"BretHarte-TheQueenOfThePirateIsle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harte Bret)

the different openings below. The continual traffic had gradually
worn a shallow gully half filled with earth and gravel into the
face of the mountain which checked the momentum of the goods in
their downward passage, but afforded no foothold for a pedestrian.
No one had ever been known to descend a slide. That feat was
evidently reserved for the Pirate band. They approached the edge
of the slide, hand in hand, hesitated, and the next moment
disappeared.

Five minutes later the tunnel-men of the Excelsior mine, a mile
below, taking their luncheon on the rude platform of debris before
their tunnel, were suddenly driven to shelter in the tunnel from an
apparent rain of stones, and rocks, and pebbles, from the cliffs
above. Looking up, they were startled at seeing four round objects
revolving and bounding in the dust of the slide, which eventually
resolved themselves into three boys and a girl. For a moment the
good men held their breath in helpless terror. Twice one of the
children had struck the outer edge of the bank, and displaced
stones that shot a thousand feet down into the dizzy depths of the
valley; and now one of them, the girl, had actually rolled out of
the slide and was hanging over the chasm supported only by a clump
of chamisal to which she clung!

"Hang on by your eyelids, sis! but don't stir, for Heaven's sake!"
shouted one of the men, as two others started on a hopeless ascent
of the cliff above them.

But a light childish laugh from the clinging little figure seemed
to mock them! Then two small heads appeared at the edge of the
slide; then a diminutive figure, whose feet were apparently held by
some invisible companion, was shoved over the brink and stretched
its tiny arms towards the girl. But in vain, the distance was too
great. Another laugh of intense youthful enjoyment followed the
failure, and a new insecurity was added to the situation by the
unsteady hands and shoulders of the relieving party, who were
apparently shaking with laughter. Then the extended figure was
seen to detach what looked like a small black rope from its
shoulders and throw it to the girl. There was another little
giggle. The faces of the men below paled in terror. Then Polly,--
for it was she,--hanging to the long pigtail of Wan Lee, was drawn
with fits of laughter back in safety to the slide. Their childish
treble of appreciation was answered by a ringing cheer from below.

"Darned ef I ever want to cut off a Chinaman's pigtail again,
boys," said one of the tunnel-men as he went back to dinner.

Meantime the children had reached the goal and stood before the
opening of one of the tunnels. Then these four heroes who had
looked with cheerful levity on the deadly peril of their descent
became suddenly frightened at the mysterious darkness of the cavern