green mansions-第16部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

or　me　that　that　which　no　man　had　ever　looked　for　or　hoped　to　find　existed　here；　that　through　that　unfamiliar　lustre　of　the　wild　life　shone　the　spiritualizing　light　of　mind　that　made　us　kin。

These　thoughts　passed　swiftly　through　my　brain　as　I　stood　feasting　my　sight　on　her　bright；　piquant　face；　while　she　on　her　part　gazed　back　into　my　eyes；　not　only　with　fearless　curiosity；　but　with　a　look　of　recognition　and　pleasure　at　the　encounter　so　unmistakably　friendly　that；　encouraged　by　it；　I　took　her　arm　in　my　hand；　moving　at　the　same　time　a　little　nearer　to　her。　　At　that　moment　a　swift；　startled　expression　came　into　her　eyes；　she　glanced　down　and　up　again　into　my　face；　her　lips　trembled　and　slightly　parted　as　she　murmured　some　sorrowful　sounds　in　a　tone　so　low　as　to　be　only　just　audible。

Thinking　she　had　become　alarmed　and　was　on　the　point　of　escaping　out　of　my　hands；　and　fearing；　above　all　things；　to　lose　sight　of　her　again　so　soon；　I　slipped　my　arm　around　her　slender　body　to　detain　her；　moving　one　foot　at　the　same　time　to　balance　myself；　and　at　that　moment　I　felt　a　slight　blow　and　a　sharp　burning　sensation　shoot　into　my　leg；　so　sudden　and　intense　that　I　dropped　my　arm；　at　the　same　time　uttering　a　cry　of　pain；　and　recoiled　one　or　two　paces　from　her。　　But　she　stirred　not　when　I　released　her；　her　eyes　followed　my　movements；　then　she　glanced　down　at　her　feet。　　I　followed　her　look；　and　figure　to　yourself　my　horror　when　I　saw　there　the　serpent　I　had　so　completely　forgotten；　and　which　even　that　sting　of　sharp　pain　had　not　brought　back　to　remembrance！　　There　it　lay；　a　coil　of　its　own　thrown　round　one　of　her　ankles；　and　its　head；　raised　nearly　a　foot　high；　swaying　slowly　from　side　to　side；　while　the　swift　forked　tongue　flickered　continuously。　　Thenonly　thenI　knew　what　had　happened；　and　at　the　same　time　I　understood　the　reason　of　that　sudden　look　of　alarm　in　her　face；　the　murmuring　sounds　she　had　uttered；　and　the　downward　startled　glance。　　Her　fears　had　been　solely　for　my　safety；　and　she　had　warned　me！　　Too　late！　　too　late！　　In　moving　I　had　trodden　on　or　touched　the　serpent　with　my　foot；　and　it　had　bitten　me　just　above　the　ankle。　　In　a　few　moments　I　began　to　realize　the　horror　of　my　position。　　〃Must　I　die！　　must　I　die！　　Oh；　my　God；　is　there　nothing　that　can　save　me？〃　　I　cried　in　my　heart。

She　was　still　standing　motionless　in　the　same　place：　her　eyes　wandered　back　from　me　to　the　snake；　gradually　its　swaying　head　was　lowered　again；　and　the　coil　unwound　from　her　ankle；　then　it　began　to　move　away；　slowly　at　first；　and　with　the　head　a　little　raised；　then　faster；　and　in　the　end　it　glided　out　of　sight。　Gone！but　it　had　left　its　venom　in　my　bloodO　cursed　reptile！

Back　from　watching　its　retreat；　my　eyes　returned　to　her　face；　now　strangely　clouded　with　trouble；　her　eyes　dropped　before　mine；　while　the　palms　of　her　hands　were　pressed　together；　and　the　fingers　clasped　and　unclasped　alternately。　　How　different　she　seemed　now；　the　brilliant　face　grown　so　pallid　and　vague…looking！　But　not　only　because　this　tragic　end　to　our　meeting　had　pierced　her　with　pain：　that　cloud　in　the　west　had　grown　up　and　now　covered　half　the　sky　with　vast　lurid　masses　of　vapour；　blotting　out　the　sun；　and　a　great　gloom　had　fallen　on　the　earth。

That　sudden　twilight　and　a　long　roll　of　approaching　thunder；　reverberating　from　the　hills；　increased　my　anguish　and　desperation。　　Death　at　that　moment　looked　unutterably　terrible。　The　remembrance　of　all　that　made　life　dear　pierced　me　to　the　coreall　that　nature　was　to　me；　all　the　pleasures　of　sense　and　intellect；　the　hopes　I　had　cherishedall　was　revealed　to　me　as　by　a　flash　of　lightning。　　Bitterest　of　all　was　the　thought　that　I　must　now　bid　everlasting　farewell　to　this　beautiful　being　I　had　found　in　the　solitude　this　lustrous　daughter　of　the　Didijust　when　I　had　won　her　from　her　shynessthat　I　must　go　away　into　the　cursed　blackness　of　death　and　never　know　the　mystery　of　her　life！　It　was　that　which　utterly　unnerved　me；　and　made　my　legs　tremble　under　me；　and　brought　great　drops　of　sweat　to　my　forehead；　until　I　thought　that　the　venom　was　already　doing　its　swift；　fatal　work　in　my　veins。

With　uncertain　steps　I　moved　to　a　stone　a　yard　or　two　away　and　sat　down　upon　it。　　As　I　did　so　the　hope　came　to　me　that　this　girl；　so　intimate　with　nature；　might　know　of　some　antidote　to　save　me。　Touching　my　leg；　and　using　other　signs；　I　addressed　her　again　in　the　Indian　language。　　

〃The　snake　has　bitten　me；〃　I　said。　　〃What　shall　I　do？　　Is　there　no　leaf；　no　root　you　know　that　would　save　me　from　death？　　Help　me！　help　me！〃　　I　cried　in　despair。

My　signs　she　probably　understood　if　not　my　words；　but　she　made　no　reply；　and　still　she　remained　standing　motionless；　twisting　and　untwisting　her　fingers；　and　regarding　me　with　a　look　of　ineffable　grief　and　compassion。

Alas！　　It　was　vain　to　appeal　to　her：　she　knew　what　had　happened；　and　what　the　result　would　most　likely　be；　and　pitied；　but　was　powerless　to　help　me。　　Then　it　occurred　to　me　that　if　I　could　reach　the　Indian　village　before　the　venom　overpowered　me　something　might　be　done　to　save　me。　　Oh；　why　had　I　tarried　so　long；　losing　so　many　precious　minutes！　　Large　drops　of　rain　were　falling　now；　and　the　gloom　was　deeper；　and　the　thunder　almost　continuous。　　With　a　cry　of　anguish　I　started　to　my　feet　and　was　about　to　rush　away　towards　the　village　when　a　dazzling　flash　of　lightning　made　me　pause　for　a　moment。　　When　it　vanished　I　turned　a　last　look　on　the　girl；　and　her　face　was　deathly　pale；　and　her　hair　looked　blacker　than　night；　and　as　she　looked　she　stretched　out　her　arms　towards　me　and　uttered　a　low；　wailing　cry。　　〃Good…bye　for　ever！〃　　I　murmured；　and　turning　once　more　from　her；　rushed　away　like　one　crazed　into　the　wood。　　But　in　my　confusion　I　had　probably　taken　the　wrong　direction；　for　instead　of　coming　out　in　a　few　minutes　into　the　open　border　of　the　forest；　and　on　to　the　savannah；　I　found　myself　every　moment　getting　deeper　among　the　trees。　　I　stood　still；　perplexed；　but　could　not　shake　off　the　conviction　that　I　had　started　in　the　right　direction。　　Eventually　I　resolved　to　keep　on　for　a　hundred　yards　or　so　and　then；　if　no　opening　appeared；　to　turn　back　and　retrace　my　steps。　　But　this　was　no　easy　matter。　　I　soon　became　entangled　in　a　dense　undergrowth；　which　so　confused　me　that　at　last　I　confessed　despairingly　to　myself　that　for　the　first　time　in　this　wood　I　was　hopelessly　lost。　　And　in　what　terrible　circumstances！　　At　intervals　a　flash　of　lightning　would　throw　a　vivid　blue　glare　down　into　the　interior　of　the　wood　and　only　serve　to　show　that　I　had　lost　myself　in　a　place　where　even　at　noon　in　cloudless　weather　progress　would　be　most　difficult；　and　now　the　light　would　only　last　a　moment；　to　be　followed　by　thick　gloom；　and　I　could　only　tear　blindly　on；　bruising　and　lacerating　my　flesh　at　every　step；　falling　again　and　again；　only　to　struggle　up　and　on　again；　now　high　above　the　surface；　climbing　over　prostrate　trees　and　branches；　now　plunged　to　my　middle　in　a　pool　or　torrent　of　water。

Hopelessutterly　hopeless　seemed　all　my　mad　efforts；　and　at　each　pause；　when　I　would　stand　exhausted；　gasping　for　breath；　my　throbbing　heart　almost　suffocating　me；　a　dull；　continuous；　teasing　pain　in　my　bitten　leg　served　to　remind　me　that　I　had　but　a　little　time　left　to　existthat　by　delaying　at　first　I　had　allowed　my　only　chance　of　salvation　to　slip　by。

How　long　a　time　I　spent　fighting　my　way　through　this　dense　black　wood　I　know　not；　perhaps　two　or　three　hours；　only　to　me　the　hours　seemed　like　years　of　prolonged　agony。　　At　last；　all　at　once；　I　found　that　I　was　free　of　the　close　undergrowth　and　walking　on　level　ground；　but　it　was　darker　here　darker　than　the　darkest　night；　and　at　length；　when　the　lightning　came　and　flared　down　through　the　dense　roof　of　foliage　overhead；　I　discovered　that　I　was　in　a　spot　that　had　a　strange　look；　where　the　trees　were　very　large　and　grew　wide　apart；　and　with　no　undergrowth　to　impede　progress　beneath　them。　　Here；　recovering　breath；　I　began　to　run；　and　after　a　while　found　that　I　had　left　the　large　trees　behind　me；　and　was　now　in　a　more　open　place；　with　small　trees　and　bushes；　and　this　made　me　hope　for　a　while　that　I　had　at　last　reached　the　border　of　the　forest。　　But　the　hope　proved　vain；　once　more　I　had　to　force　my　way　through　dense　undergrowth；　and　finally　emerged　on　to　a　slope　where　it　was　open；　and　I　could　once　more　see　for　some　distance　around　me　by　such　light　as　came　through　the　thick　pall　of　clouds。　　Trudging　on　to　the　summit　of　the　slope；　I　saw　that　there　was　open　savannah　country　beyond；　and　for　a　moment　rejoiced　that　I　had　got　free　from　the　forest。　　A　few　steps　more；　and　I　was　standing　on　the　very　edge　of　a　bank；　a　precipice　not　less　than　fifty　feet　deep。　　I　had　never　seen　that　bank　before；　and　therefore　knew　that　I　could　not　be　on　the　right　side　of　the　forest。　　But　now　my　only　hope　was　to　get　completely　away　from　the　trees　and　then　to　look　for　the　village；　and　I　began　following　the　bank　in　search　of　a　descent。　　No　break　occurred；　and　presently　I　was　stopped　by　a　dense　thicket　of　bushes。　　I　was　about　to　retrace　my　steps　when　I　noticed　that　a　tall　slender　tree　growing　at　the　foot　of　the　precipice；　its　green　top　not　more　than　a　couple　of　yards　below　my　feet；　seemed　to　offer　a　means　of　escape。　　Nerving