green mansions-第37部分

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ls　in　her　limping　walk　to　gaze　back　on　those　blue　summits；　shedding　abundant　tears。

Fortunately　the　village　Voa；　on　the　river　of　the　same　name；　which　was　the　nearest　Christian　settlement　to　Riolama；　whither　his　course　was　directed；　was　well　known　to　him；　he　had　lived　there　in　former　years；　and；　what　was　of　great　advantage；　the　inhabitants　were　ignorant　of　his　worst　crimes；　or；　to　put　it　in　his　own　subtle　way；　of　the　crimes　committed　by　the　men　he　had　acted　with。　Great　was　the　astonishment　and　curiosity　of　the　people　of　Voa　when；　after　many　weeks'　travelling；　Nuflo　arrived　at　last　with　his　companion。　　But　he　was　not　going　to　tell　the　truth；　nor　even　the　least　particle　of　the　truth；　to　a　gaping　crowd　of　inferior　persons。　　For　these；　ingenious　lies；　only　to　the　priest　he　told　the　whole　story；　dwelling　minutely　on　all　he　had　done　to　rescue　and　protect　her；　all　of　which　was　approved　by　the　holy　man；　whose　first　act　was　to　baptize　the　woman　for　fear　that　she　was　not　a　Christian。　　Let　it　be　said　to　Nuflo's　credit　that　he　objected　to　this　ceremony；　arguing　that　she　could　not　be　a　saint；　with　an　aureole　in　token　of　her　sainthood；　yet　stand　in　need　of　being　baptized　by　a　priest。　　A　priesthe　added；　with　a　little　chuckle　of　malicious　pleasurewho　was　often　seen　drunk；　who　cheated　at　cards；　and　was　sometimes　suspected　of　putting　poison　on　his　fighting…cock's　spur　to　make　sure　of　the　victory！　　Doubtless　the　priest　had　his　faults；　but　he　was　not　without　humanity；　and　for　the　whole　seven　years　of　that　unhappy　stranger's　sojourn　at　Voa　he　did　everything　in　his　power　to　make　her　existence　tolerable。　Some　weeks　after　arriving　she　gave　birth　to　a　female　child；　and　then　the　priest　insisted　on　naming　it　Riolama；　in　order；　he　said；　to　keep　in　remembrance　the　strange　story　of　the　mother's　discovery　at　that　place。

Rima's　mother　could　not　be　taught　to　speak　either　Spanish　or　Indian；　and　when　she　found　that　the　mysterious　and　melodious　sounds　that　fell　from　her　own　lips　were　understood　by　none；　she　ceased　to　utter　them；　and　thereafter　preserved　an　unbroken　silence　among　the　people　she　lived　with。　　But　from　the　presence　of　others　she　shrank；　as　if　in　disgust　or　fear；　excepting　only　Nuflo　and　the　priest；　whose　kindly　intentions　she　appeared　to　understand　and　appreciate。　　So　far　her　life　in　the　village　was　silent　and　sorrowful。　　With　her　child　it　was　different；　and　every　day　that　was　not　wet；　taking　the　little　thing　by　the　hand；　she　would　limp　painfully　out　into　the　forest；　and　there；　sitting　on　the　ground；　the　two　would　commune　with　each　other　by　the　hour　in　their　wonderful　language。

At　length　she　began　to　grow　perceptibly　paler　and　feebler　week　by　week；　day　by　day；　until　she　could　no　longer　go　out　into　the　wood；　but　sat　or　reclined；　panting　for　breath　in　the　dull　hot　room；　waiting　for　death　to　release　her。　　At　the　same　time　little　Rima；　who　had　always　appeared　frail；　as　if　from　sympathy；　now　began　to　fade　and　look　more　shadowy；　so　that　it　was　expected　she　would　not　long　survive　her　parent。　　To　the　mother　death　came　slowly；　but　at　last　it　seemed　so　near　that　Nuflo　and　the　priest　were　together　at　her　side　waiting　to　see　the　end。　　It　was　then　that　little　Rima；　who　had　learnt　from　infancy　to　speak　in　Spanish；　rose　from　the　couch　where　her　mother　had　been　whispering　to　her；　and　began　with　some　difficulty　to　express　what　was　in　the　dying　woman's　mind。　Her　child；　she　had　said；　could　not　continue　to　live　in　that　hot　wet　place；　but　if　taken　away　to　a　distance　where　there　were　mountains　and　a　cooler　air　she　would　survive　and　grow　strong　again。

Hearing　this；　old　Nuflo　declared　that　the　child　should　not　perish；　that　he　himself　would　take　her　away　to　Parahuari；　a　distant　place　where　there　were　mountains　and　dry　plains　and　open　woods；　that　he　would　watch　over　her　and　care　for　her　there　as　he　had　cared　for　her　mother　at　Riolama。

When　the　substance　of　this　speech　had　been　made　known　by　Rima　to　the　dying　woman；　she　suddenly　rose　up　from　her　couch；　which　she　had　not　risen　from　for　many　days；　and　stood　erect　on　the　floor；　her　wasted　face　shining　with　joy。　　Then　Nuflo　knew　that　God's　angels　had　come　for　her；　and　put　out　his　arms　to　save　her　from　falling；　and　even　while　he　held　her　that　sudden　glory　went　out　from　her　face；　now　of　a　dead　white　like　burnt…out　ashes；　and　murmuring　something　soft　and　melodious；　her　spirit　passed　away。

Once　more　Nuflo　became　a　wanderer；　now　with　the　fragile…looking　little　Rima　for　companion；　the　sacred　child　who　had　inherited　the　position　of　his　intercessor　from　a　sacred　mother。　　The　priest；　who　had　probably　become　infected　with　Nuflo's　superstitions；　did　not　allow　them　to　leave　Voa　empty…handed；　but　gave　the　old　man　as　much　calico　as　would　serve　to　buy　hospitality　and　whatsoever　he　might　require　from　the　Indians　for　many　a　day　to　come。

At　Parahuari；　where　they　arrived　safely　at　last；　they　lived　for　some　little　time　at　one　of　the　villages。　　But　the　child　had　an　instinctive　aversion　to　all　savages；　or　possibly　the　feeling　was　derived　from　her　mother；　for　it　had　shown　itself　early　at　Voa；　where　she　had　refused　to　learn　their　language；　and　this　eventually　led　Nuflo　to　go　away　and　live　apart　from　them；　in　the　forest　by　Ytaioa；　where　he　made　himself　a　house　and　garden。　　The　Indians；　however；　continued　friendly　with　him　and　visited　him　with　frequency。　　But　when　Rima　grew　up；　developing　into　that　mysterious　woodland　girl　I　found　her；　they　became　suspicious；　and　in　the　end　regarded　her　with　dangerously　hostile　feeling。　　She；　poor　child；　detested　them　because　they　were　incessantly　at　war　with　the　wild　animals　she　loved；　her　companions；　and　having　no　fear　of　them；　for　she　did　not　know　that　they　had　it　in　their　minds　to　turn　their　little　poisonous　arrows　against　herself；　she　was　constantly　in　the　woods　frustrating　them；　and　the　animals；　in　league　with　her；　seemed　to　understand　her　note　of　warning　and　hid　themselves　or　took　to　flight　at　the　approach　of　danger。　　At　length　their　hatred　and　fear　grew　to　such　a　degree　that　they　determined　to　make　away　with　her；　and　one　day；　having　matured　a　plan；　they　went　to　the　wood　and　spread　themselves　two　and　two　about　it。　　The　couples　did　not　keep　together；　but　moved　about　or　remained　concealed　at　a　distance　of　forty　or　fifty　yards　apart；　lest　she　should　be　missed。　　Two　of　the　savages；　armed　with　blow…pipes；　were　near　the　border　of　the　forest　on　the　side　nearest　to　the　village；　and　one　of　them；　observing　a　motion　in　the　foliage　of　a　tree；　ran　swiftly　and　cautiously　towards　it　to　try　and　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　enemy。　　And　he　did　see　her　no　doubt；　as　she　was　there　watching　both　him　and　his　companions；　and　blew　an　arrow　at　her；　but　even　while　in　the　act　of　blowing　it　he　was　himself　struck　by　a　dart　that　buried　itself　deep　in　his　flesh　just　over　the　heart。　　He　ran　some　distance　with　the　fatal　barbed　point　in　his　flesh　and　met　his　comrade；　who　had　mistaken　him　for　the　girl　and　shot　him。　　The　wounded　man　threw　himself　down　to　die；　and　dying　related　that　he　had　fired　at　the　girl　sitting　up　in　a　tree　and　that　she　had　caught　the　arrow　in　her　hand　only　to　hurl　it　instantly　back　with　such　force　and　precision　that　it　pierced　his　flesh　just　over　the　heart。　　He　had　seen　it　all　with　his　own　eyes；　and　his　friend　who　had　accidentally　slain　him　believed　his　story　and　repeated　it　to　the　others。　　Rima　had　seen　one　Indian　shoot　the　other；　and　when　she　told　her　grandfather　he　explained　to　her　that　it　was　an　accident；　but　he　guessed　why　the　arrow　had　been　fired。

From　that　day　the　Indians　hunted　no　more　in　the　wood；　and　at　length　one　day　Nuflo；　meeting　an　Indian　who　did　not　know　him　and　with　whom　he　had　some　talk；　heard　the　strange　story　of　the　arrow；　and　that　the　mysterious　girl　who　could　not　be　shot　was　the　offspring　of　an　old　man　and　a　Didi　who　had　become　enamoured　of　him；　that；　growing　tired　of　her　consort；　the　Didi　had　returned　to　her　river；　leaving　her　half…human　child　to　play　her　malicious　pranks　in　the　wood。

This；　then；　was　Nuflo's　story；　told　not　in　Nuflo's　manner；　which　was　infinitely　prolix；　and　think　not　that　it　failed　to　move　methat　I　failed　to　bless　him　for　what　he　had　done；　in　spite　of　his　selfish　motives。



CHAPTER　XVI

We　were　eighteen　days　travelling　to　Riolama；　on　the　last　two　making　little　progress；　on　account　of　continuous　rain；　which　made　us　miserable　beyond　description。　　Fortunately　the　dogs　had　found；　and　Nuflo　had　succeeded　in　killing；　a　great　ant…eater；　so　that　we　were　well　supplied　with　excellent；　strength…giving　flesh。　　We　were　among　the　Riolama　mountains　at　last；　and　Rima　kept　with　us；　apparently　expecting　great　things。　　I　expected　nothing；　for　reasons　to　be　stated　by　and　by。　　My　belief　was　that　the　only　important　thing　that　could　happen　to　us　would　be　starvation。

The　afternoon　of　the　last　day　was　spent　in　skirting　the　foot　of　a　very　long　mountain；　crowned　at　its　southern　extremity　with　a　huge；　rocky　mass　resembling　the　head　of　a　stone　sphinx　above　its　long；　couchant　body；　and　at　its　highest　part　about　a　thousand　feet　above　the　surrounding　level。　　It　was　late　in　the　day；　raining　fast　again；　yet　the　old　man　still　toiled　on；　contrary　to　his　usual　practice；　which　was　to　spend　the　last　daylight　hours　in　gathering　firewood　and　in　constructing　a　shelter。　　At　length；　when　we　were　nearly　under　the　peak