green mansions-第7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！

　the　thread　of　the　tale　where　she　had　dropped　it。

Old　Cla…cla　amused　me　very　much；　by　night　and　day；　and　I　seldom　tired　of　watching　her　owlish　countenance　as　she　sat　by　the　fire；　never　allowing　it　to　sink　low　for　want　of　fuel；　always　studying　he　pot　when　it　was　on　to　simmer；　and　at　the　same　time　attending　to　the　movements　of　the　others　about　her；　ready　at　a　moment's　notice　to　give　assistance　or　to　dart　out　on　a　stray　chicken　or　refractory　child。

So　much　did　she　amuse　me；　although　without　intending　it；　that　I　thought　it　would　be　only　fair；　in　my　turn；　to　do　something　for　her　entertainment。　　I　was　engaged　one　day　in　shaping　a　wooden　foil　with　my　knife；　whistling　and　singing　snatches　of　old　melodies　at　my　work；　when　all　at　once　I　caught　sight　of　the　ancient　dame　looking　greatly　delighted；　chuckling　internally；　nodding　her　head；　and　keeping　time　with　her　hands。　　Evidently　she　was　able　to　appreciate　a　style　of　music　superior　to　that　of　the　aboriginals；　and　forthwith　I　abandoned　my　foils　for　the　time　and　set　about　the　manufacture　of　a　guitar；　which　cost　me　much　labour　and　brought　out　more　ingenuity　than　I　had　ever　thought　myself　capable　of。　　To　reduce　the　wood　to　the　right　thinness；　then　to　bend　and　fasten　it　with　wooden　pegs　and　with　gums；　to　add　the　arm；　frets；　keys；　and　finally　the　catgut　stringsthose　of　another　kind　being　out　of　the　questionkept　me　busy　for　some　days。　　When　completed　it　was　a　rude　instrument；　scarcely　tunable；　nevertheless　when　I　smote　the　strings；　playing　lively　music；　or　accompanied　myself　in　singing；　I　found　that　it　was　a　great　success；　and　so　was　as　much　pleased　with　my　own　performance　as　if　I　had　had　the　most　perfect　guitar　ever　made　in　old　Spain。　　I　also　skipped　about　the　floor；　strum…strumming　at　the　same　time；　instructing　them　in　the　most　lively　dances　of　the　whites；　in　which　the　feet　must　be　as　nimble　as　the　player's　fingers。　　It　is　true　that　these　exhibitions　were　always　witnessed　by　the　adults　with　a　profound　gravity；　which　would　have　disheartened　a　stranger　to　their　ways。　　They　were　a　set　of　hollow　bronze　statues　that　looked　at　me；　but　I　knew　that　the　living　animals　inside　of　them　were　tickled　at　my　singing；　strumming；　and　pirouetting。　　Cla…cla　was；　however；　an　exception；　and　encouraged　me　not　infrequently　by　emitting　a　sound；　half　cackle　and　half　screech；　by　way　of　laughter；　for　she　had　come　to　her　second　childhood；　or；　at　all　events；　had　dropped　the　stolid　mask　which　the　young　Guayana　savage；　in　imitation　of　his　elders；　adjusts　to　his　face　at　about　the　age　of　twelve；　to　wear　it　thereafter　all　his　life　long；　or　only　to　drop　it　occasionally　when　very　drunk。　The　youngsters　also　openly　manifested　their　pleasure；　although；　as　a　rule；　they　try　to　restrain　their　feelings　in　the　presence　of　grown…up　people；　and　with　them　I　became　a　greet　favourite。

By　and　by　I　returned　to　my　foil…making；　and　gave　them　fencing　lessons；　and　sometimes　invited　two　or　three　of　the　biggest　boys　to　attack　me　simultaneously；　just　to　show　how　easily　I　could　disarm　and　kill　them。　　This　practice　excited　some　interest　in　Kua…ko；　who　had　a　little　more　of　curiosity　and　geniality　and　less　of　the　put…on　dignity　of　the　others；　and　with　him　I　became　most　intimate。　　Fencing　with　Kua…ko　was　highly　amusing：　no　sooner　was　he　in　position；　foil　in　hand；　than　all　my　instructions　were　thrown　to　the　winds；　and　he　would　charge　and　attack　me　in　his　own　barbarous　manner；　with　the　result　that　I　would　send　his　foil　spinning　a　dozen　yards　away；　while　he；　struck　motionless；　would　gaze　after　it　in　open…mouthed　astonishment。

Three　weeks　had　passed　by　not　unpleasantly　when；　one　morning；　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　walk　by　myself　across　that　somewhat　sterile　savannah　west　of　the　village　and　stream；　which　ended；　as　I　have　said；　in　a　long；　low；　stony　ridge。　　From　the　village　there　was　nothing　to　attract　the　eye　in　that　direction；　but　I　wished　to　get　a　better　view　of　that　great　solitary　hill　or　mountain　of　Ytaioa；　and　of　the　cloud…like　summits　beyond　it　in　the　distance。　From　the　stream　the　ground　rose　in　a　gradual　slope；　and　the　highest　part　of　the　ridge　for　which　I　made　was　about　two　miles　from　the　starting…pointa　parched　brown　plain；　with　nothing　growing　on　it　but　scattered　tussocks　of　sere　hair…like　grass。

When　I　reached　the　top　and　could　see　the　country　beyond；　I　was　agreeably　disappointed　at　the　discovery　that　the　sterile　ground　extended　only　about　a　mile　and　a　quarter　on　the　further　side；　and　was　succeeded　by　a　foresta　very　inviting　patch　of　woodland　covering　five　or　six　square　miles；　occupying　a　kind　of　oblong　basin；　extending　from　the　foot　of　Ytaioa　on　the　north　to　a　low　range　of　rocky　hills　on　the　south。　　From　the　wooded　basin　long　narrow　strips　of　forest　ran　out　in　various　directions　like　the　arms　of　an　octopus；　one　pair　embracing　the　slopes　of　Ytaioa；　another　much　broader　belt　extending　along　a　valley　which　cut　through　the　ridge　of　hills　on　the　south　side　at　right　angles　and　was　lost　to　sight　beyond；　far　away　in　the　west　and　south　and　north　distant　mountains　appeared；　not　in　regular　ranges；　but　in　groups　or　singly；　or　looking　like　blue　banked…up　clouds　on　the　horizon。

Glad　at　having　discovered　the　existence　of　this　forest　so　near　home；　and　wondering　why　my　Indian　friends　had　never　taken　me　to　it　nor　ever　went　out　on　that　side；　I　set　forth　with　a　light　heart　to　explore　it　for　myself；　regretting　only　that　I　was　without　a　proper　weapon　for　procuring　game。　　The　walk　from　the　ridge　over　the　savannah　was　easy；　as　the　barren；　stony　ground　sloped　downwards　the　whole　way。　　The　outer　part　of　the　wood　on　my　side　was　very　open；　composed　in　most　part　of　dwarf　trees　that　grow　on　stony　soil；　and　scattered　thorny　bushes　bearing　a　yellow　pea…shaped　blossom。　　Presently　I　came　to　thicker　wood；　where　the　trees　were　much　taller　and　in　greater　variety；　and　after　this　came　another　sterile　strip；　like　that　on　the　edge　of　the　wood　where　stone　cropped　out　from　the　ground　and　nothing　grew　except　the　yellow…flowered　thorn　bushes。　　Passing　this　sterile　ribbon；　which　seemed　to　extend　to　a　considerable　distance　north　and　south；　and　was　fifty　to　a　hundred　yards　wide；　the　forest　again　became　dense　and　the　trees　large；　with　much　undergrowth　in　places　obstructing　the　view　and　making　progress　difficult。

I　spent　several　hours　in　this　wild　paradise；　which　was　so　much　more　delightful　than　the　extensive　gloomier　forests　I　had　so　often　penetrated　in　Guayana；　for　here；　if　the　trees　did　not　attain　to　such　majestic　proportions；　the　variety　of　vegetable　forms　was　even　greater；　as　far　as　I　went　it　was　nowhere　dark　under　the　trees；　and　the　number　of　lovely　parasites　everywhere　illustrated　the　kindly　influence　of　light　and　air。　　Even　where　the　trees　were　largest　the　sunshine　penetrated；　subdued　by　the　foliage　to　exquisite　greenish…golden　tints；　filling　the　wide　lower　spaces　with　tender　half…lights；　and　faint　blue…and…gray　shadows。　　Lying　on　my　back　and　gazing　up；　I　felt　reluctant　to　rise　and　renew　my　ramble。　　For　what　a　roof　was　that　above　my　head！　　Roof　I　call　it；　just　as　the　poets　in　their　poverty　sometimes　describe　the　infinite　ethereal　sky　by　that　word；　but　it　was　no　more　roof…like　and　hindering　to　the　soaring　spirit　than　the　higher　clouds　that　float　in　changing　forms　and　tints；　and　like　the　foliage　chasten　the　intolerable　noonday　beams。　　How　far　above　me　seemed　that　leafy　cloudland　into　which　I　gazed！　　Nature；　we　know；　first　taught　the　architect　to　produce　by　long　colonnades　the　illusion　of　distance；　but　the　light…excluding　roof　prevents　him　from　getting　the　same　effect　above。　　Here　Nature　is　unapproachable　with　her　green；　airy　canopy；　a　sun…impregnated　cloudcloud　above　cloud；　and　though　the　highest　may　be　unreached　by　the　eye；　the　beams　yet　filter　through；　illuming　the　wide　spaces　beneathchamber　succeeded　by　chamber；　each　with　its　own　special　lights　and　shadows。　　Far　above　me；　but　not　nearly　so　far　as　it　seemed；　the　tender　gloom　of　one　such　chamber　or　space　is　traversed　now　by　a　golden　shaft　of　light　falling　through　some　break　in　the　upper　foliage；　giving　a　strange　glory　to　everything　it　touchesprojecting　leaves；　and　beard…like　tuft　of　moss；　and　snaky　bush…rope。　　And　in　the　most　open　part　of　that　most　open　space；　suspended　on　nothing　to　the　eye；　the　shaft　reveals　a　tangle　of　shining　silver　threadsthe　web　of　some　large　tree…spider。　　These　seemingly　distant　yet　distinctly　visible　threads　serve　to　remind　me　that　the　human　artist　is　only　able　to　get　his　horizontal　distance　by　a　monotonous　reduplication　of　pillar　and　arch；　placed　at　regular　intervals；　and　that　the　least　departure　from　this　order　would　destroy　the　effect。　　But　Nature　produces　her　effects　at　random；　and　seems　only　to　increase　the　beautiful　illusion　by　that　infinite　variety　of　decoration　in　which　she　revels；　binding　tree　to　tree　in　a　tangle　of　anaconda…like　lianas；　and　dwindling　down　from　these　huge　cables　to　airy　webs　and　hair…like　fibres　that　vibrate　to　the　wind　of　the　passing　insect's　wing。

Thus　in　idleness；　with　such　thoughts　for　company；　I　spent　my　time；　glad　that　no　human　being；　savage　or　civilized；　was　with　me。　It　was　better　to　be　alone　to　listen　to　the　monkeys　that　chattered　without　offending；　to　watch　them　occupied　with　the　unserious　business　of　their　lives。　　With　that　luxuriant　tropical　nature；　its　green　clouds　and