tartarin of tarascon-第4节

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Deeply　read　up；　Tartarin　would　graciously　furnish　the　particulars　desired；　and；　in　the　end；　the　good　fellow　was　not　quite　sure　himself　about　not　having　gone　to　Shanghai；　so　that；　after　relating　for　the　hundredth　time　how　the　Tartars　came　down　on　the　trading　post；　it　would　most　naturally　happen　him　to　add：

〃Then　I　made　my　men　take　up　arms　and　hoist　the　consular　flag；　and　zizz！　phit！　bang！　out　of　the　windows　upon　the　Tartars。〃

On　hearing　this；　the　whole　club　would　quiver。

〃But　according　to　that；　this　Tartarin　of　yours　is　an　awful　liar。〃

〃No；　no；　a　thousand　times　over；　no！　Tartarin　was　no　liar。〃

〃But　the　man　ought　to　know　that　he　has　never　been　to　Shanghai〃　

〃Why；　of　course；　he　knows　that；　but　still〃　

〃But　still；〃　you　see　　mark　that　！　It　is　high　time　for　the　law　to　be　laid　down　once　for　all　on　the　reputation　as　drawers　of　the　long　bow　which　Northerners　fling　at　Southerners。　　There　are　no　Baron　Munchausens　in　the　south　of　France；　neither　at　Nimes　nor　Marseilles；　Toulouse　nor　Tarascon。　The　Southerner　does　not　deceive　but　is　self…deceived。　He　does　not　always　tell　the　cold…drawn　truth；　but　he　believes　he　does。　　His　falsehood　is　not　any　such　thing；　but　a　kind　of　mental　mirage。

Yes；　purely　mirage！　The　better　to　follow　me；　you　should　actually　follow　me　into　the　South；　and　you　will　see　I　am　right。　You　have　only　to　look　at　that　Lucifer's　own　country；　where　the　sun　transmogrifies　everything；　and　magnifies　it　beyond　life…size。　The　little　hills　of　　Provence　are　no　bigger　than　the　Butte　Montmartre；　but　they　will　loom　up　like　the　Rocky　Mountains；　the　Square　House　at　Nimes　　a　mere　model　to　put　on　your　sideboard　　will　seem　grander　than　St。　Peter's。　You　will　see　　in　brief；　the　only　exaggerator　in　the　South　is　Old　Sol；　for　he　does　enlarge　everything　he　touches。　What　Was　Sparta　in　its　days　of　splendour？　a　pitiful　hamlet。　What　was　Athens？　at　the　most；　a　second…class　town；　and　yet　in　history　both　appear　to　us　as　enormous　cities。　This　is　a　sample　of　what　the　sun　can　do。

Are　you　going　to　be　astonished　after　this　that　the　same　sun　falling　upon　Tarascon　should　have　made　of　an　ex…captain　in　the　Army　Clothing　Factory；　like　Bravida；　the　〃brave　commandant；〃　of　a　sprout　an　Indian　fig…tree；　and　of　a　man　who　had　missed　going　to　Shanghai　one　who　had　been　there？



VIII。　Mitaine's　Menagerie　　A　Lion　from　the　Atlas　at　Tarascon　　A　Solemn　and　Fearsome　Confrontation。


EXHIBITING　Tartarin　of　Tarascon；　as　we　are；　in　his　private　life；　before　Fame　kissed　his　brow　and　garlanded　him　with　her　well…worn　laurel　wreath；　and　having　narrated　his　heroic　existence　in　a　modest　state；　his　delights　and　sorrows；　his　dreams　and　his　hopes；　let　us　hurriedly　skip　to　the　grandest　pages　of　his　story；　and　to　the　singular　event　which　was　to　give　the　first　flight　to　his　incomparable　career。

It　happened　one　evening　at　Costecalde　the　gunmaker's；　where　Tartarin　was　engaged　in　showing　several　sportsmen　the　working　of　the　needle…gun；　then　in　its　first　novelty。　　The　door　suddenly　flew　open；　and　in　rushed　a　bewildered　cap…popper；　howling　〃A　lion；　a　lion　！〃　General　was　the　alarm；　stupor；　uproar　and　tumult。　Tartarin　prepared　to　resist　cavalry　with　the　bayonet；　whilst　Costecalde　ran　to　shut　the　door。　The　sportsman　was　surrounded　and　pressed　and　questioned；　and　here　follows　what　he　told　them：　Mitaine's　Menagerie；　returning　from　Beaucaire　Fair；　had　consented　to　stay　over　a　few　days　at　Tarascon；　and　was　just　unpacking；　to　set　up　the　show　on　the　Castle…green；　with　a　lot　of　boas；　seals；　crocodiles；　and　a　magnificent　lion　from　the　Atlas　Mountains。

An　African　lion　in　Tarascon？

Never　in　the　memory　of　living　man　had　the　like　been　seen。　　Hence　our　dauntless　cap…poppers　looked　at　one　another　how　proudly　！　What　a　beaming　on　their　sunburned　visages！　and　in　every　nook　of　Costecalde's　shop　what　hearty　congratulatory　grips　of　the　hand　were　silently　exchanged！　　The　sensation　was　so　great　and　unforeseen　that　nobody　could　find　a　word　to　say…not　even　Tartarin。

Blanched　and　agitated；　with　the　needle…gun　still　in　his　fist；　he　brooded；　erect　before　the　counter。　A　lion　from　the　Atlas　Range　at　pistol　range　from　him；　a　couple　of　strides　off？　a　lion；　mind　youthe　beast　heroic　and　ferocious　above　all　others；　the　King　of　the　Brute　Creation；　the　crowning　game　of　his　fancies；　something　like　the　leading　actor　in　the　ideal　company　which　played　such　splendid　tragedies　in　his　mind's　eye。　　A　lion；　heaven　be　thanked！　and　from　the　Atlas；　to　boot！　It　was　more　than　the　great　Tartarin　could　bear。

Suddenly　a　flush　of　blood　flew　into　his　face。　His　eyes　flashed。　With　one　convulsive　movement　he　shouldered　the　needle…gun；　and　turning　towards　the　brave　Commandant　Bravida　（formerly　captain　in　the　Army　Clothing　Department；　please　to　remember）；　he　thundered　to　him　

〃Let's　go　have　a　look　at　him；　commandant。〃

〃Here；　here；　I　say！　that's　my　gun　　my　needle…gun　you　are　carrying　off；〃　timidly　ventured　the　wary　Costecalde；　but　Tartarin　had　already　got　round　the　corner；　with　all　the　cap…poppers　proudly　lock…　stepping　behind　him。

When　they　arrived　at　the　menagerie；　they　found　a　goodly　number　of　people　there。　Tarascon；　heroic　but　too　long　deprived　of　sensational　shows；　had　rushed　upon　Mitaine's　portable　theatre；　and　bad　taken　it　by　storm。　Hence　the　voluminous　Madame　Mitaine　was　highly　contented。　　In　an　Arab　costume；　her　arms　bare　to　the　elbow；　iron　anklets　on；　a　whip　in　one　hand　and　a　plucked　though　live　pullet　in　the　other；　the　noted　lady　was　doing　the　honours　of　the　booth　to　the　Tarasconians；　and；　as　she　also　had　〃double　muscles；〃　her　success　was　almost　as　great　as　her　animals。

The　entrance　of　Tartarin　with　the　gun　on　his　shoulder　was　a　damper。

All　our　good　Tarasconians；　who　had　been　quite　tranquilly　strolling　before　the　cages；　unarmed　and　with　no　distrust；　without　even　any　idea　of　danger；　felt　momentary　apprehension；　naturally　enough；　on　beholding　their　mighty　Tartarin　rush　into　the　enclosure　with　his　formidable　engine　of　war。　　There　must　be　something　to　fear　when　a　hero　like　he　was；　came　weaponed；　so；　in　a　twinkling；　all　the　space　along　the　cage　fronts　was　cleared。　The　youngsters　burst　out　squalling　for　fear；　and　the　women　looked　round　for　the　nearest　way　out。　　The　chemist　Bezuquet　made　off　altogether；　alleging　that　he　was　going　home　for　his　gun。

Gradually；　however；　Tartarin's　bearing　restored　courage。　With　head　erect；　the　intrepid　Tarasconian　slowly　and　calmly　made　the　circuit　of　the　booth；　passing　the　seal's　tank　without　stopping；　glancing　disdainfully　on　the　long　box　filled　with　sawdust　in　which　the　boa　would　digest　its　raw　fowl；　and　going　to　take　his　stand　before　the　lion's　cage。

A　terrible　and　solemn　confrontation；　this！　The　lion　of　Tarascon　and　the　lion　of　Africa　face　to　face！

On　the　one　part；　Tartarin　erect；　with　his　hamstrings　in　tension；　and　his　arms　folded　on　his　gun　barrel；　on　the　other；　the　lion；　a　gigantic　specimen；　humped　up　in　the　straw；　with　blinking　orbs　and　brutish　mien；　resting　his　huge　muzzle　and　tawny　full…bottomed　wig　on　his　forepaws。　　Both　calm　in　their　gaze。

Singular　thing！　whether　the　needle…gun　had　given　him　〃　the　needle；〃　if　the　popular　idiom　is　admissible；　or　that　he　scented　an　enemy　of　his　race；　the　lion；　who　had　hitherto　regarded　the　Tarasconians　with　sovereign　scorn；　and　yawned　in　their　faces；　was　all　at　once　affected　by　ire。　　At　first　he　sniffed；　then　he　growled　hollowly；　stretching　out　his　claws；　rising；　he　tossed　his　head。；　shook　his　mane；　opened　a　capacious　maw；　and　belched　a　deafening　roar　at　Tartarin。

A　yell　of　fright　responded；　as　Tarascon　precipitated　itself　madly　towards　the　exit；　women　and　children；　lightermen；　cap…poppers；　even　the　brave　Commandant　Bravida　himself。　But；　alone；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　had　not　budged。　　There　he　stood；　firm　and　resolute；　before　the　cage；　lightnings　in　his　eyes；　and　on　his　lip　that　gruesome　grin　with　which　all　the　town　was　familiar。　　In　a　moment's　time；　when　all　the　cap…poppers；　some　little　fortified　by　his　hearing　and　the　strength　of　the　bars；　re…approached　their　leader；　they　heard　him　mutter；　as　he　stared　Leo　out　of　countenance　：

〃Now；　this　is　something　like　a　hunt！〃

All　the　rest　of　that　day；　never　a　word　farther　could　they　draw　from　Tartarin　of　Tarascon。



IX。　Singular　effects　of　Mental　Mirage。


CONFINING　his　remarks　to　the　sentence　last　recorded；　Tartarin　had　unfortunately　still　said　overmuch。

On　the　morrow；　there　was　nothing　talked　about　through　town　but　the　near…at…hand　departure　of　Tartarin　for　Algeria　and　lion…hunting。　You　are　all　witness；　dear　readers；　that　the　honest　fellow　had　not　breathed　a　word　on　that　head；　but；　you　know；　the　mirage　had　its　usual　effect。　　In　brief；　all　Tarascon　spoke　of　nothing　but　the　departure。

On　the　Old　Walk；　at　the　club；　in　Costecalde's；　friends　accosted　one　another　with　a　startled　aspect：

〃And　furthermore；　you　know　the　news；　at　least？　〃

〃And　furthermore；　rather？　Tartarin's　setting　out；　at　least？〃

For　at　Tarascon　all　phrases　begin　with　〃and　furthermore；〃　and　conclude　with　〃at　least；〃　with　a　strong　local　accent　　Hence；　on　this　occasion　more　than　upon　others；　these　peculiarities　rang　out　till　the　windows　shivered。

The　most　surprised　of　men　in　the　town　on　hea