the research magnificent-第41节

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ese　people。〃　〃Any　one　could；　the　Servians；　the　Bulgarians；　the　Greeks；　the　Italians；　the　Austrians。　　Why；　they　can't　even　shoot！　　It's　just　the　balance　of　power　and　all　that　foolery　keeps　this　country　a　roadless　wilderness。　　Good　God；　how　I　tire　of　it！　　These　men　who　swagger　and　stink；　their　brawling　dogs；　their　greasy　priests　and　dervishes；　the　down…at…heel　soldiers；　the　bribery　and　robbery；　the　cheating　over　the　money。　。　。　。〃

He　slipped　off　the　parapet；　too　impatient　to　sit　any　longer；　and　began　to　pace　up　and　down　in　the　road。　〃One　marvels　that　no　one　comes　to　clear　up　this　country；　one　itches　to　be　at　the　job；　and　then　one　realizes　that　before　one　can　begin　here；　one　must　get　to　work　back　there；　where　the　fools　and　pedants　of　WELT　POLITIK　scheme　mischief　one　against　another。　　This　country　frets　me。　　I　can't　see　any　fun　in　it；　can't　see　the　humour　of　it。　And　the　people　away　there　know　no　better　than　to　play　off　tribe　against　tribe；　sect　against　sect；　one　peasant　prejudice　against　another。　　Over　this　pass　the　foolery　grows　grimmer　and　viler。　　We　shall　come　to　where　the　Servian　plots　against　the　Bulgarian　and　the　Greek　against　both；　and　the　Turk；　with　spasmodic　massacres　and　indulgences；　broods　over　the　brew。　　Every　division　is　subdivided。　There　are　two　sorts　of　Greek　church；　Exarchic；　Patriarchic；　both　teaching　by　threat　and　massacre。　　And　there　is　no　one；　no　one；　with　the　sense　to　over…ride　all　these　squalid　hostilities。　　All　those　fools　away　there　in　London　and　Vienna　and　St。　Petersburg　and　Rome　take　sides　as　though　these　beastly　tribes　and　leagues　and　superstitions　meant　anything　but　blank；　black；　damnable　ignorance。　One　fool　stands　up　for　the　Catholic　Albanians；　another　finds　heroes　in　the　Servians；　another　talks　of　Brave　Little　Montenegro；　or　the　Sturdy　Bulgarian；　or　the　Heroic　Turk。　　There　isn't　a　religion　in　the　whole　Balkan　peninsula；　there　isn't　a　tribal　or　national　sentiment　that　deserves　a　moment's　respect　from　a　sane　man。　　They're　things　like　niggers'　nose…rings　and　Chinese　secret　societies；　childish　things；　idiot　things　that　have　to　go。　　Yet　there　is　no　one　who　will　preach　the　only　possible　peace；　which　is　the　peace　of　the　world…　state；　the　open　conspiracy　of　all　the　sane　men　in　the　world　against　the　things　that　break　us　up　into　wars　and　futilities。　　And　here　am　Iwho　have　the　lightWANDERING！　　Just　wandering！〃　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　came　to　stare　at　the　torrent　under　the　bridge。　〃You're　getting　ripe　for　London；　Cheetah；〃　said　Amanda　softly。　〃I　want　somehow　to　get　to　work；　to　get　my　hands　on　definite　things。〃　〃How　can　we　get　back？〃　She　had　to　repeat　her　question　presently。　〃We　can　go　on。　　Over　the　hills　is　Ochrida　and　then　over　another　pass　is　Presba；　and　from　there　we　go　down　into　Monastir　and　reach　a　railway　and　get　back　to　the　world　of　our　own　times　again。〃

8

But　before　they　reached　the　world　of　their　own　times　Macedonia　was　to　show　them　something　grimmer　than　Albania。　They　were　riding　through　a　sunlit　walnut　wood　beyond　Ochrida　when　they　came　upon　the　thing。　The　first　they　saw　of　it　looked　like　a　man　lying　asleep　on　a　grassy　bank。　　But　he　lay　very　still　indeed；　he　did　not　look　up；　he　did　not　stir　as　they　passed；　the　pose　of　his　hand　was　stiff；　and　when　Benham　glanced　back　at　him；　he　stifled　a　little　cry　of　horror。　　For　this　man　had　no　face　and　the　flies　had　been　busy　upon　him。　。　。　。　Benham　caught　Amanda's　bridle　so　that　she　had　to　give　her　attention　to　her　steed。　〃Ahead！〃　he　said；　〃Ahead！　　Look；　a　village！〃　（Why　the　devil　didn't　they　bury　the　man？　　Why？　And　that　fool　Giorgio　and　the　others　were　pulling　up　and　beginning　to　chatter。　　After　all　she　might　look　back。）　Through　the　trees　now　they　could　see　houses。　　He　quickened　his　pace　and　jerked　Amanda's　horse　forward。　。　。　。　But　the　village　was　a　still　one。　　Not　a　dog　barked。　Here　was　an　incredible　village　without　even　a　dog！　And　then；　then　they　saw　some　more　people　lying　about。　　A　woman　lay　in　a　doorway。　　Near　her　was　something　muddy　that　might　have　been　a　child；　beyond　were　six　men　all　spread　out　very　neatly　in　a　row　with　their　faces　to　the　sky。　〃Cheetah！〃　cried　Amanda；　with　her　voice　going　up。　　〃They've　been　killed。　　Some　one　has　killed　them。〃　Benham　halted　beside　her　and　stared　stupidly。　　〃It's　a　band；〃　he　said。　　〃It'spropaganda。　　Greeks　or　Turks　or　Bulgarians。〃　〃But　their　feet　and　hands　are　fastened！　　And　。　。　。　　WHAT　HAVE　THEY　BEEN　DOING　TO　THEM？　。　。　。〃　〃I　want　to　kill；〃　cried　Benham。　　〃Oh！　I　want　to　kill　people。　　Come　on；　Amanda！　　It　blisters　one's　eyes。　　Come　away。　　Come　away！　　Come！〃　Her　face　was　white　and　her　eyes　terror…stricken。　　She　obeyed　him　mechanically。　　She　gave　one　last　look　at　those　bodies。　。　。　。　Down　the　deep…rutted　soil　of　the　village　street　they　clattered。　They　came　to　houses　that　had　been　set　on　fire。　。　。　。　〃What　is　that　hanging　from　a　tree？〃　cried　Amanda。　　〃Oh；　oh！〃　〃Come　on。　。　。　。〃　Behind　them　rode　the　others　scared　and　hurrying。　The　sunlight　had　become　the　light　of　hell。　　There　was　no　air　but　horror。　　Across　Benham's　skies　these　fly…blown　trophies　of　devilry　dangled　mockingly　in　the　place　of　God。　　He　had　no　thought　but　to　get　away。　Presently　they　encountered　a　detachment　of　Turkish　soldiers；　very　greasy　and　ragged；　with　worn…out　boots　and　yellow　faces；　toiling　up　the　stony　road　belatedly　to　the　village。　　Amanda　and　Benham　riding　one　behind　the　other　in　a　stricken　silence　passed　this　labouring　column　without　a　gesture；　but　presently　they　heard　the　commander　stopping　and　questioning　Giorgio。　。　。　。　Then　Giorgio　and　the　others　came　clattering　to　overtake　them。　Giorgio　was　too　full　to　wait　for　questions。　　He　talked　eagerly　to　Benham's　silence。　It　must　have　happened　yesterday；　he　explained。　　They　were　Bulgarianstraitors。　　They　had　been　converted　to　the　Patriarchists　by　the　Greeksby　a　Greek　band；　that　is　to　say。　　They　had　betrayed　one　of　their　own　people。　　Now　a　Bulgarian　band　had　descended　upon　them。　　Bulgarian　bands　it　seemed　were　always　particularly　rough　on　Bulgarian…speaking　Patriarchists。　。　。　。

9

That　night　they　slept　in　a　dirty　little　room　in　a　peasant's　house　in　Resnia；　and　in　the　middle　of　the　night　Amanda　woke　up　with　a　start　and　heard　Benham　talking。　　He　seemed　to　be　sitting　up　as　he　talked。　But　he　was　not　talking　to　her　and　his　voice　sounded　strange。　〃Flies；〃　he　said；　〃in　the　sunlight！〃　He　was　silent　for　a　time　and　then　he　repeated　the　same　words。　Then　suddenly　he　began　to　declaim。　　〃Oh！　　Brutes　together。　　Apes。　Apes　with　knives。　　Have　they　no　lord；　no　master；　to　save　them　from　such　things？　　This　is　the　life　of　men　when　no　man　rules。　。　。　。　　When　no　man　rules。　。　。　。　　Not　even　himself。　。　。　。　　It　is　because　we　are　idle；　because　we　keep　our　wits　slack　and　our　wills　weak　that　these　poor　devils　live　in　hell。　　These　things　happen　here　and　everywhere　when　the　hand　that　rules　grows　weak。　　Away　in　China　now　they　are　happening。　　Persia。　　Africa。　。　。　。　　Russia　staggers。　　And　I　who　should　serve　the　law；　I　who　should　keep　order；　wander　and　make　love。　。　。　。　　My　God！　may　I　never　forget！　　May　I　never　forget！　Flies　in　the　sunlight！　　That　man's　face。　　And　those　six　men！　〃Grip　the　savage　by　the　throat。　〃The　weak　savage　in　the　foreign　office；　the　weak　savage　at　the　party　headquarters；　feud　and　indolence　and　folly。　　It　is　all　one　world。　This　and　that　are　all　one　thing。　　The　spites　of　London　and　the　mutilations　of　Macedonia。　　The　maggots　that　eat　men's　faces　and　the　maggots　that　rot　their　minds。　　Rot　their　minds。　　Rot　their　minds。　Rot　their　minds。　。　。　。〃　To　Amanda　it　sounded　like　delirium。　〃CHEETAH！〃　she　said　suddenly　between　remonstrance　and　a　cry　of　terror。　The　darkness　suddenly　became　quite　still。　　He　did　not　move。　She　was　afraid。　　〃Cheetah！〃　she　said　again。　〃What　is　it；　Amanda？〃　〃I　thought。　　Are　you　all　right？〃　〃Quite。〃　〃But　do　you　feel　well？〃　〃I've　got　this　cold　I　caught　in　Ochrida。　　I　suppose　I'm　feverish。　Butyes；　I'm　well。〃　〃You　were　talking。〃　Silence　for　a　time。　〃I　was　thinking；〃　he　said。　〃You　talked。〃　〃I'm　sorry；〃　he　said　after　another　long　pause。

10

The　next　morning　Benham　had　a　pink　spot　on　either　cheek；　his　eyes　were　feverishly　bright；　he　would　touch　no　food　and　instead　of　coffee　he　wanted　water。　　〃In　Monastir　there　will　be　a　doctor；〃　he　said。　〃Monastir　is　a　big　place。　　In　Monastir　I　will　see　a　doctor。　　I　want　a　doctor。〃　They　rode　out　of　the　village　in　the　freshness　before　sunrise　and　up　long　hills；　and　sometimes　they　went　in　the　shade　of　woods　and　sometimes　in　a　flooding　sunshine。　　Benham　now　rode　in　front；　preoccupied；　intent；　regardless　of　Amanda；　a　stranger；　and　she　rode　close　behind　him　wondering。　〃When　you　get　to　Monastir；　young　man；〃　she　told　him；　inaudibly；　〃you　will　go　straight　to　bed　and　we'll　see　what　has　to　be　done　with　you。〃　〃AMMALATO；〃　said　Giorgio　confidentially；　coming　abreast　of　her。　〃MEDICO　IN　MONASTIR；〃　said　Amanda。　〃SI；MOLTI　MEDICI；　MONASTIR；〃　Giorgio　agreed。　Then　came　the　inevitable　dogs；　big　white　brutes；　three　in　full　cry　charging　hard　at　Benham　and　a　younger　less　enterprising　beast　running　along　the　high　bank　above　yapping　and　making　feints　to　descend。　The　goatherd；　reclining　under　the　shadow　of　a　rock；　awaited　Benham's　embarrassment　with　an　indolent　malice。　〃You　UNCIVILIZED　Beasts！〃　cried　Benham；　and　before　Amanda　could　realize　what　he　was　up　to；　she　heard　the　crack　of　his　revolver　and　saw　a　puff　of　blue