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第25章

the lion and the unicorn(狮子与独角兽)-第25章

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                                THE LION AND THE UNICORN 



leisurely    occupation;     and    one   that  promised     no   change;    and   he   was 

content。 

     As it was Thursday; the Council met that morning; and some questions 

of moment to the colony were to be brought up for consideration。                       The 

question     of   the  dog…tax    was    one   which    perplexed     Sir   Charles    most 

particularly。     The   two   Councillors   elected   by   the   people   and   the   three 

appointed by the crown had disagreed as to this tax。               Of the five hundred 

British subjects at the seaport; all but ten were owners of dogs; and it had 

occurred to Sassoon; the chemist; that a tax of half…a…crown a year on each 

of these dogs would meet the expense of extending the oyster…shell road to 

the new cricket…grounds。          To this Snellgrove; who   held the contract   for 

the    narrow…gauge       railroad;   agreed;    but   the   three   crown     Councillors 

opposed   the   tax   vigorously;   on   the   ground   that   as   scavengers   alone   the 

dogs were a boon to the colony and should be encouraged。                    The fact that 

each   of   these   gentlemen   owned   not   only   one;   but   several   dogs   of   high 

pedigree made their position one of great delicacy。 

     There was no way by which the Governor could test the popular will 

in   the   matter;   except   through    his   secretary;   Mr。   Clarges;    who;   at  the 

cricket…match between the local eleven and the officers and crew of H。 M。 

S。    Partridge;   had   been   informed   by   the   other   owners   of   several   fox… 

terriers that; in their opinion; the tax was a piece of 〃condemned tommy… 

rot。〃   From  this   the  Governor   judged   that it   would   not prove   a  popular 

measure。      As he paced the veranda; drawing deliberately on his cigar; and 

considering to which party he should give the weight of his final support; 

his thoughts were disturbed by the approach of a stranger; who advanced 

along     the  gravel    walk;   guarded     on   either   side   by   one   of  the   local 

constabulary。      The     stranger   was   young     and   of  poor   appearance。      His 

bare feet were bound in a pair of the rope sandals worn by the natives; his 

clothing was of torn and soiled drill; and he fanned his face nonchalantly 

with a sombrero of battered and shapeless felt。 

     Sir Charles halted in his walk; and holding his cigar behind his back; 

addressed himself to the sergeant。 

     〃A vagrant?〃 he asked。 

     The words seemed to bear some amusing significance to the stranger; 



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for   his   face   lit   instantly  with   a   sweet   and   charming   smile;   and   while   he 

turned   to   hear   the   sergeant's   reply;   he   regarded   him   with   a   kindly   and 

affectionate interest。 

     〃Yes; your Excellency。〃 

     The Governor turned to the prisoner。 

     〃Do you know the law of this colony regarding vagrants?〃 

     〃I do not;〃 the young man answered。               His tone was politely curious; 

and   suggested   that   he   would   like   to   be   further   informed   as   to   the   local 

peculiarities of a foreign country。 

     〃After two weeks' residence;〃 the Governor recited; impressively; 〃all 

able…bodied      persons    who    will   not  work    are   put  to  work    or  deported。 

Have you made any effort to find work?〃 

     Again   the   young   man   smiled   charmingly。         He   shook   his   head   and 

laughed。      〃Oh dear no;〃 he said。 

     The laugh struck the Governor as impertinent。 

     〃Then     you   must    leave   by   the  next   mail…steamer;     if  you   have    any 

money   to   pay   your   passage;   or;   if   you   have   no   money;   you   must   go   to 

work on the roads。        Have you any money?〃 

     〃If   I   had;   I   wouldn'tbe   a   vagrant;〃   the   young   man   answered。   His 

voice was low and singularly sweet。               It seemed to suit the indolence of 

his attitude   and   the lazy;   inconsequent smile。         〃I called on our   consular 

agent here;〃 he continued; leisurely; 〃to write a letter home for money; but 

he was disgracefully drunk; so I used his official note…paper to write to the 

State Department about him; instead。〃 

     The Governor's deepest interest was aroused。               The American consular 

agent was one of the severest trials he was forced to endure。 

     〃You     are   not   a  British    subject;   then?     Ah;    I  seeanderyour 

representative was unable to assist you?〃 

     〃He   was   drunk;〃   the   young   man   repeated;   placidly。       〃He   has   been 

drunk ever since I have been here; particularly in the mornings。〃 

     He halted; as though the subject had lost interest for him; and gazed 

pleasantly at the sunny bay and up at the moving palms。 

     〃Then;〃 said the Governor; as though he had not been interrupted; 〃as 

you have no means of support; you will help support the colony until you 



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can earn money to leave it。         That will do; sergeant。〃 

     The young man placed his hat upon his head and turned to move away; 

but at the first step he swayed suddenly and caught at the negro's shoulder; 

clasping   his   other   hand   across   his   eyes。  The   sergeant   held   him   by   the 

waist; and looked up at the Governor with some embarrassment。 

     〃The     young    gentleman     has   not   been   well;   Sir   Charles;〃    he  said; 

apologetically。 

     The   stranger   straightened   himself   up   and   smiled   vaguely。       〃I'm   all 

right;〃 he murmured。         〃Sun's too hot。〃 

     〃Sit down;〃 said the Governor。 

     He observed the stranger more closely。             He noticed now that beneath 

the tan his face was delicate and finely cut; and that his yellow hair clung 

closely to a well…formed head。 

     〃He seems faint。       Has he had anything to eat?〃 asked the Governor。 

     The sergeant grinned guiltily。          〃Yes; Sir Charles; we've been feeding 

him at the barracks。       It's fever; sir。〃 

     Sir   Charles    was    not  unacquainted      with    fallen  gentlemen;      〃beach… 

combers;〃   〃remittance   men;〃   and   vagrants   who   had   known   better   days; 

and    there   had   been    something      winning    in   this  vagrant's    smile;   and; 

moreover; he had reported that thorn in his flesh; the consular agent; to the 

proper authorities。 

     He conceived an interest in a young man who; though with naked feet; 

did not hesitate to correspond with his Minister of Foreign Affairs。 

     〃How long have you been ill?〃 he asked。 

     The young man looked up from where he had sunk on the steps; and 

roused   himself   with   a   shrug。    〃It   doesn't   matter;〃   he   said。 〃I've   had   a 

touch of Chagres ever since I was on the Isthmus。               I was at work there on 

the railroad。〃 

     〃Did you come here from Colon?〃 

     〃No;    I  worked     up  the   Pacific   side。   I  was   clerking    with   Rossner 

Brothers at Amapala for a while; because I speak a little German; and then 

I   footed   it   over   to   Puerto   Cortez   and   got   a   job   with   the   lottery   people。 

They gave me twenty dollars a month gold for rolling the tickets; and I put 

it all in the drawing; and won as much as ten。〃                He laughed; and sitting 



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erect; drew from his pocket a roll of thin green papers。            〃These are for the 

next drawing

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