noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第26节

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toward　sociability。　　The　trees　on　the　banks　disappeared；　the　banks

themselves　decreased　in　height；　then　the　river　took　to　a　more　genial

flow；　and　presently　we　were　ware　of　the　whole　countryside　to　the

right　coming　down　in　one　long　sweep　to　the　water's　edge。　



The　preface　was　over。　　The　stream　was　to　have　a　breathing　spell　of

air　and　sunlight　before　its　great　plunge　into　sixty　miles　of　twilight

canon。　　With　a　quick　turn　of　his　rudder　oar　the　boatman　in　the　stern

brought　the　flat…bottomed　craft　round；　and　in　a　jiffy　she　lay　beached

on　the　shingle　at　Tokimata。　　It　was　now　high　noon。　



The　greater　part　of　the　village　kindly　superintended　the　operation　of

disembarking；　and　then　the　more　active　of　its　inhabitants　trotted

before　as　guides　to　the　inn。　　For　our　boat　would　go　no　further；　and

therefore　all　our　belongings　had　to　come　out。　　It　was　only　when　we

inquired　for　further　conveyance　that　the　crowd　showed　signs　of

satiety　and　edged　off。　　To　our　importunities　on　this　head　the

populace　were　statuesque　or　worse。　　A　Japanese　assent　is　not　always

the　most　encouraging　of　replies；　and　a　Japanese　〃No〃　touches　in　you　a

depth　not　unlike　despair。　　They　have　a　way　of　hinting　the　utter

hopelessness　of　your　wish；　past；　present；　and　to　come；　an　eternity　of

impossibility　to　make　you　regret　that　you　ever　were　born。　　After　we

had　reached　the　inn；　and　had　stated　our　wants　to　a　more　informed

audience；　we　were　told　that　the　nautical　part　of　the　inhabitants　were

in　the　fields；　gathering　mulberry　leaves　for　the　silkworms。　　From　the

bribe　we　offered　to　induce　a　change　in　pursuit；　we　judged　money　to　be

no　object　to　them。　　There　remained　nothing；　therefore；　but　the　police。　



It　is　good　policy　never　to　invoke　the　law　except　in　the　last

extremity；　for　you　are　pretty　safe　to　have　some　flaw　shown　up　in

you　before　you　are　through　with　it。　　The　law　in　this　case　was

represented；　Yejiro　found；　by　a　person　still　yellow　with　the

jaundice。　　He　met　the　demand　for　boatmen　with　the　counter　demand　for

the　passport；　and　when　this　was　produced　his　official　eye　at　once

detected　its　anachronism。　



〃This；〃　said　he；　〃is　not　in　order。　　I　do　not　see　how　you　can　go　on　at

all。〃



To　add　artificial　impossibility　to　natural；　was　too　much。　　Yejiro

answered　that　he　had　better　come　to　the　inn；　which　he　accordingly

did。　　Poor　man！　　I　pitied　him。　　For；　in　the　first　place；　he　was　still

jaundiced；　and；　in　the　second；　although　conscious　of　guilt　as　I　was；

I　was　much　the　less　disturbed　of　the　two。　　I　was　getting　used　to

being　a　self…smuggler；　while　he；　as　the　Japanese　say；　was　〃taihen

komarimasu〃　（exceedingly　〃know　not　what　to　do〃）；　a　phrase　which　is　a

national　complaint。　　In　this　instance　he　had　cause。　　What　to　do　with

so　hardened　a　sinner　was　a　problem　passing　his　powers。　　Here　was　a

law…breaker　who　by　rights　should　at　once　be　bundled　back　to　Tokyo

under　police　surveillance。　　But　he　could　not　go　himself；　he　had　no

one　to　send；　and　furthermore　the　delinquent　seemed　only　too　willing

to　escort　himself　there；　free　of　government　expense；　as　speedily　as

possible。　　All　I　had　to　do　was　to　whet　his　perception　that　the　sooner

boatmen　were　got　the　sooner　I　should　be　on　the　right　side　of　the　law

again。　　After　some　conflict　with　himself　he　went　in　search　of　men。　



I　was　left　to　study　the　carp…pond；　with　its　gold　and　silver　fish；

the　pivot　of　attention　of　the　pretty　little　garden　court　which　stood

handy　to　the　kitchen。　　This　juxtaposition　was　no　accident；　for　such

ponds　are　landscape　and　larder　in　one。　　Between　meals　the　fish　are

scenery；　at　the　approach　of　the　dinner　hour　they　turn　into　game。

The　inn　guest　having　sufficiently　enjoyed　the　gambols　of　future　repasts；

picks　out　his　dish　to　suit　his　taste　or　capacity；　and　the　fish　is

instantly　netted　and　translated　to　the　gridiron。　　The　survivors；　none

the　wiser；　continue　to　steamboat　about；　intent　on　their　own　dinners；

flashing　their　colors　as　they　turn　their　armored　sides　in　and　out　of

the　light。　　Eccentric　nature　has　fitted　these　prototypes　of　navigation

with　all　the　modern　improvements。　　Double　and　even　triple　sets　of

screws　are　common　things　in　tails；　and　sometimes　the　fins；　too；　are

duplex。　　As　for　me；　I　had　neither　the　heart　nor　the　stomach　to　help

depopulate　the　pond。　　But　I　took　much　mechanical　delight　in　their

motions；　so　I　fed　them　instead　of　they　me。　



I　had　my　choice　between　doing　this　and　watching　the　late　boatmen　at

their　dinner　in　the　distance。　　No　doubt　moods　have　an　aesthetic

conscience　of　their　own；they　demand　appropriate　setting；　for　I　was

annoyed　at　the　hilarity　of　these　men　over　their　midday　meal。　　I　bore

them　no　malice；　but　I　own　I　should　have　preferred　not　to　have　seen

them　thus　making　free　with　time　they　had　declared　themselves　unable

to　sell　to　me。　



Thanks　in　part　to　my　quality　of　outlaw；　and　in　part　to　four　hours'

propitiation　of　the　gods　of　delay；　the　jaundiced　policeman　finally

succeeded　in　beating　up　a　crew。　　There　were　four　conscripts　in　all；

kerchiefed；　not　to　say　petticoated；　in　the　native　nautical　costume；

a　costume　not　due　to　being　fresh…water　sailors；　since　their　salt…water

cousins　are　given　to　a　like　disguise　of　sex。　　These　mariners　made　us

wait　while　they　finished　their　preparations。　　It　meant　a　long　voyage

to　them；a　facilis　descensus　Averni；　sed　revocare　gradum；a　very

long　pull。　　Then　the　bow　was　poled　off；　the　current　took　us　in　its

arms　and　swung　us　out　into　the　stream；　and　the　crowd　on　the　shingle

dropped　perspectively　astern。　



While　I　was　still　standing　gazing　at　lessening　Tokimata；　I　heard　a

cry　from　behind　me；　and；　turning；　ducked　just　in　time　to　escape　being

unceremoniously　somersaulted　into　the　water　by　a　hawser　stretched

from　bank　to　bank　at　a　level　singularly　suited　to　such　a　trick。

The　rope　was　the　stationary　half　of　a　ferry　to　which　I　had　neglected

to　make　timely　obeisance。　　It　marked；　indeed；　an　incipient　stage　in

the　art　of　suspension　bridges；　the　ferryboat　itself　supporting　a　part

of　the　weight；　while　the　ferryman　pulled　it　and　himself　across。

We　met　several　more　in　the　course　of　the　next　few　minutes；　before

which　we　all　bowed　down　into　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　while　the　hawser

scraped；　grumbling　impotently；　overhead。　



Our　boat　was　of　adaptive　build。　　It　was　forty…five　feet　long；　not　quite

four　feet　wide；　and　somewhat　over　two　feet　deep。　　These　proportions

and　the　character　of　the　wood　made　it　exceeding　lithe；　so　that　it

bent　like　a　willow　before　necessity。　　In　the　stern　stood　the　head

man；　wielding　for　rudder　an　oar　half　as　long　again　as　those　the

others　used。　　There　was　very　little　rowing　done；　nor　was　there　need；

the　current　itself　took　us　along　at　racing　speed。　



Shortly　after　ducking　under　the　last　ferry　rope　we　reached　the

gateway　to　the　canon。　　Some　rapids　made　an　introduction；　rocks　in

places　jutting　out　of　the　foam；　and　while　we　were　still　curveting　to

the　waves　the　hills　suddenly　closed　in　upon　the　stream　in　two

beetling　cliffs；　spanned　surprisingly　by　a　lofty　cantalever　bridge。　

An　individual　who　chanced　to　cross　at　the　moment　stopped　in　mid　path

to　watch　us　through。　　The　stream　swept　us　in；　and　the　countryside

contracted　to　a　vanishing　vista　behind。　　We　were　launched　on　our　long

canon　voyage。　　The　change　was　as　sudden　as　a　thunderstorm　of　a

smiling　summer　afternoon。　　It　was　an　eclipse　of　the　earth　by　the

earth　itself。　　Dark　rocks　picketed　with　trees　rose　in　still　darker

shadow　on　either　hand；　higher　than　one　could　see。　　The　black　river

swirled　beside　us；　silent；　sullen；　swift。　　At　the　bottom　of　that

gorge　untrodden　by　man；　borne　by　the　dark　flood　that　untouched　by

sunlight　coiled　snakelike　along；　we　seemed　adventured　on　some

unforgotten　Styx。　



For　some　time　we　had　voyaged　thus　with　a　feeling　not　unlike　awe；　when

all　at　once　there　was　a　bustle　among　the　boatmen；　and　one　of　them

went　forward　and　stood　up　in　the　bow。　　We　swept　round　a　corner；　and

saw　our　first　great　rapids　three　hundred　yards　ahead。　　We　could　mark

a　dip　in　the　stream；　and　then　a　tumbled　mass　of　white　water；　while　a

roar　as　of　rage　came　out　of　the　body　of　it。　　As　we　swept　down　upon

the　spot；　the　man　in　the　bow　began　beating　the　gunwale　with　his　oar

in　regularly　repeated　raps。　　The　board　gave　out　a　hollow　ring　that

strangely　filled　the　river　chasm；　a　sound　well　calculated　to　terrify

the　evil　spirits　of　the　spot。　　For　indeed　it　was　an　exorcism　of

homoeopathic　design。　　His　incantation　finished；　he　stood　motionless。　

So　did　the　rest　of　us；　waiting　for　the　plunge。　　The　boat　dipped　by

the　bow；　darted　forward；　and　in　a　trice　we　were　in　the　midst　of　a

deafening　turmoil　of　boiling　waters　and　crashing　breakers。　　The

breakers　laid　violent　hands　upon　us；　grappling　at　the　frail　gunwale

and　coming　in　part　aboard；　and　then；　as　we　slipped　from　their　grasp；

impotently　flung　their　spray　in　our　faces；　and　with　a　growl　dropped

astern。　　The　boat　trembled　like　a　leaf；　and　was　trembling　yet；　when；

with　nightmare　speed；　the　th