sons of the soil-第8章

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to　get　the　better　of　him；that　demon　with　the　double　claws　of　hope

and　curiosity；　who　carries　you　whithersoever　he　will。



〃The　hat…makers　buy　the　skin；〃　continued　the　old　man；　〃it's　so　soft；

so　handsome！　They　cover　caps　with　it。〃



〃Do　you　really　think　so；　my　old　man？〃　said　Blondet；　smiling。



〃Well　truly；　my　good　gentleman；　you　ought　to　know　more　than　I；　though

I　am　seventy　years　old；〃　replied　the　old　fellow；　very　humbly　and

respectfully；　falling　into　the　attitude　of　a　giver　of　holy　water；

〃perhaps　you　can　tell　me　why　conductors　and　wine…merchants　are　so　fond

of　it？〃



Blondet；　a　master　of　irony；　already　on　his　guard　from　the　word

〃scientific；〃　recollected　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu　and　began　to

suspect　some　jest　on　the　part　of　the　old　man；　but　he　was　reassured　by

his　artless　attitude　and　the　perfectly　stupid　expression　of　his　face。



〃In　my　young　days　we　had　lots　of　otters；〃　whispered　the　old　fellow；

〃but　they've　hunted　'em　so　that　if　we　see　the　tail　of　one　in　seven

years　it　is　as　much　as　ever　we　do。　And　the　sub…prefect　at　Ville…aux…

Fayes；doesn't　monsieur　know　him？　though　he　be　a　Parisian；　he's　a

fine　young　man　like　you；　and　he　loves　curiosities；so；　as　I　was

saying；　hearing　of　my　talent　for　catching　otters；　for　I　know　'em　as

you　know　your　alphabet；　he　says　to　me　like　this：　'Pere　Fourchon；'　says

he；　〃when　you　find　an　otter　bring　it　to　me；　and　I'll　pay　you　well；　and

if　it's　spotted　white　on　the　back；'　says　he；　'I'll　give　you　thirty

francs。'　That's　just　what　he　did　say　to　me　as　true　as　I　believe　in　God

the　Father；　Son；　and　Holy　Ghost。　And　there's　a　learned　man　at

Soulanges；　Monsieur　Gourdon；　our　doctor；　who　is　making；　so　they　tell

me；　a　collection　of　natural　history　which　hasn't　its　mate　at　Dijon

even；　indeed　he　is　first　among　the　learned　men　in　these　parts；　and

he'll　pay　me　a　fine　price；　too；　he　stuffs　men　and　beasts。　Now　my　boy

there　stands　me　out　that　that　otter　has　got　the　white　spots。　'If

that's　so；'　says　I　to　him；　'then　the　good　God　wishes　well　to　us　this

morning！'　Ha！　didn't　you　see　the　water　bubble？　yes；　there　it　is！　there

it　is！　Though　it　lives　in　a　kind　of　a　burrow；　it　sometimes　stays　whole

days　under　water。　Ha；　there！　it　heard　you；　my　good　gentleman；　it's　on

its　guard　now；　for　there's　not　a　more　suspicious　animal　on　earth；　it's

worse　than　a　woman。〃



〃So　you　call　women　suspicious；　do　you？〃　said　Blondet。



〃Faith；　monsieur；　if　you　come　from　Paris　you　ought　to　know　about　that

better　than　I。　But　you'd　have　done　better　for　me　if　you　had　stayed　in

your　bed　and　slept　all　the　morning；　don't　you　see　that　wake　there？

that's　where　she's　gone　under。　Get　up；　Mouche！　the　otter　heard

monsieur　talking；　and　now　she's　scary　enough　to　keep　us　at　her　heels

till　midnight。　Come；　let's　be　off！　and　good…bye　to　our　thirty　francs！〃



Mouche　got　up　reluctantly；　he　looked　at　the　spot　where　the　water

bubbled；　pointed　to　it　with　his　finger　and　seemed　unable　to　give　up

all　hope。　The　child；　with　curly　hair　and　a　brown　face；　like　the　angels

in　a　fifteenth…century　picture；　seemed　to　be　in　breeches；　for　his

trousers　ended　at　the　knee　in　a　ragged　fringe　of　brambles　and　dead

leaves。　This　necessary　garment　was　fastened　upon　him　by　cords　of

tarred　oakum　in　guise　of　braces。　A　shirt　of　the　same　burlap　which　made

the　old　man's　trousers；　thickened；　however；　by　many　darns；　open　in

front　showed　a　sun…burnt　little　breast。　In　short；　the　attire　of　the

being　called　Mouche　was　even　more　startlingly　simple　than　that　of　Pere

Fourchon。



〃What　a　good…natured　set　of　people　they　are　here；〃　thought　Blondet；

〃if　a　man　frightened　away　the　game　of　the　people　of　the　suburbs　of

Paris；　how　their　tongues　would　maul　him！〃



As　he　had　never　seen　an　otter；　even　in　a　museum；　he　was　delighted　with

this　episode　of　his　early　walk。　〃Come；〃　said　he；　quite　touched　when

the　old　man　walked　away　without　asking　him　for　a　compensation；　〃you

say　you　are　a　famous　otter　catcher。　If　you　are　sure　there　is　an　otter

down　there〃



From　the　other　side　of　the　water　Mouche　pointed　his　finger　to　certain

air…bubbles　coming　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　Avonne　and　bursting　on

its　surface。



〃It　has　come　back！〃　said　Pere　Fourchon；　〃don't　you　see　it　breathe；　the

beggar？　How　do　you　suppose　they　manage　to　breathe　at　the　bottom　of　the

water？　Ah；　the　creature's　so　clever　it　laughs　at　science。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Blondet；　who　supposed　the　last　word　was　a　jest　of　the

peasantry　in　general　rather　than　of　this　peasant　in　particular；　〃wait

and　catch　the　otter。〃



〃And　what　are　we　to　do　about　our　day's　work；　Mouche　and　I？〃



〃What　is　your　day　worth？〃



〃For　the　pair　of　us；　my　apprentice　and　me？Five　francs；〃　said　the　old

man；　looking　Blondet　in　the　eye　with　a　hesitation　which　betrayed　an

enormous　overcharge。



The　journalist　took　ten　francs　from　his　pocket；　saying；　〃There's　ten；

and　I'll　give　you　ten　more　for　the　otter。〃



〃And　it　won't　cost　you　dear　if　there's　white　on　its　back；　for　the　sub…

prefect　told　me　there　wasn't　one　o'　them　museums　that　had　the　like；

but　he　knows　everything；　our　sub…prefect；no　fool　he！　If　I　hunt　the

otter；　he；　M'sieur　des　Lupeaulx；　hunts　Mademoiselle　Gaubertin；　who　has

a　fine　white　〃dot〃　on　her　back。　Come　now；　my　good　gentleman；　if　I　may

make　so　bold；　plunge　into　the　middle　of　the　Avonne　and　get　to　that

stone　down　there。　If　we　head　the　otter　off；　it　will　come　down　stream；

for　just　see　their　slyness；　the　beggars！　they　always　go　above　their

burrow　to　feed；　for；　once　full　of　fish；　they　know　they　can　easily

drift　down；　the　sly　things！　Ha！　if　I'd　been　trained　in　their　school　I

should　be　living　now　on　an　income；　but　I　was　a　long　time　finding　out

that　you　must　go　up　stream　very　early　in　the　morning　if　you　want　to

bag　the　game　before　others。　Well；　somebody　threw　a　spell　over　me　when

I　was　born。　However；　we　three　together　ought　to　be　slyer　than　the

otter。〃



〃How　so；　my　old　necromancer？〃



〃Why；　bless　you！　we　are　as　stupid　as　the　beasts；　and　so　we　come　to

understand　the　beasts。　Now；　see；　this　is　what　we'll　do。　When　the　otter

wants　to　get　home　Mouche　and　I'll　frighten　it　here；　and　you'll

frighten　it　over　there；　frightened　by　us　and　frightened　by　you　it　will

jump　on　the　bank；　and　when　it　takes　to　earth；　it　is　lost！　It　can't

run；　it　has　web　feet　for　swimming。　Ho；　ho！　it　will　make　you　laugh；

such　floundering！　you　don't　know　whether　you　are　fishing　or　hunting！

The　general　up　at　Les　Aigues；　I　have　known　him　to　stay　here　three　days

running；　he　was　so　bent　on　getting　an　otter。〃



Blondet；　armed　with　a　branch　cut　for　him　by　the　old　man；　who　requested

him　to　whip　the　water　with　it　when　he　called　to　him；　planted　himself

in　the　middle　of　the　river　by　jumping　from　stone　to　stone。



〃There；　that　will　do；　my　good　gentleman。〃



Blondet　stood　where　he　was　told　without　remarking　the　lapse　of　time；

for　every　now　and　then　the　old　fellow　made　him　a　sign　as　much　as　to

say　that　all　was　going　well；　and　besides；　nothing　makes　time　go　so

fast　as　the　expectation　that　quick　action　is　to　succeed　the　perfect

stillness　of　watching。



〃Pere　Fourchon；〃　whispered　the　boy；　finding　himself　alone　with　the　old

man；　〃there's　REALLY　an　otter！〃



〃Do　you　see　it？〃



〃There；　see　there！〃



The　old　fellow　was　dumb…founded　at　beholding　under　water　the　reddish…

brown　fur　of　an　actual　otter。



〃It's　coming　my　way！〃　said　the　child。



〃Hit　him　a　sharp　blow　on　the　head　and　jump　into　the　water　and　hold　him

fast　down；　but　don't　let　him　go！〃



Mouche　dove　into　the　water　like　a　frightened　frog。



〃Come；　come；　my　good　gentleman；〃　cried　Pere　Fourchon　to　Blondet；

jumping　into　the　water　and　leaving　his　sabots　on　the　bank；　〃frighten

him！　frighten　him！　Don't　you　see　him？　he　is　swimming　fast　your　way！〃



The　old　man　dashed　toward　Blondet　through　the　water；　calling　out　with

the　gravity　that　country　people　retain　in　the　midst　of　their　greatest

excitements：



〃Don't　you　see　him；　there；　along　the　rocks？〃



Blondet；　placed　by　direction