the red one-第2节

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reality　he　was　penetrating　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　mysterious

heart　of　the　unexplored　island。　　That　night；　crawling　in　among　the

twisted　roots　of　a　banyan　tree；　he　had　slept　from　exhaustion　while

the　mosquitoes　had　had　their　will　of　him。



Followed　days　and　nights　that　were　vague　as　nightmares　in　his

memory。　　One　clear　vision　he　remembered　was　of　suddenly　finding

himself　in　the　midst　of　a　bush　village　and　watching　the　old　men　and

children　fleeing　into　the　jungle。　　All　had　fled　but　one。　　From

close　at　hand　and　above　him；　a　whimpering　as　of　some　animal　in　pain

and　terror　had　startled　him。　　And　looking　up　he　had　seen　her　…　a

girl；　or　young　woman　rather；　suspended　by　one　arm　in　the　cooking

sun。　　Perhaps　for　days　she　had　so　hung。　　Her　swollen；　protruding

tongue　spoke　as　much。　　Still　alive；　she　gazed　at　him　with　eyes　of

terror。　　Past　help；　he　decided；　as　he　noted　the　swellings　of　her

legs　which　advertised　that　the　joints　had　been　crushed　and　the

great　bones　broken。　　He　resolved　to　shoot　her；　and　there　the　vision

terminated。　　He　could　not　remember　whether　he　had　or　not；　any　more

than　could　he　remember　how　he　chanced　to　be　in　that　village；　or　how

he　succeeded　in　getting　away　from　it。



Many　pictures；　unrelated；　came　and　went　in　Bassett's　mind　as　he

reviewed　that　period　of　his　terrible　wanderings。　　He　remembered

invading　another　village　of　a　dozen　houses　and　driving　all　before

him　with　his　shot…gun　save；　for　one　old　man；　too　feeble　to　flee；

who　spat　at　him　and　whined　and　snarled　as　he　dug　open　a　ground…oven

and　from　amid　the　hot　stones　dragged　forth　a　roasted　pig　that

steamed　its　essence　deliciously　through　its　green…leaf　wrappings。

It　was　at　this　place　that　a　wantonness　of　savagery　had　seized　upon

him。　　Having　feasted；　ready　to　depart　with　a　hind…quarter　of　the

pig　in　his　hand；　he　deliberately　fired　the　grass　thatch　of　a　house

with　his　burning　glass。



But　seared　deepest　of　all　in　Bassett's　brain；　was　the　dank　and

noisome　jungle。　　It　actually　stank　with　evil；　and　it　was　always

twilight。　　Rarely　did　a　shaft　of　sunlight　penetrate　its　matted　roof

a　hundred　feet　overhead。　　And　beneath　that　roof　was　an　aerial　ooze

of　vegetation；　a　monstrous；　parasitic　dripping　of　decadent　life…

forms　that　rooted　in　death　and　lived　on　death。　　And　through　all

this　he　drifted；　ever　pursued　by　the　flitting　shadows　of　the

anthropophagi；　themselves　ghosts　of　evil　that　dared　not　face　him　in

battle　but　that　knew　that；　soon　or　late；　they　would　feed　on　him。

Bassett　remembered　that　at　the　time；　in　lucid　moments；　he　had

likened　himself　to　a　wounded　bull　pursued　by　plains'　coyotes　too

cowardly　to　battle　with　him　for　the　meat　of　him；　yet　certain　of　the

inevitable　end　of　him　when　they　would　be　full　gorged。　　As　the

bull's　horns　and　stamping　hoofs　kept　off　the　coyotes；　so　his　shot…

gun　kept　off　these　Solomon　Islanders；　these　twilight　shades　of

bushmen　of　the　island　of　Guadalcanal。



Came　the　day　of　the　grass　lands。　　Abruptly；　as　if　cloven　by　the

sword　of　God　in　the　hand　of　God；　the　jungle　terminated。　　The　edge

of　it；　perpendicular　and　as　black　as　the　infamy　of　it；　was　a

hundred　feet　up　and　down。　　And；　beginning　at　the　edge　of　it；　grew

the　grass　…　sweet；　soft；　tender；　pasture　grass　that　would　have

delighted　the　eyes　and　beasts　of　any　husbandman　and　that　extended；

on　and　on；　for　leagues　and　leagues　of　velvet　verdure；　to　the

backbone　of　the　great　island；　the　towering　mountain　range　flung　up

by　some　ancient　earth…cataclysm；　serrated　and　gullied　but　not　yet

erased　by　the　erosive　tropic　rains。　　But　the　grass！　　He　had　crawled

into　it　a　dozen　yards；　buried　his　face　in　it；　smelled　it；　and

broken　down　in　a　fit　of　involuntary　weeping。



And；　while　he　wept；　the　wonderful　sound　had　pealed　forth　…　if　by

PEAL；　he　had　often　thought　since；　an　adequate　description　could　be

given　of　the　enunciation　of　so　vast　a　sound　melting　sweet。　　Sweet

it　was；　as　no　sound　ever　heard。　　Vast　it　was；　of　so　mighty　a

resonance　that　it　might　have　proceeded　from　some　brazen…throated

monster。　　And　yet　it　called　to　him　across　that　leagues…wide

savannah；　and　was　like　a　benediction　to　his　long…suffering；　pain

racked　spirit。



He　remembered　how　he　lay　there　in　the　grass；　wet…cheeked　but　no

longer　sobbing；　listening　to　the　sound　and　wondering　that　he　had

been　able　to　hear　it　on　the　beach　of　Ringmanu。　　Some　freak　of　air

pressures　and　air　currents；　he　reflected；　had　made　it　possible　for

the　sound　to　carry　so　far。　　Such　conditions　might　not　happen　again

in　a　thousand　days　or　ten　thousand　days；　but　the　one　day　it　had

happened　had　been　the　day　he　landed　from　the　NARI　for　several

hours'　collecting。　　Especially　had　he　been　in　quest　of　the　famed

jungle　butterfly；　a　foot　across　from　wing…tip　to　wing…tip；　as

velvet…dusky　of　lack　of　colour　as　was　the　gloom　of　the　roof；　of

such　lofty　arboreal　habits　that　it　resorted　only　to　the　jungle　roof

and　could　be　brought　down　only　by　a　dose　of　shot。　　It　was　for　this

purpose　that　Sagawa　had　carried　the　ten…gauge　shot…gun。



Two　days　and　nights　he　had　spent　crawling　across　that　belt　of　grass

land。　　He　had　suffered　much；　but　pursuit　had　ceased　at　the　jungle…

edge。　　And　he　would　have　died　of　thirst　had　not　a　heavy

thunderstorm　revived　him　on　the　second　day。



And　then　had　come　Balatta。　　In　the　first　shade；　where　the　savannah

yielded　to　the　dense　mountain　jungle；　he　had　collapsed　to　die。　　At

first　she　had　squealed　with　delight　at　sight　of　his　helplessness；

and　was　for　beating　his　brain　out　with　a　stout　forest　branch。

Perhaps　it　was　his　very　utter　helplessness　that　had　appealed　to

her；　and　perhaps　it　was　her　human　curiosity　that　made　her　refrain。

At　any　rate；　she　had　refrained；　for　he　opened　his　eyes　again　under

the　impending　blow；　and　saw　her　studying　him　intently。　　What

especially　struck　her　about　him　were　his　blue　eyes　and　white　skin。

Coolly　she　had　squatted　on　her　hams；　spat　on　his　arm；　and　with　her

finger…tips　scrubbed　away　the　dirt　of　days　and　nights　of　muck　and

jungle　that　sullied　the　pristine　whiteness　of　his　skin。



And　everything　about　her　had　struck　him　especially；　although　there

was　nothing　conventional　about　her　at　all。　　He　laughed　weakly　at

the　recollection；　for　she　had　been　as　innocent　of　garb　as　Eve

before　the　fig…leaf　adventure。　　Squat　and　lean　at　the　same　time；

asymmetrically　limbed；　string…muscled　as　if　with　lengths　of

cordage；　dirt…caked　from　infancy　save　for　casual　showers；　she　was

as　unbeautiful　a　prototype　of　woman　as　he；　with　a　scientist's　eye；

had　ever　gazed　upon。　　Her　breasts　advertised　at　the　one　time　her

maturity　and　youth；　and；　if　by　nothing　else；　her　sex　was　advertised

by　the　one　article　of　finery　with　which　she　was　adorned；　namely　a

pig's　tail；　thrust　though　a　hole　in　her　left　ear…lobe。　　So　lately

had　the　tail　been　severed；　that　its　raw　end　still　oozed　blood　that

dried　upon　her　shoulder　like　so　much　candle…droppings。　　And　her

face！　　A　twisted　and　wizened　complex　of　apish　features；　perforated

by　upturned；　sky…open；　Mongolian　nostrils；　by　a　mouth　that　sagged

from　a　huge　upper…lip　and　faded　precipitately　into　a　retreating

chin；　by　peering　querulous　eyes　that　blinked　as　blink　the　eyes　of

denizens　of　monkey…cages。



Not　even　the　water　she　brought　him　in　a　forest…leaf；　and　the

ancient　and　half…putrid　chunk　of　roast　pig；　could　redeem　in　the

slightest　the　grotesque　hideousness　of　her。　　When　he　had　eaten

weakly　for　a　space；　he　closed　his　eyes　in　order　not　to　see　her；

although　again　and　again　she　poked　them　open　to　peer　at　the　blue　of

them。　　Then　had　come　the　sound。　　Nearer；　much　nearer；　he　knew　it　to

be；　and　he　knew　equally　well；　despite　the　weary　way　he　had　come；

that　it　was　still　many　hours　distant。　　The　effect　of　it　on　her　had

been　startling。　　She　cringed　under　it；　with　averted　face；　moaning

and　chattering　with　fear。　　But　after　it　had　lived　its　full　life　of

an　hour；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　fell　asleep　with　Balatta　brushing

the　flies　from　him。



When　he　awoke　it　was　night；　and　she　was　gone。　　But　he　was　aware　of

renewed　strength；　and；　by　then　too　thoroughly　inoculated　by　the

mosquito　poison　to　suffer　further　inflammation；　he　closed　his　eyes

and　slept　an　unbroken　stretch　till　sun…up。　　A　little　later　Balatta

had　returned；　bringing　with　her　a　half…dozen　women　who；　unbeautiful

as　they　were；　were　patently　not　so　unbeautiful　as　she。　　She

evidenced　by　her　conduct　that　she　considered　him　her　find；　her

property；　and　the　pride　she　took　in　showing　him　off　would　have　been

ludicrous　had　his　situation　not　been　so　desperate。



Later；　after　what　had　been　to　him　a　terrible　journey　of　miles；　when

he　collapsed　in　front　of　the　devil…devil　house　in　the　shadow　of　the

breadfruit　tree；　she　had　shown　very　lively　ideas　on　the　matter　of

retaining　possession　of　him。　　Ngurn；　whom　Bassett　was　to　know

afterward　as　the　devil…devil　doctor；　priest；　or　medicine　man　of　the

village；　had　wanted　his　head。　　Others　of　the　grinning　and

chattering　monkey…men；　all　as　stark　of　clothes　and　b