the jacket (the star-rover)-第69章

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edges　of　the　channels。　　Each　morning　the　blackbirds　awoke　us　with

their　chatter　as　they　left　their　roosts　to　fly　to　the　swamp。　　And

through　the　long　twilight　the　air　was　filled　with　their　noise　as

they　went　back　to　their　roosts。　　It　was　the　time　that　the　rice

ripened。　　And　there　were　ducks　also；　and　ducks　and　blackbirds

feasted　to　fatness　on　the　ripe　rice　half　unhusked　by　the　sun。



Being　a　man；　ever　restless；　ever　questing；　wondering　always　what　lay

beyond　the　hills　and　beyond　the　swamps　and　in　the　mud　at　the　river's

bottom；　I　watched　the　wild　ducks　and　blackbirds　and　pondered　till　my

pondering　gave　me　vision　and　I　saw。　　And　this　is　what　I　saw；　the

reasoning　of　it：



Meat　was　good　to　eat。　　In　the　end；　tracing　it　back；　or　at　the　first；

rather；　all　meat　came　from　grass。　　The　meat　of　the　duck　and　of　the

blackbird　came　from　the　seed　of　the　swamp　rice。　　To　kill　a　duck　with

an　arrow　scarce　paid　for　the　labour　of　stalking　and　the　long　hours

in　hiding。　　The　blackbirds　were　too　small　for　arrow…killing　save　by

the　boys　who　were　learning　and　preparing　for　the　taking　of　larger

game。　　And　yet；　in　rice　season；　blackbirds　and　ducks　were

succulently　fat。　　Their　fatness　came　from　the　rice。　　Why　should　I

and　mine　not　be　fat　from　the　rice　in　the　same　way？



And　I　thought　it　out　in　camp；　silent；　morose；　while　the　children

squabbled　about　me　unnoticed；　and　while　Arunga；　my　mate…woman；

vainly　scolded　me　and　urged　me　to　go　hunting　for　more　meat　for　the

many　of　us。



Arunga　was　the　woman　I　had　stolen　from　the　hill…tribes。　　She　and　I

had　been　a　dozen　moons　in　learning　common　speech　after　I　captured

her。　　Ah；　that　day　when　I　leaped　upon　her；　down　from　the　over…

hanging　tree…branch　as　she　padded　the　runway！　　Fairly　upon　her

shoulders　with　the　weight　of　my　body　I　smote　her；　my　fingers　wide…

spreading　to　clutch　her。　　She　squalled　like　a　cat　there　in　the

runway。　　She　fought　me　and　bit　me。　　The　nails　of　her　hands　were　like

the　claws　of　a　tree…cat　as　they　tore　at　me。　　But　I　held　her　and

mastered　her；　and　for　two　days　beat　her　and　forced　her　to　travel

with　me　down　out　of　the　canyons　of　the　Hill…Men　to　the　grass　lands

where　the　river　flowed　through　the　rice…swamps　and　the　ducks　and　the

blackbirds　fed　fat。



I　saw　my　vision　when　the　rice　was　ripe。　　I　put　Arunga　in　the　bow　of

the　fire…hollowed　log　that　was　most　rudely　a　canoe。　　I　bade　her

paddle。　　In　the　stern　I　spread　a　deerskin　she　had　tanned。　　With　two

stout　sticks　I　bent　the　stalks　over　the　deerskin　and　threshed　out

the　grain　that　else　the　blackbirds　would　have　eaten。　　And　when　I　had

worked　out　the　way　of　it；　I　gave　the　two　stout　sticks　to　Arunga；　and

sat　in　the　bow　paddling　and　directing。



In　the　past　we　had　eaten　the　raw　rice　in　passing　and　not　been

pleased　with　it。　　But　now　we　parched　it　over　our　fire　so　that　the

grains　puffed　and　exploded　in　whiteness　and　all　the　tribe　came

running　to　taste。



After　that　we　became　known　among　men　as　the　Rice…Eaters　and　as　the

Sons　of　the　Rice。　　And　long；　long　after；　when　we　were　driven　by　the

Sons　of　the　River　from　the　swamps　into　the　uplands；　we　took　the　seed

of　the　rice　with　us　and　planted　it。　　We　learned　to　select　the

largest　grains　for　the　seed；　so　that　all　the　rice　we　thereafter　ate

was　larger…grained　and　puffier　in　the　parching　and　the　boiling。



But　Arunga。　　I　have　said　she　squalled　and　scratched　like　a　cat　when

I　stole　her。　　Yet　I　remember　the　time　when　her　own　kin　of　the　Hill…

Men　caught　me　and　carried　me　away　into　the　hills。　　They　were　her

father；　his　brother；　and　her　two　own　blood…brothers。　　But　she　was

mine；　who　had　lived　with　me。　　And　at　night；　where　I　lay　bound　like　a

wild　pig　for　the　slaying；　and　they　slept　weary　by　the　fire；　she

crept　upon　them　and　brained　them　with　the　war…club　that　with　my

hands　I　had　fashioned。　　And　she　wept　over　me；　and　loosed　me；　and

fled　with　me；　back　to　the　wide　sluggish　river　where　the　blackbirds

and　wild　ducks　fed　in　the　rice　swampsfor　this　was　before　the　time

of　the　coming　of　the　Sons　of　the　River。



For　she　was　Arunga；　the　one　woman；　the　eternal　woman。　　She　has　lived

in　all　times　and　places。　　She　will　always　live。　　She　is　immortal。

Once；　in　a　far　land；　her　name　was　Ruth。　　Also　has　her　name　been

Iseult；　and　Helen；　Pocahontas；　and　Unga。　　And　no　stranger　man；　from

stranger　tribes；　but　has　found　her　and　will　find　her　in　the　tribes

of　all　the　earth。



I　remember　so　many　women　who　have　gone　into　the　becoming　of　the　one

woman。　　There　was　the　time　that　Har；　my　brother；　and　I；　sleeping　and

pursuing　in　turn；　ever　hounding　the　wild　stallion　through　the

daytime　and　night；　and　in　a　wide　circle　that　met　where　the　sleeping

one　lay；　drove　the　stallion　unresting　through　hunger　and　thirst　to

the　meekness　of　weakness；　so　that　in　the　end　he　could　but　stand　and

tremble　while　we　bound　him　with　ropes　twisted　of　deer…hide。　　On　our

legs　alone；　without　hardship；　aided　merely　by　witthe　plan　was

minemy　brother　and　I　walked　that　fleet…footed　creature　into

possession。



And　when　all　was　ready　for　me　to　get　on　his　backfor　that　had　been

my　vision　from　the　firstSelpa；　my　woman；　put　her　arms　about　me；

and　raised　her　voice　and　persisted　that　Har；　and　not　I；　should　ride；

for　Har　had　neither　wife　nor　young　ones　and　could　die　without　hurt。

Also；　in　the　end　she　wept；　so　that　I　was　raped　of　my　vision；　and　it

was　Har；　naked　and　clinging；　that　bestrode　the　stallion　when　he

vaulted　away。



It　was　sunset；　and　a　time　of　great　wailing；　when　they　carried　Har　in

from　the　far　rocks　where　they　found　him。　　His　head　was　quite　broken；

and　like　honey　from　a　fallen　bee…tree　his　brains　dripped　on　the

ground。　　His　mother　strewed　wood…ashes　on　her　head　and　blackened　her

face。　　His　father　cut　off　half　the　fingers　of　one　hand　in　token　of

sorrow。　　And　all　the　women；　especially　the　young　and　unwedded；

screamed　evil　names　at　me；　and　the　elders　shook　their　wise　heads　and

muttered　and　mumbled　that　not　their　fathers　nor　their　fathers'

fathers　had　betrayed　such　a　madness。　　Horse　meat　was　good　to　eat；

young　colts　were　tender　to　old　teeth；　and　only　a　fool　would　come　to

close　grapples　with　any　wild　horse　save　when　an　arrow　had　pierced

it；　or　when　it　struggled　on　the　stake　in　the　midst　of　the　pit。



And　Selpa　scolded　me　to　sleep；　and　in　the　morning　woke　me　with　her

chatter；　ever　declaiming　against　my　madness；　ever　pronouncing　her

claim　upon　me　and　the　claims　of　our　children；　till　in　the　end　I　grew

weary；　and　forsook　my　far　vision；　and　said　never　again　would　I　dream

of　bestriding　the　wild　horse　to　fly　swift　as　its　feet　and　the　wind

across　the　sands　and　the　grass　lands。



And　through　the　years　the　tale　of　my　madness　never　ceased　from　being

told　over　the　camp…fire。　　Yet　was　the　very　telling　the　source　of　my

vengeance；　for　the　dream　did　not　die；　and　the　young　ones；　listening

to　the　laugh　and　the　sneer；　redreamed　it；　so　that　in　the　end　it　was

Othar；　my　eldest…born；　himself　a　sheer　stripling；　that　walked　down　a

wild　stallion；　leapt　on　its　back；　and　flew　before　all　of　us　with　the

speed　of　the　wind。　　Thereafter；　that　they　might　keep　up　with　him；

all　men　were　trapping　and　breaking　wild　horses。　　Many　horses　were

broken；　and　some　men；　but　I　lived　at　the　last　to　the　day　when；　at

the　changing　of　camp…sites　in　the　pursuit　of　the　meat　in　its

seasons；　our　very　babes；　in　baskets　of　willow…withes；　were　slung

side　and　side　on　the　backs　of　our　horses　that　carried　our　camp…

trappage　and　dunnage。



I；　a　young　man；　had　seen　my　vision；　dreamed　my　dream；　Selpa；　the

woman；　had　held　me　from　that　far　desire；　but　Othar；　the　seed　of　us

to　live　after；　glimpsed　my　vision　and　won　to　it；　so　that　our　tribe

became　wealthy　in　the　gains　of　the　chase。



There　was　a　womanon　the　great　drift　down　out　of　Europe；　a　weary

drift　of　many　generations；　when　we　brought　into　India　the　shorthorn

cattle　and　the　planting　of　barley。　　But　this　woman　was　long　before

we　reached　India。　　We　were　still　in　the　mid…most　of　that　centuries…

long　drift；　and　no　shr