the research magnificent-第8节

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nt。　And　they　emitted　a　sweetish　scent　that　lay　heavily　athwart　the　path。　Presently　he　passed　another　such　tree。　　Then　he　became　aware　of　a　tumult　ahead　of　him；　a　smashing　of　leaves；　a　snorting　and　slobbering；　grunting　and　sucking；　a　whole　series　of　bestial　sounds。　He　halted　for　a　little　while；　and　then　drew　nearer；　picking　his　steps　to　avoid　too　great　a　noise。　　Here　were　more　of　those　white…　blossomed　trees；　and　beneath；　in　the　darkness；　something　very　black　and　big　was　going　to　and　fro；　eating　greedily。　　Then　he　found　that　there　were　two　and　then　more　of　these　black　things；　three　or　four　of　them。　Curiosity　made　Benham　draw　nearer；　very　softly。　Presently　one　showed　in　a　patch　of　moonlight；　startlingly　big；　a　huge；　black　hairy　monster　with　a　long　white　nose　on　a　grotesque　face；　and　he　was　stuffing　armfuls　of　white　blossom　into　his　mouth　with　his　curved　fore　claws。　　He　took　not　the　slightest　notice　of　the　still　man；　who　stood　perhaps　twenty　yards　away　from　him。　　He　was　too　blind　and　careless。　　He　snorted　and　smacked　his　slobbering　lips；　and　plunged　into　the　shadows　again。　　Benham　heard　him　root　among　the　leaves　and　grunt　appreciatively。　　The　air　was　heavy　with　the　reek　of　the　crushed　flowers。　For　some　time　Benham　remained　listening　to　and　peering　at　these　preoccupied　gluttons。　　At　last　he　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　left　them　and　went　on　his　way。　　For　a　long　time　he　could　hear　them；　then　just　as　he　was　on　the　verge　of　forgetting　them　altogether；　some　dispute　arose　among　them；　and　there　began　a　vast　uproar；　squeals；　protests；　comments；　one　voice　ridiculously　replete　and　authoritative；　ridiculously　suggestive　of　a　drunken　judge　with　his　mouth　full；　and　a　shrill　voice　of　grievance　high　above　the　others。　。　。　。　The　uproar　of　the　bears　died　away　at　last；　almost　abruptly；　and　left　the　jungle　to　the　incessant　night…jars。　。　。　。　For　what　end　was　this　life　of　the　jungle？　All　Benham's　senses　were　alert　to　the　sounds　and　appearances　about　him；　and　at　the　same　time　his　mind　was　busy　with　the　perplexities　of　that　riddle。　　Was　the　jungle　just　an　aimless　pool　of　life　that　man　must　drain　and　clear　away？　　Or　is　it　to　have　a　use　in　the　greater　life　of　our　race　that　now　begins？　　Will　man　value　the　jungle　as　he　values　the　precipice；　for　the　sake　of　his　manhood？　　Will　he　preserve　it？　Man　must　keep　hard；　man　must　also　keep　fierce。　　Will　the　jungle　keep　him　fierce？　For　life；　thought　Benham；　there　must　be　insecurity。　。　。　。　He　had　missed　the　track。　。　。　。　He　was　now　in　a　second　ravine。　　He　was　going　downward；　walking　on　silvery　sand　amidst　great　boulders；　and　now　there　was　a　new　sound　in　the　air。　　It　was　the　croaking　of　frogs。　　Ahead　was　a　solitary　gleam。　　He　was　approaching　a　jungle　pool。　。　。　。　Suddenly　the　stillness　was　alive；　in　a　panic　uproar。　　〃HONK！〃　cried　a　great　voice；　and　〃HONK！〃　　There　was　a　clatter　of　hoofs；　a　wild　rusha　rush　as　it　seemed　towards　him。　　Was　he　being　charged？　　He　backed　against　a　rock。　　A　great　pale　shape　leaped　by　him；　an　antlered　shape。　　It　was　a　herd　of　big　deer　bolting　suddenly　out　of　the　stillness。　　He　heard　the　swish　and　smash　of　their　retreat　grow　distant；　disperse。　　He　remained　standing　with　his　back　to　the　rock。　Slowly　the　strophe　and　antistrophe　of　frogs　and　goat…suckers　resumed　possession　of　his　consciousness。　　But　now　some　primitive　instinct　perhaps　or　some　subconscious　intimation　of　danger　made　him　meticulously　noiseless。　He　went　on　down　a　winding　sound…deadening　path　of　sand　towards　the　drinking…place。　　He　came　to　a　wide　white　place　that　was　almost　level；　and　beyond　it　under　clustering　pale…stemmed　trees　shone　the　mirror　surface　of　some　ancient　tank；　and；　sharp　and　black；　a　dog…　like　beast　sat　on　its　tail　in　the　midst　of　this　space；　started　convulsively　and　went　slinking　into　the　undergrowth。　　Benham　paused　for　a　moment　and　then　walked　out　softly　into　the　light；　and；　behold！　as　if　it　were　to　meet　him；　came　a　monster；　a　vast　dark　shape　drawing　itself　lengthily　out　of　the　blackness；　and　stopped　with　a　start　as　if　it　had　been　instantly　changed　to　stone。　It　had　stopped　with　one　paw　advanced。　　Its　striped　mask　was　light　and　dark　grey　in　the　moonlight；　grey　but　faintly　tinged　with　ruddiness；　its　mouth　was　a　little　open；　its　fangs　and　a　pendant　of　viscous　saliva　shone　vivid。　　Its　great　round…pupilled　eyes　regarded　him　stedfastly。　　At　last　the　nightmare　of　Benham's　childhood　had　come　true；　and　he　was　face　to　face　with　a　tiger；　uncaged；　uncontrolled。　For　some　moments　neither　moved；　neither　the　beast　nor　the　man。　　They　stood　face　to　face；　each　perhaps　with　an　equal　astonishment；　motionless　and　soundless；　in　that　mad　Indian　moonlight　that　makes　all　things　like　a　dream。　Benham　stood　quite　motionless；　and　body　and　mind　had　halted　together。　　That　confrontation　had　an　interminableness　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　actual　passage　of　time。　　Then　some　trickle　of　his　previous　thoughts　stirred　in　the　frozen　quiet　of　his　mind。　He　spoke　hoarsely。　　〃I　am　Man；〃　he　said；　and　lifted　a　hand　as　he　spoke。　　〃The　Thought　of　the　world。〃　His　heart　leapt　within　him　as　the　tiger　moved。　　But　the　great　beast　went　sideways；　gardant；　only　that　its　head　was　low；　three　noiseless　instantaneous　strides　it　made；　and　stood　again　watching　him。　〃Man；〃　he　said；　in　a　voice　that　had　no　sound；　and　took　a　step　forward。　〃Wough！〃　　With　two　bounds　the　monster　had　become　a　great　grey　streak　that　crackled　and　rustled　in　the　shadows　of　the　trees。　　And　then　it　had　vanished；　become　invisible　and　inaudible　with　a　kind　of　instantaneousness。　For　some　seconds　or　some　minutes　Benham　stood　rigid；　fearlessly　expectant；　and　then　far　away　up　the　ravine　he　heard　the　deer　repeat　their　cry　of　alarm；　and　understood　with　a　new　wisdom　that　the　tiger　had　passed　among　them　and　was　gone。　。　。　。　He　walked　on　towards　the　deserted　tank　and　now　he　was　talking　aloud。　〃I　understand　the　jungle。　　I　understand。　。　。　。　　If　a　few　men　die　here；　what　matter？　　There　are　worse　deaths　than　being　killed。　。　。　。　〃What　is　this　fool's　trap　of　security？　〃Every　time　in　my　life　that　I　have　fled　from　security　I　have　fled　from　death。　。　。　。　〃Let　men　stew　in　their　cities　if　they　will。　　It　is　in　the　lonely　places；　in　jungles　and　mountains；　in　snows　and　fires；　in　the　still　observatories　and　the　silent　laboratories；　in　those　secret　and　dangerous　places　where　life　probes　into　life；　it　is　there　that　the　masters　of　the　world；　the　lords　of　the　beast；　the　rebel　sons　of　Fate　come　to　their　own。　。　。　。　〃You　sleeping　away　there　in　the　cities！　　Do　you　know　what　it　means　for　you　that　I　am　here　to…night？　〃Do　you　know　what　it　means　to　you？　〃I　am　just　onejust　the　precursor。　〃Presently；　if　you　will　not　budge；　those　hot　cities　must　be　burnt　about　you。　　You　must　come　out　of　them。　。　。　。〃　He　wandered　now　uttering　his　thoughts　as　they　came　to　him；　and　he　saw　no　more　living　creatures　because　they　fled　and　hid　before　the　sound　of　his　voice。　　He　wandered　until　the　moon；　larger　now　and　yellow　tinged；　was　low　between　the　black　bars　of　the　tree　stems。　And　then　it　sank　very　suddenly　behind　a　hilly　spur　and　the　light　failed　swiftly。　He　stumbled　and　went　with　difficulty。　　He　could　go　no　further　among　these　rocks　and　ravines；　and　he　sat　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree　to　wait　for　day。　He　sat　very　still　indeed。　A　great　stillness　came　over　the　world；　a　velvet　silence　that　wrapped　about　him；　as　the　velvet　shadows　wrapped　about　him。　　The　corncrakes　had　ceased；　all　the　sounds　and　stir　of　animal　life　had　died　away；　the　breeze　had　fallen。　　A　drowsing　comfort　took　possession　of　him。　He　grew　more　placid　and　more　placid　still。　　He　was　enormously　content　to　find　that　fear　had　fled　before　him　and　was　gone。　　He　drifted　into　that　state　of　mind　when　one　thinks　without　ideas；　when　one's　mind　is　like　a　starless　sky；　serene　and　empty。

12

Some　hours　later　Benham　found　that　the　trees　and　rocks　were　growing　visible　again；　and　he　saw　a　very　bright　star　that　he　knew　must　be　Lucifer　rising　amidst　the　black　branches。　　He　was　sitting　upon　a　rock　at　the　foot　of　a　slender…stemmed　leafless　tree。　　He　had　been　asleep；　and　it　was　daybreak。　　Everything　was　coldly　clear　and　colourless。　He　must　have　slept　soundly。　He　heard　a　cock　crow；　and　another　answerjungle　fowl　these　must　be；　because　there　could　be　no　village　within　earshotand　then　far　away　and　bringing　back　memories　of　terraced　houses　and　ripe　walled　gardens；　was　the　scream　of　peacocks。　　And　some　invisible　bird　was　making　a　hollow　beating　sound　among　the　trees　near　at　hand。　TUNK。　。　。　。　　TUNK；　and　out　of　the　dry　grass　came　a　twittering。　There　was　a　green　light　in　the　east　that　grew　stronger；　and　the　stars　after　their　magnitudes　were　dissolving　in　the　blue；　only　a　few　remained　faintly　visible。　　The　sound　of　birds　increased。　　Through　the　trees　he　saw　towering　up　a　great　mauve　thing　like　the　back　of　a　monster；but　that　was　nonsense；　it　was　the　crest　of　a　steep　hillside　covered　with　woods　of　teak。　He　stood　up　and　stretched　himself；　and　wondered　whether　he　had　dreamed　of　a　tiger。　He　tried　to　remember　and　retrace　the　course　of　his　over…night　wanderings。　A　flight　of　emerald　parakeets　tore　screaming　through　the　trees；　and　then　far　away　uphill　he　heard　the　creaking　of　a　cart。　He　followed　the　hint　of　a　footmark；　and　went　back　up　the　glen　slowly　and　thoughtfully。　Presently　he　came　to　a　familiar　place；　a　group　of　trees；　a　sheet　of　water；　and　the　ruins　of　an