green mansions-第8部分

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th　the　unserious　business　of　their　lives。　　With　that　luxuriant　tropical　nature；　its　green　clouds　and　illusive　aerial　spaces；　full　of　mystery；　they　harmonized　well　in　language；　appearance；　and　motionsmountebank　angels；　living　their　fantastic　lives　far　above　earth　in　a　half…way　heaven　of　their　own。

I　saw　more　monkeys　on　that　morning　than　I　usually　saw　in　the　course　of　a　week's　rambling。　　And　other　animals　were　seen；　I　particularly　remember　two　accouries　I　startled；　that　after　rushing　away　a　few　yards　stopped　and　stood　peering　back　at　me　as　if　not　knowing　whether　to　regard　me　as　friend　or　enemy。　　Birds；　too；　were　strangely　abundant；　and　altogether　this　struck　me　as　being　the　richest　hunting…ground　I　had　seen；　and　it　astonished　me　to　think　that　the　Indians　of　the　village　did　not　appear　to　visit　it。

On　my　return　in　the　afternoon　I　gave　an　enthusiastic　account　of　my　day's　ramble；　speaking　not　of　the　things　that　had　moved　my　soul；　but　only　of　those　which　move　the　Guayana　Indian's　soulthe　animal　food　he　craves；　and　which；　one　would　imagine；　Nature　would　prefer　him　to　do　without；　so　hard　he　finds　it　to　wrest　a　sufficiency　from　her。　　To　my　surprise　they　shook　their　heads　and　looked　troubled　at　what　I　said；　and　finally　my　host　informed　me　that　the　wood　I　had　been　in　was　a　dangerous　place；　that　if　they　went　there　to　hunt；　a　great　injury　would　be　done　to　them；　and　he　finished　by　advising　me　not　to　visit　it　again。

I　began　to　understand　from　their　looks　and　the　old　man's　vague　words　that　their　fear　of　the　wood　was　superstitious。　　If　dangerous　creatures　had　existed　there　tigers；　or　camoodis；　or　solitary　murderous　savagesthey　would　have　said　so；　but　when　I　pressed　them　with　questions　they　could　only　repeat　that　〃something　bad〃　existed　in　the　place；　that　animals　were　abundant　there　because　no　Indian　who　valued　his　life　dared　venture　into　it。　　I　replied　that　unless　they　gave　me　some　more　definite　information　I　should　certainly　go　again　and　put　myself　in　the　way　of　the　danger　they　feared。

My　reckless　courage；　as　they　considered　it；　surprised　them；　but　they　had　already　begun　to　find　out　that　their　superstitions　had　no　effect　on　me；　that　I　listened　to　them　as　to　stories　invented　to　amuse　a　child；　and　for　the　moment　they　made　no　further　attempt　to　dissuade　me。

Next　day　I　returned　to　the　forest　of　evil　report；　which　had　now　a　new　and　even　greater　charmthe　fascination　of　the　unknown　and　the　mysterious；　still；　the　warning　I　had　received　made　me　distrustful　and　cautious　at　first；　for　I　could　not　help　thinking　about　it。　　When　we　consider　how　much　of　their　life　is　passed　in　the　woods；　which　become　as　familiar　to　them　as　the　streets　of　our　native　town　to　us；　it　seems　almost　incredible　that　these　savages　have　a　superstitious　fear　of　all　forests；　fearing　them　as　much；　even　in　the　bright　light　of　day；　as　a　nervous　child　with　memory　filled　with　ghost…stories　fears　a　dark　room。　　But；　like　the　child　in　the　dark　room；　they　fear　the　forest　only　when　alone　in　it；　and　for　this　reason　always　hunt　in　couples　or　parties。　　What；　then；　prevented　them　from　visiting　this　particular　wood；　which　offered　so　tempting　a　harvest？　　The　question　troubled　me　not　a　little；　at　the　same　time　I　was　ashamed　of　the　feeling；　and　fought　against　it；　and　in　the　end　I　made　my　way　to　the　same　sequestered　spot　where　I　had　rested　so　long　on　my　previous　visit。

In　this　place　I　witnessed　a　new　thing　and　had　a　strange　experience。　　Sitting　on　the　ground　in　the　shade　of　a　large　tree；　I　began　to　hear　a　confused　noise　as　of　a　coming　tempest　of　wind　mixed　with　shrill　calls　and　cries。　　Nearer　and　nearer　it　came；　and　at　last　a　multitude　of　birds　of　many　kinds；　but　mostly　small；　appeared　in　sight　swarming　through　the　trees；　some　running　on　the　trunks　and　larger　branches；　others　flitting　through　the　foliage；　and　many　keeping　on　the　wing；　now　hovering　and　now　darting　this　way　or　that。　　They　were　all　busily　searching　for　and　pursuing　the　insects；　moving　on　at　the　same　time；　and　in　a　very　few　minutes　they　had　finished　examining　the　trees　near　me　and　were　gone；　but　not　satisfied　with　what　I　had　witnessed；　I　jumped　up　and　rushed　after　the　flock　to　keep　it　in　sight。　　All　my　caution　and　all　recollection　of　what　the　Indians　had　said　was　now　forgot；　so　great　was　my　interest　in　this　bird…army；　but　as　they　moved　on　without　pause；　they　quickly　left　me　behind；　and　presently　my　career　was　stopped　by　an　impenetrable　tangle　of　bushes；　vines；　and　roots　of　large　trees　extending　like　huge　cables　along　the　ground。　　In　the　midst　of　this　leafy　labyrinth　I　sat　down　on　a　projecting　root　to　cool　my　blood　before　attempting　to　make　my　way　back　to　my　former　position。　　After　that　tempest　of　motion　and　confused　noises　the　silence　of　the　forest　seemed　very　profound；　but　before　I　had　been　resting　many　moments　it　was　broken　by　a　low　strain　of　exquisite　bird…melody；　wonderfully　pure　and　expressive；　unlike　any　musical　sound　I　had　ever　heard　before。　　It　seemed　to　issue　from　a　thick　cluster　of　broad　leaves　of　a　creeper　only　a　few　yards　from　where　I　sat。　　With　my　eyes　fixed　on　this　green　hiding…place　I　waited　with　suspended　breath　for　its　repetition；　wondering　whether　any　civilized　being　had　ever　listened　to　such　a　strain　before。　　Surely　not；　I　thought；　else　the　fame　of　so　divine　a　melody　would　long　ago　have　been　noised　abroad。　　I　thought　of　the　rialejo；　the　celebrated　organbird　or　flute…bird；　and　of　the　various　ways　in　which　hearers　are　affected　by　it。　　To　some　its　warbling　is　like　the　sound　of　a　beautiful　mysterious　instrument；　while　to　others　it　seems　like　the　singing　of　a　blithe…hearted　child　with　a　highly　melodious　voice。　　I　had　often　heard　and　listened　with　delight　to　the　singing　of　the　rialejo　in　the　Guayana　forests；　but　this　song；　or　musical　phrase；　was　utterly　unlike　it　in　character。　　It　was　pure；　more　expressive；　softerso　low　that　at　a　distance　of　forty　yards　I　could　hardly　have　heard　it。　　But　its　greatest　charm　was　its　resemblance　to　the　human　voicea　voice　purified　and　brightened　to　something　almost　angelic。ne；　then；　my　impatience　as　I　sat　there　straining　my　sense；　my　deep　disappointment　when　it　was　not　repeated！　　I　rose　at　length　very　reluctantly　and　slowly　began　making　my　way　back；　but　when　I　had　progressed　about　thirty　yards；　again　the　sweet　voice　sounded　just　behind　me；　and　turning　quickly；　I　stood　still　and　waited。　The　same　voice；　but　not　the　same　songnot　the　same　phrase；　the　notes　were　different；　more　varied　and　rapidly　enunciated；　as　if　the　singer　had　been　more　excited。　　The　blood　rushed　to　my　heart　as　I　listened；　my　nerves　tingled　with　a　strange　new　delight；　the　rapture　produced　by　such　music　heightened　by　a　sense　of　mystery。　Before　many　moments　I　heard　it　again；　not　rapid　now；　but　a　soft　warbling；　lower　than　at　first；　infinitely　sweet　and　tender；　sinking　to　lisping　sounds　that　soon　ceased　to　be　audible；　the　whole　having　lasted　as　long　as　it　would　take　me　to　repeat　a　sentence　of　a　dozen　words。　　This　seemed　the　singer's　farewell　to　me；　for　I　waited　and　listened　in　vain　to　hear　it　repeated；　and　after　getting　back　to　the　starting…point　I　sat　for　upwards　of　an　hour；　still　hoping　to　hear　it　once　more！

The　weltering　sun　at　length　compelled　me　to　quit　the　wood；　but　not　before　I　had　resolved　to　return　the　next　morning　and　seek　for　the　spot　where　I　had　met　with　so　enchanting　an　experience。　　After　crossing　the　sterile　belt　I　have　mentioned　within　the　wood；　and　just　before　I　came　to　the　open　outer　edge　where　the　stunted　trees　and　bushes　die　away　on　the　border　of　the　savannah；　what　was　my　delight　and　astonishment　at　hearing　the　mysterious　melody　once　more！　　It　seemed　to　issue　from　a　clump　of　bushes　close　by；　but　by　this　time　I　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　a　ventriloquism　in　this　woodland　voice　which　made　it　impossible　for　me　to　determine　its　exact　direction。　　Of　one　thing　I　was；　however；　now　quite　convinced；　and　that　was　that　the　singer　had　been　following　me　all　the　time。　　Again　and　again　as　I　stood　there　listening　it　sounded；　now　so　faint　and　apparently　far　off　as　to　be　scarcely　audible；　then　all　at　once　it　would　ring　out　bright　and　clear　within　a　few　yards　of　me；　as　if　the　shy　little　thing　had　suddenly　grown　bold；　but；　far　or　near；　the　vocalist　remained　invisible；　and　at　length　the　tantalizing　melody　ceased　altogether。　　



CHAPTER　III

I　was　not　disappointed　on　my　next　visit　to　the　forest；　nor　on　several　succeeding　visits；　and　this　seemed　to　show　that　if　I　was　right　in　believing　that　these　strange；　melodious　utterances　proceeded　from　one　individual；　then　the　bird　or　being；　although　still　refusing　to　show　itself；　was　always　on　the　watch　for　my　appearance　and　followed　me　wherever　I　went。　　This　thought　only　served　to　increase　my　curiosity；　I　was　constantly　pondering　over　the　subject；　and　at　last　concluded　that　it　would　be　best　to　induce　one　of　the　Indians　to　go　with　me　to　the　wood　on　the　chance　of　his　being　able　to　explain　the　mystery。

One　of　the　treasures　I　had　managed　to　preserve　in　my　sojourn　with　these　children　of　nature；　who　were　always　anxious　to　become　possessors　of　my　belongings；　was　a　small　prettily　fashioned　metal　match…box；　opening　with　a　spring。　　Remembering　that　Kua…ko；　among　others；　had　looked　at　this　trifle　with　covetous　eyesthe　covetous　way　in　which　they　all　looked　at　it　had　given　it　a　fictit