green mansions-第45部分

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ce；　and　studied　to　show　them　a　cheerful　countenance。　　But　when　alone；　or　in　my　hammock；　hidden　from　their　eyes；　free　to　look　into　my　own　heart；　then　I　was　conscious　that　something　new　and　strange　had　come　into　my　life；　that　a　new　nature；　black　and　implacable；　had　taken　the　place　of　the　old。　　And　sometimes　it　was　hard　to　conceal　this　fury　that　burnt　in　me；　sometimes　I　felt　an　impulse　to　spring　like　a　tiger　on　one　of　the　Indians；　to　hold　him　fast　by　the　throat　until　the　secret　I　wished　to　learn　was　forced　from　his　lips；　then　to　dash　his　brains　out　against　the　stone。　　But　they　were　many；　and　there　was　no　choice　but　to　be　cautious　and　patient　if　I　wished　to　outwit　them　with　a　cunning　superior　to　their　own。

Three　days　after　my　arrival　at　the　village；　Kua…ko　returned　with　his　companion。　　I　greeted　him　with　affected　warmth；　but　was　really　pleased　that　he　was　back；　believing　that　if　the　Indians　knew　anything　of　Rima　he　among　them　all　would　be　most　likely　to　tell　it。

Kua…ko　appeared　to　have　brought　some　important　news；　which　he　discussed　with　Runi　and　the　others；　and　on　the　following　day　I　noticed　that　preparations　for　an　expedition　were　in　progress。　Spears　and　bows　and　arrows　were　got　ready；　but　not　blow…pipes；　and　I　knew　by　this　that　the　expedition　would　not　be　a　hunting　one。　　Having　discovered　so　much；　also　that　only　four　men　were　going　out；　I　called　Kua…ko　aside　and　begged　him　to　let　me　go　with　them。　　He　seemed　pleased　at　the　proposal；　and　at　once　repeated　it　to　Runi；　who　considered　for　a　little　and　then　consented。

By　and　by　he　said；　touching　his　bow：　〃You　cannot　fight　with　our　weapons；　what　will　you　do　if　we　meet　an　enemy？〃

I　smiled　and　returned　that　I　would　not　run　away。　　All　I　wished　to　show　him　was　that　his　enemies　were　my　enemies；　that　I　was　ready　to　fight　for　my　friend。

He　was　pleased　at　my　words；　and　said　no　more　and　gave　me　no　weapons。　　Next　morning；　however；　when　we　set　out　before　daylight；　I　made　the　discovery　that　he　was　carrying　my　revolver　fastened　to　his　waist。　　He　had　concealed　it　carefully　under　the　one　simple　garment　he　wore；　but　it　bulged　slightly；　and　so　the　secret　was　betrayed。　　I　had　never　believed　that　he　had　lost　it；　and　I　was　convinced　that　he　took　it　now　with　the　object　of　putting　it　into　my　hands　at　the　last　moment　in　case　of　meeting　with　an　enemy。

From　the　village　we　travelled　in　a　north…westerly　direction；　and　before　noon　camped　in　a　grove　of　dwarf　trees；　where　we　remained　until　the　sun　was　low；　then　continued　our　walk　through　a　rather　barren　country。　　At　night　we　camped　again　beside　a　small　stream；　only　a　few　inches　deep；　and　after　a　meal　of　smoked　meat　and　parched　maize　prepared　to　sleep　till　dawn　on　the　next　day。

Sitting　by　the　fire　I　resolved　to　make　a　first　attempt　to　discover　from　Kua…ko　anything　concerning　Rima　which　might　be　known　to　him。　　Instead　of　lying　down　when　the　others　did；　I　remained　seated；　my　guardian　also　sittingno　doubt　waiting　for　me　to　lie　down　first。　　Presently　I　moved　nearer　to　him　and　began　a　conversation　in　a　low　voice；　anxious　not　to　rouse　the　attention　of　the　other　men。

〃Once　you　said　that　Oalava　would　be　given　to　me　for　a　wife；〃　I　began。　　〃Some　day　I　shall　want　a　wife。〃

He　nodded　approval；　and　remarked　sententiously　that　the　desire　to　possess　a　wife　was　common　to　all　men。

〃What　has　been　left　to　me？〃　　I　said　despondingly　and　spreading　out　my　hands。　　〃My　pistol　gone；　and　did　I　not　give　Runi　the　tinder…box；　and　the　little　box　with　a　cock　painted　on　it　to　you？　I　had　no　returnnot　even　the　blow…pipe。　　How；　then；　can　I　get　me　a　wife？〃

He；　like　the　othersdull…witted　savage　that　he　washad　come　to　the　belief　that　I　was　incapable　of　the　cunning　and　duplicity　they　practiced。　　I　could　not　see　a　green　parrot　sitting　silent　and　motionless　amidst　the　green　foliage　as　they　could；　1　had　not　their　preternatural　keenness　of　sight；　and；　in　like　manner；　to　deceive　with　lies　and　false　seeming　was　their　faculty　and　not　mine。　　He　fell　readily　into　the　trap。　　My　return　to　practical　subjects　pleased　him。　　He　bade　me　hope　that　Oalava　might　yet　be　mine　in　spite　of　my　poverty。　　It　was　not　always　necessary　to　have　things　to　get　a　wife：　to　be　able　to　maintain　her　was　enough；　some　day　I　would　be　like　one　of　themselves；　able　to　kill　animals　and　catch　fish。　　Besides；　did　not　Runi　wish　to　keep　me　with　them　for　other　reasons？　　But　he　could　not　keep　me　wifeless。　　I　could　do　much：　I　could　sing　and　make　music；　I　was　brave　and　feared　nothing；　I　could　teach　the　children　to　fight。

He　did　not　say；　however；　that　I　could　teach　anything　to　one　of　his　years　and　attainments。

I　protested　that　he　gave　me　too　much　praise；　that　they　were　just　as　brave。　　Did　they　not　show　a　courage　equal　to　mine　by　going　every　day　to　hunt　in　that　wood　which　was　inhabited　by　the　daughter　of　the　Didi？

I　came　to　this　subject　with　fear　and　trembling；　but　he　took　it　quietly。　　He　shook　his　head；　and　then　all　at　once　began　to　tell　me　how　they　first　came　to　go　there　to　hunt。　　He　said　that　a　few　days　after　I　had　secretly　disappeared；　two　men　and　a　woman；　returning　home　from　a　distant　place　where　they　had　been　on　a　visit　to　a　relation；　stopped　at　the　village。　　These　travellers　related　that　two　days'　journey　from　Ytaioa　they　had　met　three　persons　travelling　in　an　opposite　direction：　an　old　man　with　a　white　beard；　followed　by　two　yellow　dogs；　a　young　man　in　a　big　cloak；　and　a　strange…looking　girl。　　Thus　it　came　to　be　known　that　I　had　left　the　wood　with　the　old　man　and　the　daughter　of　the　Didi。　　It　was　great　news　to　them；　for　they　did　not　believe　that　we　had　any　intention　of　returning；　and　at　once　they　began　to　hunt　in　the　wood；　and　went　there　every　day；　killing　birds；　monkeys；　and　other　animals　in　numbers。

His　words　had　begun　to　excite　me　greatly；　but　I　studied　to　appear　calm　and　only　slightly　interested；　so　as　to　draw　him　on　to　say　more。

〃Then　we　returned；〃　I　said　at　last。　　〃But　only　two　of　us；　and　not　together。　　I　left　the　old　man　on　the　road；　and　SHE　left　us　in　Riolama。　　She　went　away　from　us　into　the　mountainswho　knows　whither！〃

〃But　she　came　back！〃　　he　returned；　with　a　gleam　of　devilish　satisfaction　in　his　eyes　that　made　the　blood　run　cold　in　my　veins。

It　was　hard　to　dissemble　still；　to　tempt　him　to　say　something　that　would　madden　me！　　〃No；　no；〃　I　answered；　after　considering　his　words。　　〃She　feared　to　return；　she　went　away　to　hide　herself　in　the　great　mountains　beyond　Riolama。　　She　could　not　come　back。〃

〃But　she　came　back！〃　　he　persisted；　with　that　triumphant　gleam　in　his　eyes　once　more。　　Under　my　cloak　my　hand　had　clutched　my　knife…handle；　but　I　strove　hard　against　the　fierce；　almost　maddening　impulse　to　pluck　it　out　and　bury　it；　quick　as　lightning；　in　his　accursed　throat。

He　continued：　〃Seven　days　before　you　returned　we　saw　her　in　the　wood。　　We　were　always　expecting；　watching；　always　afraid；　and　when　hunting　we　were　three　and　four　together。　　On　that　day　I　and　three　others　saw　her。　　It　was　in　an　open　place；　where　the　trees　are　big　and　wide　apart。　　We　started　up　and　chased　her　when　she　ran　from　us；　but　feared　to　shoot。　　And　in　one　moment　she　climbed　up　into　a　small　tree；　then；　like　a　monkey；　passed　from　its　highest　branches　into　a　big　tree。　　We　could　not　see　her　there；　but　she　was　there　in　the　big　tree；　for　there　was　no　other　tree　nearno　way　of　escape。　Three　of　us　sat　down　to　watch；　and　the　other　went　back　to　the　village。　　He　was　long　gone；　we　were　just　going　to　leave　the　tree；　fearing　that　she　would　do　us　some　injury；　when　he　came　back；　and　with　him　all　the　others；　men；　women；　and　children。　　They　brought　axes　and　knives。　　Then　Runi　said：　'Let　no　one　shoot　an　arrow　into　the　tree　thinking　to　hit　her；　for　the　arrow　would　be　caught　in　her　hand　and　thrown　back　at　him。　　We　must　burn　her　in　the　tree；　there　is　no　way　to　kill　her　except　by　fire。'　Then　we　went　round　and　round　looking　up；　but　could　see　nothing；　and　someone　said：　'She　has　escaped；　flying　like　a　bird　from　the　tree'；　but　Runi　answered　that　fire　would　show。　　So　we　cut　down　the　small　tree　and　lopped　the　branches　off　and　heaped　them　round　the　big　trunk。　Then；　at　a　distance；　we　cut　down　ten　more　small　trees；　and　afterwards；　further　away；　ten　more；　and　then　others；　and　piled　them　all　round；　tree　after　tree；　until　the　pile　reached　as　far　from　the　trunk　as　that；〃　and　here　he　pointed　to　a　bush　forty　to　fifty　yards　from　where　we　sat。

The　feeling　with　which　I　had　listened　to　this　recital　had　become　intolerable。　　The　sweat　ran　from　me　in　streams；　I　shivered　like　a　person　in　a　fit　of　ague；　and　clenched　my　teeth　together　to　prevent　them　from　rattling。　　〃I　must　drink；〃　I　said；　cutting　him　short　and　rising　to　my　feet。　　He　also　rose；　but　did　not　follow　me；　when；　with　uncertain　steps；　I　made　my　way　to　the　waterside；　which　was　ten　or　twelve　yards　away。　　Lying　prostrate　on　my　chest；　I　took　a　long　draught　of　clear　cold　water；　and　held　my　face　for　a　few　moments　in　the　current。　　It　sent　a　chill　through　me；　drying　my　wet　skin；　and　bracing　me　for　the　concluding　part　of　the　hideous　narrative。　　Slowly　I　stepped　back　to　the　fireside　and　sat　down　again；　while　he　resumed　his　old　place　at　my　side。

〃You　burnt　the　tree　down；〃　I　said。　　〃Finish　telling　me　now　and　let　me　sleepmy　eyes　are　heavy。〃

〃Yes。　　While　the　men　cut　and　brought　trees；　the　women　and　children　gathered　dry　s