noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第20节

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

moonshine。　　The　effect　upon　the　pure　white　sheet　before　me　was

indescribably　beautiful。　　The　warm　tint　of　the　last　of　day；　as　it

waned；　dissolved　imperceptibly　into　the　cold　lustre　of　the　night　as

if　some　alchemist　were　subtly　changing　the　substance　while　he　kept

the　form。　　For　a　new　spirit　was　slowly　possessing　itself　of　the　very

shapes　that　had　held　the　old；　and　the　snow　looked　very　silent；　very

cold；　very　ghostly；　glistening　in　its　silver　sheen。　



The　sky　was　bitterly　clear；　inhumanly　cold。　　To　call　it　frosty　were

to　humanize　it。　　Its　expanse　stretched　far　more　frozen　than　the

frozen　earth。　　Indeed；　the　night　sky　is　always　awful。　　For　the　most

part；　we　forget　it　for　the　kindlier　prospect　of　the　cradling　trees；

and　the　whispers　of　the　wind；　and　the　perfumes　of　the　fields；　the

sights　and　sounds　that　even　in　slumber　stir　with　life；　and　the　nearer

thrust　away　the　real　horror　of　the　far。　　But　the　awe　speaks　with

insistence　when　the　foreground　itself　is　dead。　



Shivering；　I　returned　to　the　fire　and　human　companionship。

The　conversation　again　rolled　upon　precipices；　which　it　appeared

were　more　numerous　before　than　behind；　and　casualties　among　the

woodcutters　not　unknown　in　consequence。　　There　was　one　place；　they

said；　where；　if　you　slipped；　you　went　down　a　ri　（two　miles　and　a　half）。

It　was　here　a　woodcutter　had　been　lost　three　days　before。　　The　ri

must　have　been　a　flight　of　fancy；　since　it　far　exceeded　the　height　of

the　pass　above　the　sea。　　But　a　handsome　discount　from　the　statement

left　an　unpleasant　balance　to　contemplate。　



This　death　had　frightened　one　of　the　watchmen　badly；　as　it　may　well

have　done。　　The　facts　were　these。　　Separated　from　the　hot　springs　of

Riuzanjita　by　two　passes　lay　a　valley；　uninhabited　except　for　two

bands　of　woodcutters；　who　had　built　themselves　a　couple　of　huts；　one

on　either　side　the　stream；　in　which　they　lived　the　year　round。

It　was　these　huts　that　went　by　the　name　of　Kurobe。　　During　the　winter

they　were　entirely　cut　off　from　the　outside　world。　　As　soon　as

practicable　in　the　spring；　a　part　of　each　band　was　accustomed　to　come

out　over　the　passes；　descend　to　Ashikura；　and　return　with　provisions

and　money。　



Now　this　year；　before　the　men　in　the　valley　had　thought　it　time　to

attempt　the　passes；　a　solitary　woodcutter　came　up　to　the　hot　springs

from　below；　and；　in　spite　of　warning　from　the　watchmen；　started　alone

for　Kurobe。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　third　day　after　his　departure；

the　regular　band　turned　up　at　Riuzanjita；　having　left　Kurobe；　it

seemed；　that　morning。　　They　passed　the　night　at　the　hot　springs　hut；

and　on　being　questioned　by　the　watchmen　about　the　man　of　three　days

before；　they　said　they　had　heard　of　no　such　person。　　It　turned　out；

to　the　horror　of　both　parties；　that　he　had　never　reached　Kurobe。　

It　was　only　the　night　before　we　arrived　that　the　woodcutters　had　been

there；　and　the　affair　was　still　terribly　fresh　in　the　watchman's

thoughts；　in　fact；　it　was　the　identical　band　that　had　built　us　our

bridge。　　These　men　were　thoroughly　equipped　for　snow…climbing　and　had

come　over　safely；　and　yet；　as　it　was；　the　head　man　of　the　other　band

at　Kurobe　had　been　afraid　to　cross　with　them；　and　had；　instead；　gone

all　the　way　round　by　the　river　and　the　sea；　a　very　long　and　rough

journey。　　Fatal　accidents；　the　watchmen　said；　were　of　yearly

occurrence　on　the　passes。　



And　all　this　was　only　the　way　to　Kurobe。　　Beyond　it　lay　the　Harinoki

toge。　　That　pass　no　one　had　yet　crossed　this　year。　　And　at　intervals

during　the　talk　the　watchman　repeated　excitedly；　as　a　sort　of

refrain；　〃It　is　impossible　to　go　on；it　is　impossible　to　go　on。〃



This　talk；　a　part　of　which　I　understood；　was　not　very　heartening；

following　as　it　did　the　personal　experience　of　the　Oni　ga　Jo。

The　prospect　began　to　look　too　uncertain　in　its　conclusion　and　too

certain　in　its　premises　to　be　inviting。　　If　professionals；　properly

accoutred；　found　crossing　so　dangerous　a　matter；　the　place　was　hardly

one　for　unprovided　amateurs。　　These　mountaineers　were　not　tied

together；　but　wore　over　their　waraji；　or　straw　sandals；　a　set　of

irons　called　kanakajiki。　　We　were　shown　some　of　them　which　had　been

left　by　the　woodcutters　against　their　return。　　They　were　skeleton

sandals；　iron　bands　shod　with　three　spikes。　　They　looked　like

instruments　of　torture　from　the　Middle　Ages；　and　indeed　were　said　to

be　indispensable　against　backsliding。　



On　the　other　hand；　one　Blondin　feat　over　the　Devil　Place　was　enough

for　me。　　To　take　it　on　the　road　rather　than　turn　back　was　one　thing；

to　start　to　take　it　in　cold　blood　another。　　I　had　had　quite　enough　of

balancing　and　doubt。　　So　I　asked　if　there　was　no　other　way　out。

We　might；　they　said；　go　to　Arimine。　



〃And　how　was　the　road？〃



〃Oh；　the　road　was　good；〃　they　answered　cheerily。　



〃Could　we　get　a　guide？〃



Apparently　we　could　not；　for　an　awkward　pause　ensued　until；　after

some　suspense；　the　bigger　of　the　two　watchmen；　he　that　sat　in　the

shadow　of　the　corner；　volunteered　to　pilot　us　himself；　and；　he　added；

we　should　not　have　to　start　betimes；　as　the　snow　would　not　be　fit　to

travel　on　till　the　sun　had　melted　the　crust。　



Upon　this　doubly　comforting　conclusion　I　bade　them　good…night；

and　betook　me　to　the　cell…like　room　allotted　me　to　sleep。　







XVII。　



Over　the　Snow。　



When　Yejiro　pushed　the　shoji　and　the　amado　（night　shutters）　apart　in

the　morning；　he　disclosed　a　bank　of　snow　four　feet　deep；　not　a

snowfall　over　night；　but　the　relic　of　the　winter。　　I　found　myself　in

a　snow　grotto　beyond　which　nothing　was　visible。　　He　then　imparted　to

me　the　cheerful　news　that　the　watchman　had　changed　his　mind；　and　now

refused　to　set　out　with　us。　　It　was　too　late　in　the　day　to　start；　the

man　said；　which；　in　view　of　his　having　informed　us　only　the　night

before　that　the　snow　would　not　be　fit　to　travel　on　till　this　very

hour；　was　scarcely　logical。　　The　trouble　lay　not　in　the　way；　but　in

the　will。　　The　man　had　repented　him　of　his　promise。　　Things　look

differently　as　certainties　in　the　morning　from　what　they　do　as

possibilities　overnight。　　Fortunately　he　proved　amenable　to

importunity；　and　finally　consented　to　go。　　His　fellow　was　much

worried；　and　followed　him　distressfully　to　the　outer　threshold；

whence　in　perturbation　of　spirit　he　watched　us　depart；　calling　out

pathetically　to　his　mate　to　be　very　careful　of　himself。　　His　almost

motherly　solicitude　seemed　to　me　more　comical　at　the　time　than　it

came　to　seem　later。　



The　sky　was　without　a　fleck　of　cloud；　and；　as　we　struck　out　across

the　snow；　I　feared　at　first　for　my　eyes；　so　great　was　the　glare。

For　I　had　neither　goggles　nor　veil。　　In　fact；　we　were　as　unprepared　a

troop　as　ever　started　on　such　an　expedition。　　We　had　not　a　pair　of

foot　spikes　nor　a　spiked　pole　to　the　lot　of　us。　



The　jagged　peaks　of　the　valley's　wall　notched　the　sky　in　vivid

relief；　their　sharp　teeth　biting　the　blue。　　We　below　were　blinking。　

Luckily　before　very　long　we　had　crossed　the　level　and　were　attacking

the　wall；　and　once　on　it　the　glare　lessened；　for　we　were　facing　the

south；　and　the　slant　of　the　slope　took　off　from　the　directness　of　the

sun's　rays。　　The　higher　we　rose；　the　greater　the　tilt　became。　　The

face　of　the　slope　was　completely　buried　in　snow　except　where　the

aretes　stuck　through；　for　the　face　was　well　wrinkled。　　The　angle　soon

grew　unpleasant　to　visage；　and　certainly　looked　to　have　exceeded　the

limit　of　stable　equilibrium。　　In　mid…ascent；　as　we　were　winding

cautiously　up；　a　porter　slipped。　　He　stopped　himself；　however；　and

was　helped　on　to　his　feet　again　by　his　fellow　behind。　　The　bad　bit

was　preface　to　a　worse　effect　round　the　corner；　for　on　turning　the

arete；　we　came　upon　a　snow　slope　like　a　gigantic　house…roof。　　It　was

as　steep　as　you　please；　and　disappeared　a　few　hundred　feet　below　over

the　edge　into　the　abyss。　　Across　and　up　this　the　guide；　after　looking

about　him；　struck　out；　and　I　followed。　　The　snow　was　in　a　plastic

state；　and　at　each　step　I　kicked　my　toes　well　in；　so　wedging　my

footing。　　The　view　down　was　very　unnerving。　　It　soon　grew　so　bad　I

fixed　my　thought　solely　on　making　each　step　secure；　and　went　slowly；

which　was　much　against　my　inclination。　　In　this　manner　we　tacked

gradually　upward　in　zigzags；　some　forty　feet　apart；　each　of　us

improving　the　footprints　of　his　predecessor。　



After　a　short　eternity；　we　came　out　at　the　top。　　I　threw　myself　upon

the　snow；　and　when　I　had　sufficiently　recovered　my　breath　asked　the

guide；　with　what　I　meant　for　sarcasm；　whether　that　was　his　idea　of　

〃a　good　road。〃　He　owned　that　it　was　the　worst　bit　on　the　way；　but　he

somewhat　grudgingly　conceded　it　a　〃gake。〃　I　sat　corrected；　but　in　the

interest　of　any　future　wanderer　I　submit　the　following　definition　of

a　〃gake；〃　which；　if　not　strictly　accurate；　at　least　leans　to　the

right　side。　　If　the　cliff　overhang；　it　is　a　〃g