the red one(红色的那人)-第2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！
he had slept from exhaustion while the mosquitoes had had their will of
him。
Followed days and nights that were vague as nightmares in his
memory。 One clear vision he remembered was of suddenly finding
himself in the midst of a bush village and watching the old men and
children fleeing into the jungle。 All had fled but one。 From close at
hand and above him； a whimpering as of some animal in pain and terror
had startled him。 And looking up he had seen her … a girl； or young
5
… Page 6…
THE RED ONE
woman rather； suspended by one arm in the cooking sun。 Perhaps for
days she had so hung。 Her swollen； protruding tongue spoke as much。
Still alive； she gazed at him with eyes of terror。 Past help； he decided； as
he noted the swellings of her legs which advertised that the joints had been
crushed and the great bones broken。 He resolved to shoot her； and there
the vision terminated。 He could not remember whether he had or not；
any more than could he remember how he chanced to be in that village； or
how he succeeded in getting away from it。
Many pictures； unrelated； came and went in Bassett's mind as he
reviewed that period of his terrible wanderings。 He remembered
invading another village of a dozen houses and driving all before him with
his shot…gun save； for one old man； too feeble to flee； who spat at him and
whined and snarled as he dug open a ground…oven and from amid the hot
stones dragged forth a roasted pig that steamed its essence deliciously
through its green…leaf wrappings。 It was at this place that a wantonness of
savagery had seized upon him。 Having feasted； ready to depart with a
hind…quarter of the pig in his hand； he deliberately fired the grass thatch of
a house with his burning glass。
But seared deepest of all in Bassett's brain； was the dank and noisome
jungle。 It actually stank with evil； and it was always twilight。 Rarely
did a shaft of sunlight penetrate its matted roof a hundred feet overhead。
And beneath that roof was an aerial ooze of vegetation； a monstrous；
parasitic dripping of decadent life… forms that rooted in death and lived on
death。 And through all this he drifted； ever pursued by the flitting
shadows of the anthropophagi； themselves ghosts of evil that dared not
face him in battle but that knew that； soon or late； they would feed on him。
Bassett remembered that at the time； in lucid moments； he had likened
himself to a wounded bull pursued by plains' coyotes too cowardly to
battle with him for the meat of him； yet certain of the inevitable end of
him when they would be full gorged。 As the bull's horns and stamping
hoofs kept off the coyotes； so his shot… gun kept off these Solomon
Islanders； these twilight shades of bushmen of the island of Guadalcanal。
Came the day of the grass lands。 Abruptly； as if cloven by the sword
of God in the hand of God； the jungle terminated。 The edge of it；
6
… Page 7…
THE RED ONE
perpendicular and as black as the infamy of it； was a hundred feet up and
down。 And； beginning at the edge of it； grew the grass … sweet； soft；
tender； pasture grass that would have delighted the eyes and beasts of any
husbandman and that extended； on and on； for leagues and leagues of
velvet verdure； to the backbone of the great island； the towering mountain
range flung up by some ancient earth…cataclysm； serrated and gullied but
not yet erased by the erosive tropic rains。 But the grass！ He had
crawled into it a dozen yards； buried his face in it； smelled it； and broken
down in a fit of involuntary weeping。
And； while he wept； the wonderful sound had pealed forth … if by
PEAL； he had often thought since； an adequate description could be given
of the enunciation of so vast a sound melting sweet。 Sweet it was； as no
sound ever heard。 Vast it was； of so mighty a resonance that it might
have proceeded from some brazen…throated monster。 And yet it called to
him across that leagues…wide savannah； and was like a benediction to his
long…suffering； pain racked spirit。
He remembered how he lay there in the grass； wet…cheeked but no
longer sobbing； listening to the sound and wondering that he had been able
to hear it on the beach of Ringmanu。 Some freak of air pressures and air
currents； he reflected； had made it possible for the sound to carry so far。
Such conditions might not happen again in a thousand days or ten
thousand days； but the one day it had happened had been the day he
landed from the NARI for several hours' collecting。 Especially had he
been in quest of the famed jungle butterfly； a foot across from wing…tip to
wing…tip； as velvet…dusky of lack of colour as was the gloom of the roof； of
such lofty arboreal habits that it resorted only to the jungle roof and could
be brought down only by a dose of shot。 It was for this purpose that
Sagawa had carried the ten…gauge shot…gun。
Two days and nights he had spent crawling across that belt of grass
land。 He had suffered much； but pursuit had ceased at the jungle… edge。
And he would have died of thirst had not a heavy thunderstorm revived
him on the second day。
And then had come Balatta。 In the first shade； where the savannah
yielded to the dense mountain jungle； he had collapsed to die。 At first
7
… Page 8…
THE RED ONE
she had squealed with delight at sight of his helplessness； and was for
beating his brain out with a stout forest branch。 Perhaps it was his very
utter helplessness that had appealed to her； and perhaps it was her human
curiosity that made her refrain。 At any rate； she had refrained； for he
opened his eyes again under the impending blow； and saw her studying
him intently。 What especially struck her about him were his blue eyes
and white skin。 Coolly she had squatted on her hams； spat on his arm； and
with her finger…tips scrubbed away the dirt of days and nights of muck and
jungle that sullied the pristine whiteness of his skin。
And everything about her had struck him especially； although there
was nothing conventional about her at all。 He laughed weakly at the
recollection； for she had been as innocent of garb as Eve before the fig…
leaf adventure。 Squat and lean at the same time； asymmetrically limbed；
string…muscled as if with lengths of cordage； dirt…caked from infancy save
for casual showers； she was as unbeautiful a prototype of woman as he；
with a scientist's eye； had ever gazed upon。 Her breasts advertised at the
one time her maturity and youth； and； if by nothing else； her sex was
advertised by the one article of finery with which she was adorned；
namely a pig's tail； thrust though a hole in her left ear…lobe。 So lately had
the tail been severed； that its raw end still oozed blood that dried upon her
shoulder like so much candle…droppings。 And her face！ A twisted and
wizened complex of apish features； perforated by upturned； sky…open；
Mongolian nostrils； by a mouth that sagged from a huge upper…lip and
faded precipitately into a retreating chin； by peering querulous eyes that
blinked as blink the eyes of denizens of monkey…cages。
Not even the water she brought him in a forest…leaf； and the ancient
and half…putrid chunk of roast pig； could redeem in the slightest the
grotesque hideousness of her。 When he had eaten weakly for a space； he
closed his eyes in order not to see her； although again and again she poked
them open to peer at the blue of them。 Then had come the sound。
Nearer； much nearer； he knew it to be； and he knew equally well； despite
the weary way he had come； that it was still many hours distant。 The
effect of it on her had been startling。 She cringed under it； with averted
face； moaning and chattering with fear。 But after it had lived its full life
8
… Page 9…
THE RED ONE
of an hour； he closed his eyes and fell asleep with Balatta brushing the
flies from him。
When he awoke it was night； and she was gone。 But he was aware of
renewed strength； and； by then too thoroughly inoculated by the mosquito
poison to suffer further inflammation； he closed his eyes and slept an
unbroken stretch till sun…up。 A little later Balatta had returned； bringing
with her a half…dozen women who； unbeautiful as they were； were patently
not so unbeautiful as she。 She evidenced by her conduct that she
considered him her find； her property； and the pride she took in showing
him off would have been ludicrous had his situation not been so desperate。
Later； after what had been to him a terrible journey of miles； when he
collapsed in front of the devil…devil house in the shadow of the breadfruit
tree； she had shown very lively ideas on the matter of retaining possession
of him。 Ngurn； whom Bassett was to know afterward as the devil…devil
doctor； priest； or medicine man of the village； had wanted his head。
Others of the grinning and chattering monkey…men； all as stark of clothes
and bestial of appearance as Balatta； had wanted his body for the roasting
oven。 At that time he had
