the red one-第21章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　line　at　heads　when　he　went　after　tar。　…　Don't　jerk　your　elbows

back　that　way！　　You're　likely　to　get　a　crack　on　one　by　accident。

And　just　tell　me　one　thing；　William；　son：　　is　there　nary　notion　in

your　head　that　I'm　crazy？〃



〃No！〃　William　yelped　out　in　pain；　as　he　danced　about。　　〃You　ain't

crazy；　father　of　course　you　ain't　crazy！〃



〃You　said　it；〃　Old　Tarwater　remarked　sententiously；　tossing　the

single…tree　aside　and　starting　to　struggle　into　his　coat。



〃Now　let's　all　go　in　and　eat。〃



Glen　Ellen；　California；

SEPTEMBER　14；　1916。









STORY：　　THE　PRINCESS









A　FIRE　burned　cheerfully　in　the　jungle　camp；　and　beside　the　fire

lolled　a　cheerful…seeming　though　horrible…appearing　man。　　This　was

a　hobo　jungle；　pitched　in　a　thin　strip　of　woods　that　lay　between　a

railroad　embankment　and　the　bank　of　a　river。　　But　no　hobo　was　the

man。　　So　deep…sunk　was　he　in　the　social　abyss　that　a　proper　hobo

would　not　sit　by　the　same　fire　with　him。　　A　gay…cat；　who　is　an

ignorant　new…comer　on　the　〃Road；〃　might　sit　with　such　as　he；　but

only　long　enough　to　learn　better。　　Even　low　down　bindle…stiffs　and

stew…bums；　after　a　once…over；　would　have　passed　this　man　by。　　A

genuine　hobo；　a　couple　of　punks；　or　a　bunch　of　tender…yeared　road…

kids　might　have　gone　through　his　rags　for　any　stray　pennies　or

nickels　and　kicked　him　out　into　the　darkness。　　Even　an　alki…stiff

would　have　reckoned　himself　immeasurably　superior。



For　this　man　was　that　hybrid　of　tramp…land；　an　alki…stiff　that　has

degenerated　into　a　stew…bum；　with　so　little　self…respect　that　he

will　never　〃boil…up；〃　and　with　so　little　pride　that　he　will　eat　out

of　a　garbage　can。　　He　was　truly　horrible…appearing。　　He　might　have

been　sixty　years　of　age；　he　might　have　been　ninety。　　His　garments

might　have　been　discarded　by　a　rag…picker。　　Beside　him；　an　unrolled

bundle　showed　itself　as　consisting　of　a　ragged　overcoat　and

containing　an　empty　and　smoke…blackened　tomato　can；　an　empty　and

battered　condensed　milk　can；　some　dog…meat　partly　wrapped　in　brown

paper　and　evidently　begged　from　some　butcher…shop；　a　carrot　that

had　been　run　over　in　the　street　by　a　wagon…wheel；　three　greenish…

cankered　and　decayed　potatoes；　and　a　sugar…bun　with　a　mouthful

bitten　from　it　and　rescued　from　the　gutter；　as　was　made　patent　by

the　gutter…filth　that　still　encrusted　it。



A　prodigious　growth　of　whiskers；　greyish…dirty　and　untrimmed　for

years；　sprouted　from　his　face。　　This　hirsute　growth　should　have

been　white；　but　the　season　was　summer　and　it　had　not　been　exposed

to　a　rain…shower　for　some　time。　　What　was　visible　of　the　face

looked　as　if　at　some　period　it　had　stopped　a　hand…grenade。　　The

nose　was　so　variously　malformed　in　its　healed　brokenness　that　there

was　no　bridge；　while　one　nostril；　the　size　of　a　pea；　opened

downward；　and　the　other；　the　size　of　a　robin's　egg；　tilted　upward

to　the　sky。　　One　eye；　of　normal　size；　dim…brown　and　misty；　bulged

to　the　verge　of　popping　out；　and　as　if　from　senility　wept　copiously

and　continuously。　　The　other　eye；　scarcely　larger　than　a　squirrel's

and　as　uncannily　bright；　twisted　up　obliquely　into　the　hairy　scar

of　a　bone…crushed　eyebrow。　　And　he　had　but　one　arm。



Yet　was　he　cheerful。　　On　his　face；　in　mild　degree；　was　depicted

sensuous　pleasure　as　he　lethargically　scratched　his　ribs　with　his

one　hand。　　He　pawed　over　his　food…scraps；　debated；　then　drew　a

twelve…ounce　druggist　bottle　from　his　inside　coat…pocket。　　The

bottle　was　full　of　a　colourless　liquid；　the　contemplation　of　which

made　his　little　eye　burn　brighter　and　quickened　his　movements。

Picking　up　the　tomato　can；　he　arose；　went　down　the　short　path　to

the　river；　and　returned　with　the　can　filled　with　not…nice　river

water。　　In　the　condensed　milk　can　he　mixed　one　part　of　water　with

two　parts　of　fluid　from　the　bottle。　　This　colourless　fluid　was

druggist's　alcohol；　and　as　such　is　known　in　tramp…land　as　〃alki。〃



Slow　footsteps；　coming　down　the　side　of　the　railroad　embankment；

alarmed　him　ere　he　could　drink。　　Placing　the　can　carefully　upon　the

ground　between　his　legs；　he　covered　it　with　his　hat　and　waited

anxiously　whatever　impended。



Out　of　the　darkness　emerged　a　man　as　filthy　ragged　as　he。　　The　new…

comer；　who　might　have　been　fifty；　and　might　have　been　sixty；　was

grotesquely　fat。　　He　bulged　everywhere。　　He　was　composed　of　bulges。

His　bulbous　nose　was　the　size　and　shape　of　a　turnip。　　His　eyelids

bulged　and　his　blue　eyes　bulged　in　competition　with　them。　　In　many

places　the　seams　of　his　garments　had　parted　across　the　bulges　of

body。　　His　calves　grew　into　his　feet；　for　the　broken　elastic　sides

of　his　Congress　gaiters　were　swelled　full　with　the　fat　of　him。　　One

arm　only　he　sported；　from　the　shoulder　of　which　was　suspended　a

small　and　tattered　bundle　with　the　mud　caked　dry　on　the　outer

covering　from　the　last　place　he　had　pitched　his　doss。　　He　advanced

with　tentative　caution；　made　sure　of　the　harmlessness　of　the　man

beside　the　fire；　and　joined　him。



〃Hello；　grandpa；〃　the　new…comer　greeted；　then　paused　to　stare　at

the　other's　flaring；　sky…open　nostril。　　〃Say；　Whiskers；　how'd　ye

keep　the　night　dew　out　of　that　nose　o'　yourn？〃



Whiskers　growled　an　incoherence　deep　in　his　throat　and　spat　into

the　fire　in　token　that　he　was　not　pleased　by　the　question。



〃For　the　love　of　Mike；〃　the　fat　man　chuckled；　〃if　you　got　caught

out　in　a　rainstorm　without　an　umbrella　you'd　sure　drown；　wouldn't

you？〃



〃Can　it；　Fatty；　can　it；〃　Whiskers　muttered　wearily。　　〃They　ain't

nothin'　new　in　that　line　of　chatter。　　Even　the　bulls　hand　it　out　to

me。〃



〃But　you　can　still　drink；　I　hope〃；　Fatty　at　the　same　time　mollified

and　invited；　with　his　one　hand　deftly　pulling　the　slip…knots　that

fastened　his　bundle。



From　within　the　bundle　he　brought　to　light　a　twelve…ounce　bottle　of

alki。　　Footsteps　coming　down　the　embankment　alarmed　him；　and　he　hid

the　bottle　under　his　hat　on　the　ground　between　his　legs。



But　the　next　comer　proved　to　be　not　merely　one　of　their　own　ilk；

but　likewise　to　have　only　one　arm。　　So　forbidding　of　aspect　was　he

that　greetings　consisted　of　no　more　than　grunts。　　Huge…boned；　tall；

gaunt　to　cadaverousness；　his　face　a　dirty　death's　head；　he　was　as

repellent　a　nightmare　of　old　age　as　ever　Dore　imagined。　　His

toothless；　thin…lipped　mouth　was　a　cruel　and　bitter　slash　under　a

great　curved　nose　that　almost　met　the　chin　and　that　was　like　a

buzzard's　beak。　　His　one　hand；　lean　and　crooked；　was　a　talon。　　The

beady　grey　eyes；　unblinking　and　unwavering；　were　bitter　as　death；

as　bleak　as　absolute　zero　and　as　merciless。　　His　presence　was　a

chill；　and　Whiskers　and　Fatty　instinctively　drew　together　for

protection　against　the　unguessed　threat　of　him。　　Watching　his

chance；　privily；　Whiskers　snuggled　a　chunk　of　rock　several　pounds

in　weigh　close　to　his　hand　if　need　for　action　should　arise。　　Fatty

duplicated　the　performance。



Then　both　sat　licking　their　lips；　guiltily　embarrassed；　while　the

unblinking　eyes　of　the　terrible　one　bored　into　them；　now　into　one；

now　into　another；　and　then　down　at　the　rock…chunks　of　their

preparedness。



〃Huh！〃　sneered　the　terrible　one；　with　such　dreadfulness　of　menace

as　to　cause　Whiskers　and　Fatty　involuntarily　to　close　their　hands

down　on　their　cave…man's　weapons。



〃Huh！〃　the　other　repeated；　reaching　his　one　talon　into　his　side

coat　pocket　with　swift　definiteness。　　〃A　hell　of　a　chance　you　two

cheap　bums　'd　have　with　me。〃



The　talon　emerged；　clutching　ready　for　action　a　six…pound　iron

quoit。



〃We　ain't　lookin'　for　trouble；　Slim；〃　Fatty　quavered。



〃Who　in　hell　are　you　to　call　me　'Slim'？〃　came　the　snarling　answer。



〃Me？　　I'm　just　Fatty；　an'　seein'　's　I　never　seen　you　before　…　〃



〃An'　I　suppose　that's　Whiskers；　there；　with　the　gay　an'　festive

lamp　tan…going　into　his　eyebrow　an'　the　God…forgive…us　nose　joy…

riding　all　over　his　mug？〃



〃It'll　do；　it'll　do；〃　Whiskers　muttered　uncomfortably。　　〃One

monica's　as　good　as　an