tartarin of tarascon-第21章

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Tartarin　of　Tarascon　had　no　luggage。　Here　he　comes　down　the　Rue　de　la　Marine　through　the　little　market；　full　of　bananas　and　melons；　accompanied　by　his　friend　Barbassou。　　The　hapless　Tarasconian　left　on　the　Moorish　strand　his　gun…cases　and　his　illusions；　and　now　he　had　to　sail　for　Tarascon　with　his　hands　in　his　otherwise　empty　pockets。　　He　had　barely　leaped　into　the　captain's　cutter　before　a　breathless　beast　slid　down　from　the　heights　of　the　square　and　galloped　towards　him。　　It　was　the　faithful　camel；　who　had　been　hunting　after　his　master　in　Algiers　during　the　last　four…and…twenty　hours。

On　seeing　him；　Tartarin　changed　countenance；　and　feigned　not　to　know　him；　but　the　camel　was　not　going　to　be　put　off。　　He　scampered　along　the　quay；　he　whinnied　for　his　friend；　and　regarded　him　with　affection。

〃Take　me　away；〃　his　sad　eyes　seemed　to　say；　〃take　me　away　in　your　ship；　far；　far　from　this　sham　Arabia；　this　ridiculous　Land　of　the　East；　full　of　locomotives　and　stage　coaches；　where　a　camel　is　so　sorely　out　of　keeping　that　I　do　not　know　what　will　become　of　me。　You　are　the　last　real　Turk；　and　I　am　the　last　camel。　　Do　not　let　us　part；　O　my　Tartarin！〃

〃Is　that　camel　yours？〃　the　captain　inquired。

〃Not　a　bit　of　it！〃　replied　Tartarin；　who　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　entering　Tarascon　with　that　ridiculous　escort；　and；　impudently　denying　the　companion　of　his　misfortunes；　he　spurned　the　Algerian　soil　with　his　foot；　and　gave　the　cutter　the　shoving…off　start。　　The　camel　sniffed　of　the　water；　extended　its　neck；　cracked　its　joints；　and；　jumping　in　behind　the　row…boat　at　haphazard；　he　swam　towards　the　Zouave　with　his　humpback　floating　like　a　bladder；　and　his　long　neck　projecting　over　the　wave　like　the　beak　of　a　galley。

Cutter　and　camel　came　alongside　the　mail　steamer　together。

〃This　dromedary　regularly　cuts　me　up；〃　observed　Captain　Barbassou；　quite　affected。　〃I　have　a　good　mind　to　take　him　aboard　and　make　a　present　of　him　to　the　Zoological　Gardens　at　Marseilles。〃

And　so　they　hauled　up　the　camel　with　many　blocks　and　tackles　upon　the　deck；　being　increased　in　weight　by　the　brine；　and　the　Zouave　started。

Tartarin　spent　the　two　days　of　the　crossing　by　himself　in　his　stateroom；　not　because　the　sea　was　rough；　or　that　the　red　fez　had　too　much　to　suffer；　but　because　the　deuced　camel；　as　soon　as　his　master　appeared　above　decks；　showed　him　the　most　preposterous　attentions。　　You　never　did　see　a　camel　make　such　an　exhibition　of　a　man　as　this。

》From　hour　to　hour；　through　the　cabin　portholes；　where　he　stuck　out　his　nose　now　and　then；　Tartarin　saw　the　Algerian　blue　sky　pale　away；　until　one　morning；　in　a　silvery　fog；　he　heard　with　delight　Marseilles　bells　ringing　out。　The　Zouave　had　arrived　and　cast　anchor。

Our　man；　having　no　luggage；　got　off　without　saying　anything；　hastily　slipped　through　Marseilles　for　fear　he　was　still　pursued　by　the　camel；　and　never　breathed　till　he　was　in　a　third…class　carriage　making　for　Tarascon。

Deceptive　security！

Hardly　were　they　two　leagues　from　the　city　before　every　head　was　stuck　out　of　window。　　There　were　outcries　and　astonishment。　Tartarin　looked　in　his　turn；　and　what　did　he　descry！　the　camel；　reader；　the　inevitable　camel；　racing　along　the　line　behind　the　train；　and　keeping　up　with　it！　The　dismayed　Tartarin　drew　back　and　shut　his　eyes。

After　this　disastrous　expedition　of　his　he　had　reckoned　on　slipping　into　his　house　incognito。　　But　the　presence　of　this　burden　some　quadruped　rendered　the　thing　impossible。　What　kind　of　a　triumphal　entry　would　he　make？　Good　heavens！　not　a　sou；　not　a　lion；　nothing　to　show　for　it　save　a　camel！

〃Tarascon！　Tarascon！〃

He　was　obliged　to　get　down。

O　amazement！

Scarce　had　the　hero's　red　fez　popped　out　of　the　doorway　before　a　loud　shout　of　〃Tartarin　for　ever！〃　made　the　glazed　roof　of　the　railway　station　tremble。　　〃Long　life　to　Tartarin；　the　lion…slayer！〃　And　out　burst　the　windings　of　horns　and　the　choruses　of　the　local　musical　societies。

Tartarin　felt　death　had　come：　he　believed　in　a　hoax。　　But；　no！　all　Tarascon　was　there；　waving　their　hats；　all　of　the　same　way　of　thinking。　　Behold　the　brave　Commandant　Bravida；　Costecalde　the　armourer；　the　Chief　Judge；　the　chemist；　and　the　whole　noble　corps　of　cap…poppers；　who　pressed　around　their　leader；　and　carried　him　in　triumph　out　through　the　passages。

Singular　effects　of　the　mirage！　　the　hide　of　the　blind　lion　sent　to　Bravida　was　the　cause　of　all　this　riot。　With　that　humble　fur　exhibited　in　the　club…room；　the　Tarasconians；　and；　at　the　back　of　them；　the　whole　South　of　France；　had　grown　exalted。　　The　Semaphore　newspaper　had　spoken　of　it。　　A　drama　had　been　invented。　It　was　not　merely　a　solitary　lion　which　Tartarin　had　slain；　but　ten；　nay；　twenty　　pooh！　a　herd　of　lions　had　been　made　marmalade　of。　　Hence；　on　disembarking　at　Marseilles；　Tartarin　was　already　celebrated　without　being　aware　of　it；　and　an　enthusiastic　telegram　had　gone　on　before　him　by　two　hours　to　his　native　place。

But　what　capped　the　climax　of　the　popular　gladness　was　to　see　a　fancifully　shaped　animal；　covered　with　foam　and　dust；　appear　behind　the　hero；　and　stumble　down　the　station　stairs。

Tarascon　for　an　instant　believed　that　its　dragon　was　come　again。

Tartarin　set　his　fellow…citizens　at　ease。

〃This　is　my　camel；〃　he　said。

Already　feeling　the　influence　of　the　splendid　sun　of　Tarascon；　which　makes　people　tell　〃bouncers〃　unwittingly；　he　added；　as　he　fondled　the　camel's　hump：

〃It　is　a　noble　beast！　　It　saw　me　kill　all　my　lions！〃

Whereupon　he　familiarly　took　the　arm　of　the　commandant；　who　was　red　with　pleasure；　and　followed　by　his　camel；　surrounded　by　the　cap…hunters；　acclaimed　by　all　the　population；　he　placidly　proceeded　towards　the　Baobab　Villa；　and；　on　the　march；　thus　commenced　the　account　of　his　mighty　hunting：

〃Once　upon　an　evening；　you　are　to　imagine　that；　out　in　the　depths　of　the　Sahara　〃　



APPENDIX

Obituary　of　Alphonse　Daudet。


17th　December　1897　DEATH　OF　A　FRENCH　NOVELIST。　ALPHONSE　DAUDET。

M。　Alphonse　Daudet；　the　eminent　French　novelist　and　playwright；　died　suddenly　yesterday　evening　while　at　dinner　The　cause　of　death　was　syncope　due　to　failure　of　the　heart。

Alphonse　Daudet　was　born　of　poor　parents　at　Nimes　in　1840。　He　studied　in　the　Lyons　Lyceum；　and　then　became　usher　in　a　school　at　Alais。　Going　to　Paris　to　seek　his　fortune　in　literature　in　1858；　he　succeeded　in　publishing　a　book　of　verses　entitled　Les　Amoreuses；　which　led　to　his　employment　by　several　newspapers。　He　published　many　novels　and　tales；　and　about　half　a　dozen　plays。　His　most　popular　work　is　〃Les　Morticoles。〃　His　son；　Leon　Daudet；　is　a　litterateur　of　promise。






End