noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第22章

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

time；　by　occasional　sympathetic　gutturals；　or　by　the　sudden　glow　of　a

bit　of　charcoal；　which　he　took　out　of　the　embers　with　a　pair　of

chopstick　fire…irons　to　relight　his　pipe。　　The　talk　naturally　turned

upon　our　expedition；　with　Yejiro　for　spokesman；　and　from　that　easily

slid　into　the　all…important　question　of　guides。　　Our　inquiries　on

this　head　elicited　nothing　but　doubt。　　We　tried　at　first　to　get　the

watchmen　to　go。　　But　this　they　positively　refused　to　do。　　They　could

not　leave　their　charge；　in　the　first　place；　they　said；　and　for　the

second；　they　did　not　know　the　path。　　We　asked　if　there　was　no　one　who

did。　　There　was　a　hunter；　they　said；　near　by　who　was　by　way　of

knowing　the　road。　　A　messenger　was　sent　at　once　to　fetch　him。　



In　the　mean　time；　if　they　showed　themselves　skeptical　about　our

future；　they　proved　most　sympathetic　over　our　past。　　Our　description

of　the　Friday　footprints　especially　brought　out　much　fellow…feeling。　

They　knew　the　spot　well；　they　said；　and　it　was　very　bad。　　In　fact　it

was　called　the　Oni　ga　Jo；　or　place　of　many　devils；　for　its　fearfulness。

It　would　be　better；　they　added；　after　the　mountain　opening　on　the

tenth　of　June。　



〃Mountain　opening！〃　said　I　to　Yejiro；　〃what　is　that？　　Is　it　anything

like　the　'river　opening'？〃　For　the　Japanese　words　seemed　to　imply　not

a　physical；　but　a　formal　unlocking　of　the　hills；　like　the　annual

religious　rite　upon　the　Sumidagawa　in　Tokyo。　　Such；　it　appeared；　it

was。　　For　the　tenth　of　June；　he　said；　was　the　date　of　the

mountain…climbing　festival。　　Yearly　on　that　day　all　the　sacred　peaks

are　thrown　open　to　a　pious　public　for　ascent。　　A　procession　of

pilgrims；　headed　by　a　flautist　and　a　bellman；　wend　their　way　to　the

summit；　and　there　encamp。　　For　three　days　the　ceremony　lasts；　after

which　the　mountains　are　objects　of　pilgrimage　till　the　twenty…eighth

day　of　August。　　For　the　rest　of　the　year　the　summits　are　held　to　be

shut；　the　gods　being　then　in　conclave；　to　disturb　whom　were　the

height　of　impiety。　　A　pleasing　coincidence　of　duty　and　pleasure；　that

the　scaling　of　the　peaks　should　be　enjoined　to　pilgrims　at　the　times

of　easiest　ascent！　　Preparatory　to　the　procession　all　the　paths　of

approach　are　repaired。　　It　was　this　repairing　to　which　the　watchmen

referred　and　which　concerned　our　secular　selves。　



Our　difficulties　began　to　be　explained。　　We　were　very　close　to

committing　sacrilege。　　We　had　had；　it　is　true；　no　designs　on　the

peaks；　but　were　we　wholly　guiltless　in　attempting　so　much　as　the

passes　in　this　the　close　season？　　Apparently　not。　　At　all　events；

we　were　a　month　ahead　of　time　in　our　visit；　which　in　itself　was　of

questionable　etiquette。　



At　this　point　the　messenger　sent　to　find　the　hunter　returned　without

his　man。　　Evidently　the　hunter　was　a　person　who　meant　to　stand　well

with　his　gods；　or　else　he　was　himself　a　myth。　



Distraught　in　mind　and　restless　in　body；　I　got　up　and　went　out　into

the　great　snow　waste。　　The　sunset　afterglow　was　just　fading　into　the

moonshine。　　The　effect　upon　the　pure　white　sheet　before　me　was

indescribably　beautiful。　　The　warm　tint　of　the　last　of　day；　as　it

waned；　dissolved　imperceptibly　into　the　cold　lustre　of　the　night　as

if　some　alchemist　were　subtly　changing　the　substance　while　he　kept

the　form。　　For　a　new　spirit　was　slowly　possessing　itself　of　the　very

shapes　that　had　held　the　old；　and　the　snow　looked　very　silent；　very

cold；　very　ghostly；　glistening　in　its　silver　sheen。　



The　sky　was　bitterly　clear；　inhumanly　cold。　　To　call　it　frosty　were

to　humanize　it。　　Its　expanse　stretched　far　more　frozen　than　the

frozen　earth。　　Indeed；　the　night　sky　is　always　awful。　　For　the　most

part；　we　forget　it　for　the　kindlier　prospect　of　the　cradling　trees；

and　the　whispers　of　the　wind；　and　the　perfumes　of　the　fields；　the

sights　and　sounds　that　even　in　slumber　stir　with　life；　and　the　nearer

thrust　away　the　real　horror　of　the　far。　　But　the　awe　speaks　with

insistence　when　the　foreground　itself　is　dead。　



Shivering；　I　returned　to　the　fire　and　human　companionship。

The　conversation　again　rolled　upon　precipices；　which　it　appeared

were　more　numerous　before　than　behind；　and　casualties　among　the

woodcutters　not　unknown　in　consequence。　　There　was　one　place；　they

said；　where；　if　you　slipped；　you　went　down　a　ri　（two　miles　and　a　half）。

It　was　here　a　woodcutter　had　been　lost　three　days　before。　　The　ri

must　have　been　a　flight　of　fancy；　since　it　far　exceeded　the　height　of

the　pass　above　the　sea。　　But　a　handsome　discount　from　the　statement

left　an　unpleasant　balance　to　contemplate。　



This　death　had　frightened　one　of　the　watchmen　badly；　as　it　may　well

have　done。　　The　facts　were　these。　　Separated　from　the　hot　springs　of

Riuzanjita　by　two　passes　lay　a　valley；　uninhabited　except　for　two

bands　of　woodcutters；　who　had　built　themselves　a　couple　of　huts；　one

on　either　side　the　stream；　in　which　they　lived　the　year　round。

It　was　these　huts　that　went　by　the　name　of　Kurobe。　　During　the　winter

they　were　entirely　cut　off　from　the　outside　world。　　As　soon　as

practicable　in　the　spring；　a　part　of　each　band　was　accustomed　to　come

out　over　the　passes；　descend　to　Ashikura；　and　return　with　provisions

and　money。　



Now　this　year；　before　the　men　in　the　valley　had　thought　it　time　to

attempt　the　passes；　a　solitary　woodcutter　came　up　to　the　hot　springs

from　below；　and；　in　spite　of　warning　from　the　watchmen；　started　alone

for　Kurobe。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　third　day　after　his　departure；

the　regular　band　turned　up　at　Riuzanjita；　having　left　Kurobe；　it

seemed；　that　morning。　　They　passed　the　night　at　the　hot　springs　hut；

and　on　being　questioned　by　the　watchmen　about　the　man　of　three　days

before；　they　said　they　had　heard　of　no　such　person。　　It　turned　out；

to　the　horror　of　both　parties；　that　he　had　never　reached　Kurobe。　

It　was　only　the　night　before　we　arrived　that　the　woodcutters　had　been

there；　and　the　affair　was　still　terribly　fresh　in　the　watchman's

thoughts；　in　fact；　it　was　the　identical　band　that　had　built　us　our

bridge。　　These　men　were　thoroughly　equipped　for　snow…climbing　and　had

come　over　safely；　and　yet；　as　it　was；　the　head　man　of　the　other　band

at　Kurobe　had　been　afraid　to　cross　with　them；　and　had；　instead；　gone

all　the　way　round　by　the　river　and　the　sea；　a　very　long　and　rough

journey。　　Fatal　accidents；　the　watchmen　said；　were　of　yearly

occurrence　on　the　passes。　



And　all　this　was　only　the　way　to　Kurobe。　　Beyond　it　lay　the　Harinoki

toge。　　That　pass　no　one　had　yet　crossed　this　year。　　And　at　intervals

during　the　talk　the　watchman　repeated　excitedly；　as　a　sort　of

refrain；　〃It　is　impossible　to　go　on；it　is　impossible　to　go　on。〃



This　talk；　a　part　of　which　I　understood；　was　not　very　heartening；

following　as　it　did　the　personal　experience　of　the　Oni　ga　Jo。

The　prospect　began　to　look　too　uncertain　in　its　conclusion　and　too

certain　in　its　premises　to　be　inviting。　　If　professionals；　properly

accoutred；　found　crossing　so　dangerous　a　matter；　the　place　was　hardly

one　for　unprovided　amateurs。　　These　mountaineers　were　not　tied

together；　but　wore　over　their　waraji；　or　straw　sandals；　a　set　of

irons　called　kanakajiki。　　We　were　shown　some　of　them　which　had　been

left　by　the　woodcutters　against　their　return。　　They　were　skeleton

sandals；　iron　bands　shod　with　three　spikes。　　They　looked　like

instruments　of　torture　from　the　Middle　Ages；　and　indeed　were　said　to

be　indispensable　against　backsliding。　



On　the　other　hand；　one　Blondin　feat　over　the　Devil　Place　was　enough

for　me。　　To　take　it　on　the　road　rather　than　turn　back　was　one　thing；

to　start　to　take　it　in　cold　blood　another。　　I　had　had　quite　enough　of

balancing　and　doubt。　　So　I　asked　if　there　was　no　other　way　out。

We　might；　they　said；　go　to　Arimine。　



〃And　how　was　the　road？〃



〃Oh；　the　road　was　good；〃　they　answered　cheerily。　



〃Could　we　get　a　guide？〃



Apparently　we　could　not；　for　an　awkward　pause　ensued　unt