it. And upon the upper
part, there grew trees and green things, even as these did grow upon odd
ledges of the upstanding rock. Yet, for the most, the rock was very
stark, as that a blast had blown upon it, and made it bare. Now, when I had lookt for a while, I bethought me that this should be a
safe and proper place for my slumber, if that I had power to come safe
to the top. And when I had thought this thing, I began at once to climb
up the rock; and I found that the rock was very high; so that in a while
I was come a great way off the earth, and yet was not come to the top of
the rock. And because that I was awearied, I lookt about for a safe
place to mine hand, and lo! there was a shelf of the rock very nigh,
that went inward a little to the side.