the wallet of kai lung-第28节

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remain　in　the　forest；　and　sustain　himself　upon　such　food　as　fell　to



his　weapons；　until　the　time　arrived　when　he　should　carry　out　the　rite



for　the　last　time。　At　the　end　of　seven　days；　so　subtle　had　he　become



in　all　kinds　of　hunting；　and　so　strengthened　by　the　meat　and　herbs



upon　which　he　existed；　that　he　disdained　to　avail　himself　of　the



shelter　of　a　tree；　but　standing　openly　by　the　side　of　the　water；　he



engaged　the　attention　of　the　first　tiger　which　came　to　drink；　and



discharged　arrow　after　arrow　into　its　body　with　unfailing　power　and



precision。　So　entrancing；　indeed；　had　the　pursuit　become　that　the　next



seven　days　lengthened　out　into　the　apparent　period　of　as　many　moons；



in　such　a　leisurely　manner　did　they　rise　and　fall。　On　the　appointed



day；　without　waiting　for　the　evening　to　arrive；　the　youth　set　out　with



the　first　appearance　of　light；　and　penetrated　into　the　most



inaccessible　jungles；　crying　aloud　words　of　taunt…laden　challenge　to



all　the　beasts　therein；　and　accusing　the　ancestors　of　their　race　of



ever　imaginable　variety　of　evil　behaviour。　Yet　so　great　had　become　the



renown　of　the　one　who　stood　forth；　and　so　widely　had　the　warning　voice



been　passed　from　tree　to　tree；　preparing　all　who　dwelt　in　the　forest



against　his　anger；　that　not　even　the　fiercest　replied　openly；　though



low　growls　and　mutterings　proceeded　from　every　cave　within　a



bow…shot's　distance　around。　Wearying　quickly　of　such　feeble　and



timorous　demonstrations；　the　youth　rushed　into　the　cave　from　which　the



loudest　murmurs　proceeded；　and　there　discovered　a　tiger　of　unnatural



size；　surrounded　by　the　bones　of　innumerable　ones　whom　it　had



devoured；　for　from　time　to　time　its　ravages　became　so　great　and



unbearable；　that　armies　were　raised　in　the　neighbouring　villages　and



sent　to　destroy　it；　but　more　than　a　few　stragglers　never　returned。



Plainly　recognizing　that　a　just　and　inevitable　vengeance　had　overtaken



it；　the　tiger　made　only　a　very　inferior　exhibition　of　resistance；　and



the　youth；　having　first　stunned　it　with　a　blow　of　his　closed　hand；



seized　it　by　the　middle；　and　repeatedly　dashed　its　head　against　the



rocky　sides　of　its　retreat。　He　then　performed　for　the　third　time　the



ceremony　enjoined　by　the　Mandarin；　and　having　cast　upon　the　cringing



and　despicable　forms　concealed　in　the　surrounding　woods　and　caves　a



look　of　dignified　and　ineffable　contempt；　set　out　upon　his　homeward



journey；　and　in　the　space　of　three　days'　time　reached　the　town　of　the



versatile　Poo…chow。　〃Behold；〃　exclaimed　that　person；　when；　lifting　up



his　eyes；　he　saw　the　youth　approaching　laden　with　the　skins　of　the



tigers　and　other　spoils；　〃now　at　least　the　youths　and　maidens　of　your



native　village　will　no　longer　withdraw　themselves　from　the　company　of



so　undoubtedly　heroic　a　person。〃　〃Illustrious　Mandarin；〃　replied　the



other；　casting　both　his　weapons　and　his　trophies　before　his　inspired



adviser's　feet；　〃what　has　this　person　to　do　with　the　little　ones　of



either　sex？　Give　him　rather　the　foremost　place　in　your　ever…victorious



company　of　bowmen；　so　that　he　may　repay　in　part　the　undoubted　debt



under　which　he　henceforth　exists。〃　This　proposal　found　favour　with　the



pure…minded　Poo…chow；　so　that　in　course　of　time　the　unassuming　youth



who　had　come　supplicating　his　advice　became　the　valiant　commander　of



his　army；　and　the　one　eventually　chosen　to　present　plighting　gifts　to



his　only　daughter。'







〃When　the　father　had　completed　the　narrative　of　how　the　faint…hearted



youth　became　in　the　end　a　courageous　and　resourceful　leader　of　bowmen；



Sen　looked　up；　and　not　in　any　degree　understanding　the　purpose　of　the



story；　or　why　it　had　been　set　forth　before　him；　exclaimed：







〃'Undoubtedly　the　counsel　of　the　graceful　and　intelligent　Mandarin



Poo…chow　was　of　inestimable　service　in　the　case　recorded；　and　this



person　would　gladly　adopt　it　as　his　guide　for　the　future；　on　the



chance　of　it　leading　to　a　similar　honourable　career；　but　alas！　there



are　no　tigers　to　be　found　throughout　this　Province。'







〃'It　is　a　loss　which　those　who　are　engaged　in　commerce　in　the　city　of



Hankow　strive　to　supply　adequately；'　replied　his　father；　who　had　an



assured　feeling　that　it　would　be　of　no　avail　to　endeavour　to　show　Sen



that　the　story　which　he　had　just　related　was　one　setting　forth　a



definite　precept　rather　than　fixing　an　exact　manner　of　behaviour。　'For



that　reason；'　he　continued；　'this　person　has　concluded　an　arrangement



by　which　you　will　journey　to　that　place；　and　there　enter　into　the



house　of　commerce　of　an　expert　and　conscientious　vendor　of　moving



contrivances。　Among　so　rapacious　and　keen…witted　a　class　of　persons　as



they　of　Hankow；　it　is　exceedingly　unlikely　that　your　amiable



disposition　will　involve　any　individual　one　in　an　unavoidably　serious



loss；　and　even　should　such　an　unforeseen　event　come　to　pass；　there



will；　at　least；　be　the　undeniable　satisfaction　of　the　thought　that　the



unfortunate　occurrence　will　in　no　way　affect　the　prosperity　of　those



to　whom　you　are　bound　by　the　natural　ties　of　affection。'







〃'Benevolent　and　virtuous…minded　father；'　replied　Sen　gently；　but



speaking　with　an　inspired　conviction；　'from　his　earliest　infancy　this



unassuming　one　has　been　instructed　in　an　inviolable　regard　for　the



Five　General　Principles　of　Fidelity　to　the　Emperor；　Respect　for



Parents；　Harmony　between　Husband　and　Wife；　Agreement　among　Brothers；



and　Constancy　in　Friendship。　It　will　be　entirely　unnecessary　to　inform



so　pious…minded　a　person　as　the　one　now　being　addressed　that　no　evil



can　attend　the　footsteps　of　an　individual　who　courteously　observes



these　enactments。'







〃'Without　doubt　it　is　so　arranged　by　the　protecting　Deities；'　replied



the　father；　'yet　it　is　an　exceedingly　desirable　thing　for　those　who



are　responsible　in　the　matter　that　the　footsteps　to　which　reference



has　been　made　should　not　linger　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　village；



but　should；　with　all　possible　speed；　turn　in　the　direction　of　Hankow。'







〃In　this　manner　it　came　to　pass　that　Sen　Heng　set　forth　on　the



following　day；　and　coming　without　delay　to　the　great　and　powerful　city



of　Hankow；　sought　out　the　house　of　commerce　known　as　'The　Pure　Gilt



Dragon　of　Exceptional　Symmetry'；　where　the　versatile　King…y…Yang



engaged　in　the　entrancing　occupation　of　contriving　moving　figures；　and



other　devices　of　an　ingenious　and　mirth…provoking　character；　which　he



entrusted　into　the　hands　of　numerous　persons　to　sell　throughout　the



Province。　From　this　cause；　although　enjoying　a　very　agreeable



recompense　from　the　sale　of　the　objects；　the　greatly　perturbed



King…y…Yang　suffered　continual　internal　misgivings；　for　the　habit　of



behaving　of　those　whom　he　appointed　to　go　forth　in　the　manner



described　was　such　that　he　could　not　entirely　dismiss　from　his　mind　an



assured　conviction　that　the　details　were　not　invariably　as　they　were



represented　to　be。　Frequently　would　one　return　in　a　very　deficient　and



unpresentable　condition　of　garment；　asserting　that　on　his　return；



while　passing　through　a　lonely　and　unprotected　district；　he　had　been



assailed　by　an　armed　band　of　robbers；　and　despoiled　of　all　he



possessed。　Another　would　claim　to　have　been　made　the　sport　of　evil



spirits；　who　led　him　astray　by　means　of　false　signs　in　the　forest；　and



finally　destroyed　his　entire　burden　of　commodities；　accompanying　the



unworthy　act　by　loud　cries　of　triumph　and　remarks　of　an　insulting



nature　concerning　King…y…Yang；　for　the　honourable　character　and



charitable　actions　of　the　person　in　question　had　made　him　very



objectionable　to　that　class　of　beings。　Others　continually　accounted



for　the　absence　of　the　required　number　of　taels　by　declaring　that　at　a



certain　point　of　their　journey　they　were　made　the　object　of　marks　of



amiable　condescension　on　the　part　of　a　high　and　dignified　public



official；　who；　on　learning　in　whose　service　they　were；　immediately



professed　an　intimate　personal　friendship　with　the　estimable



King…y…Yang；　and；　out　of　a　feeling　of　gratified　respect　for　him；　took



away　all　such　contrivances　as　remained　undisposed　of；　promising　to



arrange　the　payment　with　the　refined　King…y…Yang　himself　when　they



should　next　meet。　For　these　reasons　King…y…Yang　was　especially



desirous　of　obtaining　one　whose　spoken　word　could　be　received；　upon



all　points；　as　an　assured　fact；　and　it　was；　therefore；　with　an　emotion



of　internal　lightness　that　he　confidently　heard　from　those　who　were



acquainted　with　the　person　that　Sen　Heng　was；　by　nature　and



endowments；　utterly　incapable　of　repr