tartarin of tarascon-第16节

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s　the　settler；　and　he　hammers　the　Arab；　the　Arab　smites　the　Negro；　the　Negro　beats　the　Jew；　and　he　takes　it　out　of　the　donkey。　　The　poor　bourriquot　having　nobody　to　belabour；　arches　up　his　back　and　bears　it　all。'　You　see　clearly　now　that　he　can　bear　your　boxes。〃

〃All　the　same；〃　remonstrated　Tartarin；　〃it　strikes　me　that　jackasses　will　not　chime　in　nicely　with　the　effect　of　our　caravan。　I　want　　something　more　Oriental。　For　instance；　if　we　could　only　get　a　camel〃　

〃As　many　as　you　like；〃　said　His　Highness；　and　off　they　started　for　the　Arab　mart。

It　was　held　a　few　miles　away；　on　the　banks　of　the　Shelliff。　　There　were　five　or　six　thousand　Arabs　in　tatters　here；　grovelling　in　the　sunshine　and　noisily　trafficking；　amid　jars　of　black　olives；　pots　of　honey；　bags　of　spices；　and　great　heaps　of　cigars；　huge　fires　were　roasting　whole　sheep；　basted　with　butter；　in　open　air　slaughter…　houses　stark　naked　Negroes；　with　ruddy　arms　and　their　feet　in　gore；　were　cutting　up　kids　hanging　from　crosspoles；　with　small　knives。

In　one　corner；　under　a　tent　patched　with　a　thousand　colours；　a　Moorish　clerk　of　the　market　in　spectacles　scrawled　in　a　large　book。　Here　was　a　cluster　of　men　shouting　with　rage：　it　was　a　spinning…　jenny　game；　set　on　a　corn…measure；　and　Kabyles　were　ready　to　cut　one　another's　throats　over　it。　　Yonder　were　laughs　and　contortions　of　delight：　it　was　a　Jew　trader　on　a　mule　drowning　in　the　Shelliff。　Then　there　were　dogs；　scorpions；　ravens；　and　flies　　rather　flies　than　anything　else。

But　a　plentiful　lack　of　camels　abounded。　They　finally　unearthed　one；　though；　of　which　the　M'zabites　were　trying　to　get　rid　　the　real　ship　of　the　desert；　the　classical；　standard　camel；　bald；　woe…　begone；　with　a　long　Bedouin　head；　and　its　hump；　become　limp　in　consequence　of　unduly　long　fasts；　hanging　melancholically　on　one　side。

Tartarin　considered　it　so　handsome　that　he　wanted　the　entire　party　to　get　upon　it。　Still　his　Oriental　craze！

The　beast　knelt　down　for　them　to　strap　on　the　boxes

The　prince　enthroned　himself　on　the　animal's　neck。　　For　the　sake　of　the　greater　majesty；　Tartarin　got　them　to　hoist　him　on　the　top　of　the　hump　between　two　boxes；　where；　proud；　and　cosily　settled　down；　he　saluted　the　whole　market　with　a　lofty　wave　of　the　hand；　and　gave　the　signal　of　departure。

Thunderation！　if　the　people　of　Tarascon　could　only　have　seen　him！

The　camel　rose；　straightened　up　its　long　knotty　legs；　and　stepped　out。

Oh；　stupor！　　At　the　end　of　a　few　strides　Tartarin　felt　he　was　losing　colour；　and　the　heroic　chechia　assumed　one　by　one　its　former　positions　in　the　days　of　sailing　in　the　Zouave。　This　devil's　own　camel　pitched　and　tossed　like　a　frigate。

〃Prance！　prance！〃　〃　gasped　Tartarin　pallid　as　a　ghost；　as　he　clung　to　the　dry　tuft　of　the　hump；　〃prance；　let's　get　down。　I　find　　I　feel　that　I　m…m…must　get　off；　or　I　shall　disgrace　France。〃

A　deal　of　good　that　talk　was　　the　camel　was　on　the　go；　and　nothing　could　stop　it。　Behind　it　raced　four　thousand　barefooted　Arabs；　waving　their　hands　and　laughing　like　mad；　so　that　they　made　six　hundred　thousand　white　teeth　glitter　in　the　sun。

The　great　man　of　Tarascon　had　to　resign　himself　to　circumstances。　He　sadly　collapsed　on　the　hump；　where　the　fez　took　all　the　positions　it　fancied；　and　France　was　disgraced。



V。　The　Night…watch　in　a　Poison…tree　Grove。


SWEETLY　picturesque　as　was　their　new　steed；　our　lion…hunters　had　to　give　it　up；　purely　out　of　consideration　for　the　red　cap；　of　course。　　So　they　continued　the　journey　on　foot　as　before；　the　caravan　tranquilly　proceeding　southwardly　by　short　stages；　the　Tarasconian　in　the　van；　the　Montenegrin　in　the　rear；　and　the　camel；　with　the　weapons　in　their　cases；　in　the　ranks。

The　expedition　lasted　nearly　a　month。

During　that　seeking　for　lions　which　he　never　found；　the　dreadful　Tartarin　roamed　from　douar　to　douar　on　the　immense　plain　of　the　Shelliff；　through　the　odd　but　formidable　French　Algeria；　where　the　old　Oriental　perfumes　are　complicated　by　a　strong　blend　of　absinthe　and　the　barracks；　Abraham　and　〃the　Zouzou〃　mingled；　something　fairy…tale…like　and　simply　burlesque；　like　a　page　of　the　Old　Testament　related　by　Tommy　Atkins。

A　curious　sight　for　those　who　have　eyes　that　can　see。

A　wild　and　corrupted　people　whom　we　are　civilising　by　teaching　them　our　vices。　　The　ferocious　and　uncontrolled　authority　of　grotesque　bashaws；　who　gravely　use　their　grand　cordons　of　the　Legion　of　Honour　as　handkerchiefs；　and　for　a　mere　yea　or　nay　order　a　man　to　be　bastinadoed。　　It　is　the　justice　of　the　conscienceless；　bespectacled　cadis　under　the　palm…tree；　Maw…　worms　of　the　Koran　and　Law；　who　dream　languidly　of　promotion　and　sell　their　decrees；　as　Esau　did　his　birthright；　for　a　dish　of　lentils　or　sweetened　kouskous。　　Drunken　and　libertine　cadis　are　they；　formerly　servants　to　some　General　Yusuf　or　the　like；　who　get　intoxicated　on　champagne；　along　with　laundresses　from　Port　Mahon；　and　fatten　on　roast　mutton；　whilst　before　their　tents　the　whole　tribe　waste　away　with　hunger；　and　fight　with　the　harriers　for　the　bones　of　the　lordly　feast。

All　around　spread　the　plains　in　waste；　burnt　grass；　leafless　shrubs；　thickets　of　cactus　and　mastic　　〃the　Granary　of　France！〃　　a　granary　void　of　grain；　alas！　and　rich　alone　in　vermin　and　jackals。　Abandoned　camps；　frightened　tribes　fleeing　from　them　and　famine；　they　know　not　whither；　and　strewing　the　road　with　corpses。　　At　long　intervals　French　villages；　with　the　dwellings　in　ruins；　the　fields　untilled；　the　maddened　locusts　gnawing　even　the　window…blinds；　and　all　the　settlers　in　the　drinking…places；　absorbing　absinthe　and　discussing　projects　of　reform　and　the　Constitution。

This　is　what　Tartarin　might　have　seen　had　he　given　himself　the　trouble；　but；　wrapped　up　entirely　in　his　leonine…hunger；　the　son　of　Tarascon　went　straight　on；　looking　to　neither　right　nor　left；　his　eyes　steadfastly　fixed　on　the　imaginary　monsters　which　never　really　appeared。

As　the　shelter…tent　was　stubborn　in　not　unfolding；　and　the　compressed　meat…cakes　would　not　dissolve；　the　caravan　was　obliged　to　stop；　morn　and　eve；　at　tribal　camps。　Everywhere；　thanks　to　the　gorgeous　cap　of　Prince　Gregory；　our　hunters　were　welcomed　with　open　arms。　They　lodged　in　the　aghas'　odd　palaces；　large　white　windowless　farmhouses；　where　they　found；　pell…mell；　narghilehs　and　mahogany　furniture；　Smyrna　carpets　and　moderator　lamps；　cedar　coffers　full　of　Turkish　sequins；　and　French　statuette…decked　clocks　in　the　Louis　Philippe　style。

Everywhere；　too；　Tartarin　was　given　splendrous　galas；　diffas；　and　fantasias；　which；　being　interpreted；　mean　feasts　and　circuses。　In　his　honour　whole　goums　blazed　away　powder；　and　floated　their　burnouses　in　the　sun。　When　the　powder　was　burnt；　the　agha　would　come　and　hand　in　his　bill。　This　is　what　is　called　Arab　hospitality。

But　always　no　lions；　no　more　than　on　London　Bridge。

Nevertheless；　the　Tarasconian　did　not　grow　disheartened。　　Ever　bravely　diving　more　deeply　into　the　South；　he　spent　the　days　in　beating　up　the　thickets；　probing　the　dwarf…palms　with　the　muzzle　of　his　rifle；　and　saying　〃Boh！〃　to　every　bush　　And　every　evening；　before　lying　down；　he　went　into　ambush　for　two　or　three　hours。　Useless　trouble；　however；　for　the　lion　did　not　show　himself。

One　evening；　though；　going　on　six　o'clock；　as　the　caravan　scrambled　through　a　violet…hued　mastic…grove；　where　fat　quails　tumbled　about　in　the　grass；　drowsy　through　the　heat；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　fancied　he　heard　though　afar　and　very　vague；　and　thinned　down　by　the　breeze　　that　wondrous　roaring　to　which　he　had　so　often　listened　by　Mitaine's　Menagerie　at　home。

At　first　the　hero　feared　he　was　dreaming；　but　in　an　instant　further　the　roaring　recommenced　more　distinct；　although　yet　remote；　and　this　time　the　camel's　hump　shivered　in　terror；　and　made　the　tinned　meats　and　arms　in　the　cases　rattle；　whilst　all　the　dogs　in　the　camps　were　heard　howling　in　every　corner　of　the　horizon。

Beyond　doubt　this　was　the　lion。

Quick；　quick！　to　the　ambush。　　There　was　not　a　minute　to　lose。

Near　at　hand　there　happened　to　be　an　old　marabout's；　or　saint's；　tomb；　with　a　white　cupola；　and　the　defunct's　large　yellow　slippers　placed　in　a　niche　over　the　door；　and　a　mass　of　odd　offerings　　hems　of　blankets；　gold　thread；　red　hair　　hung　on　the　wall。

Tartarin　of　Tarascon　left　his　prince　and　his　camel　and　went　in　search　of　a　good　spot　for　lying　in　wait。　　Prince　Gregory　wanted　to　follow　him；　but　the　Tarasconian　refused；　bent　on　confronting　Leo　alone。　　But　still　he　besought　His　Highness　not　to　go　too　far　away；　and；　as　a　measure　of　foresight；　he　entrusted　him　with　his　pocket…　book；　a　good…sized　one；　full　of　precious　papers　and　bank…notes；　which　he　feared　would　get　torn　by　the　lion's　claws。　This　done；　our　hero　looked　up　a　good　place。

A　hundred　steps　in　front　of　the　temple　a　little　clump　of　rose…laurel　shook　in　the　twilight　haze　on　the　edge　of　a　rivulet　all　but　dried　up。　There　it　was　that　Tartarin　went　and　ensconced　himself；　one　knee　on　the　ground；　according　to　the　regular　rule；　his　rifle　in　his　hand；　and　his　huge　hunting…knife　stuck　boldly　before　him　in　the　sandy　bank。

Night　fell。

The　rosy　tint　of　nature　changed　into　violet；　and　then　into　dark　blue。　A　petty　pool　of　clear　water　gleamed　like　a　hand…glass　over　the　river…pebbles；　this