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第7节

the night-born-第7节

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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

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