the night-born-第23节

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into　the　roan　as　to　force　a　surprised　groan　from　the　animal　as

it　leaped　forward。　At　the　comer　of　the　barn　he　saw　the

intruder；　a　mere　boy　of　nineteen　or　twenty　for　all　of　his

uniform　jump　back　to　escape　being　run　down。　At　the　same　moment

the　roan　swerved　and　its　rider　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　aroused

men　by　the　house。　Some　were　springing　from　their　horses；　and　he

could　see　the　rifles　going　to　their　shoulders。　He　passed　the

kitchen　door　and　the　dried　corpses　swinging　in　the　shade；

compelling　his　foes　to　run　around　the　front　of　the　house。　A

rifle　cracked；　and　a　second；　but　he　was　going　fast；　leaning

forward；　low　in　the　saddle；　one　hand　clutching　the　shirt　of

apples；　the　other　guiding　the　horse。



The　top　bar　of　the　fence　was　four　feet　high；　but　he　knew　his

roan　and　leaped　it　at　full　career　to　the　accompaniment　of

several　scattered　shots。　Eight　hundred　yards　straight　away　were

the　woods；　and　the　roan　was　covering　the　distance　with　mighty

strides。　Every　man　was　now　firing。　pumping　their　guns　so

rapidly　that　he　no　longer　heard　individual　shots。　A　bullet　went

through　his　hat；　but　he　was　unaware；　though　he　did　know　when

another　tore　through　the　apples　on　the　pommel。　And　he　winced

and　ducked　even　lower　when　a　third　bullet；　fired　low；　struck　a

stone　between　his　horse's　legs　and　ricochetted　off　through　the

air；　buzzing　and　humming　like　some　incredible　insect。



The　shots　died　down　as　the　magazines　were　emptied；　until；

quickly；　there　was　no　more　shooting。　The　young　man　was　elated。

Through　that　astonishing　fusillade　he　had　come　unscathed。　He

glanced　back。　Yes；　they　had　emptied　their　magazines。　He　could

see　several　reloading。　Others　were　running　back　behind　the

house　for　their　horses。　As　he　looked；　two　already　mounted；　came

back　into　view　around　the　comer；　riding　hard。　And　at　the　same

moment；　he　saw　the　man　with　the　unmistakable　ginger　beard　kneel

down　on　the　ground；　level　his　gun；　and　coolly　take　his　time　for

the　long　shot。



The　young　man　threw　his　spurs　into　the　horse；　crouched　very

low；　and　swerved　in　his　flight　in　order　to　distract　the　other's

aim。　And　still　the　shot　did　not　come。　With　each　jump　of　the

horse；　the　woods　sprang　nearer。　They　were　only　two　hundred

yards　away　and　still　the　shot　was　delayed。



And　then　he　heard　it；　the　last　thing　he　was　to　hear；　for　he　was

dead　ere　he　hit　the　ground　in　the　long　crashing　fall　from　the

saddle。　And　they；　watching　at　the　house；　saw　him　fall；　saw　his

body　bounce　when　it　struck　the　earth；　and　saw　the　burst　of

red…cheeked　apples　that　rolled　about　him。　They　laughed　at　the

unexpected　eruption　of　apples；　and　clapped　their　hands　in

applause　of　the　long　shot　by　the　man　with　the　ginger　beard。







UNDER　THE　DECK　AWNINGS　



〃CAN　any　mana　gentleman；　I　meancall　a　woman　a　pig？〃



The　little　man　flung　this　challenge　forth　to　the　whole　group；

then　leaned　back　in　his　deck　chair；　sipping　lemonade　with　an

air　commingled　of　certitude　and　watchful　belligerence。　Nobody

made　answer。　They　were　used　to　the　little　man　and　his　sudden

passions　and　high　elevations。



〃I　repeat；　it　was　in　my　presence　that　he　said　a　certain　lady；

whom　none　of　you　knows；　was　a　pig。　He　did　not　say　swine。　He

grossly　said　that　she　was　a　pig。　And　I　hold　that　no　man　who　is

a　man　could　possibly　make　such　a　remark　about　any　woman。〃



Dr。　Dawson　puffed　stolidly　at　his　black　pipe。　Matthews；　with

knees　hunched　up　and　clasped　by　his　arms；　was　absorbed　in　the

flight　of　a　gunie。　Sweet；　finishing　his　Scotch　and　soda；　was

questing　about　with　his　eyes　for　a　deck　steward。



〃I　ask　you；　Mr。　Treloar；　can　any　man　call　any　woman　a　pig？〃



Treloar；　who　happened　to　be　sitting　next　to　him；　was　startled

by　the　abruptness　of　the　attack；　and　wondered　what　grounds　he

had　ever　given　the　little　man　to　believe　that　he　could　call　a

woman　a　pig。



〃I　should　say；〃　he　began　his　hesitant　answer；　〃that

iterdepends　on　theerthe　lady。〃



The　little　man　was　aghast。



〃You　mean　。　。　。？〃　he　quavered。



〃That　I　have　seen　female　humans　who　were　as　bad　as　pigsand

worse。〃



There　was　a　long　pained　silence。　The　little　man　seemed　withered

by　the　coarse　brutality　of　the　reply。　In　his　face　was

unutterable　hurt　and　woe。



〃You　have　told　of　a　man　who　made　a　not　nice　remark　and　you　have

classified　him；〃　Treloar　said　in　cold；　even　tones。　〃I　shall　now

tell　you　about　a　womanI　beg　your　pardona　lady；　and　when　I

have　finished　I　shall　ask　you　to　classify　her。　Miss　Caruthers　I

shall　call　her；　principally　for　the　reason　that　it　is　not　her

name。　It　was　on　a　P。　&　0。　boat；　and　it　occurred　neither　more

nor　less　than　several　years　ago。



〃Miss　Caruthers　was　charming。　No；　that　is　not　the　word。　She　was

amazing。　She　was　a　young　woman；　and　a　lady。　Her　father　was　a

certain　high　official　whose　name；　if　I　mentioned　it；　would　be

immediately　recognized　by　all　of　you。　She　was　with　her　mother

and　two　maids　at　the　time；　going　out　to　join　the　old　gentleman

wherever　you　like　to　wish　in　the　East。



〃She；　and　pardon　me　for　repeating；　was　amazing。　It　is　the　one

adequate　word。　Even　the　most　minor　adjectives　applicable　to　her

are　bound　to　be　sheer　superlatives。　There　was　nothing　she　could

not　do　better　than　any　woman　and　than　most　men。　Sing；

playbah！as　some　rhetorician　once　said　of　old　Nap；

competition　fled　from　her。　Swim！　She　could　have　made　a　fortune

and　a　name　as　a　public　performer。　She　was　one　of　those　rare

women　who　can　strip　off　all　the　frills　of　dress；　and　in　simple

swimming　suit　be　more　satisfying　beautiful。　Dress！　She　was　an

artist。



〃But　her　swimming。　Physically；　she　was　the　perfect　womanyou

know　what　I　mean；　not　in　the　gross；　muscular　way　of　acrobats；

but　in　all　the　delicacy　of　line　and　fragility　of　frame　and

texture。　And　combined　with　this；　strength。　How　she　could　do　it

was　the　marvel。　You　know　the　wonder　of　a　woman's　armthe　fore

arm；　I　mean；　the　sweet　fading　away　from　rounded　biceps　and　hint

of　muscle；　down　through　small　elbow　and　firm　soft　swell　to　the

wrist；　small；　unthinkably　small　and　round　and　strong。　This　was

hers。　And　yet；　to　see　her　swimming　the　sharp　quick　English

overhand　stroke；　and　getting　somewhere　with　it；　too；　waswell；

I　understand　anatomy　and　athletics　and　such　things；　and　yet　it

was　a　mystery　to　me　how　she　could　do　it。



〃She　could　stay　under　water　for　two　minutes。　I　have　timed　her。

No　man　on　board；　except　Dennitson；　could　capture　as　many　coins

as　she　with　a　single　dive。　On　the　forward　main…deck　was　a　big

canvas　tank　with　six　feet　of　sea…water。　We　used　to　toss　small

coins　into　it。　I　have　seen　her　dive　from　the　bridge　deckno

mean　feat　in　itselfinto　that　six…feet　of　water；　and　fetch　up

no　less　than　forty…seven　coins；　scattered　willy…nilly　over　the

whole　bottom　of　the　tank。　Dennitson；　a　quiet　young　Englishman；

never　exceeded　her　in　this；　though　he　made　it　a　point　always　to

tie　her　score。



〃She　was　a　sea…woman；　true。　But　she　was　a　land…woman；　a

horsewomanashe　was　the　universal　woman。　To　see　her；　all

softness　of　soft　dress；　surrounded　by　half　a　dozen　eager　men；

languidly　careless　of　them　all　or　flashing　brightness　and　wit

on　them　and　at　them　and　through　them；　one　would　fancy　she　was

good　for　nothing　else　in　the　world。　At　such　moments　I　have

compelled　myself　to　remember　her　score　of　forty…seven　coins

from　the　bottom　of　the　swimming　tank。　But　that　was　she；　the

everlasting；　wonder　of　a　woman　who　did　all　things　well。



〃She　fascinated　every　betrousered　human　around　her。　She　had

meand　I　don't　mind　confessing　itshe　bad　me　to　heel　along

with　the　rest。　Young　puppies　and　old　gray　dogs　who　ought　to

have　known　betteroh；　they　all　came　up　and　crawled　around　her

skirts　and　whined　and　fawned　when　she　whistled。　They　were　all

guilty；　from　young　Ardmore；　a　pink　cherub　of　nineteen　outward

bound　for　some　clerkship　in　the　Consular　Service；　to　old

Captain　Bentley；　grizzled　and　sea…worn；　and　as　emotional；　to

look　at；　as　a　Chinese　joss。　There　was　a　nice　middle…aged　chap；

Perkins；　I　believe；　who　forgot　his　wife　was　on　board　until　Miss

Caruthers　sent　him　to　the　right　about　and　back　where　he

belonged。



〃Men　were　wax　in　her　hands。　She　melted　them；　or　softly　molded

them；　or　incinerated　them；　as　she　pleased。　There　wasn't　a

steward；　even；　grand　and　remote　as　she　was；　who；　at　her

bidding；　would　have　hesitated　to　souse　the　Old　Man　himself　with

a　plate　of　soup。　You　have　all　seen　such　womena　sort　of

world's　desire　to　all　men。　As　a　man…conqueror　she　was　supreme。

She　was　a　whip…lash；　a　sting　and　a　flame；　an　electric　spark。

Oh；　believe　me；　at　times　there　were　flashes　of　will　that

scorched　through　her　beauty　and　seduction　and　smote　a　victim

into　blank　and　shivering　idiocy　and　fear。



〃And　don't　fail　to　mark；　in　the　light　of　what　is　to　come；　that

she　was　a　prideful　woman。　Pride　of　race；　pride　of　caste；　pride

of　sex；　pride　of　powershe　had　it　all；　a　pride　strange　and

wilful　and　terrible。



〃She　ran　the　ship；　she　ran　the　voyage；　she　ran　everyt