green mansions-第35部分

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all　day；　and　when　I　see　her　she　refuses　even　to　answer　meso　perverse；　so　foolish　is　she　in　her　ignorance；　for；　as　you　can　see　for　yourself；　she　has　no　more　sense　or　concern　about　what　is　most　important　than　some　little　painted　fly　that　flits　about　all　day　long　without　any　object。〃



CHAPTER　XV

The　next　day　we　were　early　at　work。　　Nuflo　had　already　gathered；　dried；　and　conveyed　to　a　place　of　concealment　the　greater　portion　of　his　garden　produce。　　He　was　determined　to　leave　nothing　to　be　taken　by　any　wandering　party　of　savages　that　might　call　at　the　house　during　our　absence。　　He　had　no　fear　of　a　visit　from　his　neighbours；　they　would　not　know；　he　said；　that　he　and　Rima　were　out　of　the　wood。　　A　few　large　earthen　pots；　filled　with　shelled　maize；　beans；　and　sun…dried　strips　of　pumpkin；　still　remained　to　be　disposed　of。　　Taking　up　one　of　these　vessels　and　asking　me　to　follow　with　another；　he　started　off　through　the　wood。　　We　went　a　distance　of　five　or　six　hundred　yards；　then　made　our　way　down　a　very　steep　incline；　close　to　the　border　of　the　forest　on　the　western　side。　　Arrived　at　the　bottom；　we　followed　the　bank　a　little　further；　and　I　then　found　myself　once　more　at　the　foot　of　the　precipice　over　which　I　had　desperately　thrown　myself　on　the　stormy　evening　after　the　snake　had　bitten　me。　　Nuflo；　stealing　silently　and　softly　before　me　through　the　bushes；　had　observed　a　caution　and　secrecy　in　approaching　this　spot　resembling　that　of　a　wise　old　hen　when　she　visits　her　hidden　nest　to　lay　an　egg。　　And　here　was　his　nest；　his　most　secret　treasure…house；。which　he　had　probably　not　revealed　even　to　me　without　a　sharp　inward　conflict；　notwithstanding　that　our　fates　were　now　linked　together。　　The　lower　portion　of　the　bank　was　of　rock；　and　in　it；　about　ten　or　twelve　feet　above　the　ground；　but　easily　reached　from　below；　there　was　a　natural　cavity　large　enough　to　contain　all　his　portable　property。　　Here；　besides　the　food…stuff；　he　had　already　stored　a　quantity　of　dried　tobacco　leaf；　his　rude　weapons；　cooking　utensils；　ropes；　mats；　and　other　objects。　　Two　or　three　more　journeys　were　made　for　the　remaining　pots；　after　which　we　adjusted　a　slab　of　sandstone　to　the　opening；　which　was　fortunately　narrow；　plastered　up　the　crevices　with　clay；　and　covered　them　over　with　moss　to　hide　all　traces　of　our　work。

Towards　evening；　after　we　had　refreshed　ourselves　with　a　long　siesta；　Nuflo　brought　out　from　some　other　hiding…place　two　sacks；　one　weighing　about　twenty　pounds　and　containing　smoke…dried　meat；　also　grease　and　gum　for　lighting…purposes；　and　a　few　other　small　objects。　　This　was　his　load；　the　other　sack；　which　was　smaller　and　contained　parched　corn　and　raw　beans；　was　for　me　to　carry。

The　old　man；　cautious　in　all　his　movements；　always　acting　as　if　surrounded　by　invisible　spies；　delayed　setting　out　until　an　hour　after　dark。　　Then；　skirting　the　forest　on　its　west　side；　we　left　Ytaioa　on　our　right　hand；　and　after　travelling　over　rough；　difficult　ground；　with　only　the　stars　to　light　us；　we　saw　the　waning　moon　rise　not　long　before　dawn。　　Our　course　had　been　a　north…easterly　one　at　first；　now　it　was　due　east；　with　broad；　dry　savannahs　and　patches　of　open　forest　as　far　as　we　could　see　before　us。　　It　was　weary　walking　on　that　first　night；　and　weary　waiting　on　the　first　day　when　we　sat　in　the　shade　during　the　long；　hot　hours；　persecuted　by　small　stinging　flies；　but　the　days　and　nights　that　succeeded　were　far　worse；　when　the　weather　became　bad　with　intense　heat　and　frequent　heavy　falls　of　rain。　　The　one　compensation　I　had　looked　for；　which　would　have　outweighed　all　the　extreme　discomforts　we　suffered；　was　denied　me。　　Rima　was　no　more　to　me　or　with　me　now　than　she　had　been　during　those　wild　days　in　her　native　woods；　when　every　bush　and　bole　and　tangled　creeper　or　fern　frond　had　joined　in　a　conspiracy　to　keep　her　out　of　my　sight。　　It　is　true　that　at　intervals　in　the　daytime　she　was　visible；　sometimes　within　speaking　distance；　so　that　I　could　address　a　few　words　to　her；　but　there　was　no　companionship；　and　we　were　fellow　travellers　only　like　birds　flying　independently　in　the　same　direction；　not　so　widely　separated　but　that　they　can　occasionally　hear　and　see　each　other。　The　pilgrim　in　the　desert　is　sometimes　attended　by　a　bird；　and　the　bird；　with　its　freer　motions；　will　often　leave　him　a　league　behind　and　seem　lost　to　him；　but　only　to　return　and　show　its　form　again；　for　it　has　never　lost　sight　nor　recollection　of　the　traveller　toiling　slowly　over　the　surface。　　Rima　kept　us　company　in　some　such　wild　erratic　way　as　that。　　A　word；　a　sign　from　Nuflo　was　enough　for　her　to　know　the　direction　to　takethe　distant　forest　or　still　more　distant　mountain　near　which　we　should　have　to　pass。　　She　would　hasten　on　and　be　lost　to　our　sight；　and　when　there　was　a　forest　in　the　way　she　would　explore　it；　resting　in　the　shade　and　finding　her　own　food；　but　invariably　she　was　before　us　at　each　resting…　or　camping…place。

Indian　villages　were　seen　during　the　journey；　but　only　to　be　avoided；　and　in　like　manner；　if　we　caught　sight　of　Indians　travelling　or　camping　at　a　distance；　we　would　alter　our　course；　or　conceal　ourselves　to　escape　observation。　　Only　on　one　occasion；　two　days　after　setting　out；　were　we　compelled　to　speak　with　strangers。　　We　were　going　round　a　hill；　and　all　at　once　came　face　to　face　with　three　persons　travelling　in　an　opposite　directiontwo　men　and　a　woman；　and；　by　a　strange　fatality；　Rima　at　that　moment　happened　to　be　with　us。　　We　stood　for　some　time　talking　to　these　people；　who　were　evidently　surprised　at　our　appearance；　and　wished　to　learn　who　we　were；　but　Nuflo；　who　spoke　their　language　like　one　of　themselves；　was　too　cunning　to　give　any　true　answer。　They；　on　their　side；　told　us　that　they　had　been　to　visit　a　relative　at　Chani；　the　name　of　a　river　three　days　ahead　of　us；　and　were　now　returning　to　their　own　village　at　Baila…baila；　two　days　beyond　Parahuari。　　After　parting　from　them　Nuflo　was　much　troubled　in　his　mind　for　the　rest　of　that　day。　　These　people；　he　said；　would　probably　rest　at　some　Parahuari　village；　where　they　would　be　sure　to　give　a　description　of　us；　and　so　it　might　eventually　come　to　the　knowledge　of　our　unneighbourly　neighbour　Runi　that　we　had　left　Ytaioa。

Other　incidents　of　our　long　and　wearisome　journey　need　not　be　related。　　Sitting　under　some　shady　tree　during　the　sultry　hours；　with　Rima　only　too　far　out　of　earshot；　or　by　the　nightly　fire；　the　old　man　told　me　little　by　little　and　with　much　digression；　chiefly　on　sacred　subjects；　the　strange　story　of　the　girl's　origin。

About　seventeen　years　backNuflo　had　no　sure　method　to　compute　time　bywhen　he　was　already　verging　on　old　age；　he　was　one　of　a　company　of　nine　men；　living　a　kind　of　roving　life　in　the　very　part　of　Guayana　through　which　we　were　now　travelling；　the　others；　much　younger　than　himself；　were　all　equally　offenders　against　the　laws　of　Venezuela；　and　fugitives　from　justice。　　Nuflo　was　the　leader　of　this　gang；　for　it　happened　that　he　had　passed　a　great　portion　of　his　life　outside　the　pale　of　civilization；　and　could　talk　the　Indian　language；　and　knew　this　part　of　Guayana　intimately。　　But　according　to　his　own　account　he　was　not　in　harmony　with　them。　　They　were　bold；　desperate　men；　whose　evil　appetites　had　so　far　only　been　whetted　by　the　crimes　they　had　committed；　while　he；　with　passions　worn　out；　recalling　his　many　bad　acts；　and　with　a　vivid　conviction　of　the　truth　of　all　he　had　been　taught　in　early　lifefor　Nuflo　was　nothing　if　not　religiouswas　now　grown　timid　and　desirous　only　of　making　his　peace　with　Heaven。　　This　difference　of　disposition　made　him　morose　and　quarrelsome　with　his　companions；　and　they　would；　he　said；　have　murdered　him　without　remorse　if　he　had　not　been　so　useful　to　them。　　Their　favourite　plan　was　to　hang　about　the　neighbourhood　of　some　small　isolated　settlement；　keeping　a　watch　on　it；　and；　when　most　of　the　male　inhabitants　were　absent；　to　swoop　down　on　it　and　work　their　will。　　Now；　shortly　after　one　of　these　raids　it　happened　that　a　woman　they　had　carried　off；　becoming　a　burden　to　them；　was　flung　into　a　river　to　the　alligators；　but　when　being　dragged　down　to　the　waterside　she　cast　up　her　eyes；　and　in　a　loud　voice　cried　to　God　to　execute　vengeance　on　her　murderers。　　Nuflo　affirmed　that　he　took　no　part　in　this　black　deed；　nevertheless；　the　woman's　dying　appeal　to　Heaven　preyed　on　his　mind；　he　feared　that　it　might　have　won　a　hearing；　and　the　〃person〃　eventually　commissioned　to　execute　vengeanceafter　the　usual　days；　of　course　might　act　on　the　principle　of　the　old　proverb：　Tell　me　whom　you　are　with；　and　I　will　tell　you　what　you　areand　punish　the　innocent　（himself　to　wit）　along　with　the　guilty。　　But　while　thus　anxious　about　his　spiritual　interests；　he　was　not　yet　prepared　to　break　with　his　companions。　　He　thought　it　best　to　temporize；　and　succeeded　in　persuading　them　that　it　would　be　unsafe　to　attack　another　Christian　settlement　for　some　time　to　come；　that　in　the　interval　they　might　find　some　pleasure；　if　no　great　credit；　by　turning　their　attention　to　the　Indians。　　The　infidels；　he　said；　were　God's　natural　enemies　and　fair　game　to　the　Christian。　　To　make　a　long　story　short；　Nuflo's　Christian　band；　after　some　successful　adventures；　met　with　a　reverse　which　reduced　their　number　from　nine　to　fiv