the water-babies-第17章

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〃What　do　you　want　here？〃　he　said；　very　fiercely。

〃Oh；　don't　hurt　me！〃　cried　Tom。　　〃I　only　want　to　look　at　you；　you　are　so　handsome。〃

〃Ah？〃　said　the　salmon；　very　stately　but　very　civilly。　　〃I　really　beg　your　pardon；　I　see　what　you　are；　my　little　dear。　　I　have　met　one　or　two　creatures　like　you　before；　and　found　them　very　agreeable　and　well…behaved。　　Indeed；　one　of　them　showed　me　a　great　kindness　lately；　which　I　hope　to　be　able　to　repay。　　I　hope　we　shall　not　be　in　your　way　here。　　As　soon　as　this　lady　is　rested；　we　shall　proceed　on　our　journey。〃

What　a　well…bred　old　salmon　he　was！

〃So　you　have　seen　things　like　me　before？〃　asked　Tom。

〃Several　times；　my　dear。　　Indeed；　it　was　only　last　night　that　one　at　the　river's　mouth　came　and　warned　me　and　my　wife　of　some　new　stake…nets　which　had　got　into　the　stream；　I　cannot　tell　how；　since　last　winter；　and　showed　us　the　way　round　them；　in　the　most　charmingly　obliging　way。〃

〃So　there　are　babies　in　the　sea？〃　cried　Tom；　and　clapped　his　little　hands。　　〃Then　I　shall　have　some　one　to　play　with　there？　　How　delightful！〃

〃Were　there　no　babies　up　this　stream？〃　asked　the　lady　salmon。

〃No！　and　I　grew　so　lonely。　　I　thought　I　saw　three　last　night；　but　they　were　gone　in　an　instant；　down　to　the　sea。　　So　I　went　too；　for　I　had　nothing　to　play　with　but　caddises　and　dragon…flies　and　trout。〃

〃Ugh！〃　cried　the　lady；　〃what　low　company！〃

〃My　dear；　if　he　has　been　in　low　company；　he　has　certainly　not　learnt　their　low　manners；〃　said　the　salmon。

〃No；　indeed；　poor　little　dear：　　but　how　sad　for　him　to　live　among　such　people　as　caddises；　who　have　actually　six　legs；　the　nasty　things；　and　dragon…flies；　too！　why　they　are　not　even　good　to　eat；　for　I　tried　them　once；　and　they　are　all　hard　and　empty；　and；　as　for　trout；　every　one　knows　what　they　are。〃　　Whereon　she　curled　up　her　lip；　and　looked　dreadfully　scornful；　while　her　husband　curled　up　his　too；　till　he　looked　as　proud　as　Alcibiades。

〃Why　do　you　dislike　the　trout　so？〃　asked　Tom。

〃My　dear；　we　do　not　even　mention　them；　if　we　can　help　it；　for　I　am　sorry　to　say　they　are　relations　of　ours　who　do　us　no　credit。　　A　great　many　years　ago　they　were　just　like　us：　　but　they　were　so　lazy；　and　cowardly；　and　greedy；　that　instead　of　going　down　to　the　sea　every　year　to　see　the　world　and　grow　strong　and　fat；　they　chose　to　stay　and　poke　about　in　the　little　streams　and　eat　worms　and　grubs；　and　they　are　very　properly　punished　for　it；　for　they　have　grown　ugly　and　brown　and　spotted　and　small；　and　are　actually　so　degraded　in　their　tastes；　that　they　will　eat　our　children。〃

〃And　then　they　pretend　to　scrape　acquaintance　with　us　again；〃　said　the　lady。　　〃Why；　I　have　actually　known　one　of　them　propose　to　a　lady　salmon；　the　little　impudent　little　creature。〃

〃I　should　hope；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃that　there　are　very　few　ladies　of　our　race　who　would　degrade　themselves　by　listening　to　such　a　creature　for　an　instant。　　If　I　saw　such　a　thing　happen；　I　should　consider　it　my　duty　to　put　them　both　to　death　upon　the　spot。〃　　So　the　old　salmon　said；　like　an　old　blue…blooded　hidalgo　of　Spain；　and　what　is　more；　he　would　have　done　it　too。　　For　you　must　know；　no　enemies　are　so　bitter　against　each　other　as　those　who　are　of　the　same　race；　and　a　salmon　looks　on　a　trout；　as　some　great　folks　look　on　some　little　folks；　as　something　just　too　much　like　himself　to　be　tolerated。



CHAPTER　IV



〃Sweet　is　the　lore　which　Nature　brings；　Our　meddling　intellect　Mis…shapes　the　beauteous　forms　of　things　We　murder　to　dissect。

Enough　of　science　and　of　art：　Close　up　these　barren　leaves；　Come　forth；　and　bring　with　you　a　heart　That　watches　and　receives。〃

WORDSWORTH。


So　the　salmon　went　up；　after　Tom　had　warned　them　of　the　wicked　old　otter；　and　Tom　went　down；　but　slowly　and　cautiously；　coasting　along　shore。　　He　was　many　days　about　it；　for　it　was　many　miles　down　to　the　sea；　and　perhaps　he　would　never　have　found　his　way；　if　the　fairies　had　not　guided　him；　without　his　seeing　their　fair　faces；　or　feeling　their　gentle　hands。

And；　as　he　went；　he　had　a　very　strange　adventure。　　It　was　a　clear　still　September　night；　and　the　moon　shone　so　brightly　down　through　the　water；　that　he　could　not　sleep；　though　he　shut　his　eyes　as　tight　as　possible。　　So　at　last　he　came　up　to　the　top；　and　sat　upon　a　little　point　of　rock；　and　looked　up　at　the　broad　yellow　moon；　and　wondered　what　she　was；　and　thought　that　she　looked　at　him。　　And　he　watched　the　moonlight　on　the　rippling　river；　and　the　black　heads　of　the　firs；　and　the　silver…frosted　lawns；　and　listened　to　the　owl's　hoot；　and　the　snipe's　bleat；　and　the　fox's　bark；　and　the　otter's　laugh；　and　smelt　the　soft　perfume　of　the　birches；　and　the　wafts　of　heather　honey　off　the　grouse　moor　far　above；　and　felt　very　happy；　though　he　could　not　well　tell　why。　　You；　of　course；　would　have　been　very　cold　sitting　there　on　a　September　night；　without　the　least　bit　of　clothes　on　your　wet　back；　but　Tom　was　a　water…baby；　and　therefore　felt　cold　no　more　than　a　fish。

Suddenly；　he　saw　a　beautiful　sight。　　A　bright　red　light　moved　along　the　river…side；　and　threw　down　into　the　water　a　long　tap…root　of　flame。　　Tom；　curious　little　rogue　that　he　was；　must　needs　go　and　see　what　it　was；　so　he　swam　to　the　shore；　and　met　the　light　as　it　stopped　over　a　shallow　run　at　the　edge　of　a　low　rock。

And　there；　underneath　the　light；　lay　five　or　six　great　salmon；　looking　up　at　the　flame　with　their　great　goggle　eyes；　and　wagging　their　tails；　as　if　they　were　very　much　pleased　at　it。

Tom　came　to　the　top；　to　look　at　this　wonderful　light　nearer；　and　made　a　splash。

And　he　heard　a　voice　say：

〃There　was　a　fish　rose。〃

He　did　not　know　what　the　words　meant：　　but　he　seemed　to　know　the　sound　of　them；　and　to　know　the　voice　which　spoke　them；　and　he　saw　on　the　bank　three　great　two…legged　creatures；　one　of　whom　held　the　light；　flaring　and　sputtering；　and　another　a　long　pole。　　And　he　knew　that　they　were　men；　and　was　frightened；　and　crept　into　a　hole　in　the　rock；　from　which　he　could　see　what　went　on。

The　man　with　the　torch　bent　down　over　the　water；　and　looked　earnestly　in；　and　then　he　said：

〃Tak'　that　muckle　fellow；　lad；　he's　ower　fifteen　punds；　and　haud　your　hand　steady。〃

Tom　felt　that　there　was　some　danger　coming；　and　longed　to　warn　the　foolish　salmon；　who　kept　staring　up　at　the　light　as　if　he　was　bewitched。　　But　before　he　could　make　up　his　mind；　down　came　the　pole　through　the　water；　there　was　a　fearful　splash　and　struggle；　and　Tom　saw　that　the　poor　salmon　was　speared　right　through；　and　was　lifted　out　of　the　water。

And　then；　from　behind；　there　sprang　on　these　three　men　three　other　men；　and　there　were　shouts；　and　blows；　and　words　which　Tom　recollected　to　have　heard　before；　and　he　shuddered　and　turned　sick　at　them　now；　for　he　felt　somehow　that　they　were　strange；　and　ugly；　and　wrong；　and　horrible。　　And　it　all　began　to　come　back　to　him。　They　were　men；　and　they　were　fighting；　savage；　desperate；　up…and…　down　fighting；　such　as　Tom　had　seen　too　many　times　before。

And　he　stopped　his　little　ears；　and　longed　to　swim　away；　and　was　very　glad　that　he　was　a　water…baby；　and　had　nothing　to　do　any　more　with　horrid　dirty　men；　with　foul　clothes　on　their　backs；　and　foul　words　on　their　lips；　but　he　dared　not　stir　out　of　his　hole：　　while　the　rock　shook　over　his　head　with　the　trampling　and　struggling　of　the　keepers　and　the　poachers。

All　of　a　sudden　there　was　a　tremendous　splash；　and　a　frightful　flash；　and　a　hissing；　and　all　was　still。

For　into　the　water；　close　to　Tom；　fell　one　of　the　men；　he　who　held　the　light　in　his　hand。　　Into　the　swift　river　he　sank；　and　rolled　over　and　over　in　the　current。　　Tom　heard　the　men　above　run　along　seemingly　looking　for　him；　but　he　drifted　down　into　the　deep　hole　below；　and　there　lay　quite　still；　and　they　could　not　find　him。

Tom　waited　a　long　time；　till　all　was　quiet；　and　then　he　peeped　out；　and　saw　the　man　lying。　　At　last　he　screwed　up　his　courage　and　swam　down　to　him。　　〃Perhaps；〃　he　thought；　〃the　water　has　made　him　fall　asleep；　as　it　did　me。〃

Then　he　went　nearer。　　He　grew　more　and　more　curious；　he　could　not　tell　why。　　He　must　go　and　look　at　him。　　He　would　go　very　quietly；　of　course；　so　he　swam　round　and　round　him；　closer　and　closer；　and；　as　he　did　not　stir；　at　last　he　came　qu