noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第19节

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it　presented　itself　in　profile　ahead；　a　narrow　ledge　notched　in　naked

simplicity　against　the　precipice。　　Things　look　better　slightly

veiled；　besides；　it　is　more　decent；　even　in　a　path。　　In　this　case　the

shamelessness　was　earnest　of　the　undoing。　　For　on　reaching　the　point

in　view　and　turning　it　I　stood　confronted　by　a　sight　sorry　indeed。　

The　path　beyond　had　vanished。　　Far　below；　out　of　sight　over　the　edge；

lay　the　torrent；　unscalable　the　cliff　rose　above；　and　a　line　of

fossil　footprints；　leading　across　the　face　of　the　precipice　in　the

debris；　alone　marked　where　the　path　had　been。　　Spectres　they　seemed

of　their　former　selves。　　Crusoe　could　not　have　been　more　horrified

than　was　I。　



Not　to　have　come　suggested　itself　as　the　proper　solution；　unfortunately

an　impracticable　one；　and　being　there；　to　turn　back　was　inadmissible。　

So　I　took　myself　in　hand　and　started。　　For　the　first　few　steps　I　was

far　too　much　given　up　to　considering　possibilities。　　I　thought　how　a

single　misstep　would　end。　　I　could　see　my　footing　slip；　feel　the

consciousness　that　I　was　gone；　the　dull　thuds　from　point　to　point　as

what　remained　of　me　bounded　beyond　the　visible　edge　down；　down。　　。　　。　

And　after　that　what！　　How　long　before　the　porters　missed　me　and　came

back　in　search？　　Would　there　be　any　trace　to　tell　what　had　befallen？

And　then　Yejiro　returning　alone　to　Tokyo　to　reportlost　on　the

Dragon　peak！　　Each　time　I　almost　felt　my　foot　give　way　as　I　put　it

down；　right　before　left；　left　before　right。　



Then　I　realized　that　this　inopportune　flirting　with　fate　must　stop；

that　I　must　give　over　dallying　with　sensations；　or　it　would　soon　be

all　over　with　me。　　I　was　falling　a　prey　to　the　native　Loreleifor

all　these　spots　in　Japan　have　their　familiar　devilssubjectively；　as

befits　a　modern　man。　　I　numbed　sensibility　as　best　I　could　and　cared

only　to　make　each　step　secure。　　Between　the　Nirvana　within　and　the

Nirvana　below；　it　was　a　sorry　hell。　



In　mid…career　the　path　made　an　attempt　to　recover；　but　relapsed　to

further　footprints　in　the　sand。　　At　last　it　descended　to　a　brook。

I　knelt　to　drink；　and　on　getting　up　again　saw　my　pocket…handkerchief

whisking　merrily　away　down　stream。　　I　gave　chase；　but　in　vain；　for

though　it　came　to　the　surface　once　or　twice　to　tantalize　me　it　was

gone　before　I　could　seize　it。　　So　I　gave　over　the　pursuit；　reflecting

that；　after　all；　it　might　have　fared　worse　with　me。　　If　the　Lorelei

had　hoped　to　turn　my　head；　I　was　well　quit　of　my　handkerchief　for　her

only　trophy。　



Shortly　after　this；　the　main　stream　divided　into　two；　and　the　left

branch；　which　we　followed；　led　up　to　a　gorge；beyond　a　doubt　the

abomination　of　desolation　spoken　of　by　the　prophet。　　I　do　not

remember　a　landscape　more　ghastly。　　Not　a　tree；　not　a　blade　of　grass；

not　even　decent　earth　in　the　whole　prospect。　　Apparently；　the　place

had　been　flayed　alive　and　sulphur　had　then　been　poured　into　the　sore。　

Thirty　years　before　a　cataclysm　had　occurred　here。　　The　side　of　one

of　the　mountains　had　slid　bodily　into　the　valley。　　The　debris；　by

damming　up　the　stream；　caused　a　freshet；　which　swept　everything

before　it　and　killed　quantities　of　folk　lower　down　the　valley。

The　place　itself　has　never　recovered　to　this　day。　



Although　the　stream　here　was　a　baby　to　the　one　below；　it　was　large

enough　to　be　impassable　to　the　natural　man。　　From　our　woodcutter

friends；　however；　we　had　learned　of　the　leavings　of　a　bridge；　upon

which　in　due　time　we　came；　and　putting　the　parts　of　it　in　place；　we

passed　successfully　over。　



We　now　began　to　enter　the　snow　in　good　earnest；　incipient　glacier

snow；　treacherously　honeycombed。　　It　made；　however；　more　agreeable

walking　than　the　boulders。　　The　path　had　again　become　precipitous；

and　kept　on　mounting；　till　of　a　sudden　it　landed　us　upon　an

amphitheatral　arena；　dominated　by　high；　jagged　peaks。　　One　unbroken

stretch　of　snow　covered　the　plateau；　and　at　the　centre　of　the　wintry

winding…sheet　a　cluster　of　weather…beaten　huts　appealed　pitiably　to

the　eye。　　They　were　the　buildings　of　the　Riuzanjita　hot…springs；　in

summer　a　sort　of　secular　monastery　for　pilgrims　to　the　Dragon　peak。　

They　were　tenanted　now；　we　had　been　told；　by　a　couple　of　watchmen。　

We　struck　out　with　freer　strides；　while　the　moon；　which　had　by　this

time　risen　high　enough　to　overtop　the　wall　of　peaks；　watched　us　with

an　ashen　face；　as　in　single　file　we　moved　across　the　waste　of　level

white。　



　



XVI。



Riuzanjita。



We　made　for　the　main　hut；　a　low；　mouse…colored　shanty　fast　asleep　and

deep　drifted　in　snow。　　The　advance　porter　summoned　the　place；　and　the

summons　drew　to　what　did　for　door　a　man　as　mouselike　as　his　mansion。　

He　had　about　him　a　subdued；　monkish　demeanor　that　only　partially　hid

an　alertness　within；a　secular　monk　befitting　the　spot。　　He　showed

himself　a　kindly　body；　and　after　he　had　helped　the　porters　off　with

their　packs；　led　the　way　into　the　room　in　which　he　and　his　mate

hibernated。　　It　was　a　room　very　much　in　the　rough；　boards　for　walls；

for　ceiling；　for　floor；　its　only　furnishing　a　fire。　　It　was　the　best

of　furnishing　in　our　eyes；　and　we　hasted　to　squat　round　it　in　a

circle；　in　attitudes　of　extreme　devotion；　for　it　was　bitter　cold。　

The　monkish　watchman　threw　a　handful　more　twigs　on　the　embers；　out　of

a　cheerful　hospitality　to　his　guests。　



The　fireplace　was　merely　a　hole　in　the　floor；　according　to　Japanese

custom；　and　the　smoke　found　its　way　out　as　best　it　could。　　But　there

was　very　little　of　it；　usually；　indeed；　there　is　none；　for　charcoal

is　the　common　combustible。　　A　cauldron　hung；　by　iron　bars　jointed

together；　from　the　gloom　above。　　It　was　twilight　in　the　room。　

Already　the　day　without　was　fading　fast；　and　even　at　high　noon；　none

too　much　of　it　could　find　a　way　into　the　building；　now　half　buried

under　the　snow。　　A　second　watchman　sat　muffled　in　shadow　on　the

farther　side　of　the　fire。　　He　made　his　presence　known；　from　time　to

time；　by　occasional　sympathetic　gutturals；　or　by　the　sudden　glow　of　a

bit　of　charcoal；　which　he　took　out　of　the　embers　with　a　pair　of

chopstick　fire…irons　to　relight　his　pipe。　　The　talk　naturally　turned

upon　our　expedition；　with　Yejiro　for　spokesman；　and　from　that　easily

slid　into　the　all…important　question　of　guides。　　Our　inquiries　on

this　head　elicited　nothing　but　doubt。　　We　tried　at　first　to　get　the

watchmen　to　go。　　But　this　they　positively　refused　to　do。　　They　could

not　leave　their　charge；　in　the　first　place；　they　said；　and　for　the

second；　they　did　not　know　the　path。　　We　asked　if　there　was　no　one　who

did。　　There　was　a　hunter；　they　said；　near　by　who　was　by　way　of

knowing　the　road。　　A　messenger　was　sent　at　once　to　fetch　him。　



In　the　mean　time；　if　they　showed　themselves　skeptical　about　our

future；　they　proved　most　sympathetic　over　our　past。　　Our　description

of　the　Friday　footprints　especially　brought　out　much　fellow…feeling。　

They　knew　the　spot　well；　they　said；　and　it　was　very　bad。　　In　fact　it

was　called　the　Oni　ga　Jo；　or　place　of　many　devils；　for　its　fearfulness。

It　would　be　better；　they　added；　after　the　mountain　opening　on　the

tenth　of　June。　



〃Mountain　opening！〃　said　I　to　Yejiro；　〃what　is　that？　　Is　it　anything

like　the　'river　opening'？〃　For　the　Japanese　words　seemed　to　imply　not

a　physical；　but　a　formal　unlocking　of　the　hills；　like　the　annual

religious　rite　upon　the　Sumidagawa　in　Tokyo。　　Such；　it　appeared；　it

was。　　For　the　tenth　of　June；　he　said；　was　the　date　of　the

mountain…climbing　festival。　　Yearly　on　that　day　all　the　sacred　peaks

are　thrown　open　to　a　pious　public　for　ascent。　　A　procession　of

pilgrims；　headed　by　a　flautist　and　a　bellman；　wend　their　way　to　the

summit；　and　there　encamp。　　For　three　days　the　ceremony　lasts；　after

which　the　mountains　are　objects　of　pilgrimage　till　the　twenty…eighth

day　of　August。　　For　the　rest　of　the　year　the　summits　are　held　to　be

shut；　the　gods　being　then　in　conclave；　to　disturb　whom　were　the

height　of　impiety。　　A　pleasing　coincidence　of　duty　and　pleasure；　that

the　scaling　of　the　peaks　should　be　enjoined　to　pilgrims　at　the　times

of　easiest　ascent！　　Preparatory　to　the　procession　all　the　paths　of

approach　are　repaired。　　It　was　this　repairing　to　which　the　watchmen

referred　and　which　concerned　our　secular　selves。　



Our　difficulties　began　to　be　explained。　　We　were　very　close　to

committing　sacrilege。　　We　had　had；　it　is　true；　no　designs　on　the

peaks；　but　were　we　wholly　guiltless　in　attempting　so　much　as　the

passes　in　this　the　close　season？　　Apparently　not。　　At　all　events；

we　were　a　month　ahead　of　time　in　our　visit；　which　in　itself　was　of

questionable　etiquette。　



At　this　point　the　messenger　sent　to　find　the　hunter　returned　without

his　man。　　Evidently　the　hunter　was　a　person　who　meant　to　stand　well

with　his　gods；　or　else　he　was　himself　a　myth。　



Distraught　in　mind　and　restless　in　body；　I　got　up　and　went　out　into

the　great　snow　waste。　　The　sunset　afterglow　was　just　fading　into　the

moonshine。　　The　e