the red one-第3节

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

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

appearance　as　Balatta；　had　wanted　his　body　for　the　roasting　oven。

At　that　time　he　had　not　understood　their　language；　if　by　LANGUAGE

might　be　dignified　the　uncouth　sounds　they　made　to　represent　ideas。

But　Bassett　had　thoroughly　understood　the　matter　of　debate；

especially　when　the　men　pressed　and　prodded　and　felt　of　the　flesh

of　him　as　if　he　were　so　much　commodity　in　a　butcher's　stall。



Balatta　had　been　losing　the　debate　rapidly；　when　the　accident

happened。　　One　of　the　men；　curiously　examining　Bassett's　shot…gun；

managed　to　cock　and　pull　a　trigger。　　The　recoil　of　the　butt　into

the　pit　of　the　man's　stomach　had　not　been　the　most　sanguinary

result；　for　the　charge　of　shot；　at　a　distance　of　a　yard；　had　blown

the　head　of　one　of　the　debaters　into　nothingness。



Even　Balatta　joined　the　others　in　flight；　and；　ere　they　returned；

his　senses　already　reeling　from　the　oncoming　fever…attack；　Bassett

had　regained　possession　of　the　gun。　　Whereupon；　although　his　teeth

chattered　with　the　ague　and　his　swimming　eyes　could　scarcely　see；

he　held　on　to　his　fading　consciousness　until　he　could　intimidate

the　bushmen　with　the　simple　magics　of　compass；　watch；　burning

glass；　and　matches。　　At　the　last；　with　due　emphasis；　of　solemnity

and　awfulness；　he　had　killed　a　young　pig　with　his　shot…gun　and

promptly　fainted。



Bassett　flexed　his　arm…muscles　in　quest　of　what　possible　strength

might　reside　in　such　weakness；　and　dragged　himself　slowly　and

totteringly　to　his　feet。　　He　was　shockingly　emaciated；　yet；　during

the　various　convalescences　of　the　many　months　of　his　long　sickness；

he　had　never　regained　quite　the　same　degree　of　strength　as　this

time。　　What　he　feared　was　another　relapse　such　as　he　had　already

frequently　experienced。　　Without　drugs；　without　even　quinine；　he

had　managed　so　far　to　live　through　a　combination　of　the　most

pernicious　and　most　malignant　of　malarial　and　black…water　fevers。

But　could　he　continue　to　endure？　　Such　was　his　everlasting　query。

For；　like　the　genuine　scientist　he　was；　he　would　not　be　content　to

die　until　he　had　solved　the　secret　of　the　sound。



Supported　by　a　staff；　he　staggered　the　few　steps　to　the　devil…devil

house　where　death　and　Ngurn　reigned　in　gloom。　　Almost　as　infamously

dark　and　evil…stinking　as　the　jungle　was　the　devil…devil　house　…　in

Bassett's　opinion。　　Yet　therein　was　usually　to　be　found　his

favourite　crony　and　gossip；　Ngurn；　always　willing　for　a　yarn　or　a

discussion；　the　while　he　sat　in　the　ashes　of　death　and　in　a　slow

smoke　shrewdly　revolved　curing　human　heads　suspended　from　the

rafters。　　For；　through　the　months'　interval　of　consciousness　of　his

long　sickness；　Bassett　had　mastered　the　psychological　simplicities

and　lingual　difficulties　of　the　language　of　the　tribe　of　Ngurn　and

Balatta　and　Vngngn　…　the　latter　the　addle…headed　young　chief　who

was　ruled　by　Ngurn；　and　who；　whispered　intrigue　had　it；　was　the　son

of　Ngurn。



〃Will　the　Red　One　speak　to…day？〃　Bassett　asked；　by　this　time　so

accustomed　to　the　old　man's　gruesome　occupation　as　to　take　even　an

interest　in　the　progress　of　the　smoke…curing。



With　the　eye　of　an　expert　Ngurn　examined　the　particular　head　he　was

at　work　upon。



〃It　will　be　ten　days　before　I　can　say　'finish；'〃　he　said。　　〃Never

has　any　man　fixed　heads　like　these。〃



Bassett　smiled　inwardly　at　the　old　fellow's　reluctance　to　talk　with

him　of　the　Red　One。　　It　had　always　been　so。　　Never；　by　any　chance；

had　Ngurn　or　any　other　member　of　the　weird　tribe　divulged　the

slightest　hint　of　any　physical　characteristic　of　the　Red　One。

Physical　the　Red　One　must　be；　to　emit　the　wonderful　sound；　and

though　it　was　called　the　Red　One；　Bassett　could　not　be　sure　that

red　represented　the　colour　of　it。　　Red　enough　were　the　deeds　and

powers　of　it；　from　what　abstract　clues　he　had　gleaned。　　Not　alone；

had　Ngurn　informed　him；　was　the　Red　One　more　bestial　powerful　than

the　neighbour　tribal　gods；　ever　athirst　for　the　red　blood　of　living

human　sacrifices；　but　the　neighbour　gods　themselves　were　sacrificed

and　tormented　before　him。　　He　was　the　god　of　a　dozen　allied

villages　similar　to　this　one；　which　was　the　central　and　commanding

village　of　the　federation。　　By　virtue　of　the　Red　One　many　alien

villages　had　been　devastated　and　even　wiped　out；　the　prisoners

sacrificed　to　the　Red　One。　　This　was　true　to…day；　and　it　extended

back　into　old　history　carried　down　by　word　of　mouth　through　the

generations。　　When　he；　Ngurn；　had　been　a　young　man；　the　tribes

beyond　the　grass　lands　had　made　a　war　raid。　　In　the　counter　raid；

Ngurn　and　his　fighting　folk　had　made　many　prisoners。　　Of　children

alone　over　five　score　living　had　been　bled　white　before　the　Red

One；　and　many；　many　more　men　and　women。



The　Thunderer　was　another　of　Ngurn's　names　for　the　mysterious

deity。　　Also　at　times　was　he　called　The　Loud　Shouter；　The　God…

Voiced；　The　Bird…Throated；　The　One　with　the　Throat　Sweet　as　the

Throat　of　the　Honey…Bird；　The　Sun　Singer；　and　The　Star…Born。



Why　The　Star…Born？　　In　vain　Bassett　interrogated　Ngurn。　　According

to　that　old　devil…devil　doctor；　the　Red　One　had　always　been；　just

where　he　was　at　present；　for　ever　singing　and　thundering　his　will

over　men。　　But　Ngurn's　father；　wrapped　in　decaying　grass…matting

and　hanging　even　then　over　their　heads　among　the　smoky　rafters　of

the　devil…devil　house；　had　held　otherwise。　　That　departed　wise　one

had　believed　that　the　Red　One　came　from　out　of　the　starry　night；

else　why　…　so　his　argument　had　run　…　had　the　old　and　forgotten　ones

passed　his　name　down　as　the　Star…Born？　　Bassett　could　not　but

recognize　something　cogent　in　such　argument。　　But　Ngurn　affirmed

the　long　years　of　his　long　life；　wherein　he　had　gazed　upon　many

starry　nights；　yet　never　had　he　found　a　star　on　grass　land　or　in

jungle　depth　…　and　he　had　looked　for　them。　　True；　he　had　beheld

shooting　stars　（this　in　reply　to　Bassett's　contention）；　but

likewise　had　he　beheld　the　phosphorescence　of　fungoid　growths　and

rotten　meat　and　fireflies　on　dark　nights；　and　the　flames　of　wood…

fires　and　of　blazing　candle…nuts；　yet　what　were　flame　and　blaze　and

glow　when　they　had　flamed　and　blazed　and　glowed？　　Answer：

memories；　memories　only；　of　things　which　had　ceased　to　be；　like

memories　of　matings　accomplished；　of　feasts　forgotten；　of　desires

that　were　the　ghosts　of　desires；　flaring；　flaming；　burning；　yet

unrealized　in　achievement　of　easement　and　satisfaction。　　Where　was

the　appetite　of　yesterday？　the　roasted　flesh　of　the　wild　pig　the

hunter's　arrow　failed　to　slay？　the　maid；　unwed　and　dead　ere　the

young　man　knew　her？



A　memory　was　not　a　star；　was　Ngurn's　contention。　　How　could　a

memory　be　a　star？　　Further；　after　all　his　long　life　he　still

observed　the　starry　night…sky　unaltered。　　Never　had　he　noted　the

absence　of　a　single　star　from　its　accustomed　place。　　Besides；　stars

were　fire；　and　the　Red　One　was　not　fire　…　which　last　involuntary

betrayal　told　Bassett　nothing。



〃Will　the　Red　One　speak　to…morrow？〃　he　queried。



Ngurn　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　who　should　say。



〃And　the　day　after？　…　and　the　day　after　that？〃　Bassett　persisted。



〃I　would　like　to　have　the　curing　of　your　head；〃　Ngurn　changed　the

subject。　　〃It　is　different　from　any　other　head。　　No　devil…devil　has

a　head　like　it。　　Besides；　I　would　cure　it　well。　　I　would　take

months　and　months。　　The　moons　would　come　and　the　moons　would　go；

and　the　smoke　would　be　very　slow；　and　I　should　myself　gather　the

materials　for　the　curing　smoke。　　The　skin　would　not　wrinkle。　　It

would　be　as　smooth　as　your　skin　now。〃



He　stood　up；　and　from　the　dim　rafters；　grimed　with　the　smoking　of

countless　heads；　where　day　was　no　more　than　a　gloom；　took　down　a

matting…wrapped　parcel　and　began　to　open　it。



〃It　is　a　head　like　yours；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　is　poorly　cured。〃



Bassett　had　pricked　up　his　ears　at　the　suggestion　that　it　was　a

white　man's　head；　for　he　had　long　since　come　to　accept　that　these

jungle…dwellers；　in　the　midmost　centre　of　the　great　island；　had

never　had　intercourse　with　white　men。　　Certainly　he　had　found　them

without　the　almost　universal　beche…de…mer　English　of　the　west　South

Pacific。　　Nor　had　they　knowledge　of　tobacco；　nor　of　gunpowder。

Their　few　precious　knives；　made　from　lengths　of　hoop…iron；　and

their　few　and　more　precious　tomahawks　from　cheap　trade　hatchets；　he

had　surmised　they　had　captured　in　war　from　the　bushmen　of　the

jungle　beyond　the　grass　lands；　and　that　they；　in　turn；　had

similarly　gained　them　from　the　salt…water　men　who　fringed　the　coral

beaches　of　the　shore　and　had　contact　with　the　occasional　white　men。



〃The　folk　in　the　out　beyond　do　not　know　how　to　cure　heads；〃　old

Ngurn　explained；　as　he　drew　forth　from　the　filthy　matting　and

placed　in　Bassett's　hands　an　indubitable　white　man's　head。



Ancient　it　was　beyond　question；　white　it　was　as　the　blond　hair

attested。　　He　co