erewhon revisited-第5节

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more。　　It　occurs　to　me；　though　my　father　never　told　me　so；　that　it
was　perhaps　with　a　view　to　these　birds　that　he　had　chosen　to　put
his　English　sovereigns　into　a　metal　box；　with　a　clasp　to　it　which
would　defy　them。

He　made　a　roll　of　his　blanket；　and　slung　it　over　his　shoulder；　he
also　took　his　pipe；　tobacco；　a　little　tea；　a　few　ship's　biscuits；
and　his　billy　and　pannikin；　matches　and　salt　go　without　saying。
When　he　had　thus　ordered　everything　as　nearly　to　his　satisfaction
as　he　could；　he　looked　at　his　watch　for　the　last　time；　as　he
believed；　till　many　weeks　should　have　gone　by；　and　found　it　to　be
about　seven　o'clock。　　Remembering　what　trouble　it　had　got　him　into
years　before；　he　took　down　his　saddle…bags；　reopened　them；　and　put
the　watch　inside。　　He　then　set　himself　to　climb　the　mountain　side；
towards　the　saddle　on　which　he　had　seen　the　statues。



CHAPTER　III：　　MY　FATHER　WHILE　CAMPING　IS　ACCOSTED　BY　PROFESSORS
HANKY　AND　PANKY



My　father　found　the　ascent　more　fatiguing　than　he　remembered　it　to
have　been。　　The　climb；　he　said；　was　steady；　and　took　him　between
four　and　five　hours；　as　near　as　he　could　guess；　now　that　he　had　no
watch；　but　it　offered　nothing　that　could　be　called　a　difficulty；
and　the　watercourse　that　came　down　from　the　saddle　was　a　sufficient
guide；　once　or　twice　there　were　waterfalls；　but　they　did　not
seriously　delay　him。

After　he　had　climbed　some　three　thousand　feet；　he　began　to　be　on
the　alert　for　some　sound　of　ghostly　chanting　from　the　statues；　but
he　heard　nothing；　and　toiled　on　till　he　came　to　a　sprinkling　of
fresh　snowpart　of　the　fall　which　he　had　observed　on　the　preceding
day　as　having　whitened　the　higher　mountains；　he　knew；　therefore；
that　he　must　now　be　nearing　the　saddle。　　The　snow　grew　rapidly
deeper；　and　by　the　time　he　reached　the　statues　the　ground　was
covered　to　a　depth　of　two　or　three　inches。

He　found　the　statues　smaller　than　he　had　expected。　　He　had　said　in
his　bookwritten　many　months　after　he　had　seen　themthat　they
were　about　six　times　the　size　of　life；　but　he　now　thought　that　four
or　five　times　would　have　been　enough　to　say。　　Their　mouths　were
much　clogged　with　snow；　so　that　even　though　there　had　been　a　strong
wind　（which　there　was　not）　they　would　not　have　chanted。　　In　other
respects　he　found　them　not　less　mysteriously　impressive　than　at
first。　　He　walked　two　or　three　times　all　round　them；　and　then　went
on。

The　snow　did　not　continue　far　down；　but　before　long　my　father
entered　a　thick　bank　of　cloud；　and　had　to　feel　his　way　cautiously
along　the　stream　that　descended　from　the　pass。　　It　was　some　two
hours　before　he　emerged　into　clear　air；　and　found　himself　on　the
level　bed　of　an　old　lake　now　grassed　over。　　He　had　quite　forgotten
this　feature　of　the　descentperhaps　the　clouds　had　hung　over　it；
he　was　overjoyed；　however；　to　find　that　the　flat　ground　abounded
with　a　kind　of　quail；　larger　than　ours；　and　hardly；　if　at　all；
smaller　than　a　partridge。　　The　abundance　of　these　quails　surprised
him；　for　he　did　not　remember　them　as　plentiful　anywhere　on　the
Erewhonian　side　of　the　mountains。

The　Erewhonian　quail；　like　its　now　nearly；　if　not　quite；　extinct
New　Zealand　congener；　can　take　three　successive　flights　of　a　few
yards　each；　but　then　becomes　exhausted；　hence　quails　are　only　found
on　ground　that　is　never　burned；　and　where　there　are　no　wild　animals
to　molest　them；　the　cats　and　dogs　that　accompany　European
civilisation　soon　exterminate　them；　my　father；　therefore；　felt　safe
in　concluding　that　he　was　still　far　from　any　village。　　Moreover　he
could　see　no　sheep　or　goat's　dung；　and　this　surprised　him；　for　he
thought　he　had　found　signs　of　pasturage　much　higher　than　this。
Doubtless；　he　said　to　himself；　when　he　wrote　his　book　he　had
forgotten　how　long　the　descent　had　been。　　But　it　was　odd；　for　the
grass　was　good　feed　enough；　and　ought；　he　considered；　to　have　been
well　stocked。

Tired　with　his　climb；　during　which　he　had　not　rested　to　take　food；
but　had　eaten　biscuits；　as　he　walked；　he　gave　himself　a　good　long
rest；　and　when　refreshed；　he　ran　down　a　couple　of　dozen　quails；
some　of　which　he　meant　to　eat　when　he　camped　for　the　night；　while
the　others　would　help　him　out　of　a　difficulty　which　had　been
troubling　him　for　some　time。

What　was　he　to　say　when　people　asked　him；　as　they　were　sure　to　do；
how　he　was　living？　　And　how　was　he　to　get　enough　Erewhonian　money
to　keep　him　going　till　he　could　find　some　safe　means　of　selling　a
few　of　his　nuggets？　　He　had　had　a　little　Erewhonian　money　when　he
went　up　in　the　balloon；　but　had　thrown　it　over；　with　everything
else　except　the　clothes　he　wore　and　his　MSS。；　when　the　balloon　was
nearing　the　water。　　He　had　nothing　with　him　that　he　dared　offer　for
sale；　and　though　he　had　plenty　of　gold；　was　in　reality　penniless。

When；　therefore；　he　saw　the　quails；　he　again　felt　as　though　some
friendly　spirit　was　smoothing　his　way　before　him。　　What　more　easy
than　to　sell　them　at　Coldharbour　（for　so　the　name　of　the　town　in
which　he　had　been　imprisoned　should　be　translated）；　where　he　knew
they　were　a　delicacy；　and　would　fetch　him　the　value　of　an　English
shilling　a　piece？

It　took　him　between　two　and　three　hours　to　catch　two　dozen。　　When
he　had　thus　got　what　he　considered　a　sufficient　stock；　he　tied
their　legs　together　with　rushes；　and　ran　a　stout　stick　through　the
whole　lot。　　Soon　afterwards　he　came　upon　a　wood　of　stunted　pines；
which；　though　there　was　not　much　undergrowth；　nevertheless　afforded
considerable　shelter　and　enabled　him　to　gather　wood　enough　to　make
himself　a　good　fire。　　This　was　acceptable；　for　though　the　days　were
long；　it　was　now　evening；　and　as　soon　as　the　sun　had　gone　the　air
became　crisp　and　frosty。

Here　he　resolved　to　pass　the　night。　　He　chose　a　part　where　the
trees　were　thickest；　lit　his　fire；　plucked　and　cleaned　four　quails；
filled　his　billy　with　water　from　the　stream　hard　by；　made　tea　in
his　pannikin；　grilled　two　of　his　birds　on　the　embers；　ate　them；　and
when　he　had　done　all　this；　he　lit　his　pipe　and　began　to　think
things　over。　　〃So　far　so　good；〃　said　he　to　himself；　but　hardly　had
the　words　passed　through　his　mind　before　he　was　startled　by　the
sound　of　voices；　still　at　some　distance；　but　evidently　drawing
towards　him。

He　instantly　gathered　up　his　billy；　pannikin；　tea；　biscuits；　and
blanket；　all　of　which　he　had　determined　to　discard　and　hide　on　the
following　morning；　everything　that　could　betray　him　he　carried　full
haste　into　the　wood　some　few　yards　off；　in　the　direction　opposite
to　that　from　which　the　voices　were　coming；　but　he　let　his　quails
lie　where　they　were；　and　put　his　pipe　and　tobacco　in　his　pocket。

The　voices　drew　nearer　and　nearer；　and　it　was　all　my　father　could
do　to　get　back　and　sit　down　innocently　by　his　fire；　before　he　could
hear　what　was　being　said。

〃Thank　goodness；〃　said　one　of　the　speakers　（of　course　in　the
Erewhonian　language）；　〃we　seem　to　be　finding　somebody　at　last。　　I
hope　it　is　not　some　poacher；　we　had　better　be　careful。〃

〃Nonsense！〃　said　the　other。　　〃It　must　be　one　of　the　rangers。　　No
one　would　dare　to　light　a　fire　while　poaching　on　the　King's
preserves。　　What　o'clock　do　you　make　it？〃

〃Half　after　nine。〃　　And　the　watch　was　still　in　the　speaker's　hand
as　he　emerged　from　darkness　into　the　glowing　light　of　the　fire。　　My
father　glanced　at　it；　and　saw　that　it　was　exactly　like　the　one　he
had　worn　on　entering　Erewhon　nearly　twenty　years　previously。

The　watch；　however；　was　a　very　small　matter；　the　dress　of　these　two
men　（for　there　were　only　two）　was　far　more　disconcerting。　　They
were　not　in　the　Erewhonian　costume。　　The　one　was　dressed　like　an
Englishman　or　would…be　Englishman；　while　the　other　was　wearing　the
same　kind　of　clothes　but　turned　the　wrong　way　round；　so　that　when
his　face　was　towards　my　father　his　body　seemed　to　have　its　back
towards　him；　and　vice　verso。　　The　man's　head；　in　fact；　appeared　to
have　been　screwed　right　round；　and　yet　it　was　plain　that　if　he　were
stripped　he　would　be　found　built　like　other　people。

What　could　it　all　mean？　　The　men　were　about　fifty　years　old。　　They
were　well…to…do　people；　well　clad；　well　fed；　and　were　felt
instinctively　by　my　father　to　belong　to　the　academic　classes。　　That
one　of　them　should　be　dressed　like　a　sensible　Englishman　dismayed
my　father　as　much　as　that　the　other　should　have　a　watch；　and　look
as　if　he　had　just　broken　out　of　Bedlam；　or　as　King　Dagobert　must
have　looked　if　he　had　worn　all　his　clothes　as　he　is　said　to　have
worn　his　breeches。　　Both　wore　their　clothes　so　easilyfor　he　who
wore　them　reversed　had　evidently　been　measured　with　a　view　to　this
absurd　fashionthat　it　was　plain　their　dress　was　habitual。

My　father　was　alarmed　as　well　as　astounded；　for　he　saw　that　what
little　plan　of　a　campaign　he　had　formed　must　be　reconstructed；　and
he　had　no　idea　in　what　direction　his　next　move　should　be　taken；　but
he　was　a　ready　man；　and　knew　that　when　people　have　taken　any　idea
into　their　heads；　a　little　confirmation　will　fix　it。　　A　first　idea
is　like　a　strong　seedling；　it　will　grow　if　it　can。

In　less　time　than　it　will　have　taken　the　reader　to　get　through　the
last　foregoing　paragraphs；　my　father　took　up　the　cue　furnished　him
by　the　second　speaker。

〃Yes；〃　said