the night-born-第7节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



were　clenched　tight　on　the　railing　of　the　box。



All　fight　was　now　out　of　the　bull；　and；　though　it　was　no　vital

thrust；　he　trotted　lamely　what　of　the　sword　that　stuck　through

him；　in　one　side　and　out　the　other。　He　ran　away　from　the

matador　and　the　capadors；　and　circled　the　edge　of　the　ring；

looking　up　at　the　many　faces。



〃He　is　saying：　'For　God's　sake　let　me　out　of　this；　I　don't　want

to　fight；'〃　said　John　Harned。



That　was　all。　He　said　no　more；　but　sat　and　watched；　though

sometimes　he　looked　sideways　at　Maria　Valenzuela　to　see　how　she

took　it。　She　was　angry　with　the　matador。　He　was　awkward；　and

she　had　desired　a　clever　exhibition。



The　bull　was　now　very　tired；　and　weak　from　loss　of　blood；

though　far　from　dying。　He　walked　slowly　around　the　wall　of　the

ring；　seeking　a　way　out。　He　would　not　charge。　He　had　had

enough。　But　he　must　be　killed。　There　is　a　place；　in　the　neck　of

a　bull　behind　the　horns；　where　the　cord　of　the　spine　is

unprotected　and　where　a　short　stab　will　immediately　kill。

Ordonez　stepped　in　front　of　the　bull　and　lowered　his　scarlet

cloth　to　the　ground。　The　bull　would　not　charge。　He　stood　still

and　smelled　the　cloth；　lowering　his　head　to　do　so。　Ordonez

stabbed　between　the　horns　at　the　spot　in　the　neck。　The　bull

jerked　his　head　up。　The　stab　had　missed。　Then　the　bull　watched

the　sword。　When　Ordonez　moved　the　cloth　on　the　ground；　the　bull

forgot　the　sword　and　lowered　his　head　to　smell　the　cloth。　Again

Ordonez　stabbed；　and　again　he　failed。　He　tried　many　times。　It

was　stupid。　And　John　Harned　said　nothing。　At　last　a　stab　went

home；　and　the　bull　fell　to　the　sand；　dead　immediately；　and　the

mules　were　made　fast　and　he　was　dragged　out。



〃The　Gringos　say　it　is　a　cruel　sportno？〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。

〃That　it　is　not　humane。　That　it　is　bad　for　the　bull。　No？〃



〃No；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃The　bull　does　not　count　for　much。　It

is　bad　for　those　that　look　on。　It　is　degrading　to　those　that

look　on。　It　teaches　them　to　delight　in　animal　suffering。　It　is

cowardly　for　five　men　to　fight　one　stupid　bull。　Therefore　those

that　look　on　learn　to　be　cowards。　The　bull　dies；　but　those　that

look　on　live　and　the　lesson　is　learned。　The　bravery　of　men　is

not　nourished　by　scenes　of　cowardice。〃



Maria　Valenzuela　said　nothing。　Neither　did　she　look　at　him。　But

she　heard　every　word　and　her　cheeks　were　white　with　anger。　She

looked　out　across　the　ring　and　fanned　herself；　but　I　saw　that

her　hand　trembled。　Nor　did　John　Harned　look　at　her。　He　went　on

as　though　she　were　not　there。　He；　too；　was　angry；　coldly　angry。



〃It　is　the　cowardly　sport　of　a　cowardly　people；〃　he　said。



〃Ah；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos　softly；　〃you　think　you　understand

us。〃



〃I　understand　now　the　Spanish　Inquisition；〃　said　John　Harned。

〃It　must　have　been　more　delightful　than　bull…fighting。〃



Luis　Cervallos　smiled　but　said　nothing。　He　glanced　at　Maria

Valenzuela；　and　knew　that　the　bull…fight　in　the　box　was　won。

Never　would　she　have　further　to　do　with　the　Gringo　who　spoke

such　words。　But　neither　Luis　Cervallos　nor　I　was　prepared　for

the　outcome　of　the　day。　I　fear　we　do　not　understand　the

Gringos。　How　were　we　to　know　that　John　Harned；　who　was　so

coldly　angry；　should　go　suddenly　mad！　But　mad　he　did　go；　as　you

shall　see。　The　bull　did　not　count　for　muchhe　said　so　himself。

Then　why　should　the　horse　count　for　so　much？　That　I　cannot

understand。　The　mind　of　John　Harned　lacked　logic。　That　is　the

only　explanation。



〃It　is　not　usual　to　have　horses　in　the　bull…ring　at　Quito；〃

said　Luis　Cervallos；　looking　up　from　the　program。　〃In　Spain

they　always　have　them。　But　to…day；　by　special　permission　we

shall　have　them。　When　the　next　bull　comes　on　there　will　be

horses　and　picadors…you　know；　the　men　who　carry　lances　and　ride

the　horses。〃



〃The　bull　is　doomed　from　the　first；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃Are　the

horses　then　likewise　doomed！〃



〃They　are　blindfolded　so　that　they　may　not　see　the　bull；〃　said

Luis　Cervallos。　〃I　have　seen　many　horses　killed。　It　is　a　brave

sight。〃



〃I　have　seen　the　bull　slaughtered；〃　said　John　Harned　〃I　will

now　see　the　horse　slaughtered；　so　that　I　may　understand　more

fully　the　fine　points　of　this　noble　sport。〃



〃They　are　old　horses；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos；　〃that　are　not　good

for　anything　else。〃



〃I　see；〃　said　John　Harned。



The　third　bull　came　on；　and　soon　against　it　were　both　capadors

and　picadors。　One　picador　took　his　stand　directly　below　us。　I

agree；　it　was　a　thin　and　aged　horse　he　rode；　a　bag　of　bones

covered　with　mangy　hide。



〃It　is　a　marvel　that　the　poor　brute　can　hold　up　the　weight　of

the　rider；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃And　now　that　the　horse　fights

the　bull；　what　weapons　has　it？〃



〃The　horse　does　not　fight　the　bull；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。



〃Oh；〃　said　John　Harned；　〃then　is　the　horse　there　to　be　gored？

That　must　be　why　it　is　blindfolded；　so　that　it　shall　not　see

the　bull　coming　to　gore　it。〃



〃Not　quite　so；〃　said　I。　〃The　lance　of　the　picador　is　to　keep

the　bull　from　goring　the　horse。〃



〃Then　are　horses　rarely　gored？〃　asked　John　Harned。



〃No；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。　〃I　have　seen；　at　Seville；　eighteen

horses　killed　in　one　day；　and　the　people　clamored　for　more

horses。〃



〃Were　they　blindfolded　like　this　horse？〃　asked　John　Harned。



〃Yes；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。



After　that　we　talked　no　more；　but　watched　the　fight。　And　John

Harned　was　going　mad　all　the　time；　and　we　did　not　know。　The

bull　refused　to　charge　the　horse。　And　the　horse　stood　still；

and　because　it　could　not　see　it　did　not　know　that　the　capadors

were　trying　to　make　the　bull　charge　upon　it。　The　capadors

teased　the　bull　their　capes；　and　when　it　charged　them　they　ran

toward　the　horse　and　into　their　shelters。　At　last　the　bull　was

angry；　and　it　saw　the　horse　before　it。



〃The　horse　does　not　know；　the　horse　does　not　know；〃　John　Harned

whispered　to　himself；　unaware　that　he　voiced　his　thought　aloud。



The　bull　charged；　and　of　course　the　horse　knew　nothing　till　the

picador　failed　and　the　horse　found　himself　impaled　on　the

bull's　horns　from　beneath。　The　bull　was　magnificently　strong。

The　sight　of　its　strength　was　splendid　to　see。　It　lifted　the

horse　clear　into　the　air；　and　as　the　horse　fell　to　its　side　on

on　the　ground　the　picador　landed　on　his　feet　and　escaped；　while

the　capadors　lured　the　bull　away。　The　horse　was　emptied　of　its

essential　organs。　Yet　did　it　rise　to　its　feet　screaming。　It　was

the　scream　of　the　horse　that　did　it；　that　made　John　Harned

completely　mad；　for　he；　too；　started　to　rise　to　his　feet；　I

heard　him　curse　low　and　deep。　He　never　took　his　eyes　from　the

horse；　which；　screaming；　strove　to　run；　but　fell　down　instead

and　rolled　on　its　back　so　that　all　its　four　legs　were　kicking

in　the　air。　Then　the　bull　charged　it　and　gored　it　again　and

again　until　it　was　dead。



John　Harned　was　now　on　his　feet。　His　eyes　were　no　longer　cold

like　steel。　They　were　blue　flames。　He　looked　at　Maria

Valenzuela；　and　she　looked　at　him；　and　in　his　face　was　a　great

loathing。　The　moment　of　his　madness　was　upon　him。　Everybody　was

looking；　now　that　the　horse　was　dead；　and　John　Harned　was　a

large　man　and　easy　to　be　seen。



〃Sit　down；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos；　〃or　you　will　make　a　fool　of

yourself。〃



John　Harned　replied　nothing。　He　struck　out　his　fist。　He　smote

Luis　Cervallos　in　the　face　so　that　he　fell　like　a　dead　man

across　the　chairs　and　did　not　rise　again。　He　saw　nothing　of

what　followed。　But　I　saw　much。　Urcisino　Castillo；　leaning

forward　from　the　next　box；　with　his　cane　struck　John　Harned

full　across　the　face。　And　John　Harned　smote　him　with　his　fist

so　that　in　falling　he　overthrew　General　Salazar。　John　Harned

was　now　in　what…you…call　Berserker　rageno？　The　beast

primitive　in　him　was　loose　and　roaringthe　beast　primitive　of

the　holes　and　caves　of　the　long　ago。



〃You　came　for　a　bull…fight；〃　I　heard　him　say；　〃And　by　God　I'll

show　you　a　man…fight！〃



It　was　a　fight。　The　soldiers　guarding　the　Presidente's　box

leaped　across；　but　from　one　of　them　he　took　a　rifle　and　beat

them　on　their　heads　with　it。　From　the　other　box　Colonel　Jacinto

Fierro　was　shooting　at　him　with　a　revolver。　The　first　shot

killed　a　soldier。　This　I　know　for　a　fact。　I　saw　it。　But　the

second　shot　struck　John　Harned　in　the　side。　Whereupon　he　swore；

and　with　a　lunge　drove　the　bayonet　of　his　rifle　into　Colonel

Jacinto　Fierro's　body。　It　was　horrible　to　behold。　The　Americans

and　the　English　are　a　brutal　race。　They　sneer　at　our

bull…fighting；　yet　do　they　delight　in　the　shedding　of　blood。

More　men　were　killed　that　day　because　of　John　Harned　than　were

ever　killed　in　all　the　history　of　the　bull…ring　of　Quito；　yes；

and　of　Guayaquil　and　all　Ecuador。



It　was　the　scream　of　the　horse　that　did　it；　yet　why　did　not

John　Harned　go　mad　when　the　bull　was　killed？　A　beast　is　a

beast；　be　it　bull　or　horse。　John　Harned　was　mad。　There　is　no

other　explanation。　He　was　blood…mad；　a　beast　himself。　I　leave

it　to　your　judg