osc.am2.redprophet-第10章

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　　Ta…Kumsaw　watched　Hooch　turn　away；　return　to　the　fort。　Soon　Hooch　sells　his　poison　in　earnest。　Most　of　the　Red　men　gathered　here　will　be　drunk。　Ta…Kumsaw　will　stay；　keeping　watch。　He　does　not　have　to　speak　to　anyone。　They　only　see　him；　and　those　with　any　pride　left　will　turn　away　without　likkering。　Ta…Kurnsaw　is　not　a　chief　yet。　But　Ta…Kumsaw　is　not　to　be　ignored。　Ta…Kumsaw　is　the　pride　of　the　Shaw…Nee。　All　other　Red　men　of　every　tribe　must　measure　themselves　against　him。　Whisky…Reds　are　very　small　inside　when　they　see　this　tall　strong　Red　man。
　　He　walked　to　the　place　where　Hooch　had　stood；　and　let　his　calm　replace　the　twisting　Hooch　put　there。　Soon　the　buzzing；　furious　insects　quieted。　The　smell　of　the　likkery　man　settled。　Again　the　water　lapped　the　shore　with　accidental　song。
　　How　easy　to　heal　the　land　after　the　White　man　passes。　If　all　the　White　men　left　today；　by　tomorrow　the　land　would　be　at　rest；　and　in　a　year　it　would　not　show　any　sign　the　White　man　ever　came。　Even　the　ruins　of　the　White　man's　buildings　would　be　part　of　the　land　again；　making　homes　for　small　animals；　crumbling　in　the　grip　of　the　hungering　vines。　White　man's　metal　would　be　rust；　White　man's　stone　work　would　be　low　hills　and　small　caves；　White　man's　murders　would　be　wistful；　beautiful　notes　in　the　song　of　the　redbird　　for　the　redbird　remembered　everything；　turning　it　into　goodness　when　it　could。
　　All　day　Ta…Kumsaw　stood　outside　the　fort；　watching　Red　men　go　in　to　buy　their　poison。　Men　and　women　from　every　tribe　　Wee…Aw　and　Kicky…Poo；　Potty…Wottamee　and　Chippy…Wa；　Winny…Baygo　and　Pee…Orawa　　they　went　in　carrying　pelts　or　baskets　and　came　out　with　no　more　than　cups　or　jugs　of　likker；　and　sometimes　with　nothing　more　than　what　they　already　had　in　their　bellies。　Ta…Kumsaw　said　nothing；　but　he　could　feel　how　the　Reds　who　drank　this　poison　were　cut　off　from　the　land。　They　did　not　twist　the　green　of　life　the　way　the　White　man　did；　rather　it　was　as　if　they　did　not　exist　at　all。　The　Red　man　who　drank　whisky　was　already　dead；　as　far　as　the　land　knew。　No；　not　even　dead；　for　they　give　nothing　back　to　the　land　at　all。　I　stand　here　to　watch　them　be　ghosts；　thought　Ta…Kumsaw；　not　dead　and　not　alive。　He　said　this　only　inside　his　head；　but　the　land　felt　his　grief；　and　the　breeze　answered　him　by　weeping　through　the　leaves。
　　e　dusk；　a　redbird　walks　on　the　dirt　in　front　of　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　Tell　me　a　story；　says　the　redbird　in　its　silent　way；　its　eyes　cocked　upward　at　the　silent　Red　man。
　　You　know　my　story　before　I　tell　it；　says　Ta…Kumsaw　silently。　You　feel　my　tears　before　I　shed　them。　You　taste　my　blood　before　it　is　spilled。
　　Why　do　you　grieve　for　Red　men　who　are　not　of　the　Shaw…Nee？
　　Before　the　White　man　came；　says　Ta…Kumsaw　silently；　we　did　not　see　that　all　Red　men　were　alike；　brothers　of　the　land；　because　we　thought　all　creatures　were　this　way；　so　we　quarreled　with　other　Red　men　the　way　the　bear　quarrels　with　the　cougar；　the　way　the　muskrat　scolds　the　beaver。　Then　the　White　man　came；　and　I　saw　that　all　Red　men　are　like　twins　pared　to　the　White　man。
　　What　is　the　White　man？　What　does　he　do？
　　The　White　man　is　like　a　human　being；　but　he　crushes　all　other　living　things　under　his　feet。
　　Then　why；　O　Ta…Kumsaw；　when　I　look　into　your　heart；　why　is　it　that　you　do　not　wish　to　hurt　the　White　man；　that　you　do　not　wish　to　kill　the　White　man？
　　The　White　man　doesn't　know　the　evil　that　he　does。　The　White　man　doesn't　feel　the　peace　of　the　land；　so　how　can　he　tell　the　little　deaths　he　makes？　I　can't　blame　the　White　man。　But　I　can't　let　him　stay。　So　when　I　make　him　leave　this　land；　I　won't　hate　him。
　　If　you　are　free　of　hate；　O　Ta…Kumsaw；　you　will　surely　drive　the　White　man　out。
　　I'll　cause　him　no　more　pain　than　it　takes　to　make　him　go　away。
　　The　redbird　nods。　Once；　twice；　three　times；　four。　It　flutters　up　to　a　branch　as　high　as　Ta…Kumsaw's　head。　It　sings　a　new　song。　In　this　song　Ta…Kumsaw　hears　no　words；　but　he　hears　his　own　story　being　told。　From　now　on；　his　story　is　in　the　song　of　every　redbird　in　the　land；　for　what　one　redbird　knows；　all　remember。
　　Whoever　watched　Ta…Kumsaw　all　that　time　had　no　idea　of　what　he　said　and　saw　and　heard。　Ta…Kumsaw's　face　showed　nothing。　He　stood　where　he　had　been　standing；　a　redbird　landed　near　him；　stayed　awhile；　sang；　and　went　away。
　　Yet　this　moment　turned　Ta…Kumsaw's　life；　he　knew　it　right　away。　Until　this　day　he　had　been　a　young　man。　His　strength　and　calm　and　courage　were　admired；　but　he　spoke　only　as　any　Shaw…Nee　could　speak；　and　having　spoken；　he　then　kept　still　and　older　men　decided。　Now　he　would　decide　for　himself；　like　a　true　chief；　like　a　war　chief。　Not　a　chief　of　the　Shaw…Nee；　or　even　a　chief　of　the　Red　men　of　this　north　country；　but　rather　the　chief　of　all　Red　tribes　in　the　war　against　the　White　man。　He　knew　for　many　years　that　such　a　war　must　e；　but　until　this　moment　he　had　thought　that　it　would　be　another　man；　a　chief　like　Cornstalk；　Blackfish；　or　even　a　Cree…Ek　or　Chok…Taw　from　the　south。　But　the　redbird　came　to　him；　Ta…Kumsaw；　and　put　him　in　the　song。　Now　wherever　Ta…Kumsaw　went　throughout　the　land　that　knew　the　redbird　song；　his　name　would　be　well　known　to　the　wisest　Red　men。　He　was　war　chief　of　all　Red　men　who　loved　the　land；　the　land　had　chosen　him。
　　As　he　stood　there　near　the　bank　of　the　Hio；　he　felt　like　he　was　the　face　of　the　land。　The　fire　of　the　sun；　the　breath　of　the　air；　the　strength　of　the　earth；　the　speed　of　the　water；　all　reached　into　him　and　looked　out　on　the　world　through　his　eyes。　I　am　the　land；　I　am　the　hands　and　feet　and　mouth　and　voice　of　the　land　as　it　struggles　to　rid　itself　of　the　White　man。
　　These　were　his　thoughts。
　　He　stood　there　until　it　was　fully　dark。　The　other　Red　men　had　returned　to　their　lodges　or　their　cabins　to　sleep　or　to　lie　drunken　and　as　good　as　dead　till　morning。　Ta…Kumsaw　came　out　of　his　redbird　trance　and　heard　laughter　from　the　Red　village；　laughter　and　singing　from　the　White　soldiers　inside　the　fort。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　walked　away　from　the　place　where　he　had　stood　so　many　hours。　His　legs　were　stiff；　but　he　did　not　stagger；　he　forced　his　legs　to　move　smoothly；　and　the　ground　yielded　gently　under　his　feet。　The　White　man　had　to　wear　rough　heavy　boots　to　walk　far　in　this　land；　because　the　dirt　scuffed　and　tore　at　his　feet；　the　Red　man　could　wear　the　same　moccasins　for　years；　because　the　land　was　gentle　and　weled　his　step。　As　he　moved；　Ta…Kumsaw　felt　soil；　wind；　river；　and　lightning　all　moving　with　him；　the　land　within　him；　all　things　living；　and　he　the　hands　and　feet　and　face　of　the　land。
　　There　was　a　shout　inside　the　fort。　And　more　shouts：
　　〃Thief！　Thief！　Stop　him！〃
　　〃He's　got　a　keg！〃
　　Curses；　howls。　Then　the　worst　sound：　a　gunshot。　Ta…Kumsaw　waited　for　the　sting　of　death。　It　didn't　e。
　　A　shadowy　man　rose　above　the　parapet。　Whatever　man　it　was；　he　balanced　a　keg　on　his　shoulders。　For　a　moment　he　teetered　on　the　very　peak　of　the　stockade　poles；　then　jumped　down。　Ta…Kumsaw　knew　it　was　a　Red　man　because　he　could　jump　from　three　man…heights；　holding　a　heavy　keg；　and　make　almost　no　sound　upon　landing。
　　On　purpose　maybe；　or　maybe　not；　the　fleeing　thief　ran　straight　to　Ta…Kumsaw　and　stopped　before　him。　Ta…Kumsaw　looked　down。　By　starlight　he　knew　the　man。
　　〃Lolla…Wossiky；〃　he　said。
　　〃Got　a　keg；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃I　should　break　that　keg；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　cocked　his　head　like　the　redbird　and　regarded　his　brother。　〃Then　I'd　have　to　take　another。〃
　　The　White　men　chasing　Lolla…Wossiky　came　to　the　gate；　clamoring　for　the　guard　to　open　it。　I　have　to　remember　this；　thought　Ta…Kumsaw。　This　is　a　way　to　get　them　to　open　the　gate　for　me。　Even　as　he　thought　that；　however；　he　also　put　his　arm　around　his　brother；　keg　and　all。　Ta…Kumsaw　felt　the　green　land　like　a　second　heartbeat；　strong　within　him；　and　as　he　held　his　brother；　the　same　power　of　the　land　flowed　into　Lolla…Wossiky。　Ta…Kumsaw　heard　him　gasp。
　　The　Whites　ran　out　of　the　fort。　Even　though　Ta…Kumsaw　and　Lolla…Wossiky　stood　in　the　open；　in　plain　sight；　the　White　soldiers　did　not　see　them。　Or　no；　they　saw；　they　simply　did　not　notice　the　two　Shaw…Nee。　They　ran　past；　shouting　and　firing　randomly　into　the　woods。　They　gathered　near　the　brother