green mansions-第14部分

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s　copper…coloured　little　drab　of　the　wilderness　he　proposed　to　bestow　in　marriage　on　me！　　Anxious　to　pump　him；　I　managed　to　control　my　muscles　and　asked　him　what　authority　hea　young　nobody；　who　had　not　yet　risen　to　the　dignity　of　buying　a　wife　for　himselfcould　have　to　dispose　of　a　sister　in　this　offhand　way？　He　replied　that　there　would　be　no　difficulty：　that　Runi　would　give　his　consent；　as　would　also　Otawinki；　Piake；　and　other　relations；　and　last；　and　LEAST；　according　to　the　matrimonial　customs　of　these　latitudes；　Oalava　herself　would　be　ready　to　bestow　her　personqueyou；　worn　figleaf…wise；　necklace　of　accouri　teeth；　and　allon　so　worthy　a　suitor　as　myself。　　Finally；　to　make　the　prospect　still　more　inviting；　he　added　that　it　would　not　be　necessary　for　me　to　subject　myself　to　any　voluntary　tortures　to　prove　myself　a　man　and　fitted　to　enter　into　the　purgatorial　state　of　matrimony。　　He　was　a　great　deal　too　considerate；　I　said；　and；　with　all　the　gravity　I　could　command；　asked　him　what　kind　of　torture　he　would　recommend。　　For　meso　valorous　a　person〃no　torture；〃　he　answered　magnanimously。　　But　heKua…kohad　made　up　his　mind　as　to　the　form　of　torture　he　meant　to　inflict　some　day　on　his　own　person。　　He　would　prepare　a　large　sack　and　into　it　put　fire…ants〃As　many　as　that！〃　　he　exclaimed　triumphantly；　stooping　and　filling　his　two　hands　with　loose　sand。　　He　would　put　them　in　the　sack；　and　then　get　into　it　himself　naked；　and　tie　it　tightly　round　his　neck；　so　as　to　show　to　all　spectators　that　the　hellish　pain　of　innumerable　venomous　stings　in　his　flesh　could　be　endured　without　a　groan　and　with　an　unmoved　countenance。　　The　poor　youth　had　not　an　original　mind；　since　this　was　one　of　the　commonest　forms　of　self…torture　among　the　Guayana　tribes。　　But　the　sudden　wonderful　animation　with　which　he　spoke　of　it；　the　fiendish　joy　that　illumined　his　usually　stolid　countenance；　sent　a　sudden　disgust　and　horror　through　me。　　But　what　a　strange　inverted　kind　of　fiendishness　is　this；　which　delights　at　the　anticipation　of　torture　inflicted　on　oneself　and　not　on　an　enemy！　　And　towards　others　these　savages　are　mild　and　peaceable！　　No；　I　could　not　believe　in　their　mildness；　that　was　only　on　the　surface；　when　nothing　occurred　to　rouse　their　savage；　cruel　instincts。　　I　could　have　laughed　at　the　whole　matter；　but　the　exulting　look　on　my　companion's　face　had　made　me　sick　of　the　subject；　and　I　wished　not　to　talk　any　more　about　it。

But　he　would　talk　stillthis　fellow　whose　words；　as　a　rule；　I　had　to　take　out　of　his　mouth　with　a　fork；　as　we　say；　and　still　on　the　same　subject；　he　said　that　not　one　person　in　the　village　would　expect　to　see　me　torture　myself；　that　after　what　I　would　do　for　them　allafter　delivering　them　from　a　great　evilnothing　further　would　be　expected　of　me。

I　asked　him　to　explain　his　meaning；　for　it　now　began　to　appear　plain　that　in　everything　he　had　said　he　had　been　leading　up　to　some　very　important　matter。　　It　would；　of　course；　have　been　a　great　mistake　to　suppose　that　my　savage　was　offering　me　a　blow…pipe　and　a　marketable　virgin　sister　from　purely　disinterested　motives。

In　reply　he　went　back　to　that　still　unforgotten　joke　about　my　being　able　eventually　to　hit　a　bird　as　big　as　a　small　woman　with　an　arrow。　　Out　of　it　all　came；　when　he　went　on　to　ask　me　if　that　mysterious　girl　I　had　seen　in　the　wood　was　not　of　a　size　to　suit　me　as　a　target　when　I　had　got　my　hand　in　with　a　little　more　practice。　　That　was　the　great　work　I　was　asked　to　do　for　themthat　shy；　mysterious　girl　with　the　melodious　wild…bird　voice　was　the　evil　being　I　was　asked　to　slay　with　poisoned　arrows！　　This　was　why　he　now　wished　me　to　go　often　to　the　wood；　to　become　more　and　more　familiar　with　her　haunts　and　habits；　to　overcome　all　shyness　and　suspicion　in　her；　and　at　the　proper　moment；　when　it　would　be　impossible　to　miss　my　mark；　to　plant　the　fatal　arrow！　　The　disgust　he　had　inspired　in　me　before；　when　gloating　over　anticipated　tortures；　was　a　weak　and　transient　feeling　to　what　I　now　experienced。　　I　turned　on　him　in　a　sudden　transport　of　rage；　and　in　a　moment　would　have　shattered　on　his　head　the　blow…pipe　I　was　carrying　in　my　hand；　but　his　astonished　look　as　he　turned　to　face　me　made　me　pause　and　prevented　me　from　committing　so　fatal　an　indiscretion。　　I　could　only　grind　my　teeth　and　struggle　to　overcome　an　almost　overpowering　hatred　and　wrath。　　Finally　I　flung　the　tube　down　and　bade　him　take　it；　telling　him　that　I　would　not　touch　it　again　if　he　offered　me　all　the　sisters　of　all　the　savages　in　Guayana　for　wives。

He　continued　gazing　at　me　mute　with　astonishment；　and　prudence　suggested　that　it　would　be　best　to　conceal　as　far　as　possible　the　violent　animosity　I　had　conceived　against　him。　　I　asked　him　somewhat　scornfully　if　he　believed　that　I　should　ever　be　able　to　hit　anythingbird　or　human　beingwith　an　arrow。　　〃No；〃　I　almost　shouted；　so　as　to　give　vent　to　my　feelings　in　some　way；　and　drawing　my　revolver；　〃this　is　the　white　man's　weapon；　but　he　kills　men　with　itmen　who　attempt　to　kill　or　injure　himbut　neither　with　this　nor　any　other　weapon　does　he　murder　innocent　young　girls　treacherously。〃　　After　that　we　went　on　in　silence　for　some　time；　at　length　he　said　that　the　being　I　had　seen　in　the　wood　and　was　not　afraid　of　was　no　innocent　young　girl；　but　a　daughter　of　the　Didi；　an　evil　being；　and　that　so　long　as　she　continued　to　inhabit　the　wood　they　could　not　go　there　to　hunt；　and　even　in　other　woods　they　constantly　went　in　fear　of　meeting　her。　　Too　much　disgusted　to　talk　with　him；　I　went　on　in　silence；　and　when　we　reached　the　stream　near　the　village；　I　threw　off　my　clothes　and　plunged　into　the　water　to　cool　my　anger　before　going　in　to　the　others。



CHAPTER　VI

Thinking　about　the　forest　girl　while　lying　awake　that　night；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　I　had　made　it　sufficiently　plain　to　her　how　little　her　capricious　behaviour　had　been　relished；　and　had　therefore　no　need　to　punish　myself　more　by　keeping　any　longer　out　of　my　beloved　green　mansions。　　Accordingly；　next　day；　after　the　heavy　rain　that　fell　during　the　morning　hours　had　ceased；　I　set　forth　about　noon　to　visit　the　wood。　　Overhead　the　sky　was　clear　again；　but　there　was　no　motion　in　the　heavy　sultry　atmosphere；　while　dark　blue　masses　of　banked…up　clouds　on　the　western　horizon　threatened　a　fresh　downpour　later　in　the　day。　　My　mind　was；　however；　now　too　greatly　excited　at　the　prospect　of　a　　possible　encounter　with　the　forest　nymph　to　allow　me　to　pay　any　heed　to　these　ominous　signs。

I　had　passed　through　the　first　strip　of　wood　and　was　in　the　succeeding　stony　sterile　space　when　a　gleam　of　brilliant　colour　close　by　on　the　ground　caught　my　sight。　　It　was　a　snake　lying　on　the　bare　earth；　had　I　kept　on　without　noticing　it；　I　should　most　probably　have　trodden　upon　or　dangerously　near　it。　　Viewing　it　closely；　I　found　that　it　was　a　coral　snake；　famed　as　much　for　its　beauty　and　singularity　as　for　its　deadly　character。　　It　was　about　three　feet　long；　and　very　slim；　its　ground　colour　a　brilliant　vermilion；　with　broad　jet…black　rings　at　equal　distances　round　its　body；　each　black　ring　or　band　divided　by　a　narrow　yellow　strip　in　the　middle。　　The　symmetrical　pattern　and　vividly　contrasted　colours　would　have　given　it　the　appearance　of　an　artificial　snake　made　by　some　fanciful　artist；　but　for　the　gleam　of　life　in　its　bright　coils。　　Its　fixed　eyes；　too；　were　living　gems；　and　from　the　point　of　its　dangerous　arrowy　head　the　glistening　tongue　flickered　ceaselessly　as　I　stood　a　few　yards　away　regarding　it。

〃I　admire　you　greatly；　Sir　Serpent；〃　I　said；　or　thought；　〃but　it　is　dangerous；　say　the　military　authorities；　to　leave　an　enemy　or　possible　enemy　in　the　rear；　the　person　who　does　such　a　thing　must　be　either　a　bad　strategist　or　a　genius；　and　I　am　neither。〃

Retreating　a　few　paces；　I　found　and　picked　up　a　stone　about　as　big　as　a　man's　hand　and　hurled　it　at　the　dangerous…looking　head　with　the　intention　of　crushing　it；　but　the　stone　hit　upon　the　rocky　ground　a　little　on　one　side　of　the　mark　and；　being　soft；　flew　into　a　hundred　small　fragments。　　This　roused　the　creature's　anger；　and　in　a　moment　with　raised　head　he　was　gliding　swiftly　towards　me。　　Again　I　retreated；　not　so　slowly　on　this　occasion；　and　finding　another　stone；　I　raised　and　was　about　to　launch　it　when　a　sharp；　ringing　cry　issued　from　the　bushes　growing　near；　and；　quickly　following　the　sound；　forth　stepped　the　forest　girl；　no　longer　elusive　and　shy；　vaguely　seen　in　the　shadowy　wood；　but　boldly　challenging　attention；　exposed　to　the　full　power　of　the　meridian　sun；　which　made　her　appear　luminous　and　rich　in　colour　beyond　example。　　Seeing　her　thus；　all　those　emotions　of　fear　and　abhorrence　invariably　excited　in　us　by　the　sight　of　an　active　venomous　serpent　in　our　path　vanished　instantly　from　my　mind：　I　could　now　only　feel　astonishment　and　admiration　et　the　brilliant　being　as　she　advanced　with　swift；　easy；　undulating　motion　towards　me；　or　rather　towards　the　serpent；　which　was　now　between　us；　moving　more　and　more　slowly　as　she　came　nearer。　　The　cause　of　this　sudden　wonderful　boldness；　so　unlike　her　former　habit；　was　unmistakable。　　She　had　been　watching　my　approach　from　some　hiding…place　among　the　bushes；　ready　no　doubt　to　lead　me　a　dance　through　the　wood　with　her　mocking　voice；　as　on　previous　occasions；　when　m