noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第18节

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effect。　　This　strategic　stroke　I　only　learnt　of　later；　and　I　laughed

heartily　when　I　did。　　That　night；　however；　it　was　no　laughing　matter；

and　I　began　to　have　doubts　myself。　　But　it　was　no　time　for

misgivings；　so　I　went　in　to　help。　　The　circle　round　the　kitchen　fire

was　not　a　cheerful　sight。　　To　have　the　courage　of　one's　convictions

is　rare　enough　in　this　weak　world；　but　to　have　the　courage　of　one's

doubts　is　something　I　uncover　to。　　To　furnish　pluck　for　a　whole

company　including　one's　self；　to　hearten　others　without　letting　them

see　how　sore　in　need　of　heartening　is　the　heartener；　touches　my

utmost　admiration。　　If　only　another　would　say　to　him　that　he　might

believe　the　very　things　he　does　not　believe；　as　he　says　them　to　that

other；　they　then　might　at　least　seem　true。　　Ignorance　saved　me。　　Had

I　known　what　they　did；　I　should　have　agreed　with　them　on　the　spot。　

As　it　was；　I　did　what　I　could；　and　went　back　to　my　own　room；　the　prey

of　somewhat　lonely　thoughts。　







XV。



Toward　the　Pass。



I　was　waked　by　good　news。　　The　porters　had；　to　a　certain　extent；

come　round。　　If　we　would　halve　their　burdens　by　doubling　their　number；

they　would　make　an　attempt　on　the　pass；　or；　rather；　they　would　go　on

as　far　as　they　could。　　This　was　a　great　advance。　　To　be　already

moving　implies　a　momentum　of　the　mind　which　carries　a　man　farther

than　he　means。　　I　acquiesced　at　once。　　The　recruits　consisted　of　the

master　of　the　househis　father；　the　officiator　at　family　prayers；

had　retired　from　the　cares　of　this　worldand　a　peasant　of　the

neighborhood。　　The　charcoal　burners　were　too　busy　with　their　own

affairs。　　From　the　sill；　as　I　put　on　my　boots；　I　watched　with

complacence　the　cording　of　the　loads；　and　then；　with　quite　a

lightsome　gait；　followed　the　lengthened　file　out　into　the　street。　

One　after　the　other　we　tramped　forth　past　the　few　houses　of　the

place；　whose　people　watched　us　go；　with　the　buoyant　tread　of　those

about　to　do　great　things；　and　so　out　into　the　open。　



The　path　appeared　very　well。　　It　trotted　soberly　along　across　a

mountain　moor　until　it　came　out　above　the　river。　　It　then　wound　up

stream；　clinging　to　the　slope　several　hundred　feet　above　the　valley

bottom。　　It　was　precipitous　in　places；　but　within　reason；　and　I　was

just　coming　to　consider　the　accounts　exaggerated　when　it　descended　to

the　river　bed　at　a　point　where　a　butt　of　neve　stuck　a　foot　into　the

shingle。　　The　stream；　which　had　looked　a　thread　from　above；　turned

out　a　torrent　when　we　stood　upon　its　brink。　　The　valley　was　nothing

but　river　bed；　a　mass　of　boulders　of　all　sizes；　through　the　midst　of

which　the　stream　plunged　with　deafening　roar；　and　so　deep　that

fording　was　out　of　the　question。　　A　man's　life　would　not　have　been

worth　a　rush　in　it。　



We　followed　up　the　boulder　bank　in　search　of　a　more　propitious　spot。　

Then　we　followed　down　again。　　Each　place　promised　at　a　distance；　and

baulked　hope　at　hand。　　At　last；　in　despair；　we　came　to　a　halt

opposite　the　widest　and　shallowest　part；　and　after　no　end　of　urging；

one　of　the　porters　stripped；　and；　armed　with　his　pole；　ventured　in。　

The　channel　lay　well　over　to　the　farther　side；　thrice　he　got　to　its

nearer　edge　and　thrice　he　turned　back；　as　the　rush　of　water　became

too　great。　　His　life　was　worth　too　much　to　him；　he　said；　not

unnaturally；　for　him　to　throw　it　away。　　Yet　cross　the　stream　we　must；

or　return　ignominiously；　for　the　path　we　had　so　far　followed　had

fallen　over　the　cliff　in　front。　



We　improved　the　moments　of　reflection　to　have　lunch。　　While　we　were

still　discussing　viae　and　viands；　and　had　nearly　come　to　the　end　of

both；　we　suddenly　spied　a　string　of　men　defiling　slowly　down　through

the　wide　boulder　desert　on　the　other　side。　　We　all　rose　and　hailed

them。　　They　were　so　far　away　that　at　first　they　failed　to　hear　us；

and　even　when　they　heard　they　stared　vacantly　about　them　like　men　who

hear　they　know　not　what。　　When　at　last　they　caught　sight　of　us；　we

beckoned　excitedly。　　They　consulted；　apparently；　and　then　one　of　them

came　down　to　the　edge　of　the　stream。　　The　torrent　made　so　much　noise

that　our　men　could　make　themselves　intelligible　only　in　part；　and

that　by　bawling　at　the　top　of　their　lungs。　　Through　the　envoy；　they

invited　the　band　to　string　themselves　across　the　stream　and　so　pass

our　things　over。　　The　man　shook　his　head。　　We　rose　to　fabulous　sums

and　still　he　repeated　his　pantomime。　　It　then　occurred　to　Yejiro　that

a　certain　place　lower　down　might　possibly　be　bridged；　and　beckoning

to　the　man　to　follow；　he　led　the　way　to　the　spot　in　mind。　　A　boulder；

two…thirds　way　in　stream；　seemed　to　offer　a　pier。　　He　tried　to　shout

his　idea；　but　the　roar　of　the　torrent；　narrow　though　it　was；　drowned

his　voice；　so；　writing　on　a　piece　of　paper：　〃What　will　you　take　to

build　us　a　bridge？〃　he　wrapped　the　paper　round　a　stone　and　flung　it

over。　　After　reading　this　missive；　the　spokesman　held　a　consultation

with　his　friends　and　a　bargain　was　struck。　　For　the　huge　sum　of　two

yen　（a　dollar　and　a　half）；　they　agreed　to　build　us　a　bridge；　and　at

once　set　off　up　the　mountain　side　for　a　tree。　



The　men；　it　seemed；　were　a　band　of　wood…cutters　who　had　wintered；

as　was　their　custom；　in　a　hut　at　Kurobe；　which　was　this　side　of　the

Harinoki　toge；　and　were　just　come　out　from　their　hibernation。

They　were　now　on　their　way　to　Ashikura；　where　they　belonged；　to

report　to　their　headman；　obtain　supplies　and　start　to　return　on　the

after…morrow。　　It　was　a　two…days'　journey　either　out　or　in。　



Bridges；　therefore；　came　of　their　trade。　　The　distance　across　the

boulder　bed　was　considerable；　and　as　they　toiled　slowly　up　the　face

of　the　opposite　mountain；　they　looked　like　so　many　ants。　　Picking　out

a　trunk；　they　began　to　drag　it　down。　　By　degrees　they　got　it　to　the

river　bed；　and　thence　eventually　to　the　edge　of　the　stream。　　To　lay

it　was　quite　a　feat　of　engineering。　　With　some　pieces　of　drift…wood

which　they　found　lying　about；　they　threw　a　span　to　the　big　boulder；

and　from　the　boulder　managed　to　get　the　trunk　across。　　Then；　with

rope　which　they　carried　at　their　girdles；　they　lashed　the　whole

together　until　they　had　patched　up　a　very　workmanlike　affair。

We　trod　across　in　triumph。　　With　praiseworthy　care　lest　it　should

be　swept　away　they　then　took　the　thing　all　down　again。　



Such　valuable　people　were　not　idly　to　be　parted　with。　　Here　was　a

rare　chance　to　get　guides。　　When；　however；　we　approached　them　on　the

point；　they　all　proved　so　conscientious　about　going　home　first；　that

the　attempt　failed。　　But　they　gave　us　some　important　information　on

the　state　of　the　streams　ahead　and　the　means　of　crossing　them；　and　we

separated　with　much　mutual　good…will。　



For　my　part　I　felt　as　if　we　had　already　arrived　somewhere。　　I　little

knew　what　lay　beyond。　　While　I　was　plodding　along　in　this　blissfully

ignorant　state　of　mind；　communing　with　a　pipe；　the　path；　which　had

frisked　in　and　out　for　some　time　among　the　boulders；　suddenly　took　it

into　its　head　to　scale　a　cliff　on　the　left。　　It　did　this；　as　it

seemed　to　me；　without　provocation；　after　a　certain　reckless　fashion

of　its　own。　　The　higher　it　climbed；　the　more　foolhardy　it　got；　till

the　down…look　grew　unpleasant。　　Then　it　took　to　coquetting　with　the

gulf　on　its　right　until；　as　I　knew　would　happen；　it　lost　its　head

completely　and　fell　over　the　edge。　　The　gap　had　been　spanned　by　a　few

loose　boards。　　Over　the　makeshift　we　all；　one　after　the　other；

gingerly　crawled；　each　waiting　his　turn；　with　the　abyss　gaping　on　his

side；　for　the　one　in　front　to　move　on。　



We　had　not　yet　recovered　from　the　shock　when　we　came　to　another　place

not　unlike　the　first。　　Here　again　the　path　had　given　way；　and　a

couple　of　logs　had　been　lashed　across　the　inner　elbow　of　the　cliff。　

We　crossed　this　by　balancing　ourselves　for　the　first　two　steps　by　the

stump　of　a　bush　that　jutted　out　from　a　crevice　in　the　rock；　for　the

next　two　we　touched　the　cliff　with　the　tips　of　our　fingers；　for　the

last　two　we　balanced　ourselves　alone。　



For　the　time　being　the　gods　of　high　places　had　tempted　us　enough；　for

the　path　now　descended　again　to　the　dry　bed　of　the　stream；　and　there

for　a　certain　distance　tripped　along　in　all　soberness；　giving　me　the

chance　to　look　about　me。　　The　precipitous　sides　of　the　mountains　that

shut　in　the　narrow　valley　were　heavily　masked　in　forest；　and　for　some

time　past；　the　ravines　that　scored　their　sides　had　been　patched　with

snow。　　With　each　new　mile　of　advance　the　patches　grew　larger　and

merged　into　one　another；　stretching　toward　the　stream。　　We　now　began

to　meet　snow　on　the　path。　　In　the　mean　time；　from　one　cause　and

another；　insensibly　I　fell　behind。　　The　others　passed　on　out　of

sight。　



The　path；　having　lulled　me　into　a　confiding　unconcern；　started　in

seeming　innocence　of　purpose　to　climb　again。　　Its　ingenuousness　but

prefaced　a　malicious　surprise。　　For　of　a　sudden；　unmasking　a　corner；

it　presented　itself　in　profile　ahead；　a　narrow　le