the choir invisible-第27节

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　a　few　scars　of　sunlight　now　lay　like　stillest　thinnest　yellow　leaves；　had　been　dyed　from　end　to　end　with　the　red　of　the　heart。

And　last　of　all　into　this　ancient　woodland　street　of　war　one　day　there　had　stepped　a　strange　new…comerthe　Anglo…Saxon。　Fairhaired；　blue…eyed；　always　a　lover　of　Land　and　of　Woman　and　therefore　of　Home；　in　whose　blood　beat　the　conquest　of　many　a　wilderness　before　thisthe　wilderness　of　Britain；　the　wilderness　of　Normandy；　the　wildernesses　of　the　Black；　of　the　Hercinian　forest；　the　wilderness　of　the　frosted　marshes　of　the　Elbe　and　the　Rhine　and　of　the　North　Sea's　wildest　wandering　foam　and　fury。

Here　white　lover　and　red　lover　had　metand　fought：　with　the　same　high　spirit　and　overstrung　will；　scorn　of　danger；　greed　of　pain；　the　same　vehemence　of　hatred　and　excess　of　revenge；　the　same　ideal　of　a　hero　as　a　young　man　who　stands　in　the　thick　of　carnage　calm　and　unconscious　of　his　wounds　or　rushes　gladly　to　any　poetic　beauty　of　death　that　is　terrible　and　sublime。　And　already　the　red　lover　was　gone　and　the　fair…haired　lover　stood　the　quiet　owner　of　the　road；　the　last　of　all　its　long　train　of　conquerors　brute　and　humanwith　his　cabin　near　by；　his　wife　smiling　beside　the　spinning…wheel；　his　baby　crowing　on　the　threshold。　History　was　thicker　here　than　along　the　Appian　Way　and　it　might　well　have　stirred　O'Bannon；　but　he　rode　shamblingly　on；　un…touched；　unmindful。　At　every　bend　his　eye　quickly　swept　along　the　stretch　of　road　to　the　next　turn；　for　every　man　carried　the　eye　of　an　eagle　in　his　head　in　those　days。

At　one　point　he　pulled　his　horse　up　violently。　A　large　buckeye　tree　stood　on　the　roadside　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　Its　large　thick　leaves　already　full　at　this　season；　drew　around　the　trunk　a　seamless　robe　of　darkest　green。　But　a　single　slight　rent　had　been　made　on　one　side　as　though　a　bough　bad　been　lately　broken　off　to　form　an　aperture　commanding　a　view　of　the　road；　and　through　this　aperture　he　could　see　something　black　within…as　black　as　a　crow's　wing。

O'Bannon　sent　his　horse　forward　in　the　slowest　walk：　it　was　unshod；　the　stroke　of　its　hoofs　was　muffled　by　the　dust；　and　he　had　approached　quite　close；　remaining　himself　unobserved；　before　he　recognized　the　school…master。

He　was　reclining　against　the　trunk；　his　hat　off；　his　eyes　closed；　in　the　heavy　shadows　he　looked　white　and　sick　and　weak　and　troubled。　Plainly　he　was　buried　deep　in　his　own　thoughts。　If　he　had　broken　off　those　low　boughs　in　order　that　he　might　obtain　a　view　of　the　road；　he　had　forgotten　his　own　purpose；　if　he　had　walked　all　the　way　out　to　this　spot　and　was　waiting；　his　vigilance　had　grown　lax；　his　aim　slipped　from　him。

Perhaps　before　his　eyes　the　historic　vision　of　the　road　had　risen：　that　crowded　pageant；　brute　and　human；　all　whose　red　passions；　burning　rights　and　burning　wrongs；　frenzied　fightings　and　awful　deaths　had　left　but　the　sun…scarred　dust；　the　silence　of　the　woods　clothing　itself　in　green。　And　from　this　panoramic　survey　it　may　have　come　to　him　to　feel　the　shortness　of　the　day　of　his　own　life；　the　pitifulness　of　its　earthly　contentions；　and　above　everything　else　the　sadness　of　the　necessity　laid　upon　him　to　come　down　to　the　level　of　the　cougar　and　the　wolf。

But　as　O'Bannon　struck　his　horse　and　would　have　passed　on；　he　sprang　up　quickly　enough　and　walked　out　into　the　middle　of　the　road。　When　the　horse's　head　was　near　he　quietly　took　hold　of　the　reins　and　throwing　his　weight　slightly　forward；　brought　it　to　a　stop。

〃Let　go！〃　exclaimed　O'Bannon；　furious　and　threatening。

He　did　let　go；　and　stepping　backward　three　paces；　he　threw　off　his　coat　and　waistcoat　and　tossed　them　aside　to　the　green　bushes：　the　action　was　a　pathetic　mark　of　his　lifelong　habit　of　economy　in　clothes：　a　coat　must　under　all　circumstances　be　cared　for。　　He　tore　off　his　neckcloth　so　that　his　high　shirt　collar　fell　away　from　his　neck；　showing　the　purple　scar　of　his　wound；　and　he　girt　his　trousers　in　about　his　waist；　as　a　laboring　man　will　trim　himself　for　neat；　quick；　violent　work。　Then　with　a　long　stride　he　came　round　to　the　side　of　the　horse's　head；　laid　his　hand　on　its　neck　and　looked　O'Bannon　in　the　eyes：

〃At　first　I　thought　I'd　wait　till　you　got　back　to　town。　I　wanted　to　catch　you　on　the　street　or；　in　a　tavern　where　others　could　witness。　I'm　sorry。　I'm　ashamed　I　ever　wished　any　man　to　see　me　lay　my　hand　on　you。

〃Since　you　came　out　to　Kentucky；　have　I　ever　crossed　you？　　Thwarted　you　in　any　plan　or　purpose？　Wronged　you　in　any　act？　　Ill…used　your　name？　By　anything　I　have　thought　or　wished　or　done　taken　from　the　success　of　your　life　or　made　success　harder　for　you　to　win？

〃But　you　had　hardly　come　out　here　before　you　began　to　attack　me　and　you　have　never　stopped。　Out　of　all　this　earth's　prosperity　you　have　envied　me　my　little　share：　you　have　tried　to　take　away　my　school。　With　your　own　good　name　gone；　you　have　wished　to　befoul　mine。　With　no　force　of　character　to　rise　in　the　world；　you　have　sought　to　drag　me　down。　When　I　have　avoided　a　brawl　with　you；　preferring　to　live　my　life　in　peace　with　every　man；　you　have　said　I　was　a　coward；　you　unmanly　slanderer！　　When　I　have　desired　to　live　the　best　life　I　could；　you　have　turned　even　that　against　me。　　You　lied　and　you　know　you　liedblackguard！　You　have　laughed　at　the　blood　in　my　veinsthe　sacred　blood　of　my　mother〃

His　words　choked　him。　The　Scotch　blood；　so　slow　to　kindle　like　a　mass　of　cold　anthracite；　so　terrible　with　heat　to　the　last　ashes；　was　burning　in　him　now　with　flameless　fury。

〃I　passed　it　all　over；　I　only　asked　to　go　on　my　way　and　have　you　go　yours。　But　now〃　He　seemed　to　realize　in　an　instant　everything　that　he　had　suffered　in　consequence　of　O'Bannon's　last　interference　in　his　affairs。　　He　ground　his　teeth　together　and　shook　his　head　from　side　to　side　like　an　animal　that　had　seized　its　prey。

〃Get　down！〃　he　cried；　throwing　his　head　back。　〃I　can't　fight　you　as　an　equal　but　I　will　give　you　one　beating　for　the　low　dog　you　are。〃

O'Bannon　had　listened　immovable。　He　now　threw　the　reins　down　and　started　to　throw　his　leg　over　the　saddle　but　resumed　his　seat。　〃Let　go！〃　he　shouted。　〃I　will　not　be　held　and　ordered。〃

The　school…master　tightened　his　grasp　on　the　reins。　〃Get　down！　I　don't　trust　you。〃

O'Bannon　held　a　short　heavy　whip。　He　threw　this　into　the　air　and　caught　it　by　the　little　end。

The　school…teacher　sprang　to　seize　it；　but　O'Bannon　lifted　it　backward　over　his　shoulder；　and　then　raising　himself　high　in　his　stirrups；　brought　it　down。　The　master　saw　it　coming　and　swerved　so　that　it　grazed　his　ear；　but　it　cut　into　the　wound　on　his　neck　with　a　coarse；　ugly；　terrific　blow　and　the　blood　spurted。　With　a　loud　cry　of　agony　and　horror；　he　reeled　and　fell　backward　dizzy　and　sick　and　nigh　to　fainting。　The　next　moment　in　the　deadly　silence　of　a　wild　beast　attacking　to　kill；　he　was　on　his　feet；　seized　the　whip　before　it　could　fall　again；　flung　it　away；　caught　O'Bannon's　arm　and　planting　his　foot　against　the　horse's　shoulder；　threw　his　whole　weight　backward。　The　saddle　turned；　the　horse　sprang　aside；　and　he　fell　again；　pulling　O'Bannon　heavily　down　on　him。

There　in　the　blood…dyed　dust　of　the　old　woodland　street；　where　bison　and　elk；　stag　and　lynx；　wolf　and　cougar　and　bear　had　gored　or　torn　each　other　during　the　centuries　before；　there　on　the　same　level；　glutting　their　passion；　their　hatred；　their　revenge；　the　men　fought　out　their　strengththe　strength　of　that　King　of　Beasts　whose　den　is　where　it　should　be：　in　a　man's　spirit。

A　few　afternoons　after　this　a　group　of　rough　young　fellows　were　gathered　at　Peter's　shop。　The　talk　had　turned　to　the　subject　of　the　fight：　and　every　one　had　thrown　his　gibe　at　O'Bannon；　who　had　taken　it　with　equal　good　nature。　》From　this　they　had　chaffed　him　on　his　fondness　for　a　practical　joke　and　his　awkward　riding；　and　out　of　this；　he　now　being　angry；　grew　a　bet　with　Horatio　Turpin　that　he　could　ride　the　latter's　filly；　standing　hitched　to　the　fence　of　the　shop。　He　was　to　ride　it　three　times　around　the　enclosure；　and　touch　it　once　each　time　in　the　flank　with　the　spur　which　the　young　horseman　took　from　his　heel。

At　the　first　prick　of　it；　the　high…spirited　mettlesome　animal；　scarcely　broken；　reared　and　sprang　forward；　all　but　unseating　him。　　He　dropped　the　reins　and　instinctively　caught　its　mane；　at　the　same　time　pressing　his　legs　more　closely　in　against　the　animal's　sides；　thus　driving　the　spur　deeper。　They　shouted　to　him　to　lie　down；　to　fall　off；　as　they　saw　the　awful　danger　ahead；　for　the　maddened　filly；　having　run　wildly　around　the　enclosure　several　times；　turned　and　rushed　straight　toward　the　low　open　doors　of　the　smithy　and　the　pasture　beyond。　But　he　would　not　release　his　clutch；　and　with　his　body　bent　a　little　forward；　he　received　the　blow　of　the　projecting　shingles　full　on　his　head　as　the　mare　shot　from　under　him　into　the　shop；　scraping　him　off。

They　ran　to　him　and　lifted　him　out　of　the　sooty　dust　and　laid　him　on　the　soft　green　grass。　But　of　consciousness　there　was　never　to　be　more　for　him：　his　jest　had　reached　its　end。

XVI

IT　was　early　summer　now。　In　the　depths　of　the　greening　woods　the　school…master　lay　reading：

〃And　thus　it　passed　on　from　Candlemass　until　after　Easter　that　the　month　of　May　was　come；　when　every　lusty　heart　beginneth　to　blossom　and　to