the red one(红色的那人)-第7章
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passing world； beholding for the last time the breadfruit tree before the
devil… devil house； the dim day beneath the matted jungle roof； the gloomy
gorge between the shouldering mountains； the saddle of raw limestone；
and the mesa of black volcanic sand。
Down the spiral path of the pit they bore him； encircling the sheening；
glowing Red One that seemed ever imminent to iridesce from colour and
light into sweet singing and thunder。 And over bones and logs of
immolated men and gods they bore him； past the horrors of other
immolated ones that yet lived； to the three…king… post tripod and the huge
king…post striker。
Here Bassett； helped by Ngurn and Balatta； weakly sat up； swaying
weakly from the hips； and with clear； unfaltering； all…seeing eyes gazed
upon the Red One。
〃Once； O Ngurn；〃 he said； not taking his eyes from the sheening；
vibrating surface whereon and wherein all the shades of cherry…red played
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THE RED ONE
unceasingly； ever a…quiver to change into sound； to become silken
rustlings； silvery whisperings； golden thrummings of cords； velvet pipings
of elfland； mellow distances of thunderings。
〃I wait；〃 Ngurn prompted after a long pause； the long…handled
tomahawk unassumingly ready in his hand。
〃Once； O Ngurn；〃 Bassett repeated； 〃let the Red One speak so that I
may see it speak as well as hear it。 Then strike； thus； when I raise my
hand； for； when I raise my hand； I shall drop my head forward and make
place for the stroke at the base of my neck。 But； O Ngurn； I； who am
about to pass out of the light of day for ever； would like to pass with the
wonder…voice of the Red One singing greatly in my ears。〃
〃And I promise you that never will a head be so well cured as yours；〃
Ngurn assured him； at the same time signalling the tribesmen to man the
propelling ropes suspended from the king…post striker。 〃Your head shall
be my greatest piece of work in the 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。
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THE RED ONE
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。
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THE RED ONE
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。
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〃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
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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
