the trees of pride-第7节

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e；　and　there　was　nothing　about　him　but　the　New　World。

〃I　guess　I　will　look　into　this　myself；〃　he　said；　stretching　his　long　limbs　like　an　athlete。　　〃I　search　that　little　wood　of　yours　to…morrow。　It's　a　bit　late；　or　I'd　do　it　now。〃

〃The　wood　has　been　searched；〃　said　the　lawyer；　rising　also。

〃Yes；〃　drawled　the　American。　　〃It's　been　searched　by　servants；　policemen；　local　policeman；　and　quite　a　lot　of　people；　and　do　you　know　I　have　a　notion　that　nobody　round　here　is　likely　to　have　searched　it　at　all。〃

〃And　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　it？〃　asked　Ashe。

〃What　I　bet　they　haven't　done；〃　replied　Cyprian。　　〃I'm　going　to　climb　a　tree。〃

And　with　a　quaint　air　of　renewed　cheerfulness　he　took　himself　away　at　a　rapid　walk　to　his　inn。

He　appeared　at　daybreak　next　morning　outside　the　Vane　Arms　with　all　the　air　of　one　setting　out　on　his　travels　in　distant　lands。　He　had　a　field　glass　slung　over　his　shoulder；　and　a　very　large　sheath　knife　buckled　by　a　belt　round　his　waist；　and　carried　with　the　cool　bravado　of　the　bowie　knife　of　a　cowboy。　But　in　spite　of　this　backwoodsman's　simplicity；　or　perhaps　rather　because　of　it；　he　eyed　with　rising　relish　the　picturesque　plan　and　sky　line　of　the　antiquated　village；　and　especially　the　wooden　square　of　the　old　inn　sign　that　hung　over　his　head；　a　shield；　of　which　the　charges　seemed　to　him　a　mere　medley　of　blue　dolphins；　gold　crosses；　and　scarlet　birds。　　The　colors　and　cubic　corners　of　that　painted　board　pleased　him　like　a　play　or　a　puppet　show。　He　stood　staring　and　straddling　for　some　moments　on　the　cobbles　of　the　little　market　place；　then　he　gave　a　short　laugh　and　began　to　mount　the　steep　streets　toward　the　high　park　and　garden　beyond。　From　the　high　lawn；　above　the　tree　and　table；　he　could　see　on　one　side　the　land　stretch　away　past　the　house　into　a　great　rolling　plain；　which　under　the　clear　edges　of　the　dawn　seemed　dotted　with　picturesque　details。　　The　woods　here　and　there　on　the　plain　looked　like　green　hedgehogs；　as　grotesque　as　the　incongruous　beasts　found　unaccountably　walking　in　the　blank　spaces　of　mediaeval　maps。　The　land；　cut　up　into　colored　fields；　recalled　the　heraldry　of　the　signboard；　this　also　was　at　once　ancient　and　gay。　On　the　other　side　the　ground　to　seaward　swept　down　and　then　up　again　to　the　famous　or　infamous　wood；　the　square　of　strange　trees　lay　silently　tilted　on　the　slope；　also　suggesting；　if　not　a　map；　or　least　a　bird's…eye　view。　　Only　the　triple　centerpiece　of　the　peacock　trees　rose　clear　of　the　sky　line；　and　these　stood　up　in　tranquil　sunlight　as　things　almost　classical；　a　triangular　temple　of　the　winds。　　They　seemed　pagan　in　a　newer　and　more　placid　sense；　and　he　felt　a　newer　and　more　boyish　curiosity　and　courage　for　the　consulting　of　the　oracle。　In　all　his　wanderings　he　had　never　walked　so　lightly；　for　the　connoisseur　of　sensations　had　found　something　to　do　at　last；　he　was　fighting　for　a　friend。

He　was　brought　to　a　standstill　once；　however；　and　that　at　the　very　gateway　of　the　garden　of　the　trees　of　knowledge。　just　outside　the　black　entry　of　the　wood；　now　curtained　with　greener　and　larger　leafage；　he　came　on　a　solitary　figure。

It　was　Martin；　the　woodcutter；　wading　in　the　bracken　and　looking　about　him　in　rather　a　lost　fashion。　　The　man　seemed　to　be　talking　to　himself。

〃I　dropped　it　here；〃　he　was　saying。　　〃But　I'll　never　work　with　it　again　I　reckon。　　Doctor　wouldn't　let　me　pick　it　up；　when　I　wanted　to　pick　it　up；　and　now　they've　got　it；　like　they've　got　the　Squire。　　Wood　and　iron；　wood　and　iron；　but　eating　it's　nothing　to　them。〃

〃Come！〃　said　Paynter　kindly；　remembering　the　man's　domestic　trouble。　〃Miss　Vane　will　see　you　have　anything　you　want；　I　know。　　And　look　here；　don't　brood　on　all　those　stories　about　the　Squire。　　Is　there　the　slightest　trace　of　the　trees　having　anything　to　do　with　it？　Is　there　even　this　extra　branch　the　idiots　talked　about？〃

There　had　been　growing　on　Paynter　the　suspicion　that　the　man　before　him　was　not　perfectly　sane；　yet　he　was　much　more　startled　by　the　sudden　and　cold　sanity　that　looked　for。　　an　instant　out　of　the　woodman's　eyes；　as　he　answered　in　his　ordinary　manner。

〃Well；　sir；　did　you　count　the　branches　before？〃

Then　he　seemed　to　relapse；　and　Paynter　left　him　wandering　and　wavering　in　the　undergrowth；　and　entered　the　wood　like　one　across　whose　sunny　path　a　shadow　has　fallen　for　an　instant。

Diving　under　the　wood；　he　was　soon　threading　a　leafy　path　which；　even　under　that　summer　sun；　shone　only　with　an　emerald　twilight；　as　if　it　were　on　the　floor　of　the　sea。　　It　wound　about　more　shakily　than　he　had　supposed；　as　if　resolved　to　approach　the　central　trees　as　if　they　were　the　heart　of　the　maze　at　Hampton　Court。　　They　were　the　heart　of　the　maze　for　him；　anyhow；　he　sought　them　as　straight　as　a　crooked　road　would　carry　him；　and；　turning　a　final　corner；　he　beheld；　for　the　first　time；　the　foundations　of　those　towers　of　vegetation　he　had　as　yet　only　seen　from　above；　as　they　stood　waist…high　in　the　woodland。　He　found　the　suspicion　correct　which　supposed　the　tree　branched　from　one　great　root；　like　a　candelabrum；　the　fork；　though　stained　and　slimy　with　green　fungoids；　was　quite　near　the　ground；　and　offered　a　first　foothold。　He　put　his　foot　in　it；　and　without　a　flash　of　hesitation　went　aloft；　like　Jack　climbing　the　Bean　stalk。

Above　him　the　green　roof　of　leaves　and　boughs　seemed　sealed　like　a　firmament　of　foliage；　but；　by　bending　and　breaking　the　branches　to　right　and　left　he　slowly　forced　a　passage　upward；　and　had　at　last；　and　suddenly；　the　sensation　coming　out　on　the　top　of　the　world。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　never　been　in　the　open　air　before。　Sea　and　land　lay　in　a　circle　below　and　about　him；　as　he　sat　astride　a　branch　of　the　tall　tree；　he　was　almost　surprised　to　see　the　sun　still　comparatively　low　in　the　sky；　as　if　he　were　looking　over　a　land　of　eternal　sunrise。

〃Silent　upon　a　peak　in　Darien；〃　he　remarked；　in　a　needlessly　loud　and　cheerful　voice；　and　though　the　claim；　thus　expressed；　was　illogical；　it　was　not　inappropriate。　　He　did　feel　as　if　he　were　a　primitive　adventurer　just　come　to　the　New　World；　instead　of　a　modern　traveler　just　come　from　it。

〃I　wonder；〃　he　proceeded；　〃whether　I　am　really　the　first　that　ever　burst　into　this　silent　tree。　　It　looks　like　it。　　Those〃

He　stopped　and　sat　on　his　branch　quite　motionless；　but　his　eyes　were　turned　on　a　branch　a　little　below　it；　and　they　were　brilliant　with　a　vigilance；　like　those　of　a　man　watching　a　snake。

What　he　was　looking　at　might；　at　first　sight；　have　been　a　large　white　fungus　spreading　on　the　smooth　and　monstrous　trunk；　but　it　was　not。

Leaning　down　dangerously　from　his　perch；　he　detached　it　from　the　twig　on　which　it　had　caught；　and　then　sat　holding　it　in　his　hand　and　gazing　at　it。　　It　was　Squire　Vane's　white　Panama　hat；　but　there　was　no　Squire　Vane　under　it。　　Paynter　felt　a　nameless　relief　in　the　very　fact　that　there　was　not。

There　in　the　clear　sunlight　and　sea　air；　for　an　instant；　all　the　tropical　terrors　of　his　own　idle　tale　surrounded　and　suffocated　him。　It　seemed　indeed　some　demon　tree　of　the　swamps；　a　vegetable　serpent　that　fed　on　men。　　Even　the　hideous　farce　in　the　fancy　of　digesting　a　whole　man　with　the　exception　of　his　hat；　seemed　only　to　simplify　the　nightmare。　And　he　found　himself　gazing　dully　at　one　leaf　of　the　tree；　which　happened　to　be　turned　toward　him；　so　that　the　odd　markings；　which　had　partly　made　the　legend；　really　looked　a　little　like　the　eye　in　a　peacock's　feather。　It　was　as　if　the　sleeping　tree　had　opened　one　eye　upon　him。

With　a　sharp　effort　he　steadied　himself　in　mind　and　posture　on　the　bough；　his　reason　returned；　and　he　began　to　descend　with　the　hat　in　his　teeth。　When　he　was　back　in　the　underworld　of　the　wood；　he　studied　the　hat　again　and　with　closer　attention。　　In　one　place　in　the　crown　there　was　a　hole　or　rent；　which　certainly　had　not　been　there　when　it　had　last　lain　on　the　table　under　the　garden　tree。　　He　sat　down；　lit　a　cigarette；　and　reflected　for　a　long　time。

A　wood；　even　a　small　wood；　is　not　an　easy　thing　to　search　minutely；　but　he　provided　himself　with　some　practical　tests　in　the　matter。　In　one　sense　the　very　density　of　the　thicket　was　a　help；　he　could　at　least　see　where　anyone　had　strayed　from　the　path；　by　broken　and　trampled　growths　of　every　kind。　　After　many　hours'　industry；　he　had　made　a　sort　of　new　map　of　the　place；　and　had　decided　beyond　doubt　that　some　person　or　persons　had　so　strayed；　for　some　purpose；　in　several　defined　directions。　There　was　a　way　burst　through　the　bushes；　making　a　short　cut　across　a　loop　of　the　wandering　path；　there　was　another　forking　out　from　it　as　an　alternative　way　into　the　central　space。　But　there　was　one　especially　which　was　unique；　and　which　seemed　to　him；　the　more　he　studied　it；　to　point　to　some　essential　of　the　mystery。

One　of　these　beaten　and　broken　tracks　went　from　the　space　under　the　peacock　trees　outward　into　the　wood　for　about　twenty　yards　and　then　stopped。　　Beyond　that　point　not　a　twig　was　broken　nor　a　leaf　disturbed。　　It　had　no　exit；　but　he　could　not　believe　that　it　had　no　goal。　　After　some　further　reflection；　he　knelt　down　and　began　to　cut　away　grass　and　clay　with　his　knife；　and　was　surprised　at　the　ease　with　which　they　detached　themselves。　In　a　few　moments　a　whole　section　of　the　soil　lifted　l