noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第21章

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frisked　in　and　out　for　some　time　among　the　boulders；　suddenly　took　it

into　its　head　to　scale　a　cliff　on　the　left。　　It　did　this；　as　it

seemed　to　me；　without　provocation；　after　a　certain　reckless　fashion

of　its　own。　　The　higher　it　climbed；　the　more　foolhardy　it　got；　till

the　down…look　grew　unpleasant。　　Then　it　took　to　coquetting　with　the

gulf　on　its　right　until；　as　I　knew　would　happen；　it　lost　its　head

completely　and　fell　over　the　edge。　　The　gap　had　been　spanned　by　a　few

loose　boards。　　Over　the　makeshift　we　all；　one　after　the　other；

gingerly　crawled；　each　waiting　his　turn；　with　the　abyss　gaping　on　his

side；　for　the　one　in　front　to　move　on。　



We　had　not　yet　recovered　from　the　shock　when　we　came　to　another　place

not　unlike　the　first。　　Here　again　the　path　had　given　way；　and　a

couple　of　logs　had　been　lashed　across　the　inner　elbow　of　the　cliff。　

We　crossed　this　by　balancing　ourselves　for　the　first　two　steps　by　the

stump　of　a　bush　that　jutted　out　from　a　crevice　in　the　rock；　for　the

next　two　we　touched　the　cliff　with　the　tips　of　our　fingers；　for　the

last　two　we　balanced　ourselves　alone。　



For　the　time　being　the　gods　of　high　places　had　tempted　us　enough；　for

the　path　now　descended　again　to　the　dry　bed　of　the　stream；　and　there

for　a　certain　distance　tripped　along　in　all　soberness；　giving　me　the

chance　to　look　about　me。　　The　precipitous　sides　of　the　mountains　that

shut　in　the　narrow　valley　were　heavily　masked　in　forest；　and　for　some

time　past；　the　ravines　that　scored　their　sides　had　been　patched　with

snow。　　With　each　new　mile　of　advance　the　patches　grew　larger　and

merged　into　one　another；　stretching　toward　the　stream。　　We　now　began

to　meet　snow　on　the　path。　　In　the　mean　time；　from　one　cause　and

another；　insensibly　I　fell　behind。　　The　others　passed　on　out　of

sight。　



The　path；　having　lulled　me　into　a　confiding　unconcern；　started　in

seeming　innocence　of　purpose　to　climb　again。　　Its　ingenuousness　but

prefaced　a　malicious　surprise。　　For　of　a　sudden；　unmasking　a　corner；

it　presented　itself　in　profile　ahead；　a　narrow　ledge　notched　in　naked

simplicity　against　the　precipice。　　Things　look　better　slightly

veiled；　besides；　it　is　more　decent；　even　in　a　path。　　In　this　case　the

shamelessness　was　earnest　of　the　undoing。　　For　on　reaching　the　point

in　view　and　turning　it　I　stood　confronted　by　a　sight　sorry　indeed。　

The　path　beyond　had　vanished。　　Far　below；　out　of　sight　over　the　edge；

lay　the　torrent；　unscalable　the　cliff　rose　above；　and　a　line　of

fossil　footprints；　leading　across　the　face　of　the　precipice　in　the

debris；　alone　marked　where　the　path　had　been。　　Spectres　they　seemed

of　their　former　selves。　　Crusoe　could　not　have　been　more　horrified

than　was　I。　



Not　to　have　come　suggested　itself　as　the　proper　solution；　unfortunately

an　impracticable　one；　and　being　there；　to　turn　back　was　inadmissible。　

So　I　took　myself　in　hand　and　started。　　For　the　first　few　steps　I　was

far　too　much　given　up　to　considering　possibilities。　　I　thought　how　a

single　misstep　would　end。　　I　could　see　my　footing　slip；　feel　the

consciousness　that　I　was　gone；　the　dull　thuds　from　point　to　point　as

what　remained　of　me　bounded　beyond　the　visible　edge　down；　down。　　。　　。　

And　after　that　what！　　How　long　before　the　porters　missed　me　and　came

back　in　search？　　Would　there　be　any　trace　to　tell　what　had　befallen？

And　then　Yejiro　returning　alone　to　Tokyo　to　reportlost　on　the

Dragon　peak！　　Each　time　I　almost　felt　my　foot　give　way　as　I　put　it

down；　right　before　left；　left　before　right。　



Then　I　realized　that　this　inopportune　flirting　with　fate　must　stop；

that　I　must　give　over　dallying　with　sensations；　or　it　would　soon　be

all　over　with　me。　　I　was　falling　a　prey　to　the　native　Loreleifor

all　these　spots　in　Japan　have　their　familiar　devilssubjectively；　as

befits　a　modern　man。　　I　numbed　sensibility　as　best　I　could　and　cared

only　to　make　each　step　secure。　　Between　the　Nirvana　within　and　the

Nirvana　below；　it　was　a　sorry　hell。　



In　mid…career　the　path　made　an　attempt　to　recover；　but　relapsed　to

further　footprints　in　the　sand。　　At　last　it　descended　to　a　brook。

I　knelt　to　drink；　and　on　getting　up　again　saw　my　pocket…handkerchief

whisking　merrily　away　down　stream。　　I　gave　chase；　but　in　vain；　for

though　it　came　to　the　surface　once　or　twice　to　tantalize　me　it　was

gone　before　I　could　seize　it。　　So　I　gave　over　the　pursuit；　reflecting

that；　after　all；　it　might　have　fared　worse　with　me。　　If　the　Lorelei

had　hoped　to　turn　my　head；　I　was　well　quit　of　my　handkerchief　for　her

only　trophy。　



Shortly　after　this；　the　main　stream　divided　into　two；　and　the　left

branch；　which　we　followed；　led　up　to　a　gorge；beyond　a　doubt　the

abomination　of　desolation　spoken　of　by　the　prophet。　　I　do　not

remember　a　landscape　more　ghastly。　　Not　a　tree；　not　a　blade　of　grass；

not　even　decent　earth　in　the　whole　prospect。　　Apparently；　the　place

had　been　flayed　alive　and　sulphur　had　then　been　poured　into　the　sore。　

Thirty　years　before　a　cataclysm　had　occurred　here。　　The　side　of　one

of　the　mountains　had　slid　bodily　into　the　valley。　　The　debris；　by

damming　up　the　stream；　caused　a　freshet；　which　swept　everything

before　it　and　killed　quantities　of　folk　lower　down　the　valley。

The　place　itself　has　never　recovered　to　this　day。　



Although　the　stream　here　was　a　baby　to　the　one　below；　it　was　large

enough　to　be　impassable　to　the　natural　man。　　From　our　woodcutter

friends；　however；　we　had　learned　of　the　leavings　of　a　bridge；　upon

which　in　due　time　we　came；　and　putting　the　parts　of　it　in　place；　we

passed　successfully　over。　



We　now　began　to　enter　the　snow　in　good　earnest；　incipient　glacier

snow；　treacherously　honeycombed。　　It　made；　however；　more　agreeable

walking　than　the　boulders。　　The　path　had　again　become　precipitous；

and　kept　on　mounting；　till　of　a　sudden　it　landed　us　upon　an

amphitheatral　arena；　dominated　by　high；　jagged　peaks。　　One　unbroken

stretch　of　snow　covered　the　plateau；　and　at　the　centre　of　the　wintry

winding…sheet　a　cluster　of　weather…beaten　huts　appealed　pitiably　to

the　eye。　　They　were　the　buildings　of　the　Riuzanjita　hot…springs；　in

summer　a　sort　of　secular　monastery　for　pilgrims　to　the　Dragon　peak。　

They　were　tenanted　now；　we　had　been　told；　by　a　couple　of　watchmen。　

We　struck　out　with　freer　strides；　while　the　moon；　which　had　by　this

time　risen　high　enough　to　overtop　the　wall　of　peaks；　watched　us　with

an　ashen　face；　as　in　single　file　we　moved　across　the　waste　of　level

white。　



　



XVI。



Riuzanjita。



We　made　for　the　main　hut；　a　low；　mouse…colored　shanty　fast　asleep　and

deep　drifted　in　snow。　　The　advance　porter　summoned　the　place；　and　the

summons　drew　to　what　did　for　door　a　man　as　mouselike　as　his　mansion。　

He　had　about　him　a　subdued；　monkish　demeanor　that　only　partially　hid

an　alertness　within；a　secular　monk　befitting　the　spot。　　He　showed

himself　a　kindly　body；　and　after　he　had　helped　the　porters　off　with

their　packs；　led　the　way　into　the　room　in　which　he　and　his　mate

hibernated。　　It　was　a　room　very　much　in　the　rough；　boards　for　walls；

for　ceiling；　for　floor；　its　only　furnishing　a　fire。　　It　was　the　best

of　furnishing　in　our　eyes；　and　we　hasted　to　squat　round　it　in　a

circle；　in　attitudes　of　extreme　devotion；　for　it　was　bitter　cold。　

The　monkish　watchman　threw　a　handful　more　twigs　on　the　embers；　out　of

a　cheerful　hospitality　to　his　guests。　



The　fireplace　was　merely　a　hole　in　the　floor；　according　to　Japanese

custom；　and　the　smoke　found　its　way　out　as　best　it　could。　　But　there

was　very　little　of　it；　usually；　indeed；　there　is　none；　for　charcoal

is　the　common　combustible。　　A　cauldron　hung；　by　iron　bars　jointed

together；　from　the　gloom　above。　　It　was　twilight　in　the　room。　

Already　the　day　without　was　fading　fast；　and　even　at　high　noon；　none

too　much　of　it　could　find　a　way　into　the　building；　now　half　buried

under　the　snow。　　A　second　watchman　sat　muffled　in　shadow　on　the

farther　side　of　the　fire。　　He　made　his　presence　known；　from　time　to

time；　by　occasional