the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第8节

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ging　them　to　resort　to　fist　and　club。　　The　day　before；　some　battalions　of　Zouaves　from　Algiers　had　disembarked　in　order　to　reinforce　the　army　on　the　frontier；　and　these　veterans；　accustomed　to　colonial　existence　and　undiscriminating　as　to　the　cause　of　disturbances；　seized　the　opportunity　to　intervene　in　this　manifestation；　some　with　bayonets　and　others　with　ungirded　belts。　　〃Hurrah　for　War！〃　and　a　rain　of　lashes　and　blows　fell　upon　the　unarmed　singers。　　Marcelo　saw　the　innocent　student；　the　standard…bearer　of　peace；　knocked　down　wrapped　in　his　flag；　by　the　merry　kicks　of　the　Zouaves。　　Then　he　knew　no　more；　since　he　had　received　various　blows　with　a　leather　strap；　and　a　knife　thrust　in　his　shoulder；　he　had　to　run　the　same　as　the　others。

That　day　developed　for　the　first　time；　his　fiery；　stubborn　character；　irritable　before　contradiction；　even　to　the　point　of　adopting　the　most　extreme　resolution。　　〃Down　with　War！〃　　Since　it　was　not　possible　for　him　to　protest　in　any　other　way；　he　would　leave　the　country。　　The　Emperor　might　arrange　his　affairs　as　best　he　could。　　The　struggle　was　going　to　be　long　and　disastrous；　according　to　the　enemies　of　the　Empire。　　If　he　stayed；　he　would　in　a　few　months　be　drawn　for　the　soldiery。　　Desnoyers　renounced　the　honor　of　serving　the　Emperor。　　He　hesitated　a　little　when　he　thought　of　his　mother。　　But　his　country　relatives　would　not　turn　her　out；　and　he　planned　to　work　very　hard　and　send　her　money。　　Who　knew　what　riches　might　be　waiting　for　him；　on　the　other　side　of　the　sea！　。　。　。　　Good…　bye；　France！

Thanks　to　his　savings；　a　harbor　official　found　it　to　his　interest　to　offer　him　the　choice　of　three　boats。　　One　was　sailing　to　Egypt；　another　to　Australia；　another　to　Montevideo　and　Buenos　Aires；　which　made　the　strongest　appeal　to　him？　。　。　。　　Desnoyers；　remembering　his　readings；　wished　to　consult　the　wind　and　follow　the　course　that　it　indicated；　as　he　had　seen　various　heroes　of　novels　do。　　But　that　day　the　wind　blew　from　the　sea　toward　France。　　He　also　wished　to　toss　up　a　coin　in　order　to　test　his　fate。　　Finally　he　decided　upon　the　vessel　sailing　first。　　Not　until；　with　his　scanty　baggage；　he　was　actually　on　the　deck　of　the　next　boat　to　anchor；　did　he　take　any　interest　in　its　course〃For　the　Rio　de　la　Plata。〃　。　。　。　　And　he　accepted　these　words　with　a　fatalistic　shrug。　　〃Very　well；　let　it　be　South　America！〃　　The　country　was　not　distasteful　to　him；　since　he　knew　it　by　certain　travel　publications　whose　illustrations　represented　herds　of　cattle　at　liberty；　half…naked；　plumed　Indians；　and　hairy　cowboys　whirling　over　their　heads　serpentine　lassos　tipped　with　balls。

The　millionaire　Desnoyers　never　forgot　that　trip　to　Americaforty…　three　days　navigating　in　a　little　worn…out　steamer　that　rattled　like　a　heap　of　old　iron；　groaned　in　all　its　joints　at　the　slightest　roughness　of　the　sea；　and　had　to　stop　four　times　for　repairs；　at　the　mercy　of　the　winds　and　waves。

In　Montevideo；　he　learned　of　the　reverses　suffered　by　his　country　and　that　the　French　Empire　no　longer　existed。　　He　felt　a　little　ashamed　when　he　heard　that　the　nation　was　now　self…governing；　defending　itself　gallantly　behind　the　walls　of　Paris。　　And　he　had　fled！　。　。　。　　Months　afterwards；　the　events　of　the　Commune　consoled　him　for　his　flight。　　If　he　had　remained；　wrath　at　the　national　downfall；　his　relations　with　his　co…laborers；　the　air　in　which　he　livedeverything　would　surely　have　dragged　him　along　to　revolt。　　In　that　case；　he　would　have　been　shot　or　consigned　to　a　colonial　prison　like　so　many　of　his　former　comrades。

So　his　determination　crystallized；　and　he　stopped　thinking　about　the　affairs　of　his　mother…country。　　The　necessities　of　existence　in　a　foreign　land　whose　language　he　was　beginning　to　pick　up　made　him　think　only　of　himself。　　The　turbulent　and　adventurous　life　of　these　new　nations　compelled　him　to　most　absurd　expedients　and　varied　occupations。　　Yet　he　felt　himself　strong　with　an　audacity　and　self…　reliance　which　he　never　had　in　the　old　world。　　〃I　am　equal　to　everything；〃　he　said；　〃if　they　only　give　me　time　to　prove　it！〃　Although　he　had　fled　from　his　country　in　order　not　to　take　up　arms；　he　even　led　a　soldier's　life　for　a　brief　period　in　his　adopted　land；　receiving　a　wound　in　one　of　the　many　hostilities　between　the　whites　and　reds　in　the　unsettled　districts。

In　Buenos　Aires；　he　again　worked　as　a　woodcarver。　　The　city　was　beginning　to　expand；　breaking　its　shell　as　a　large　village。　Desnoyers　spent　many　years　ornamenting　salons　and　facades。　　It　was　a　laborious　existence；　sedentary　and　remunerative。　　But　one　day　he　became　tired　of　this　slow　saving　which　could　only　bring　him　a　mediocre　fortune　after　a　long　time。　　He　had　gone　to　the　new　world　to　become　rich　like　so　many　others。　　And　at　twenty…seven；　he　started　forth　again；　a　full…fledged　adventurer；　avoiding　the　cities；　wishing　to　snatch　money　from　untapped；　natural　sources。　　He　worked　farms　in　the　forests　of　the　North；　but　the　locusts　obliterated　his　crops　in　a　few　hours。　　He　was　a　cattle…driver；　with　the　aid　of　only　two　peons；　driving　a　herd　of　oxen　and　mules　over　the　snowy　solitudes　of　the　Andes　to　Bolivia　and　Chile。　　In　this　life；　making　journeys　of　many　months'　duration；　across　interminable　plains；　he　lost　exact　account　of　time　and　space。　　Just　as　he　thought　himself　on　the　verge　of　winning　a　fortune；　he　lost　it　all　by　an　unfortunate　speculation。　And　in　a　moment　of　failure　and　despair；　being　now　thirty　years　old；　he　became　an　employee　of　Julio　Madariaga。

He　knew　of　this　rustic　millionaire　through　his　purchases　of　flocks　a　Spaniard　who　had　come　to　the　country　when　very　young；　adapting　himself　very　easily　to　its　customs；　and　living　like　a　cowboy　after　he　had　acquired　enormous　properties。　　The　country　folk；　wishing　to　put　a　title　of　respect　before　his　name；　called　him　Don　Madariaga。

〃Comrade；〃　he　said　to　Desnoyers　one　day　when　he　happened　to　be　in　a　good　humora　very　rare　thing　for　him〃you　must　have　passed　through　many　ups　and　downs。　　Your　lack　of　silver　may　be　smelled　a　long　ways　off。　　Why　lead　such　a　dog's　life？　　Trust　in　me；　Frenchy；　and　remain　here！　　I　am　growing　old；　and　I　need　a　man。〃

After　the　Frenchman　had　arranged　to　stay　with　Madariaga；　every　landed　proprietor　living　within　fifteen　or　twenty　leagues　of　the　ranch；　stopped　the　new　employee　on　the　road　to　prophesy　all　sorts　of　misfortune。

〃You　will　not　stay　long。　　Nobody　can　get　along　with　Don　Madariaga。　We　have　lost　count　of　his　overseers。　　He　is　a　man　who　must　be　killed　or　deserted。　　Soon　you　will　go；　too！〃

Desnoyers　did　not　doubt　but　that　there　was　some　truth　in　all　this。　Madariaga　was　an　impossible　character；　but　feeling　a　certain　sympathy　with　the　Frenchman；　had　tried　not　to　annoy　him　with　his　irritability。

〃He's　a　regular　pearl；　this　Frenchy；〃　said　the　plainsman　as　though　trying　to　excuse　himself　for　his　considerate　treatment　of　his　latest　acquisition。　　〃I　like　him　because　he　is　very　serious。　。　。　。　　That　is　the　way　I　like　a　man。〃

Desnoyers　did　not　know　exactly　what　this　much…admired　seriousness　could　be；　but　he　felt　a　secret　pride　in　seeing　him　aggressive　with　everybody　else；　even　his　family；　whilst　he　took　with　him　a　tone　of　paternal　bluffness。

The　family　consisted　of　his　wife　Misia　Petrona　（whom　he　always　called　the　China）　and　two　grown　daughters　who　had　gone　to　school　in　Buenos　Aires；　but　on　returning　to　the　ranch　had　reverted　somewhat　to　their　original　rusticity。

Madariaga's　fortune　was　enormous。　　He　had　lived　in　the　field　since　his　arrival　in　America；　when　the　white　race　had　not　dared　to　settle　outside　the　towns　for　fear　of　the　Indians。　　He　had　gained　his　first　money　as　a　fearless　trader；　taking　merchandise　in　a　cart　from　fort　to　fort。　　He　had　killed　Indians；　was　twice　wounded　by　them；　and　for　a　while　had　lived　as　a　captive　with　an　Indian　chief　whom　he　finally　succeeded　in　making　his　staunch　friend。　　With　his　earnings；　he　had　bought　land；　much　land；　almost　worthless　because　of　its　insecurity；　devoting　it　to　the　raising　of　cattle　that　he　had　to　defend；　gun　in　hand；　from　the　pirates　of　the　plains。

Then　he　had　married　his　China；　a　young　half…breed　who　was　running　around　barefoot；　but　owned　many　of　her　forefathers'　fields。　　They　had　lived　in　an　almost　savage　poverty　on　their　property　which　would　have　taken　many　a　day's　journey　to　go　around。　　Afterwards；　when　the　government　was　pushing　the　Indians　towards　the　frontiers；　and　offering　the　abandoned　lands　for　sale；　considering　it　a　patriotic　sacrifice　on　the　part　of　any　one　wishing　to　acquire　them；　Madariaga　bought　and　bought　at　the　lowest　figure　and　longest　terms。　　To　get　possession　of　vast　tracts　and　populate　it　with　blooded　stock　became　the　mission　of　his　life。　　At　times；　galloping　with　Desnoyers　through　his　boundless　fields；　he　was　not　able　to　repress　his　pride。

〃Tell　me　something；　Frenchy！　　They　say　that　further　up　the　country；　there　are　some　nations　about　the　size　of　my　ranches。　　Is　that　so？〃　。　。　。

The　Frenchman　agreed。　。　。　。　　The　lands　of　Madariaga　were　indeed　greater　than　many　principalities。　　This　put　the　old　plainsman　in　rare　good　humor　and　he　exclaimed　in　the　cowboy　vernacular　which　had　become　second　nature　to　him〃Then　it　wouldn't　be　absurd　to　proclaim　myself　king　some　day？　　Just　imagine　it；　Frenchy；Don　Madariaga；　the　First。　。　。　。　　The　worst　of　i