curious republic of gondour-第6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！


animals'　path；　clung　to　their　manes；　saddle…furniture；　and　tails；　asking；
beseeching；　demanding　〃bucksheesh！　　bucksheesh！　　BUCKSHEESH！〃　　We　had
rained　small　copper　Turkish　coins　among　them；　as　fugitives　fling　coats
and　hats　to　pursuing　wolves；　and　then　had　spurred　our　way　through　as　they
stopped　to　scramble　for　the　largess。　　I　was　fervently　thankful　when　we
had　gotten　well　up　on　the　desolate　hillside　and　outstripped　them　and　left
them　jawing　and　gesticulating　in　the　rear。　　What　a　tempest　had　seemingly
gone　roaring　and　crashing　by　me　and　left　its　dull　thunders　pulsing　in　my
ears！

I　was　in　the　rear；　as　I　was　saying。　　Our　pack…mules　and　Arabs　were　far
ahead；　and　Dan；　Jack；　Moult；　Davis；　Denny；　Church；　and　Birch　（these　names
will　do　as　well　as　any　to　represent　the　boys）　were　following　close　after
them。　　As　my　horse　nodded　to　rest；　I　heard　a　sort　of　panting　behind　me；
and　turned　and　saw　that　a　tawny　youth　from　the　village　had　overtaken　me
a　true　remnant　and　representative　of　his　ancestress　the　Witcha
galvanised　scurvy；　wrought　into　the　human　shape　and　garnished　with
ophthalmia　and　leprous　scarsan　airy　creature　with　an　invisible　shirt…
front　that　reached　below　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　and　no　other　clothing　to
speak　of　except　a　tobacco…pouch；　an　ammunition…pocket；　and　a　venerable
gun；　which　was　long　enough　to　club　any　game　with　that　came　within
shooting　distance；　but　far　from　efficient　as　an　article　of　dress。

I　thought　to　myself；　〃Now　this　disease　with　a　human　heart　in　it　is　going
to　shoot　me。〃　　I　smiled　in　derision　at　the　idea　of　a　Bedouin　daring　to
touch　off　his　great…grandfather's　rusty　gun　and　getting　his　head　blown
off　for　his　pains。　　But　then　it　occurred　to　me；　in　simple　school…boy
language；　〃Suppose　he　should　take　deliberate　aim　and　'haul　off'　and　fetch
me　with　the　butt…end　of　it？〃　　There　was　wisdom　in　that　view　of　it；　and　I
stopped　to　parley。　　I　found　he　was　only　a　friendly　villain　who　wanted　a
trifle　of　bucksheesh；　and　after　begging　what　he　could　get　in　that　way；
was　perfectly　willing　to　trade　off　everything　he　had　for　more。　　I　believe
he　would　have　parted　with　his　last　shirt　for　bucksheesh　if　he　had　had
one。　　He　was　smoking　the　〃humbliest〃　pipe　I　ever　sawa　dingy；　funnel…
shaped；　red…clay　thing；　streaked　and　grimed　with　oil　and　tears　of
tobacco；　and　with　all　the　different　kinds　of　dirt　there　are；　and　thirty
per　cent。　of　them　peculiar　and　indigenous　to　Endor　and　perdition。　　And
rank？　　I　never　smelt　anything　like　it。　　It　withered　a　cactus　that　stood
lifting　its　prickly　hands　aloft　beside　the　trail。　　It　even　woke　up　my
horse。　　I　said　I　would　take　that。　　It　cost　me　a　franc；　a　Russian　kopek；
a　brass　button；　and　a　slate　pencil；　and　my　spendthrift　lavishness　so　won
upon　the　son　of　the　desert　that　he　passed　over　his　pouch　of　most
unspeakably　villainous　tobacco　to　me　as　a　free　gift。　　What　a　pipe　it　was；
to　be　sure！　　It　had　a　rude　brass…wire　cover　to　it；　and　a　little　coarse
iron　chain　suspended　from　the　bowl；　with　an　iron　splinter　attached　to
loosen　up　the　tobacco　and　pick　your　teeth　with。　　The　stem　looked　like　the
half　of　a　slender　walking…stick　with　the　bark　on。

I　felt　that　this　pipe　had　belonged　to　the　original　Witch　of　Endor　as　soon
as　I　saw　it；　and　as　soon　as　I　smelt　it；　I　knew　it。　　Moreover；　I　asked　the
Arab　cub　in　good　English　if　it　was　not　so；　and　he　answered　in　good　Arabic
that　it　was。　　I　woke　up　my　horse　and　went　my　way；　smoking。　　And　presently
I　said　to　myself　reflectively；　〃If　there　is　anything　that　could　make　a
man　deliberately　assault　a　dying　cripple；　I　reckon　may　be　an　unexpected
whiff　from　this　pipe　would　do　it。〃　　I　smoked　along　till　I　found　I　was
beginning　to　lie；　and　project　murder；　and　steal　my　own　things　out　of　one
pocket　and　hide　them　in　another；　and　then　I　put　up　my　treasure；　took　off
my　spurs　and　put　them　under　my　horse's　tail；　and　shortly　came　tearing
through　our　caravan　like　a　hurricane。

From　that　time　forward；　going　to　Jerusalem；　the　Dead　Sea；　and　the　Jordan；
Bethany；　Bethlehem；　and　everywhere；　I　loafed　contentedly　in　the　rear　and
enjoyed　my　infamous　pipe　and　revelled　in　imaginary　villany。　　But　at　the
end　of　two　weeks　we　turned　our　faces　toward　the　sea　and　journeyed　over
the　Judean　hills；　and　through　rocky　defiles；　and　among　the　scenes　that
Samson　knew　in　his　youth；　and　by　and　by　we　touched　level　ground　just　at
night；　and　trotted　off　cheerily　over　the　plain　of　Sharon。　　It　was
perfectly　jolly　for　three　hours；　and　we　whites　crowded　along　together；
close　after　the　chief　Arab　muleteer　（all　the　pack…animals　and　the　other
Arabs　were　miles　in　the　rear）；　and　we　laughed；　and　chatted；　and　argued
hotly　about　Samson；　and　whether　suicide　was　a　sin　or　not；　since　Paul
speaks　of　Samson　distinctly　as　being　saved　and　in　heaven。　　But　by　and　by
the　night　air；　and　the　duskiness；　and　the　weariness　of　eight　hours　in　the
saddle；　began　to　tell；　and　conversation　flagged　and　finally　died　out
utterly。　　The　squeak…squeaking　of　the　saddles　grew　very　distinct；
occasionally　somebody　sighed；　or　started　to　hum　a　tune　and　gave　it　up；
now　and　then　a　horse　sneezed。　　These　things　only　emphasised　the　solemnity
and　the　stillness。　　Everybody　got　so　listless　that　for　once　I　and　my
dreamer　found　ourselves　in　the　lead。　　It　was　a　glad；　new　sensation；　and
I　longed　to　keep　the　place　forevermore。　　Every　little　stir　in　the　dingy
cavalcade　behind　made　me　nervous。　　Davis　and　I　were　riding　side　by　side；
right　after　the　Arab。　　About　11　o'clock　it　had　become　really　chilly；　and
the　dozing　boys　roused　up　and　began　to　inquire　how　far　it　was　to　Ramlah
yet；　and　to　demand　that　the　Arab　hurry　along　faster。　　I　gave　it　up　then；
and　my　heart　sank　within　me；　because　of　course　they　would　come　up　to
scold　the　Arab。　　I　knew　I　had　to　take　the　rear　again。　　In　my　sorrow　I
unconsciously　took　to　my　pipe；　my　only　comfort。　　As　I　touched　the　match
to　it　the　whole　company　came　lumbering　up　and　crowding　my　horse's　rump
and　flanks。　　A　whiff　of　smoke　drifted　back　over　my　shoulder；　and

〃The　suffering　Moses！〃

〃Whew！〃

〃By　George；　who　opened　that　graveyard？〃

〃Boys；　that　Arab's　been　swallowing　something　dead！〃

Right　away　there　was　a　gap　behind　us。　　Whiff　after　whiff　sailed　airily
back；　and　each　one　widened　the　breach。　　Within　fifteen　seconds　the
barking；　and　gasping；　and　sneezing；　and　coughing　of　the　boys；　and　their
angry　abuse　of　the　Arab　guide；　had　dwindled　to　a　murmur；　and　Davis　and　I
were　alone　with　the　leader。　　Davis　did　not　know　what　the　matter　was；　and
don't　to　this　day。　　Occasionally　he　caught　a　faint　film　of　the　smoke　and
fell　to　scolding　at　the　Arab　and　wondering　how　long　he　had　been　decaying
in　that　way。　　Our　boys　kept　on　dropping　back　further　and　further；　till　at
last　they　were　only　in　hearing；　not　in　sight。　　And　every　time　they
started　gingerly　forward　to　reconnoitre　or　shoot　the　Arab；　as　they
proposed　to　doI　let　them　get　within　good　fair　range　of　my　relic　（she
would　carry　seventy　yards　with　wonderful　precision）；　and　then　wafted　a
whiff　among　them　that　sent　them　gasping　and　strangling　to　the　rear　again。
I　kept　my　gun　well　charged　and　ready；　and　twice　within　the　hour　I　decoyed
the　boys　right　up　to　my　horse's　tail；　and　then　with　one　malarious　blast
emptied　the　saddles；　almost。　　I　never　heard　an　Arab　abused　so　in　my　life。
He　really　owed　his　preservation　to　me；　because　for　one　entire　hour　I
stood　between　him　and　certain　death。　　The　boys　would　have　killed　him　if
they　could　have　got　by　me。

By　and　by；　when　the　company　were　far　in　the　rear；　I　put　away　my　pipe
I　was　getting　fearfully　dry　and　crisp　about　the　gills　and　rather　blown
with　good　diligent　workand　spurred　my　animated　trance　up　alongside　the
Arab　and　stopped　him　and　asked　for　water。　　He　unslung　his　little　gourd…
shaped　earthenware　jug；　and　I　put　it　under　my　moustache　and　took　a　long；
glorious；　satisfying　draught。　　I　was　going　to　scour　the　mouth　of　the　jug
a　little；　but　I　saw　that　I　had　brought　the　whole　train　together　once　more
by　my　delay；　and　that　they　were　all　anxious　to　drink　too…and　would　have
been　long　ago　if　the　Arab　had　not　pretended　that　he　was　out　of　water。
So　I　hastened　to　pass　the　vessel　to　Davis。　　He　took　a　mouthful；　and　never
said　a　word；　but　climbed　off　his　horse　and　lay　down　calmly　in　the