tartarin of tarascon-第3章

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lements　kept　him　in　a　perpetual　stew　of　wrath　and　exaltation。　　His　revolvers；　repeating　rifles；　and　ducking…guns　shouted　〃Battle！　battle！〃　out　of　their　mouths。　　Through　the　twigs　of　his　baobab；　the　tempest　of　great　voyages　and　journeys　soughed　and　blew　bad　advice。　To　finish　him　came　Gustave　Aimard；　Mayne　Reid；　and　Fenimore　Cooper。

Oh；　how　many　times　did　Tartarin　with　a　howl　spring　up　on　the　sultry　summer　afternoons；　when　he　was　reading　alone　amidst　his　blades；　points；　and　edges　；　how　many　times　did　he　dash　down　his　book　and　rush　to　the　wall　to　unhook　a　deadly　arm！　　The　poor　man　forgot　he　was　at　home　in　Tarascon；　in　his　underclothes；　and　with　a　handkerchief　round　his　head。　　He　would　translate　his　readings　into　action；　and；　goading　himself　with　his　own　voice；　shout　out　whilst　swinging　a　battle…axe　or　tomahawk：

〃Now；　only　let　'em　come！〃

〃Them〃　？　who　were　they？

Tartarin　did　not　himself　any　too　clearly　understand。　　〃They〃　was　all　that　should　be　attacked　and　fought　with；　all　that　bites；　claws；　scalps；　whoops；　and　yells　　the　Sioux　Indians　dancing　around　the　war…　stake　to　which　the　unfortunate　pale…face　prisoner　is　lashed。　　The　grizzly　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　who　wobbles　on　his　hind　legs；　and　licks　himself　with　a　tongue　full　of　blood。　The　Touareg；　too；　in　the　desert；　the　Malay　pirate；　the　brigand　of　the　Abruzzi　　in　short；　〃they〃　was　warfare；　travel；　adventure；　and　glory。

But；　alas！！　it　was　to　no　avail　that　the　fearless　Tarasconer　called　for　and　defied　them；　never　did　they　come。　　Odsboddikins！　what　would　they　have　come　to　do　in　Tarascon？

Nevertheless　Tartarin　always　expected　to　run　up　against　them；　particularly　some　evening　in　going　to　the　club。



V。　How　Tartarin　went　round　to　his　club。


LITTLE；　indeed；　beside　Tartarin　of　Tarascon；　arming　himself　capa…　pie　to　go　to　his　club　at　nine；　an　hour　after　the　retreat　had　sounded　on　the　bugle；　was　the　Templar　Knight　preparing　for　a　sortie　upon　the　infidel；　the　Chinese　tiger　equipping　himself　for　combat；　or　the　Comanche　warrior　painting　up　for　going　on　the　war…path。　〃All　hands　make　ready　for　action！〃　as　the　men…of…war's　men　say。

In　his　left　hand　Tartarin　took　a　steel…pointed　knuckle…duster；　in　the　right　he　carried　a　sword…cane；　in　his　left　pocket　a　life…preserver；　in　the　right　a　revolver。　　On　his　chest；　betwixt　outer　and　under　garment；　lay　a　Malay　kreese。　But　never　any　poisoned　arrows　　they　are　weapons　altogether　too　unfair。

Before　starting；　in　the　silence　and　obscurity　of　his　study；　he　exercised　himself　for　a　while；　warding　off　imaginary　cuts　and　thrusts；　lunging　at　the　wall；　and　giving　his　muscles　play；　then　he　took　his　master…key　and　went　through　the　garden　leisurely；　without　hurrying；　mark　you。　　〃Cool　and　calm　　British　courage；　that　is　the　true　sort；　gentlemen。〃　　At　the　garden　end　he　opened　the　heavy　iron　door；　violently　and　abruptly　so　that　it　should　slam　against　the　outer　wall。　If　〃they〃　had　been　skulking　behind　it；　you　may　wager　they　would　have　been　jam。　　Unhappily；　they　were　not　there。

The　way　being　open；　out　Tartarin　would　sally；　quickly　glancing　to　the　right　and　left；　ere　banging　the　door　to　and　fastening　it　smartly　with　double…locking。　　Then；　on　the　way。

Not　so　much　as　a　cat　upon　the　Avignon　roadall　the　doors　closed；　and　no　lights　in　the　casements。　　All　was　black；　except　for　the　parish　lamps；　well　spaced　apart；　blinking　in　the　river　mist。

Calm　and　proud；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　marched　on　in　the　night；　ringing　his　heels　with　regularity；　and　sending　sparks　out　of　the　paving…stones　with　the　ferule　of　his　stick。　Whether　in　avenues；　streets；　or　lanes；　he　took　care　to　keep　in　the　middle　of　the　road　　an　excellent　method　of　precaution；　allowing　one　to　see　danger　coming；　and；　above　all；　to　avoid　any　droppings　from　windows；　as　happens　after　dark　in　Tarascon　and　the　Old　Town　of　Edinburgh。　On　seeing　so　much　prudence　in　Tartarin；　pray　do　not　conclude　that　Tartarin　had　any　fear　　dear；　no！　he　only　was　on　his　guard。

The　best　proof　that　Tartarin　was　not　scared　is；　that　instead　of　going　to　the　club　by　the　shortest　cut；　he　went　over　the　town　by　the　longest　and　darkest　way　round；　through　a　mass　of　vile；　paltry　alleys；　at　the　mouth　of　which　the　Rhone　could　be　seen　ominously　gleaming。　　The　poor　knight　constantly　hoped　that；　beyond　the　turn　of　one　of　these　cut…throats'　haunts；　〃they〃　would　leap　from　the　shadow　and　fall　on　his　back。　I　warrant　you；　　〃they〃　would　have　been　warmly　received；　though；　but；　alack！　by　reason　of　some　nasty　meanness　of　destiny；　never　indeed　did　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　enjoy　the　luck　to　meet　any　ugly　customers　　not　so　much　as　a　dog　or　a　drunken　man　　nothing　at　all！

Still；　there　were　false　alarms　somewhiles。　He　would　catch　a　sound　of　steps　and　muffled　voices。

〃Ware　hawks！　Tartarin　would　mutter；　and　stop　short；　as　if　taking　root　on　the　spot；　scrutinising　the　gloom；　sniffing　the　wind；　even　glueing　his　ear　to　the　ground　in　the　orthodox　Red　Indian　mode。　The　steps　would　draw　nearer；　and　the　voices　grow　more　distinct；　till　no　more　doubt　was　possible。　　〃They〃　were　coming　　in　fact；　here　〃they〃　were！

Steady；　with　eye　afire　and　heaving　breast；　Tartarin　would　gather　himself　like　a　jaguar　in　readiness　to　spring　forward　whilst　uttering　his　war…cry；　when；　all　of　a　sudden；　out　of　the　thick　of　the　murkiness；　he　would　hear　honest　Tarasconian　voices　quite　tranquilly　hailing　him　with　：

〃Hullo！　you；　by　Jove！　it's　Tartarin！　Good　night；　old　fellow！〃

Maledictions　upon　it！　It　was　the　chemist　Bezuquet；　with　his　family；　coming　from　singing　their　family　ballad　at　Costecalde's。

〃Oh；　good　even；　good　even！〃　Tartarin　would　growl；　furious　at　his　blunder；　and　plunging　fiercely　into　the　gloom　with　his　cane　waved　on　high。

On　arriving　in　the　street　where　stood　his　club…house；　the　dauntless　one　would　linger　yet　a　moment；　walking　up　and　down　before　the　portals　ere　entering。　　But；　finally；　weary　of　awaiting　〃them；〃　and　certain　〃they〃　would　not　show　〃themselves；〃　he　would　fling　a　last　glare　of　defiance　into　the　shades　and　snarl　wrathfully：

〃Nothing；　nothing　at　all！　there　never　is　nothing！〃

Upon　which　double　negation；　which　he　meant　as　a　stronger　affirmative；　the　worthy　champion　would　walk　in　to　play　his　game　of　bezique　with　the　commandant。


VI。　The　two　Tartarins。


ANSWER　me；　you　will　say；　how　the　mischief　is　it　that　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　never　left　Tarascon　with　all　this　mania　for　adventure；　need　of　powerful　sensations；　and　folly　about　travel；　rides；　and　journeys　from　the　Pole　to　the　Equator？

For　that　is　a　fact：　up　to　the　age　of　five…and…forty；　the　dreadless　Tarasconian　had　never　once　slept　outside　his　own　room。　　He　had　not　even　taken　that　obligatory　trip　to　Marseilles　which　every　sound　Provencal　makes　upon　coming　of　age。　　The　most　of　his　knowledge　included　Beaucaire；　and　yet　that's　not　far　from　Tarascon；　there　being　merely　the　bridge　to　go　over。　　Unfortunately；　this　rascally　bridge　has　so　often　been　blown　away　by　the　gales；　it　is　so　long　and　frail；　and　the　Rhone　has　such　a　width　at　this　spot　that　　well；　faith！　you　understand！　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　preferred　terra　firma。

We　are　afraid　we　must　make　a　clean　breast　of　it：　in　our　hero　there　were　two　very　distinct　characters。　Some　Father　of　the　Church　has　said：　〃I　feel　there　are　two　men　in　me。〃　He　would　have　spoken　truly　in　saying　this　about　Tartarin；　who　carried　in　his　frame　the　soul　of　Don　Quixote；　the　same　chivalric　impulses；　heroic　ideal；　and　crankiness　for　the　grandiose　and　romantic；　but；　worse　is　the　luck！　he　had　not　the　body　of　the　celebrated　hidalgo；　that　thin　and　meagre　apology　for　a　body；　on　which　material　life　failed　to　take　a　hold；　one　that　could　get　through　twenty　nights　without　its　breast…plate　being　unbuckled　off；　and　forty…eight　hours　on　a　handful　of　rice。　　On　the　contrary；　Tartarin's　body　was　a　stout　honest　bully　of　a　body；　very　fat；　very　weighty；　most　sensual　and　fond　of　coddling；　highly　touchy；　full　of　low…class　appetite　and　homely　requirements　　the　short；　paunchy　body　on　stumps　of　the　immortal　Sancho　Panza。

Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　Panza　in　the　one　same　man　！　you　will　readily　comprehend　what　a　cat…and…dog　couple　they　made！　what　strife！　what　clapperclawing！　Oh；　the　fine　dialogue　for　Lucian　or　Saint…Evremond　to　write；　between　the　two　Tartarins　　Quixote…　Tartarin　and　Sancho…Tartarin！　　Quixote…T