the red one-第8章

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curing　of　heads。〃



Bassett　smiled　quietly　to　the　old　one's　conceit；　as　the　great

carved　log；　drawn　back　through　two…score　feet　of　space；　was

released。　　The　next　moment　he　was　lost　in　ecstasy　at　the　abrupt　and

thunderous　liberation　of　sound。　　But　such　thunder！　　Mellow　it　was

with　preciousness　of　all　sounding　metals。　　Archangels　spoke　in　it；

it　was　magnificently　beautiful　before　all　other　sounds；　it　was

invested　with　the　intelligence　of　supermen　of　planets　of　other

suns；　it　was　the　voice　of　God；　seducing　and　commanding　to　be　heard。

And　…　the　everlasting　miracle　of　that　interstellar　metal！　Bassett；

with　his　own　eyes；　saw　colour　and　colours　transform　into　sound　till

the　whole　visible　surface　of　the　vast　sphere　was　a…crawl　and

titillant　and　vaporous　with　what　he　could　not　tell　was　colour　or

was　sound。　　In　that　moment　the　interstices　of　matter　were　his；　and

the　interfusings　and　intermating　transfusings　of　matter　and　force。



Time　passed。　　At　the　last　Bassett　was　brought　back　from　his　ecstasy

by　an　impatient　movement　of　Ngurn。　　He　had　quite　forgotten　the　old

devil…devil　one。　　A　quick　flash　of　fancy　brought　a　husky　chuckle

into　Bassett's　throat。　　His　shot…gun　lay　beside　him　in　the　litter。

All　he　had　to　do；　muzzle　to　head；　was　to　press　the　trigger　and　blow

his　head　into　nothingness。



But　why　cheat　him？　was　Bassett's　next　thought。　　Head…hunting；

cannibal　beast　of　a　human　that　was　as　much　ape　as　human；

nevertheless　Old　Ngurn　had；　according　to　his　lights；　played　squarer

than　square。　　Ngurn　was　in　himself　a　forerunner　of　ethics　and

contract；　of　consideration；　and　gentleness　in　man。　　No；　Bassett

decided；　it　would　be　a　ghastly　pity　and　an　act　of　dishonour　to

cheat　the　old　fellow　at　the　last。　　His　head　was　Ngurn's；　and

Ngurn's　head　to　cure　it　would　be。



And　Bassett；　raising　his　hand　in　signal；　bending　forward　his　head

as　agreed　so　as　to　expose　cleanly　the　articulation　to　his　taut

spinal　cord；　forgot　Balatta；　who　was　merely　a　woman；　a　woman　merely

and　only　and　undesired。　　He　knew；　without　seeing；　when　the　razor…

edged　hatchet　rose　in　the　air　behind　him。　　And　for　that　instant；

ere　the　end；　there　fell　upon　Bassett　the　shadows　of　the　Unknown；　a

sense　of　impending　marvel　of　the　rending　of　walls　before　the

imaginable。　　Almost；　when　he　knew　the　blow　had　started　and　just　ere

the　edge　of　steel　bit　the　flesh　and　nerves　it　seemed　that　he　gazed

upon　the　serene　face　of　the　Medusa；　Truth　…　And；　simultaneous　with

the　bite　of　the　steel　on　the　onrush　of　the　dark；　in　a　flashing

instant　of　fancy；　he　saw　the　vision　of　his　head　turning　slowly；

always　turning；　in　the　devil…devil　house　beside　the　breadfruit

tree。





Waikiki；　Honolulu；

MAY　22；　1916。









STORY：　　THE　HUSSY









THERE　are　some　stories　that　have　to　be　true　…　the　sort　that　cannot

be　fabricated　by　a　ready　fiction…reckoner。　　And　by　the　same　token

there　are　some　men　with　stories　to　tell　who　cannot　be　doubted。

Such　a　man　was　Julian　Jones。　　Although　I　doubt　if　the　average

reader　of　this　will　believe　the　story　Julian　Jones　told　me。

Nevertheless　I　believe　it。　　So　thoroughly　am　I　convinced　of　its

verity　that　I　am　willing；　nay；　eager；　to　invest　capital　in　the

enterprise　and　embark　personally　on　the　adventure　to　a　far　land。



It　was　in　the　Australian　Building　at　the　Panama　Pacific　Exposition

that　I　met　him。　　I　was　standing　before　an　exhibit　of　facsimiles　of

the　record　nuggets　which　had　been　discovered　in　the　goldfields　of

the　Antipodes。　　Knobbed；　misshapen　and　massive；　it　was　as　difficult

to　believe　that　they　were　not　real　gold　as　it　was　to　believe　the

accompanying　statistics　of　their　weights　and　values。



〃That's　what　those　kangaroo…hunters　call　a　nugget；〃　boomed　over　my

shoulder　directly　at　the　largest　of　the　specimens。



I　turned　and　looked　up　into　the　dim　blue　eyes　of　Julian　Jones。　　I

looked　up；　for　he　stood　something　like　six　feet　four　inches　in

height。　　His　hair；　a　wispy；　sandy　yellow；　seemed　as　dimmed　and

faded　as　his　eyes。　　It　may　have　been　the　sun　which　had　washed　out

his　colouring；　at　least　his　face　bore　the　evidence　of　a　prodigious

and　ardent　sun…burn　which　had　long　since　faded　to　yellow。　　As　his

eyes　turned　from　the　exhibit　and　focussed　on　mine　I　noted　a　queer

look　in　them　as　of　one　who　vainly　tries　to　recall　some　fact　of

supreme　importance。



〃What's　the　matter　with　it　as　a　nugget？〃　　I　demanded。



The　remote；　indwelling　expression　went　out　of　his　eyes　as　he　boomed



〃Why；　its　size。〃



〃It　does　seem　large；〃　I　admitted。　　〃But　there's　no　doubt　it's

authentic。　　The　Australian　Government　would　scarcely　dare　…　〃



〃Large！〃　he　interrupted；　with　a　sniff　and　a　sneer。



〃Largest　ever　discovered　…　〃　I　started　on。



〃Ever　discovered！〃　　His　dim　eyes　smouldered　hotly　as　he　proceeded。

〃Do　you　think　that　every　lump　of　gold　ever　discovered　has　got　into

the　newspapers　and　encyclopedias？〃



〃Well；〃　I　replied　judicially；　〃if　there's　one　that　hasn't；　I　don't

see　how　we're　to　know　about　it。　　If　a　really　big　nugget；　or　nugget…

finder；　elects　to　blush　unseen　…　〃



〃But　it　didn't；〃　he　broke　in　quickly。　　〃I　saw　it　with　my　own　eyes；

and；　besides；　I'm　too　tanned　to　blush　anyway。　　I'm　a　railroad　man

and　I've　been　in　the　tropics　a　lot。　　Why；　I　used　to　be　the　colour

of　mahogany　…　real　old　mahogany；　and　have　been　taken　for　a　blue…

eyed　Spaniard　more　than　once　…　〃



It　was　my　turn　to　interrupt；　and　I　did。



〃Was　that　nugget　bigger　than　those　in　there；　Mr。　…　er　…　？〃



〃Jones；　Julian　Jones　is　my　name。〃



He　dug　into　an　inner　pocket　and　produced　an　envelope　addressed　to

such　a　person；　care　of　General　Delivery；　San　Francisco；　and　I；　in

turn；　presented　him　with　my　card。



〃Pleased　to　know　you；　sir；〃　he　said；　extending　his　hand；　his　voice

booming　as　if　accustomed　to　loud　noises　or　wide　spaces。　　〃Of　course

I've　heard　of　you；　seen　your　picture　in　the　papers；　and　all　that；

and；　though　I　say　it　that　shouldn't；　I　want　to　say　that　I　didn't

care　a　rap　about　those　articles　you　wrote　on　Mexico。　　You're　wrong；

all　wrong。　　You　make　the　mistake　of　all　Gringos　in　thinking　a

Mexican　is　a　white　man。　　He　ain't。　　None　of　them　ain't　…　Greasers；

Spiggoties；　Latin…Americans　and　all　the　rest　of　the　cattle。　　Why；

sir；　they　don't　think　like　we　think；　or　reason；　or　act。　　Even　their

multiplication　table　is　different。　　You　think　seven　times　seven　is

forty…nine；　but　not　them。　　They　work　it　out　different。　　And　white

isn't　white　to　them；　either。　　Let　me　give　you　an　example。　　Buying

coffee　retail　for　house…keeping　in　one…pound　or　ten…pound　lots　…　〃



〃How　big　was　that　nugget　you　referred　to？〃　I　queried　firmly。　　〃As

big　as　the　biggest　of　those？〃



〃Bigger；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃Bigger　than　the　whole　blamed　exhibit

of　them　put　together；　and　then　some。〃　　He　paused　and　regarded　me

with　a　steadfast　gaze。　　〃I　don't　see　no　reason　why　I　shouldn't　go

into　the　matter　with　you。　　You've　got　a　reputation　a　man　ought　to

be　able　to　trust；　and　I've　read　you've　done　some　tall　skylarking

yourself　in　out…of…the…way　places。　　I've　been　browsing　around　with

an　eye　open　for　some　one　to　go　in　with　me　on　the　proposition。〃



〃You　can　trust　me；〃　I　said。



And　here　I　am；　blazing　out　into　print　with　the　whole　story　just　as

he　told　it　to　me　as　we　sat　on　a　bench　by　the　lagoon　before　the

Palace　of　Fine　Arts　with　the　cries　of　the　sea　gulls　in　our　ears。

Well；　he　should　have　kept　his　appointment　with　me。　　But　I

anticipate。



As　we　started　to　leave　the　building　and　hunt　for　a　seat；　a　small

woman；　possibly　thirty　years　of　age；　with　a　washed…out　complexion

of　the　farmer's　wife　sort；　darted　up　to　him　in　a　bird…like　way；　for

all　the　world　like　the　darting　veering　gulls　over　our　heads　and

fastened　herself　to　his　arm　with　the　accuracy　and　dispatch　and

inevitableness　of　a　piece　of　machinery。



〃There　you　go！〃　she　shrilled。　　〃A…trottin'　right　off　and　never

givin'　me　a　thought。〃



I　was　formally　introduced　to　her。　　It　was　patent　that　she　had　never