the wallet of kai lung-第8节

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armed。　The　spreading　of　this　news　threw　the　entire　camp　into　great



confusion；　many　protesting　that　the　day　was　not　a　favourable　one　on



which　to　fight；　others　crying　that　it　was　their　duty　to　fall　back　on



Si…chow　and　protect　the　women　and　children。　In　the　midst　of　this



tumult　the　Chief　of　Bowmen　returned　to　Ling；　bearing　in　his　hand　a



written　paper　which　he　regarded　in　uncontrollable　anguish。







〃Oh；　illustrious　Ling；〃　he　cried；　restraining　his　grief　with



difficulty；　and　leaning　for　support　upon　the　shoulders　of　two　bowmen；



〃how　prosperous　indeed　are　you！　What　greater　misfortune　can　engulf　a



person　who　is　both　an　ambitious　soldier　and　an　affectionate　son；　than



to　lose　such　a　chance　of　glory　and　promotion　as　only　occurs　once



within　the　lifetime；　and　an　affectionate　and　venerable　father　upon　the



same　day？　Behold　this　mandate　to　attend；　without　a　moment's　delay；　at



the　funeral　obsequies　of　one　whom　I　left；　only　last　week；　in　the



fullness　of　health　and　power。　The　occasion　being　an　unsuitable　one；　I



will　not　call　upon　the　courteous　Ling　to　join　me　in　sorrow；　but　his



own　devout　filial　piety　is　so　well　known　that　I　can　conscientiously



rely　upon　an　application　for　absence　to　be　only　a　matter　of　official



ceremony。〃







〃The　application　will　certainly　be　regarded　as　merely　official



ceremony；〃　replied　Ling；　without　resorting　to　any　delicate　pretence　of



meaning；　〃and　the　refined　scruples　of　the　person　who　is　addressing　me



will　be　fully　met　by　the　official　date　of　his　venerated　father's　death



being　fixed　for　a　more　convenient　season。　In　the　meantime；　the



unobtrusive　Chief　of　Bowmen　may　take　the　opportunity　of　requesting



that　the　family　tomb　be　kept　unsealed　until　he　is　heard　from　again。〃







Ling　turned　away；　as　he　finished　this　remark；　with　a　dignified　feeling



of　not　inelegant　resentment。　In　this　way　he　chanced　to　observe　a　large



body　of　soldiers　which　was　leaving　the　camp　accompanied　by　their



lesser　captains；　all　crowned　with　garlands　of　flowers　and　creeping



plants。　In　spite　of　his　very　inadequate　attainments　regarding　words　of



order；　the　Commander　made　it　understood　by　means　of　an　exceedingly



short　sentence　that　he　was　desirous　of　the　men　returning　without



delay。







〃Doubtless　the　accomplished　Commander；　being　but　newly　arrived　in　this



neighbourhood；　is　unacquainted　with　the　significance　of　this　display；〃



said　one　of　the　lesser　captains　pleasantly。　〃Know　then；　O　wise　and



custom…respecting　Ling；　that　on　a　similar　day　many　years　ago　this



valiant　band　of　bowmen　was　engaged　in　a　very　honourable　affair　with



certain　of　the　enemy。　Since　then　it　has　been　the　practice　to



commemorate　the　matter　with　music　and　other　forms　of　delight　within



the　large　square　at　Si…chow。〃







〃Such　customs　are　excellent；〃　said　Ling　affably。　〃On　this　occasion；



however；　the　public　square　will　be　so　insufferably　thronged　with　the



number　of　timorous　and　credulous　villagers　who　have　pressed　into　the



town　that　insufficient　justice　would　be　paid　to　your　entrancing



display。　In　consequence　of　this；　we　will　select　for　the　purpose　some



convenient　spot　in　the　neighbourhood。　The　proceedings　will　be



commenced　by　a　display　of　arrow…shooting　at　moving　objects；　followed



by　racing　and　dancing；　in　which　this　person　will　lead。　I　have　spoken。〃







At　these　words　many　of　the　more　courageous　among　the　bowmen　became



destructively　inspired；　and　raised　shouts　of　defiance　against　the



enemy；　enumerating　at　great　length　the　indignities　which　they　would



heap　upon　their　prisoners。　Cries　of　distinction　were　also　given　on



behalf　of　Ling；　even　the　more　terrified　exclaiming：







〃The　noble　Commander　Ling　will　lead　us！　He　has　promised；　and　assuredly



he　will　not　depart　from　his　word。　Shielded　by　his　broad　and　sacred



body；　from　which　the　bullets　glance　aside　harmlessly；　we　will　advance



upon　the　enemy　in　the　stealthy　manner　affected　by　ducks　when　crossing



the　swamp。　How　altogether　superior　a　person　our　Commander　is　when



likened　unto　the　leaders　of　the　foementhey　who　go　into　battle



completely　surrounded　by　their　archers！〃







Upon　this；　perceiving　the　clear　direction　in　which　matters　were



turning；　the　Chief　of　Bowmen　again　approached　Ling。







〃Doubtless　the　highly…favoured　person　whom　I　am　now　addressing　has



been　endowed　with　exceptional　authority　direct　from　Peking；〃　he



remarked　with　insidious　politeness。　〃Otherwise　this　narrow…minded



individual　would　suggest　that　such　a　decision　does　not　come　within　the



judgement　of　a　Commander。〃







In　his　ignorance　of　military　matters　it　had　not　entered　the　mind　of



Ling　that　his　authority　did　not　give　him　the　power　to　commence　an



attack　without　consulting　other　and　more　distinguished　persons。　At　the



suggestion；　which　he　accepted　as　being　composed　of　truth；　he　paused；



the　enlightened　zeal　with　which　he　had　been　inspired　dying　out　as　he



plainly　understood　the　difficulties　by　which　he　was　enclosed。　There



seemed　a　single　expedient　path　for　him　in　the　matter；　so；　directing　a



person　of　exceptional　trustworthiness　to　prepare　himself　for　a



journey；　he　inscribed　a　communication　to　the　Mandarin　Li　Keen；　in



which　he　narrated　the　facts　and　asked　for　speedy　directions；　and　then



despatched　it　with　great　urgency　to　Si…chow。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI







WHEN　these　matters　were　arranged；　Ling　returned　to　his　tent；　a　victim



to　feelings　of　a　deep　and　confused　doubt；　for　all　courses　seemed　to　be



surrounded　by　extreme　danger；　with　the　strong　possibility　of　final



disaster。　While　he　was　considering　these　things　attentively；　the　spy



who　had　brought　word　of　the　presence　of　the　enemy　again　sought　him。　As



he　entered；　Ling　perceived　that　his　face　was　the　colour　of　a　bleached



linen　garment；　while　there　came　with　him　the　odour　of　sickness。







〃There　are　certain　matters　which　this　person　has　not　made　known；〃　he



said；　having　first　expressed　a　request　that　he　might　not　be　compelled



to　stand　while　he　conversed。　〃The　bowmen　are　as　an　inferior　kind　of



jackal；　and　they　who　lead　them　are　pigs；　but　this　person　has　observed



that　the　Heaven…sent　Commander　has　internal　organs　like　steel　hardened



in　a　white　fire　and　polished　by　running　water。　For　this　reason　he　will



narrate　to　him　the　things　he　has　seenthings　at　which　the　lesser　ones



would　undoubtedly　perish　in　terror　without　offering　to　strike　a　blow。〃







〃Speak；〃　said　Ling；　〃without　fear　and　without　concealment。〃







〃In　numbers　the　rebels　are　as　three　to　one　with　the　bowmen；　and　are；



in　addition；　armed　with　matchlocks　and　other　weapons；　this　much　I　have



already　told；〃　said　the　spy。　〃Yesterday　they　entered　the　village　of　Ki



without　resistance；　as　the　dwellers　there　were　all　peaceable　persons；



who　gain　a　living　from　the　fields；　and　who　neither　understood　nor



troubled　about　the　matters　between　the　rebels　and　the　army。　Relying　on



the　promises　made　by　the　rebel　chiefs；　the　villagers　even　welcomed



them；　as　they　had　been　assured　that　they　came　as　buyers　of　their　corn



and　rice。　To…day　not　a　house　stands　in　the　street　of　Ki；　not　a　person



lives。　The　men　they　slew　quickly；　or　held　for　torture；　as　they　desired



at　the　moment；　the　boys　they　hung　from　the　trees　as　marks　for　their



arrows。　Of　the　women　and　children　this　person；　who　has　since　been



subject　to　several　attacks　of　fainting　and　vomiting；　desires　not　to



speak。　The　wells　of　Ki　are　filled　with　the　bodies　of　such　as　had　the



good　fortune　to　be　warned　in　time　to　slay　themselves。　The　cattle　drag



themselves　from　place　to　place　on　their　forefeet；　the　fish　in　the



Heng…Kiang　are　dying；　for　they　cannot　live　on　water　thickened　into



blood。　All　these　things　this　person　has　seen。〃







When　he　had　finished　speaking；　Ling　remained　in　deep　and　funereal



thought　for　some　time。　In　spite　of　his　mild　nature；　the　words　which　he



had　heard　filled　him　with　an　inextinguishable　desire　to　slay　in



hand…to…hand　fighting。　He　regretted　that　he　had　placed　the　decision　of



the　matter　before　Li　Keen。







〃If　only　this　person　had　a　mere　handful　of　brave　and　expert　warriors；



he　would　not　hesitate　to　fall　upon　those　savage　and　barbarous



characters；　and　either　destroy　them　to　the　last　one；　or　let　his　band



suffer　a　like　fate；〃　he　murmured　to　himself。







The　return　of　the　messenger　found　him　engaged　in　reviewing　the　bowmen；



and　still　in　this　mood；　so　that　it　was　with　a　commendable　feeling　of



satisfaction；　no　less　than　virtuous　contempt；　that　he　learned　of　the



Mandarin's　journey　to　Peking　as　so