green mansions-第5部分

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dering　how　to　get　to　that　rich　district；　unknown　to　civilized　men。　　The　Indians　gravely　shook　their　heads　when　I　tried　to　persuade　them　to　take　me。　　They　were　far　enough　from　the　Orinoco；　and　Parahuari　was　ten；　perhaps　fifteen；　days'　journey　further　ona　country　unknown　to　them；　where　they　had　no　relations。

In　spite　of　difficulties　and　delays；　however；　and　not　without　pain　and　some　perilous　adventures；　I　succeeded　at　last　in　reaching　the　upper　Orinoco；　and；　eventually；　in　crossing　to　the　other　side。　　With　my　life　in　my　hand　I　struggled　on　westward　through　an　unknown　difficult　country；　from　Indian　village　to　village；　where　at　any　moment　I　might　have　been　murdered　with　impunity　for　the　sake　of　my　few　belongings。　　It　is　hard　for　me　to　speak　a　good　word　for　the　Guayana　savages；　but　I　must　now　say　this　of　them；　that　they　not　only　did　me　no　harm　when　I　was　at　their　mercy　during　this　long　journey；　but　they　gave　me　shelter　in　their　villages；　and　fed　me　when　I　was　hungry；　and　helped　me　on　my　way　when　I　could　make　no　return。　　You　must　not；　however；　run　away　with　the　idea　that　there　is　any　sweetness　in　their　disposition；　any　humane　or　benevolent　instincts　such　as　are　found　among　the　civilized　nations：　far　from　it。　　I　regard　them　now；　and；　fortunately　for　me；　I　regarded　them　then；　when；　as　I　have　said；　I　was　at　their　mercy；　as　beasts　of　prey；　plus　a　cunning　or　low　kind　of　intelligence　vastly　greater　than　that　of　the　brute；　and；　for　only　morality；　that　respect　for　the　rights　of　other　members　of　the　same　family；　or　tribe；　without　which　even　the　rudest　communities　cannot　hold　together。　　How；　then；　could　I　do　this　thing；　and　dwell　and　travel　freely；　without　receiving　harm；　among　tribes　that　have　no　peace　with　and　no　kindly　feelings　towards　the　stranger；　in　a　district　where　the　white　man　is　rarely　or　never　seen？　　Because　I　knew　them　so　well。　　Without　that　knowledge；　always　available；　and　an　extreme　facility　in　acquiring　new　dialects；　which　had　increased　by　practice　until　it　was　almost　like　intuition；　I　should　have　fared　badly　after　leaving　the　Maquiritari　tribe。　　As　it　was；　I　had　two　or　three　very　narrow　escapes。

To　return　from　this　digression。　　I　looked　at　last　on　the　famous　Parahuari　mountains；　which；　I　was　greatly　surprised　to　find；　were　after　all　nothing　but　hills；　and　not　very　high　ones。　　This；　however；　did　not　impress　me。　　The　very　fact　that　Parahuari　possessed　no　imposing　feature　in　its　scenery　seemed　rather　to　prove　that　it　must　be　rich　in　gold：　how　else　could　its　name　and　the　fame　of　its　treasures　be　familiar　to　people　dwelling　so　far　away　as　the　Cunucumana？

But　there　was　no　gold。　　I　searched　through　the　whole　range；　which　was　about　seven　leagues　long；　and　visited　the　villages；　where　I　talked　much　with　the　Indians；　interrogating　them；　and　they　had　no　necklets　of　gold；　nor　gold　in　any　form；　nor　had　they　ever　heard　of　its　presence　in　Parahuari　or　in　any　other　place　known　to　them。

The　very　last　village　where　I　spoke　on　the　subject　of　my　quest；　albeit　now　without　hope；　was　about　a　league　from　the　western　extremity　of　the　range；　in　the　midst　of　a　high　broken　country　of　forest　and　savannah　and　many　swift　streams；　near　one　of　these；　called　the　Curicay；　the　village　stood；　among　low　scattered　trees…　…a　large　building；　in　which　all　the　people；　numbering　eighteen；　passed　most　of　their　time　when　not　hunting；　with　two　smaller　buildings　attached　to　it。　　The　head；　or　chief；　Runi　by　name；　was　about　fifty　years　old；　a　taciturn；　finely　formed；　and　somewhat　dignified　savage；　who　was　either　of　a　sullen　disposition　or　not　well　pleased　at　the　intrusion　of　a　white　man。　　And　for　a　time　I　made　no　attempt　to　conciliate　him。　　What　profit　was　there　in　it　at　all？　　Even　that　light　mask；　which　I　had　worn　so　long　and　with　such　good　effect；　incommoded　me　now：　I　would　cast　it　aside　and　be　myselfsilent　and　sullen　as　my　barbarous　host。　　If　any　malignant　purpose　was　taking　form　in　his　mind；　let　it；　and　let　him　do　his　worst；　for　when　failure　first　stares　a　man　in　the　face；　it　has　so　dark　and　repellent　a　look　that　not　anything　that　can　be　added　can　make　him　more　miserable；　nor　has　he　any　apprehension。　　For　weeks　I　had　been　searching　with　eager；　feverish　eyes　in　every　village；　in　every　rocky　crevice；　in　every　noisy　mountain　streamlet；　for　the　glittering　yellow　dust　I　had　travelled　so　far　to　find。　　And　now　all　my　beautiful　dreamsall　the　pleasure　and　power　to　behad　vanished　like　a　mere　mirage　on　the　savannah　at　noon。

It　was　a　day　of　despair　which　I　spent　in　this　place；　sitting　all　day　indoors；　for　it　was　raining　hard；　immersed　in　my　own　gloomy　thoughts；　pretending　to　doze　in　my　seat；　and　out　of　the　narrow　slits　of　my　half…closed　eyes　seeing　the　others；　also　sitting　or　moving　about；　like　shadows　or　people　in　a　dream；　and　I　cared　nothing　about　them；　and　wished　not　to　seem　friendly；　even　for　the　sake　of　the　food　they　might　offer　me　by　and　by。

Towards　evening　the　rain　ceased；　and　rising　up　I　went　out　a　short　distance　to　the　neighbouring　stream；　where　I　sat　on　a　stone　and；　casting　off　my　sandals；　raved　my　bruised　feet　in　the　cool　running　water。　　The　western　half　of　the　sky　was　blue　again　with　that　tender　lucid　blue　seen　after　rain；　but　the　leaves　still　glittered　with　water；　and　the　wet　trunks　looked　almost　black　under　the　green　foliage。　　The　rare　loveliness　of　the　scene　touched　and　lightened　my　heart。　　Away　back　in　the　east　the　hills　of　Parahuari；　with　the　level　sun　full　on　them；　loomed　with　a　strange　glory　against　the　grey　rainy　clouds　drawing　off　on　that　side；　and　their　new　mystic　beauty　almost　made　me　forget　how　these　same　hills　had　wearied；　and　hurt；　and　mocked　me。　　On　that　side；　also　to　the　north　and　south；　there　was　open　forest；　but　to　the　west　a　different　prospect　met　the　eye。　　Beyond　the　stream　and　the　strip　of　verdure　that　fringed　it；　and　the　few　scattered　dwarf　trees　growing　near　its　banks；　spread　a　brown　savannah　sloping　upwards　to　a　long；　low；　rocky　ridge；　beyond　which　rose　a　great　solitary　hill；　or　rather　mountain；　conical　in　form；　and　clothed　in　forest　almost　to　the　summit。　　This　was　the　mountain　Ytaioa；　the　chief　landmark　in　that　district。　　As　the　sun　went　down　over　the　ridge；　beyond　the　savannah；　the　whole　western　sky　changed　to　a　delicate　rose　colour　that　had　the　appearance　of　rose…coloured　smoke　blown　there　by　some　far　off…wind；　and　left　suspendeda　thin；　brilliant　veil　showing　through　it　the　distant　sky　beyond；　blue　and　ethereal。　Flocks　of　birds；　a　kind　of　troupial；　were　flying　past　me　overhead；　flock　succeeding　flock；　on　their　way　to　their　roosting…place；　uttering　as　they　flew　a　clear；　bell…like　chirp；　and　there　was　something　ethereal　too　in　those　drops　of　melodious　sound；　which　fell　into　my　heart　like　raindrops　falling　into　a　pool　to　mix　their　fresh　heavenly　water　with　the　water　of　earth。

Doubtless　into　the　turbid　tarn　of　my　heart　some　sacred　drops　had　fallenfrom　the　passing　birds；　from　that　crimson　disk　which　had　now　dropped　below　the　horizon；　the　darkening　hills；　the　rose　and　blue　of　infinite　heaven；　from　the　whole　visible　circle；　and　I　felt　purified　and　had　a　strange　sense　and　apprehension　of　a　secret　innocence　and　spirituality　in　naturea　prescience　of　some　bourn；　incalculably　distant　perhaps；　to　which　we　are　all　moving；　of　a　time　when　the　heavenly　rain　shall　have　washed　us　clean　from　all　spot　and　blemish。　　This　unexpected　peace　which　I　had　found　now　seemed　to　me　of　infinitely　greater　value　than　that　yellow　metal　I　had　missed　finding；　with　all　its　possibilities。　　My　wish　now　was　to　rest　for　a　season　at　this　spot；　so　remote　and　lovely　and　peaceful；　where　I　had　experienced　such　unusual　feelings　and　such　a　blessed　disillusionment。

This　was　the　end　of　my　second　period　in　Guayana：　the　first　had　been　filled　with　that　dream　of　a　book　to　win　me　fame　in　my　country；　perhaps　even　in　Europe；　the　second；　from　the　time　of　leaving　the　Queneveta　mountains；　with　the　dream　of　boundless　wealththe　old　dream　of　gold　in　this　region　that　has　drawn　so　many　minds　since　the　days　of　Francisco　Pizarro。　　But　to　remain　I　must　propitiate　Runi；　sitting　silent　with　gloomy　brows　over　there　indoors；　and　he　did　not　appear　to　me　like　one　that　might　be　won　with　words；　however　flattering。　　It　was　clear　to　me　that　the　time　had　come　to　part　with　my　one　remaining　valuable　trinketthe　tinder…box　of　chased　silver。

I　returned　to　the　house　and；　going　in；　seated　myself　on　a　log　by　the　fire；　just　opposite　to　my　grim　host；　who　was　smoking　and　appeared　not　to　have　moved　since　I　left　him。　　I　made　myself　a　cigarette；　then　drew　out　the　tinder…box；　with　its　flint　and　steel　attached　to　it　by　means　of　two　small　silver　chains。　　His　eyes　brightened　a　little　as　they　curiously　watched　my　movements；　and　he　pointed　without　speaking　to　the　glowing　coals　of　fire　at　my　feet。　　I　shook　my　head；　and　striking　the　steel；　sent　out　a　brilliant　spray　of　sparks；　then　blew　on　the　tinder　and　lit　my　cigarette。

This　done；　instead　of　returning　the　box　to　my　pocket　I　passed　the　chain　through　the　buttonhole　of　my　cloak　and　let　it　dangle　on　my　breast　as　an　ornament。　　When　the　cigarette　was　smoked；　I　cleared　my　throat　in　the　orthodox　manner　and　fixed　my　eyes　on　Runi；　who；　on　his　part；　made　a　slight　movement　to　indicate　that　he　was　ready　to　listen　to　what　I　had　to　say。

My　speech　was　long；　lasting　at　least　half　an　hour；　de