hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第25节

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ght　sounds　had　stopped。　They　did　not　hear　the　elephant　and　David　did　not　see　him　until　the　dog　turned　his　head　and　seemed　to　settle　into　David。　Then　the　elephant's　shadow　covered　them　and　he　moved　past　making　no　noise　at　all　and　they　smelled　him　in　the　light　wind　that　came　down　from　the　mountain。　He　smelled　strong　but　old　and　sour　and　when　he　was　past　David　saw　that　the　left　tusk　was　so　long　it　seemed　to　reach　the　ground。　They　waited　but　no　other　elephants　came　by　and　then　David　and　the　dog　started　off　running　in　the　moonlight。　The　dog　kept　close　behind　him　and　when　David　stopped　the　dog　pressed　his　muzzle　into　the　back　of　his　knee。　David　had　to　see　the　bull　again　and　they　came　up　on　him　at　the　edge　of　the　forest。　He　was　travelling　toward　the　mountain　and　slowly　now　moving　into　the　steady　night　breeze。　David　came　close　enough　to　see　him　cut　off　the　moon　again　and　to　smell　the　sour　oldness　but　he　could　not　see　the　right　tusk。　He　was　afraid　to　work　closer　with　the　dog　and　he　took　him　back　with　the　wind　and　pushed　him　down　against　the　base　of　a　tree　and　tried　to　make　him　understand。　He　thought　the　dog　would　stay　and　he　did　but　when　David　moved　up　toward　the　bulk　of　the　elephant　again　he　felt　the　wet　muzzle　against　the　hollow　of　his　knee。

The　two　of　them　followed　the　elephant　until　he　came　to　an　opening　in　the　trees。　He　stood　there　moving　his　huge　ears。　His




bulk　was　in　the　shadow　but　the　moon　would　be　on　his　head。　David　reached　behind　him　and　closed　the　dog's　jaws　gently　with　his　hand　and　then　moved　softly　and　unbreathing　to　his　right　along　the　edge　of　the　night　breeze　feeling　it　on　his　cheek；　edging　with　it；　never　letting　it　get　between　him　and　the　bulk　until　he　could　see　the　elephant's　head　and　the　great　ears　slowly　moving。　The　right　tusk　was　as　thick　as　his　own　thigh　and　it　curved　down　almost　to　the　ground。

He　and　the　dog　moved　back；　the　wind　on　his　neck　now；　and　they　backtracked　out　of　the　forest　and　into　the　open　park　country。　The　dog　was　ahead　of　him　now　and　he　stopped　where　David　had　left　the　two　hunting　spears　by　the　trail　when　they　had　followed　the　elephant。　He　swung　them　over　his　shoulder　in　their　thong　and　leather　cup　harness　and；　with　his　best　spear　that　he　had　kept　with　him　all　the　time　in　his　hand；　they　started　on　the　trail　for　the　shamba。　The　moon　was　high　now　and　he　wondered　why　there　was　no　drumming　from　the　shamba。　Something　was　strange　if　his　father　was　there　and　there　was　no　drumming。

Chapter　Nineteen




THEY　WERE　LYING　on　the　firm　sand　of　the　smallest　of　the　three　coves；　the　one　they　always　went　to　when　they　were　alone；　and　the　girl　said；　〃She　won't　go　to　Switzerland。〃

〃She　shouldn't　go　to　Madrid　either。　Spain　is　a　bad　place　to　crack　up。〃

〃I　feel　as　though　we'd　been　married　all　our　lives　and　never　had　anything　but　problems。〃　She　pushed　his　hair　back　from　his　forehead　and　kissed　him。　〃Do　you　want　to　swim　now？〃

〃Yes。　Let's　dive　from　the　high　rock。　The　really　high　one。〃

〃You　do；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　swim　out　and　you　dive　over　my　head。〃

〃All　right。　But　hold　still　when　I　dive。〃

〃See　how　close　you　can　come。

Looking　up；　she　watched　him　poised　on　the　high　rock；　arced　brown　against　the　blue　sky。　Then　he　came　toward　her　and　the　water　rose　in　a　spout　from　a　hole　in　the　water　behind　her　shoulder。　He　turned　under　water　and　came　up　in　front　of　her　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　cut　it　too　fine；〃　he　said。

They　swam　out　to　the　point　and　back　and　then　wiped　each　other　dry　and　dressed　on　the　beach。

〃You　really　liked　me　diving　that　close？〃
〃I　loved　it。〃
He　kissed　her　and　she　felt　cool　and　fresh　from　the　swimming　and　she　still　tasted　of　the　sea。


Catherine　came　in　while　they　were　still　sitting　at　the　bar。　She　was　tired　and　quiet　and　polite。
At　the　table　she　said；　〃I　went　to　Nice　and　then　drove　the　little　Corniche　and　I　stopped　up　above　Villefranche　and　watched　a　battle　cruiser　come　in　and　then　it　was　late。〃
〃You　weren't　very　late；〃　Marita　said。
〃But　it　was　very　strange；〃　Catherine　said。　〃All　the　colors　were　too　bright。　Even　the　grays　were　bright。　The　olive　trees　were　glittery。〃
〃That's　the　noon　light；〃　David　said。
〃No。　I　don't　think　so；〃　she　said。　〃It　wasn't　very　nice　and　it　was　lovely　when　I　stopped　to　watch　the　ship。　She　didn't　look　big　to　have　such　a　big　name。〃
〃Please　eat　some　of　the　steak；〃　David　said。　〃You've　eaten　hardly　anything。〃
〃I'm　sorry；〃　she　said。　〃It's　good。　I　like　tournedos。〃
'Would　you　like　something　instead　of　the　meat？〃
〃No。　I'll　eat　the　salad。　Do　you　think　we　could　have　a　bottle　of　the　Perrier…Jouet？〃
〃Of　course。〃
〃It　was　always　such　a　nice　wine；〃　she　said。　〃And　we　were　always　so　happy　with　it。〃
Afterward　in　their　room　Catherine　said；　〃Don't　worry；　David；　please。　It's　just　speeded　up　so　much　lately。〃
〃How？〃　he　asked。　He　was　stroking　her　forehead。
〃I　don't　know。　All　of　a　sudden　I　was　old　this　morning　and　it　wasn't　even　the　right　time　of　year。　Then　the　colors　started　to　be　false。　I　worried　and　wanted　to　get　you　taken　care　of。〃

〃You　take　wonderful　care　of　everybody。〃

〃I'm　going　to　but　I　was　so　tired　and　there　wasn't　any　time　and　I　knew　it　would　be　so　humiliating　if　the　money　ran　out　and　you　had　to　borrow　and　I　hadn't　fixed　up　anything　nor　signed　any　thing　and　just　been　sloppy　the　way　I've　been。　Then　I　worried　about　your　dog。〃

〃My　dog？〃

〃Yes　your　dog　in　Africa　in　the　story。　I　went　in　the　room　to　see　if　you　needed　anything　and　I　read　the　story。　While　you　and　Marita　were　talking　in　the　other　room。　I　didn't　listen。　You　left　your　keys　in　the　shorts　you　changed　from。〃

〃It's　about　half　through；〃　he　told　her。

〃It's　wonderful；〃　she　said。　〃But　it　frightens　me。　The　elephant　was　so　strange　and　your　father　too。　I　never　liked　him　but　I　like　the　dog　better　than　anyone　except　you　David；　and　I'm　so　worried　about　him。〃

〃He　was　a　wonderful　dog。　You　don't　have　to　worry　about　him。〃

〃Can　I　read　about　what　happened　to　him　today　in　the　story？〃

〃Sure；　if　you　want　to。　But　he's　at　the　shamba　now　and　you　don't　need　to　worry　about　him。〃

〃If　he's　all　right　I　won't　read　it　until　you　get　back　to　him。　Kibo。　He　had　a　lovely　name。〃

〃It's　the　name　of　a　mountain。　The　other　part　is　Mawenzi。〃

〃You　and　Kibo。　I　love　you　so　much。　You　were　so　much　alike。〃

〃You're　feeling　better；　Devil。〃

〃Probably；〃　Catherine　said。　〃I　hope　so。　But　it　won't　last。　Driving　this　morning　I　was　so　very　happy　and　then　suddenly　I　was　old；　so　old　I　didn't　care　anymore。

〃You're　not　old。〃

〃Yes　I　am。　I'm　older　than　my　mother's　old　clothes　and　I　won't　outlive　your　dog。　Not　even　in　a　story。〃
i　163
Chapter　Twenty





DAvID　HAD　FINISHED　writing　and　he　was　empty　and　hollow…　feeling　from　having　driven　himself　long　past　the　point　where　he　should　have　stopped。　He　did　not　think　it　mattered　that　day　because　it　was　the　exhaustion　part　of　the　story　and　so　he　had　felt　the　tiredness　as　soon　as　they　had　picked　up　the　trail　again。　For　a　long　time　he　had　been　fresher　and　in　better　shape　than　the　two　men　and　impatient　with　their　slow　trailing　and　the　regular　halts　his　father　made　each　hour　on　the　hour。　He　could　have　moved　ahead　much　faster　than　Juma　and　his　father　but　when　he　started　to　tire　they　were　the　same　as　ever　and　at　noon　they　took　only　the　usual　five　minute　rest　and　he　had　seen　that　Juma　was　increasing　the　pace　a　little。　Perhaps　he　wasn't。　Perhaps　it　had　only　seemed　faster　but　the　dung　was　fresher　now　although　it　was　not　warm　yet　to　the　touch。　Juma　gave　him　the　rifle　to　carry　after　they　came　on　the　last　pile　of　dung　but　after　an　hour　he　looked　at　him　and　took　it　back。　They　had　been　climbing　steadily　across　a　slope　of　the　mountain　but　now　the　trail　went　down　and　from　a　gap　in　the　forest　he　saw　the　broken　country　ahead。

〃Here's　where　the　tough　part　starts；　Davey；〃　his　father　said。

It　was　then　he　knew　that　he　should　have　been　sent　back　to　the　shamba　once　he　had　put　them　on　the　trail。　Juma　had　known　it　for　a　long　time。　His　father　knew　it　now　and　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。　It　was　another　of　his　mistakes　and　there　was　nothing　to　do　now　except　gamble。　David　looked　down　at　the　big　flattened　circle　of　the　print　of　the　elephant　foot　and　saw　where　the　bracken　had　been　pressed　down　and　where　a　broken　stem　of　a　flowering　weed　was　drying　beyond　the　break。　Juma　picked　it　up　and　looked　at　the　sun。　Juma　handed　the　broken　weed　to　David's　father　and　his　father　rolled　it　in　his　fingers。　David　noticed　the　white　flowers　that　were　drooped　and　drying。　But　they　still　had　not　dried　in　the　sun　nor　shed　their　petals。

〃It's　going　to　be　a　bitch；〃　his　father　said。　〃Let's　get　going。〃

Late　in　the　afternoon　they　were　still　tracking　through　the　broken　country。　He　had　been　sleepy　now　for　a　long　time　and　as　he　watched　the　two　men　he　knew　that　sleepiness　was　his　real　enemy　and　he　followed　their　pace　and　tried　to　move　through　and　out　of　the　sleep　that　deadened　him。　The　two　men　relieved　each　other　tracking　on　the　hour　and　the　one　who　was　in　second　place　looked　back　at　him　at　regular　intervals　to　check　if　he　was　with　them。　When　they　made　a　dry　camp　at　dark　in　the　forest　again　he　went　to　sleep　as　soon　as　he　sat　down　and　woke　with　Juma　holding　his　moccasins　and　feeling　his　bare　feet　for　blisters。　His　father　had　spread　his　coat　over　him　and　was　sitting　by　him　with　a　piece　of　cold　cooked　meat　and　two　biscuits。　He　offered