gulliver of mars-第30章

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e　antiquity；　I　was　offered　shelter　for　the　night。

My　host　was　the　headman；　and　I　must　say　his　bearing　towards　the　supernatural　was　most　unaffected。　　If　it　had　been　an　Avenue　hotel　I　could　not　have　found　more　handsome　treatment　than　in　that　reed…thatched　hut。　　They　made　me　wash　and　rest；　and　then　were　all　agog　for　my　history；　but　that　I　postponed；　contenting　myself　with　telling　them　I　had　been　lately　in　Seth；　and　had　come　thence　to　see　them　via　the　ice　valleyto　all　of　which　they　listened　with　the　simplicity　of　children。　　Afterwards　I　turned　on　them；　and　openly　mar…　velled　that　so　small　a　geographical　distance　as　there　was　between　that　land　and　this　could　make　so　vast　a　human　difference。　　〃The　truth；　O　dweller　in　blue　shadows　of　primordial　ice；　is；〃　said　the　most　intelligent　of　the　Thither　folk　as　we　sat　over　fried　deer…steak　in　his　hut　that　evening；　〃we　who　are　MEN；　not　Peri…zad；　not　overstayed　fairies　like　those　you　have　been　amongst；　are　newcomers　here　on　this　shore。　　We　came　but　a　few　generations　ago　from　where　the　gold　curtains　of　the　sun　lie　behind　the　westward　pine…trees；　and　as　we　came　we　drove；　year　by　year；　those　fays；　those　spent　triflers；　back　before　us。　　All　this　land　was　theirs　once；　and　more　and　more　towards　our　old　home。　　You　may　still　see　traces　of　harbours　dug　and　cities　built　thousands　of　years　ago；　when　the　Hither　folk　were　living　men　and　women　not　their　shadows。　　The　big　water　outside　stops　us　for　a　space；　but；〃　he　added；　laughing　gruffly　and　taking　a　draught　of　a　strong　beer　he　had　been　heating　by　the　fire；　〃King　Ar…hap　has　their　pretty　noses　between　his　fingers；　he　takes　tribute　and　girls　while　he　gets　readythey　say　he　is　nearly　ready　this　summer；　and　if　he　is；　it　will　not　be　much　of　an　excuse　he　will　need　to　lick　up　the　last　of　those　triflers；　those　pretences　of　manhood。〃

Then　we　fell　to　talking　of　Ar…hap；　his　subjects　and　town；　and　I　learned　the　tides　had　swept　me　a　long　way　to　the　northward　of　the　proper　route　between　the　capitals　of　the　two　races；　that　day　they　carried　me　into　the　Dead…Men's　Ice；　as　these　entertainers　of　mine　called　the　northern　snows。　To　get　back　to　the　place　previously　aimed　at；　where　the　woodmen　road　came　out　on　the　seashore；　it　was　necessary　to　go　either　by　boat；　a　roundabout　way　through　a　maze　of　channels；　〃as　tangled　as　the　grass　roots　in　autumn〃；　or；　secondly；　by　a　couple　of　days'　marching　due　southward　across　the　base　of　the　great　peninsula　we　were　on；　and　so　strike　blue　water　again　at　the　long…sought…for　harbour。

As　I　lay　dozing　and　dreaming　on　a　pile　of　strange　furs　in　the　corner　of　the　hut　that　evening　I　made　up　my　mind　for　the　land　journey　tomorrow；　having　had　enough　for　the　mo…　ment　of　nautical　Martian　adventures；　and　this　point　settled；　fell　again　to　wondering　what　made　me　follow　so　reckless　a　quest　in　the　way　I　was　doing；　asking　myself　again　and　again　what　was　gazelle…eyed　Heru　to　me　after　all；　and　why　should　it　matter　even　as　much　as　the　value　of　a　brass　waist…　coat　button　whether　Hath　had　her　or　Ar…hap？　What　a　fool　I　was　to　risk　myself　day　by　day　in　quaint　and　dangerous　adventures；　wearing　out　good　Government　shoe…leather　in　other　men's　quarrels；　all　for　a　silly　slip　of　royal　girlhood　who；　by　this　time；　was　probably　making　herself　comfortable　and　forgetting　both　Hath　and　me　in　the　arms　of　her　rough　new　lord。

And　from　Heru　my　mind　drifted　back　dreamily　to　poor　An；　and　Seth；　the　city　of　fallen　magnificence；　where　the　spent　masters　of　a　strange　planet　now　lived　on　suffer…　ancethe　ghosts　of　their　former　selves。　　Where　was　An；　where　the　revellers　on　the　morningso　long　ago　it　seemed！when　first　that　infernal　rug　of　mine　translated　a　chance　wish　into　a　horrible　reality　and　shot　me　down　here；　a　stranger　and　an　outcast？　Where　was　the　magic　rug　itself？　Where　my　steak　and　tomato　supper？　Who　had　eaten　it？　Who　was　drawing　my　pay？　If　I　could　but　find　the　rug　when　I　got　back　to　Seth；　gods！　but　I　would　try　if　it　would　not　return　whence　I　had　come；　and　as　swiftly；　out　of　all　these　silly　coils　and　adventuring。

So　musing；　presently　the　firelight　died　down；　and　bulky　forms　of　hide…wrapped　woodmen　sleeping　on　the　floor　slowly　disappeared　in　obscurity　like　ranges　of　mountains　disappearing　in　the　darkness　of　night。　　All　those　uncouth　forms；　and　the　throb　of　the　sea　outside；　presently　faded　upon　my　senses；　and　I　slept　the　heavy　sleep　of　one　whose　wakefulness　gives　way　before　an　imperious　physical　demand。　All　through　the　long　hours　of　the　night；　while　the　waves　outside　champed　upon　the　gravels；　and　the　woodmen　snored　and　grunted　uneasily　as　they　simultaneously　dreamt　of　the　day's　hunting　and　digested　its　proceeds；　I　slept；　and　then　when　dawn　began　to　break　I　passed　from　that　heavy　stupor　into　another　and　lighter　realm；　wherein　fancy　again　rose　superior　to　bodily　fatigue；　and　events　of　the　last　few　days　passed　in　procession　through　my　mind。

I　dreamt　I　was　lunching　at　a　fashionable　seaside　resort　with　Polly　at　my　side；　and　An　kept　bringing　us　melons；　which　grew　so　monstrous　every　time　a　knife　was　put　into　them　that　poor　Polly　screamed　aloud。　　I　dreamt　I　was　afloat　on　a　raft；　hotly　pursued　by　my　tailor；　whose　bare　and　shiny　headmay　Providence　be　good　to　him！was　garlanded　with　roses；　while　in　his　fist　was　a　bunch　of　unpaid　bills；　the　which　he　waved　aloft；　shouting　to　me　to　stop。　　And　thus　we　danced　down　an　ink…black　river　until　he　had　chiveyed　me　into　the　vast　hall　of　the　Admiralty；　where　a　fearsome　Secretary；　whose　golden　teeth　rattled　and　dropped　from　his　head　with　mingled　cold　and　anger；　towered　above　me　as　he　asked　why　I　was　absent　from　my　ship　without　leave。　　And　I　was　just　mumbling　out　excuses　while　stooping　to　pick　up　his　golden　dentistry；　when　some　one　stirring　in　the　hut　aroused　me。　　I　started　up　on　my　elbow　and　looked　around。　Where　was　I？　For　a　minute　all　was　confused　and　dark。　The　heavy　mound…like　forms　of　sleeping　men；　the　dim　outlines　of　their　hunting　gear　upon　the　walls；　the　pale　sea　beyond；　half　seen　through　the　open　doorway；　just　turning　livid　in　the　morning　light；　and　then　as　my　eyes　grew　more　ac…　customed　to　the　obscurity；　and　my　stupid　senses　returned；　I　recognised　the　surroundings；　and；　with　a　sigh；　remembered　yesterday's　adventures。

However；　it　would　never　do　to　mope；　so；　rising　silently　and　picking　a　way　through　human　lumber　on　the　floor；　I　went　out　and　down　to　the　water's　edge；　where　〃shore…going〃　clothes；　as　we　sailors　call　them；　were　slipped　off；　and　I　plunged　into　the　sea　for　a　swim。

It　was　a　welcome　dip；　for　I　needed　the　plunge　physically　and　intellectually；　but　it　came　to　an　abrupt　conclusion。　　The　Thither　folk　apparently　had　never　heard　of　this　form　of　enjoyment；　to　them　water　stood　for　drinking　or　drowning；　nothing　else；　and　since　one　could　not　drink　the　sea；　to　be　in　it　meant；　even　for　a　ghost；　to　drown。　　Consequently；　when　the　word　went　round　the　just　rousing　villages　that　〃He…on…foot…　from…afar〃　was　adrift　in　the　waves；　rescue　parties　were　hur…　riedly　organised；　a　boat　launched；　and；　in　spite　of　all　my　kicking　and　shouting　（which　they　took　to　be　evidence　of　my　semi…moribund　condition）；　I　was　speedily　hauled　out　by　hairy　and　powerful　hands；　pungent　herbs　burnt　un…　der　my　nose；　and　my　heels　held　high　in　the　air　in　order　that　the　water　might　run　out　of　me。　　It　was　only　with　the　greatest　difficulty　those　rough　but　honest　fellows　were　eventually　got　to　believe　me　saved。

The　breakfast　I　made　of　grilled　deer　flesh　and　a　fish　not　unlike　salmon；　however；　convinced　them　of　my　recovery；　and　afterward　we　parted　very　good　friends；　for　there　was　some…　thing　in　the　nature　of　those　rugged　barbarians　just　coming　into　the　dawn　of　civilisation　that　won　my　liking　far　more　than　the　effete　gentleness　of　others　across　the　water。

When　the　time　of　parting　came　they　showed　no　curiosity　as　to　my　errand；　but　just　gave　me　some　food　in　a　fish…skin　bag；　thrust　a　heavy　stone…headed　axe　into　my　hand；　〃in　case　I　had　to　talk　to　a　thief　on　the　road；〃　and　pointed　out　on　the　southern　horizon　a　forked　mountain；　under　which；　they　said；　was　the　harbour　and　high…road　to　King　Ar…hap's　capital。　Then　they　hugged　me　to　their　hairy　chests　in　turn；　and　let　me　go　with　a　traveller's　blessing。

There　I　was　again；　all　alone；　none　but　my　thoughts　for　companions；　and　nothing　but　youth　to　excuse