noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第23章

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〃Could　we　get　a　guide？〃



Apparently　we　could　not；　for　an　awkward　pause　ensued　until；　after

some　suspense；　the　bigger　of　the　two　watchmen；　he　that　sat　in　the

shadow　of　the　corner；　volunteered　to　pilot　us　himself；　and；　he　added；

we　should　not　have　to　start　betimes；　as　the　snow　would　not　be　fit　to

travel　on　till　the　sun　had　melted　the　crust。　



Upon　this　doubly　comforting　conclusion　I　bade　them　good…night；

and　betook　me　to　the　cell…like　room　allotted　me　to　sleep。　







XVII。　



Over　the　Snow。　



When　Yejiro　pushed　the　shoji　and　the　amado　（night　shutters）　apart　in

the　morning；　he　disclosed　a　bank　of　snow　four　feet　deep；　not　a

snowfall　over　night；　but　the　relic　of　the　winter。　　I　found　myself　in

a　snow　grotto　beyond　which　nothing　was　visible。　　He　then　imparted　to

me　the　cheerful　news　that　the　watchman　had　changed　his　mind；　and　now

refused　to　set　out　with　us。　　It　was　too　late　in　the　day　to　start；　the

man　said；　which；　in　view　of　his　having　informed　us　only　the　night

before　that　the　snow　would　not　be　fit　to　travel　on　till　this　very

hour；　was　scarcely　logical。　　The　trouble　lay　not　in　the　way；　but　in

the　will。　　The　man　had　repented　him　of　his　promise。　　Things　look

differently　as　certainties　in　the　morning　from　what　they　do　as

possibilities　overnight。　　Fortunately　he　proved　amenable　to

importunity；　and　finally　consented　to　go。　　His　fellow　was　much

worried；　and　followed　him　distressfully　to　the　outer　threshold；

whence　in　perturbation　of　spirit　he　watched　us　depart；　calling　out

pathetically　to　his　mate　to　be　very　careful　of　himself。　　His　almost

motherly　solicitude　seemed　to　me　more　comical　at　the　time　than　it

came　to　seem　later。　



The　sky　was　without　a　fleck　of　cloud；　and；　as　we　struck　out　across

the　snow；　I　feared　at　first　for　my　eyes；　so　great　was　the　glare。

For　I　had　neither　goggles　nor　veil。　　In　fact；　we　were　as　unprepared　a

troop　as　ever　started　on　such　an　expedition。　　We　had　not　a　pair　of

foot　spikes　nor　a　spiked　pole　to　the　lot　of　us。　



The　jagged　peaks　of　the　valley's　wall　notched　the　sky　in　vivid

relief；　their　sharp　teeth　biting　the　blue。　　We　below　were　blinking。　

Luckily　before　very　long　we　had　crossed　the　level　and　were　attacking

the　wall；　and　once　on　it　the　glare　lessened；　for　we　were　facing　the

south；　and　the　slant　of　the　slope　took　off　from　the　directness　of　the

sun's　rays。　　The　higher　we　rose；　the　greater　the　tilt　became。　　The

face　of　the　slope　was　completely　buried　in　snow　except　where　the

aretes　stuck　through；　for　the　face　was　well　wrinkled。　　The　angle　soon

grew　unpleasant　to　visage；　and　certainly　looked　to　have　exceeded　the

limit　of　stable　equilibrium。　　In　mid…ascent；　as　we　were　winding

cautiously　up；　a　porter　slipped。　　He　stopped　himself；　however；　and

was　helped　on　to　his　feet　again　by　his　fellow　behind。　　The　bad　bit

was　preface　to　a　worse　effect　round　the　corner；　for　on　turning　the

arete；　we　came　upon　a　snow　slope　like　a　gigantic　house…roof。　　It　was

as　steep　as　you　please；　and　disappeared　a　few　hundred　feet　below　over

the　edge　into　the　abyss。　　Across　and　up　this　the　guide；　after　looking

about　him；　struck　out；　and　I　followed。　　The　snow　was　in　a　plastic

state；　and　at　each　step　I　kicked　my　toes　well　in；　so　wedging　my

footing。　　The　view　down　was　very　unnerving。　　It　soon　grew　so　bad　I

fixed　my　thought　solely　on　making　each　step　secure；　and　went　slowly；

which　was　much　against　my　inclination。　　In　this　manner　we　tacked

gradually　upward　in　zigzags；　some　forty　feet　apart；　each　of　us

improving　the　footprints　of　his　predecessor。　



After　a　short　eternity；　we　came　out　at　the　top。　　I　threw　myself　upon

the　snow；　and　when　I　had　sufficiently　recovered　my　breath　asked　the

guide；　with　what　I　meant　for　sarcasm；　whether　that　was　his　idea　of　

〃a　good　road。〃　He　owned　that　it　was　the　worst　bit　on　the　way；　but　he

somewhat　grudgingly　conceded　it　a　〃gake。〃　I　sat　corrected；　but　in　the

interest　of　any　future　wanderer　I　submit　the　following　definition　of

a　〃gake；〃　which；　if　not　strictly　accurate；　at　least　leans　to　the

right　side。　　If　the　cliff　overhang；　it　is　a　〃gake；〃　but　if　a　plumb

line　from　the　top　fall　anywhere　within　the　base；　it　is　no　longer　a

〃gake；〃　but　〃a　good　road。〃



On　the　other　side　the　slope　was　more　hospitable。　　Even　trees　wintered

just　below　the　crest；　their　great　gaunt　trunks　thrust　deep　into　the

snow。　　We　glissaded　down　the　first　few　hundred　feet；　till　we　brought

up　standing　at　the　head　of　an　incipient　gorge；　likewise　smothered　in

snow。　　Round　the　boles　of　the　trees　the　snow　had　begun　to　thaw；　which

gave　me　a　chance　to　measure　its　depth；　by　leaning　over　the　rim　of　the

cup　and　thrusting　my　pole　down　as　far　as　I　could　reach。　　The　point　of

it　must　have　been　over　seven　feet　from　the　surface；　and　it　touched　no

bottom。　　My　investigations　took　time　enough　to　put　a　bend　of　the

hollow　between　me　and　the　others；　and　when　at　last　I　looked　up　they

were　nowhere　to　be　seen。　　As　I　trudged　after　them　alone　I　felt　like

that　coming　historical　character；　the　last　man　on　our　then　frozen

earth。　



For　some　minutes　past　a　strange；　far…away　musical　note；　like　the

murmur　of　running　water；　had　struck　my　ear；　and　yet　all　about

everything　looked　dead。　　Of　animate　or　even　inanimate　pulsation　there

was　no　sign。　　One　unbroken　sheet　of　snow　stretched　as　far　as　I　could

see；　in　which　stood　the　great　trees　like　mummies。　　Still　the　sound

continued；　seeming　to　come　from　under　my　feet。　　I　stopped；　and；

kneeling　down；　put　my　ear　to　the　crust；　and　there；　as　distinct　as

possible；　I　heard　the　wimpling　of　a　baby　brook；　crooning　to　itself

under　its　thick　white　blanket。　　Here　then　was　the　cradle　of　one　of

those　streams　that　later　would　become　such　an　ugly　customer　to　meet。　

It　was　babily　innocent　now；　and　the　one　living　thing　beside　myself　on

this　May　day　in　the　great　snow…sheeted　solitude。　



Perhaps　it　was　the　brook　that　had　undermined　the　snow。　　At　all　events；

soon　after　I　overtook　the　others；　the　guide；　fearing　to　trust　to　it

farther；　suddenly　struck　up　again　to　the　left。　　We　all　followed；

remonstrating。　　We　had　no　sooner　got　up　than　we　went　down　again　the

other　side；　and　this　picket…fence　style　of　progress　continued　till　we

emerged　upon　the　top　of　a　certain　spur；　which　commanded　a　fine　view

of　gorges。　　Unfortunately　we　ourselves　were　on　top　of　some　of　them。　

The　guide　reconnoitered　both　sides　for　a　descent；　pushing　his　way

through　a　thick　growth　of　dwarf　bamboo；　and　brought　up　each　time　on

the　edge　of　an　impassable　fall　to　the　stream　below。　　At　last　he　took

to　the　arete。　　It　was　masked　by　trees　for　some　distance；　and　then

came　out　as　a　bare　knife　edge　of　rock　and　earth。　　Down　it　we

scrambled；　till　the　slope　to　the　side　became　passable。　　This　was　now

much　less　steep；　although　still　steep　enough　for　the　guide　to　make　me

halt　behind　a　tree；　for　fear　of　the　stones　dislodged　by　those　behind。　

These　came　down　past　us　like　cannon…balls；　ricochetting　by　big

bounds。　



At　the　bottom　we　reached　the　stream；　and　beside　it　we　halted　for

lunch。　　Just　below　our　resting　place　another　stream　joined　our　own；

both　coming　down　forbidding…looking　valleys；　shut　in　by　savage　peaks。　

On　the　delta；　between　the　waters；　we　made　out　a　band　of　hunters；

three　of　them；　tarrying　after　an　unsuccessful　chase。　　This　last　was　a

general　inference；　rather　than　an　observed　fact。　



The　spot　was　ideal　for　picturesque　purposes；the　water　clear　as

crystal；　and　the　sunshine　sparkling。　　But　otherwise　matters　went　ill

with　us。　　Our　extempore　guide　had　promised　us；　over　his　own　fire　the

evening　before；　a　single　day　of　it　to　Arimine。　　On　the　road　his

estimate　of　the　time　needed　had　increased　alarmingly。　　From　direct

questioning　it　now　appeared　that　he　intended　to　camp　out　on　the

mountain　opposite；　whose　snowy　slopes　were　painfully　prophetic　of

what　that　night　would　be。　　Besides；　this　meant　another　day　of　it　to

Arimine；　and　even　when　we　reached　Arimine；　we　were　nowhere；　and　I　was

scant　of　time。　　We　had　already　lost　three　days