selected writings-第24节

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to　go　with　him　and　shoot　ducks　on　the　marshes；　at　daybreak。



My　cousin　was　a　jolly　fellow　of　forty；　with　red　hair；　very　stout

and　bearded；　a　country　gentleman；　an　amiable　semi…brute；　of　a

happy　disposition　and　endowed　with　that　Gallic　wit　which　makes

even　mediocrity　agreeable。　He　lived　in　a　house；　half　farmhouse；

half　chateau；　situated　in　a　broad　valley　through　which　a　river

ran。　The　hills　right　and　left　were　covered　with　woods；　old

manorial　woods　where　magnificent　trees　still　remained；　and　where

the　rarest　feathered　game　in　that　part　of　France　was　to　be　found。

Eagles　were　shot　there　occasionally；　and　birds　of　passage；　such

as　rarely　venture　into　our　over…populated　part　of　the　country；

invariably　lighted　amid　these　giant　oaks；　as　if　they　knew　or

recognized　some　little　corner　of　a　primeval　forest　which　had

remained　there　to　serve　them　as　a　shelter　during　their　short

nocturnal　halt。



In　the　valley　there　were　large　meadows　watered　by　trenches　and

separated　by　hedges；　then；　further　on；　the　river；　which　up　to

that　point　had　been　kept　between　banks；　expanded　into　a　vast

marsh。　That　marsh　was　the　best　shooting　ground　I　ever　saw。　It　was

my　cousin's　chief　care；　and　he　kept　it　as　a　preserve。　Through　the

rushes　that　covered　it；　and　made　it　rustling　and　rough；　narrow

passages　had　been　cut；　through　which　the　flat…bottomed　boats；

impelled　and　steered　by　poles；　passed　along　silently　over　dead

water；　brushing　up　against　the　reeds　and　making　the　swift　fish

take　refuge　in　the　weeds；　and　the　wild　fowl；　with　their　pointed；

black　heads；　dive　suddenly。



I　am　passionately　fond　of　the　water：　of　the　sea；　though　it　is　too

vast；　too　full　of　movement；　impossi…ble　to　hold；　of　the　rivers

which　are　so　beautiful；　but　which　pass　on；　and　flee　away　and

above　all　of　the　marshes；　where　the　whole　unknown　existence　of

aquatic　animals　palpitates。　The　marsh　is　an　entire　world　in

itself　on　the　world　of　eartha　different　world；　which　has　its

own　life；　its　settled　inhabitants　and　its　passing　travelers；　its

voices；　its　noises；　and　above　all　its　mystery。　Nothing　is　more

impressive；　nothing　more　disquieting；　more　terrifying

occasionally；　than　a　fen。　Why　should　a　vague　terror　hang　over

these　low　plains　covered　with　water？　Is　it　the　low　rustling　of

the　rushes；　the　strange　will…o'…the…wisp　lights；　the　silence

which　prevails　on　calm　nights；　the　still　mists　which　hang　over

the　surface　like　a　shroud；　or　is　it　the　almost　inaudible

splashing；　so　slight　and　so　gentle；　yet　sometimes　more　terrifying

than　the　cannons　of　men　or　the　thunders　of　the　skies；　which　make

these　marshes　resemble　countries　one　has　dreamed　of；　terrible

countries　holding　an　unknown　and　dangerous　secret？



No；　something　else　belongs　to　itanother　mystery；　profounder　and

graver；　floats　amid　these　thick　mists；　perhaps　the　mystery　of　the

creation　itself！　For　was　it　not　in　stagnant　and　muddy　water；　amid

the　heavy　humidity　of　moist　land　under　the　heat　of　the　sun；　that

the　first　germ　of　life　pulsated　and　expanded　to　the　day？



I　arrived　at　my　cousin's　in　the　evening。　It　was　freezing　hard

enough　to　split　the　stones。



During　dinner；　in　the　large　room　whose　side…boards；　walls；　and

ceiling　were　covered　with　stuffed　birds；　with　wings　extended　or

perched　on　branches　　to　which　they　were　nailed；hawks；　herons；

owls；　nightjars；　buzzards；　tiercels；　vultures；　falcons；my

cousin　who；　dressed　in　a　sealskin　jacket；　himself　resembled　some

strange　animal　from　a　cold　country；　told　me　what　preparations　he

had　made　for　that　same　night。



We　were　to　start　at　half　past　three　in　the　morning；　so　as　to

arrive　at　the　place　which　he　had　chosen　for　our　watching…place　at

about　half　past　four。　On　that　spot　a　hut　had　been　built　of　lumps

of　ice；　so　as　to　shelter　us　somewhat　from　the　trying　wind　which

precedes　daybreak；　a　wind　so　cold　as　to　tear　the　flesh　like　a

saw；　cut　it　like　the　blade　of　a　knife；　prick　it　like　a　poisoned

sting；　twist　it　like　a　pair　of　pincers；　and　burn　it　like　fire。



My　cousin　rubbed　his　hands：　〃I　have　never　known　such　a　frost；〃　he

said；　〃it　is　already　twelve　degrees　below　zero　at　six　o'clock　in

the　evening。〃



I　threw　myself　on　to　my　bed　immediately　after　we　had　finished　our

meal；　and　went　to　sleep　by　the　light　of　a　bright　fire　burning　in

the　grate。



At　three　o'clock　he　woke　me。　In　my　turn；　I　put　on　a　sheepskin；

and　found　my　cousin　Karl　covered　with　a　bearskin。　After　having

each　swallowed　two　cups　of　scalding　coffee；　followed　by　glasses

of　liqueur　brandy；　we　started；　accompanied　by　a　gamekeeper　and

our　dogs；　Plongeon　and　Pierrot。



From　the　first　moment　that　I　got　outside；　I　felt　chilled　to　the

very　marrow。　It　was　one　of　those　nights　on　which　the　earth　seems

dead　with　cold。　The　frozen　air　becomes　resisting　and　palpable；

such　pain　does　it　cause；　no　breath　of　wind　moves　it；　it　is　fixed

and　motionless；　it　bites　you；　pierces　through　you；　dries　you；

kills　the　trees；　the　plants；　the　insects；　the　small　birds

themselves；　who　fall　from　the　branches　on　to　the　hard　ground；　and

become　stiff　themselves　under　the　grip　of　the…cold。



The　moon；　which　was　in　her　last　quarter　and　was　inclining　all　to

one　side；　seemed　fainting　in　the　midst　of　space；　so　weak　that　she

was　unable　to　wane；　forced　to　stay　up　yonder；　seized　and

paralyzed　by　the　severity　of　the　weather。　She　shed　a　cold；

mournful　light　over　the　world；　that　dying　and　wan　light　which　she

gives　us　every　month；　at　the　end　of　her　period。



Karl　and　I　walked　side　by　side；　our　backs　bent；　our　hands　in　our

pockets　and　our　guns　under　our　arms。　Our　boots；　which　were

wrapped　in　wool　so　that　we　might　be　able　to　walk　without　slipping

on　the　frozen　river；　made　no　sound；　and　I　looked　at　the　white

vapor　which　our　dogs'　breath　made。



We　were　soon　on　the　edge　of　the　marsh；　and　entered　one　of　the

lanes　of　dry　rushes　which　ran　through　the　low　forest。



Our　elbows；　which　touched　the　long；　ribbonlike　leaves；　left　a

slight　noise　behind　us；　and　I　was　seized；　as　I　had　never　been

before；　by　the　powerful　and　singular　emotion　which　marshes　cause

in　me。　This　one　was　dead；　dead　from　cold；　since　we　were　walking

on　it；　in　the　middle　of　its　population　of　dried　rushes。



Suddenly；　at　the　turn　of　one　of　the　lanes；　I　perceived　the

ice…hut　which　had　been　constructed　to　shelter　us。　I　went　in；　and

as　we　had　nearly　an　hour　to　wait　before　the　wandering　birds　would

awake；　I　rolled　myself　up　in　my　rug　in　order　to　try　and　get　warm。

Then；　lying　on　my　back；　I　began　to　look　at　the　misshapen　moon；

which　had　four　horns　through　the　vaguely　transparent　walls　of

this　polar　house。　But　the　frost　of　the　frozen　marshes；　the　cold

of　these　walls；　the　cold　from　the　firmament　penetrated　me　so

terribly　that　I　began　to　cough。　My　cousin　Karl　became　uneasy。



〃No　matter　if　we　do　not　kill　much　to…day；〃　he　said：　〃I　do　not

want　you　to　catch　cold；　we　will　light　a　fire。〃　And　he　told　the

gamekeeper　to　cut　some　rushes。



We　made　a　pile　in　the　middle　of　our　hut　which　had　a　hole　in　the

middle　of　the　roof　to　let　out　the　smoke；　and　when　the　red　flames

rose　up　to　the　clear；　crystal　blocks　they　began　to　melt；　gently；

imperceptibly；　as　if　they　were　sweating。　Karl；　who　had　remained

outside；　called　out　to　me：　〃Come　and　look　here！〃　I　went　out　of

the　hut　and　remained　struck　with　astonishment。　Our　hut；　in　the

shape　of　a　cone；　looked　like　an　enormous　diamond　with　a　heart　of

fire　which　had　been　suddenly　planted　there　in　the　midst　of　the

frozen　water　of　the　marsh。　And　inside；　we　saw　two　fantastic

forms；　those　of　our　dogs；　who　were　warming　themselves　at　the

fire。



But　a　peculiar　cry；　a　lost；　a　wandering　cry；　passed　over　our

heads；　and　the　light　from　our　hearth　showed　us　the　wild　birds。

Nothing　moves　one　so　much　as　the　first　clamor　of　a　life　which　one

does　not　see；　which　passes　through　the　somber　air　so　quickly　and

so　far　off；　just　before　the　first　streak　of　a　winter's　day

appears　on　the　horizon。　It　seems　to　me；　at　this　glacial　hour　of

dawn；　as　if　that　passing　cry　which　is　carried　away　by　the　wings

of　a　bird　is　the　sigh　of　a　soul　from　the　world！



〃Put　out　the　fire；〃　said　Karl；　〃it　is　getting　daylight。〃



The　sky　was；　in　fact；　beginning　to　grow　pale；　and　the　flights　of

ducks　made　long；　rapid　streaks　which　were　soon　obliterated　on　the

sky。



A　stream　of　light　burst　out　into　the　night；　Karl　had　fired；　and

the　two　dogs　ran　forward。



And　then；　nearly　every　minute；　now　he；　now　I；　aimed　rapidly　as

soon　as　the　shadow　of　a　flying　flock　appeared　above　the　rushes。

And　Pierrot　and　Plongeon；　out　of　breath　but　happy；　retrieved　the

bleeding　birds；　whose　eyes　still；　occasionally；　looked　at　us。



The　sun　had　risen；　and　it　was　a　bright　day　with　a　blue　sky；　and

we　were　thinking　of　taking　our　departure；　when　two　birds　with

extended　necks　and　outstretched　wings；　glided　rapidly　over　our

heads。　I　fired；　and　one　of　them　fell　almost　at　my　feet。　It　was　a

teal；　with　a　silver　breast；　and　then；　in　the　blue　space　above　me；

I　h