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第22章

gulliver of mars-第22章

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 she scoffed at the unknown learning col… lected by her ancestors in a thousand laborious years。  No! I would go on for certain。  I was young; in love; and angry; and before those qualifications difficulties became light。

Meanwhile; the first essential was breakfast of some kind。 I arose; stretched; put on my half…dried clothes; and mount… ing a low hummock on the forest edge looked around。 The sun was riding up finely into the sky; and the sea to the eastward shone for leagues and leagues in the loveliest azure。 Where it rippled on my own beach and those of the low islands noted over night; a wonderful fire of blue and red played on the sands as though the broken water were full of living gems。  The sky was full of strange gulls with long; forked tails; and a lovely little flying lizard with transparent wings of the palest greenlike those of a grass… hopperwas flitting about picking up insect stragglers。

All this was very charming; but what I kept saying to myself was 〃Streaky rashers and hot coffee: rashers and coffee and rolls;〃 and; indeed; had the gates of Paradise themselves opened at that moment I fear my first look down the celestial streets within would have been for a restaurant。 They did not; and I was just turning away disconsolate when my eye caught; ascending from behind the next bluff down the beach; a thin strand of smoke rising into the morning air。

It was nothing so much in itselfa thin spiral creeping upwards mast…high; then flattening out into a mushroom headbut it meant everything to me。  Where there was fire there must be humanity; and where there was human… ityay; to the very outlayers of the universethere must be breakfast。  It was a splendid thought; I rushed down the hillock and went gaily for that blue thread amongst the reeds。  It was not two hundred yards away; and soon below me was a tiny bay with bluest water frilling a silver beach; and in the midst of it a fire on a hearth dancing round a pot that simmered gloriously。  But of an owner there was nothing to be seen。  I peered here and there on the shore; but nothing moved; while out to sea the water was shining like molten metal with not a dot upon it!what did it matter?  I laughed as; pleased and hungry; I slipped down the bank and strode across the sands; it pleased Fate to play bandy with me; and if it sent me supperless to bed; why; here was restitution in the way of breakfast。 I took up a morsel of the stuff in the kettle on a handy stick and found it goodindeed; I knew it at once as a very dainty mess made from the roots of a herb the Martians great… ly liked; An had piled my platter with it when we supped that night in the market…place of Seth; and the sweet white stuff had melted into my corporal essence; it seemed; with… out any gross intermediate process of digestion。  And here I was again; hungry; sniffing the fragrant breath of a full meal and not a soul in sightI should have been a fool not to have eaten。  So thinking; down I sat; taking the pot from its place; and when it was a little cool plunging my hands into it and feasting with as good an appetite as ever a man had before。

It was gloriously ambrosial; and deeper and deeper I went; with the tall stalk of the smoke in front growing from the hearth…stones like some strange new plant; the plea… sant sunshine on my back; and never a thought for any… thing but the task in hand。  Deeper and deeper; oblivious of all else; until to get the very last drops I lifted the pipkin up and putting back my head drank in that fashion。

It was only when with a sigh of pleasure I lowered it slowly again that over the rim as it sank there dawned upon me the vision of a Martian standing by an empty canoe on the edge of the water and regarding me with calm amaze… ment。  I was; in fact; so astonished that for a minute the empty pot stood still before my face; and over its edge we stared at each other in mute surprise; then with all the dig… nity that might be I laid the vessel down between my feet and waited for the newcomer to speak。  She was a girl by her yellow garb; a fisherwoman; it seemed; for in the prow of her craft was piled a net upon which the scales of fishes were twinklinga Martian; obviously; but something more ro… bust than most of them; a savour of honest work about her sunburnt face which my pallid friends away yonder were lacking in; and when we had stared at each other for a few moments in silence she came forward a step or two and said without a trace of fear or shyness; 〃Are you a spirit; sir?

〃Why;〃 I answered; 〃about as much; no more and no less; than most of us。〃

〃Aye;〃 she said。  〃I thought you were; for none but spirits live here upon this island; are you for good or evil?〃

〃Far better for the breakfast of which I fear I have robbed you; but wandering along the shore and finding this pot boiling with no owner; I ventured to sample it; and it was so good my appetite got the better of manners。〃

The girl bowed; and standing at a respectful distance asked if I would like some fish as well; she had some; but not many; and if I would eat she would cook them for me in a minuteit was not often; she added lightly; she had met one of my kind before。  In fact; it was obvious that simple person did actually take me for a being of another world; and was it for me to say she was wrong?  So adopt… ing a dignity worthy of my reputation I nodded gravely to her offer。  She fetched from the boat four little fishes of the daintiest kind imaginable。  They were each about as big as a hand and pale blue when you looked down upon them; but so clear against the light that every bone and vein in their bodies could be traced。  These were wrapped just as they were in a broad; green leaf and then the Martian; taking a pointed stick; made a hollow in the white ashes; laid them in side by side; and drew the hot dust over again。

While they cooked we chatted as though the acquaintance were the most casual thing in the world; and I found it was indeed an island we were on and not the mainland; as I had hoped at first。  Seth; she told me; was far away to the eastward; and if the woodmen had gone by in their ships they would have passed round to the north…west of where we were。

I spent an hour or two with that amiable individual; and; it is to be hoped; sustained the character of a spiritual visitant with considerable dignity。  In one particular at least; that; namely; of appetite; I did honour to my supposed source; and as my entertainer would not hear of payment in material kind; all I could do was to show her some conjuring tricks; which greatly increased her belief in my supernatural origin; and to teach her some new hitches and knots; using her fishing…line as a means of illustration; a demonstration which called from her the natural observation that we must be good sailors 〃up aloft〃 since we knew so much about cordage; then we parted。

She had seen nothing of the woodmen; though she had heard they had been to Seth and thought; from some niceties of geographical calculation which I could not follow; they would have crossed to the north; as just stated; of her island。 There she told me; with much surprise at my desire for the information; how I might; by following the forest track to the westward coast; make my way to a fishing village; where they would give me a canoe and direct me; since such was my extraordinary wish; to the place where; if anywhere; the wild men had touched on their way home。

She filled my wallet with dried honey…cakes and my mouth with sugar plums from her little store; then down on her knees went that poor waif of a worn…out civilisation and kissed my hands in humble farewell; and I; blushing to be so saluted; and after all but a sailor; got her by the rosy fingers and lifted her up shoulder high; and getting one hand under her chin and the other behind her head kissed her twice upon her pretty cheeks; and so; I say; we parted。




CHAPTER X

Off into the forest I went; feeling a boyish elation to be so free nor taking heed or count of the reckless adventure before me。  The Martian weather for the moment was lovely and the many…coloured grass lush and soft under foot。  Mile after mile I went; heeding the distance lightly; the air was so elastic。  No

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