wild wales-第103节

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I　went　up　to　the　man；　and；　saluting　him　in　English；　asked　whether　
he　could　direct　me　to　the　Devil's　Bridge；　or　rather　to　Pont　Erwyd。

〃It　would　be　of　no　use　directing　you；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃for　with　all　
the　directions　in　the　world　it　would　be　impossible　for　you　to　find　
the　way。　　You　would　not　have　left　these　premises　five　minutes　
before　you　would　be　in　a　maze　without　knowing　which　way　to　turn。　　
Where　do　you　come　from？〃

〃From　Machynlleth；〃　I　replied。

〃From　Machynlleth！〃　said　he。　　〃Well；　I　only　wonder　you　ever　got　
here；　but　it　would　be　madness　to　go　farther　alone。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃can　I　obtain　a　guide？〃

〃I　really　don't　know；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　afraid　all　the　men　are　
engaged。〃

As　we　were　speaking　a　young　man　made　his　appearance　at　the　door　
from　the　interior　of　the　house。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　brown　short　
coat；　had　a　glazed　hat　on　his　head；　and　had　a　pale　but　very　
intelligent　countenance。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　said　he　to　the　other　man。

〃This　gentleman；〃　replied　the　latter；　〃is　going　to　Pont　Erwyd；　and　
wants　a　guide。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃we　must　find　him　one。　　It　will　never　
do　to　let　him　go　by　himself。〃

〃If　you　can　find　me　a　guide；〃　said　I；　〃I　shall　be　happy　to　pay　him　
for　his　trouble。〃

〃Oh；　you　can　do　as　you　please　about　that；〃　said　the　young　man；　
〃but；　pay　or　not；　we　would　never　suffer　you　to　leave　this　place　
without　a　guide；　and　as　much　for　our　own　sake　as　yours；　for　the　
directors　of　the　Company　would　never　forgive　us　if　they　heard　we　
had　suffered　a　gentleman　to　leave　these　premises　without　a　guide；　
more　especially　if　he　were　lost；　as　it　is　a　hundred　to　one　you　
would　be　if　you　went　by　yourself。〃

〃Pray；〃　said　I；　〃what　Company　is　this；　the　directors　of　which　are　
so　solicitous　about　the　safety　of　strangers？〃

〃The　Potosi　Mining　Company；〃　said　he；　〃the　richest　in　all　Wales。　　
But　pray　walk　in　and　sit　down；　for　you　must　be　tired。〃



CHAPTER　LXXXI



The　Mining　Compting　Room　…　Native　of　Aberystwyth　…　Story　of　a　
Bloodhound　…　The　Young　Girls　…　The　Miner's　Tale　…　Gwen　Frwd　…　The　
Terfyn。


I　FOLLOWED　the　young　man　with　the　glazed　hat　into　a　room；　the　other　
man　following　behind　me。　　He　of　the　glazed　hat　made　me　sit　down　
before　a　turf　fire；　apologising　for　its　smoking　very　much。　　The　
room　seemed　half　compting…room；　half　apartment。　　There　was　a　wooden　
desk　with　a　ledger　upon　it　by　the　window；　which　looked　to　the　west；　
and　a　camp　bedstead　extended　from　the　southern　wall　nearly　up　to　
the　desk。　　After　I　had　sat　for　about　a　minute；　the　young　man　asked　
me　if　I　would　take　any　refreshment。　　I　thanked　him　for　his　kind　
offer；　which　I　declined；　saying；　however；　that　if　he　would　obtain　
me　a　guide　I　should　feel　much　obliged。　　He　turned　to　the　other　man　
and　told　him　to　go　and　inquire　whether　there　was　any　one　who　would　
be　willing　to　go。　　The　other　nodded；　and　forthwith　went　out。

〃You　think；　then；〃　said　I；　〃that　I　could　not　find　the　way　by　
myself？〃

〃I　am　sure　of　it；〃　said　he；　〃for　even　the　people　best　acquainted　
with　the　country　frequently　lose　their　way。　　But　I　must　tell　you；　
that　if　we　do　find　you　a　guide；　it　will　probably　be　one　who　has　no　
English。〃

〃Never　mind；〃　said　I；　〃I　have　enough　Welsh　to　hold　a　common　
discourse。〃

A　fine　girl　about　fourteen　now　came　in；　and　began　bustling　about。


〃Who　is　this　young　lady？〃　said　I。

〃The　daughter　of　a　captain　of　a　neighbouring　mine；〃　said　he；　〃she　
frequently　comes　here　with　messages；　and　is　always　ready　to　do　a　
turn　about　the　house；　for　she　is　very　handy。〃

〃Has　she　any　English？〃　said　I。

〃Not　a　word；〃　he　replied。　　〃The　young　people　of　these　hills　have　no　
English；　except　they　go　abroad　to　learn　it。〃

〃What　hills　are　these？〃　said　I。

〃Part　of　the　Plynlimmon　range；〃　said　he。

〃Dear　me；〃　said　I；　〃am　I　near　Plynlimmon？〃

〃Not　very　far　from　it；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃and　you　will　be　nearer　
when　you　reach　Pont　Erwyd。〃

〃Are　you　a　native　of　these　parts？〃　said　I。

〃I　am　not；〃　he　replied；　〃I　am　a　native　of　Aberystwyth；　a　place　on　
the　sea…coast　about　a　dozen　miles　from　here。〃

〃This　seems　to　be　a　cold；　bleak　spot；〃　said　I；　〃is　it　healthy？〃

〃I　have　reason　to　say　so；〃　said　he；　〃for　I　came　here　from　
Aberystwyth　about　four　months　ago　very　unwell；　and　am　now　perfectly　
recovered。　　I　do　not　believe　there　is　a　healthier　spot　in　all　
Wales。〃

We　had　some　further　discourse。　　I　mentioned　to　him　the　adventure　
which　I　had　on　the　hill　with　the　fellow　with　the　donkey。　　The　young　
man　said　that　he　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　some　prowling　thief。

〃The　dogs　of　the　shepherd's　house；〃　said　I；　〃didn't　seem　to　like　
him；　and　dogs　generally　know　an　evil　customer。　　A　long　time　ago　I　
chanced　to　be　in　a　posada；　or　inn；　at　Valladolid　in　Spain。　　One　hot　
summer's　afternoon　I　was　seated　in　a　corridor　which　ran　round　a　
large　open　court　in　the　middle　of　the　inn；　a　fine　yellow；　three…
parts…grown　bloodhound　was　lying　on　the　ground　beside　me　with　whom　
I　had　been　playing；　a　little　time　before。　　I　was　just　about　to　fall　
asleep；　when　I　heard　a　'hem'　at　the　outward　door　of　the　posada；　
which　was　a　long　way　below　at　the　end　of　a　passage　which　
communicated　with　the　court。　　Instantly　the　hound　started　upon　his　
legs；　and　with　a　loud　yell；　and　with　eyes　flashing　fire；　ran　nearly　
round　the　corridor；　down　a　flight　of　steps；　and　through　the　passage　
to　the　gate。　　There　was　then　a　dreadful　noise；　in　which　the　cries　
of　a　human　being　and　the　yells　of　the　hound　were　blended。　　I　
forthwith　started　up　and　ran　down；　followed　by　several　other　
guests；　who　came　rushing　out　of　their　chambers　round　the　corridor。　　
At　the　gate　we　saw　a　man　on　the　ground　and　the　hound　trying　to　
strangle　him。　　It　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　chiefly　
through　the　intervention　of　the　master　of　the　dog；　who　happened　to　
be　present；　that　the　animal　could　be　made　to　quit　his　hold。　　The　
assailed　person　was　a　very　powerful　man；　but　had　an　evil　
countenance；　was　badly　dressed；　and　had　neither　hat；　shoes　nor　
stockings。　　We　raised　him　up　and　gave　him　wine；　which　he　drank　
greedily；　and　presently；　without　saying　a　word；　disappeared。　　The　
guests　said　they　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　a　murderer　flying　from　
justice；　and　that　the　dog　by　his　instinct；　even　at　a　distance；　knew　
him　to　be　such。　　The　master　said　that　it　was　the　first　time　that　
the　dog　had　ever　attacked　any　one　or　shown　the　slightest　symptom　of　
ferocity。　　Not　the　least　singular　part　of　the　matter　was；　that　the　
dog　did　not　belong　to　the　house；　but　to　one　of　the　guests　from　a　
distant　village；　the　creature　therefore　could　not　consider　itself　
the　house's　guardian。〃

I　had　scarcely　finished　my　tale　when　the　other　man　came　in　and　said　
that　he　had　found　a　guide；　a　young　man　from　Pont　Erwyd；　who　would　
be　glad　of　such　an　opportunity　to　go　and　see　his　parents；　that　he　
was　then　dressing　himself；　and　would　shortly　make　his　appearance。　　
In　about　twenty　minutes　he　did　so。　　He　was　a　stout　young　fellow　
with　a　coarse　blue　coat；　and　coarse　white　felt　hat；　he　held　a　stick　
in　his　hand。　　The　kind　young　book…keeper　now　advised　us　to　set　out　
without　delay；　as　the　day　was　drawing　to　a　close　and　the　way　was　
long。　　I　shook　him　by　the　hand；　told　him　that　I　should　never　forget　
his　civility；　and　departed　with　the　guide。

The　fine　young　girl；　whom　I　have　already　mentioned；　and　another　
about　two　years　younger；　departed　with　us。　　They　were　dressed　in　
the　graceful　female　attire　of　old　Wales。

We　bore　to　the　south　down　a　descent；　and　came　to　some　moory；　quaggy　
ground　intersected　with　water…courses。　　The　agility　of　the　young　
girls　surprised　me；　they　sprang　over　the　water…courses；　some　of　
which　were　at　least　four　feet　wide；　with　the　ease　and　alacrity　of　
lawns。　　After　a　short　time　we　came　to　a　road；　which；　however；　we　
did　not　long　reap　the　benefit　of；　as　it　only　led　to　a　mine。　　Seeing　
a　house　on　the　top　of　a　hill；　I　asked　my　guide　whose　it　was。

〃Ty　powdr；〃　said　he；　〃a　powder　house；〃　by　which　I　supposed　he　meant　
a　magazine　of　powder　used　for　blasting　in　the　mines。　　He　had　not　a　
word　of　English。　。　If　the　young　girls　were　nimble　with　their　feet；　
they　were　not　less　so　with　their　tongues；　as　they　kept　up　an　
incessant　gabble　with　each　other　and　with　the　guide。　　I　understood　
little　of　what　they　said；　their　volubility　preventing　me　from　
catching　more　than　a　few　words。　　After　we　had　gone　about　two　miles　
and　a　half；　they　darted　away　with　surprising　swiftness　down　a　hill　
towards　a　distant　house；　where；　as　I　learned　from　my　guide；　the　
father　of　the　eldest　lived。　　We　ascended　a　hill；　passed　between　two　
craggy　elevations；　and　then　wended　to　the　south…east　over　a　
strange；　miry　place；　in　which　I　thought　any　one　at　night　not　
acquainted　with　every　inch　of　the　way　would　run　imminent　risk　of　
perishing。　　I　entered　into　conversation　with　my　guide。　　After　a　
little　time　he　asked　me　if　I　was　a　Welshman。　　I　told　him　no。

〃You　could　teach　many　a　Welshman；〃　said　he。

〃Why　do　you　think　so？〃　said　I。

〃Because　many　of　your　words　are　quite　above　my　comprehension；〃　said　
he。

〃No　great　compliment；〃　thought　I　to　myself；　but　putting　a　good　face　
upon　the　matter　I　told　him　that　I　knew　a　great　many　old　Welsh　
words。