the red one-第2章

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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；　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　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　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　not　understood　their　language；　if　by　LANGUAGE

might　be　dignified　the　uncouth　sounds　they　made　to　represent　ideas。

But　Bassett　had　thoroughly　understood　the　matter　of　debate；

especially　when　the　men　pressed　and　prodded　and　felt　of　the　flesh

of　him　as　if　he　were　so　much　commodity　in　a　butcher's　stall。



Balatta　had　been　losing　the　debate　rapidly；　when　the　accident

happened。　　One　of　the　men；　curiously　examining　Bassett's　shot…gun；

managed　to　cock　and　pull　a　trigger。　　The　recoil　of　the　butt　into

the　pit　of　the　man's　stomach　had　not　been　the　most　sanguinary

result；　for　the　charge　of　shot；　at　a　distance　of　a　yard；　had　blown

the　head　of　one　of　the　debaters　into　nothingness。



Even　Balatta　joined　the　others　in　flight；　and；　ere　they　returned；

his　senses　already　reeling　from　the　oncoming　fever…attack；　Bassett

had　regained　possession　of　the　gun。　　Whereupon；　although　his　teeth

chattered　with　the　ague　and　his　swimming　eyes　could　scarcely　see；

he　held　on　to　his　fading　consciousness　until　he　could　intimidate

the　bushmen　with　the　simple　magics　of　compass；　watch；　burning

glass；　and　matches。　　At　the　last；　with　due　emphasis；　of　solemnity

and　awfulness；　he　had　killed　a　young　pig　with　his　shot…gun　and

promptly　fainted。



Bassett　flexed　his　arm…muscles　in　quest　of　what　possible　strength

might　reside　in　such　weakness；　and　dragged　himself　slowly　and

totteringly　to　his　feet。　　He　was　shockingly　emaciated；　yet；　during

the　various　convalescences　of　the　many　months　of　his　long　sickness；

he　had　never　regained　quite　the　same　degree　of　strength　as　this

time。　　What　he　feared　was　another　relapse　such　as　he　had　already

frequently　experienced。　　Without　drugs；　without　even　quinine；　he

had　managed　so　far　to　live　through　a　combination　of　the　most

pernicious　and　most　malignant　of　malarial　and　black…water　fevers。

But　could　he　continue　to　endure？　　Such　was　his　everlasting　query。

For；　like　the　genuine　scientist　he　was；　he　would　not　be　content　to

die　until　he　had　solved　the　secret　of　the　sound。



Supported　by　a　staff；　he　staggered　the　few　steps　to　the　devil…devil

house　where　death　and　Ngurn　reigned　in　gloom。　　Almost　as　infamously

dark　and　evil…stinking　as　the　jungle　was　the　devil…devil　house　…　in

Bassett's　opinion。　　Yet　therein　was　usually　to　be　found　his

favourite　crony　and　gossip；　Ngurn；　always　willing　for　a　yarn　or　a

discussion；　the　while　he　sat　in　the　ashes　of　death　and　in　a　slow

smoke　shrewdly　revolved　curing　human　heads　suspended　from　the

rafters。　　For；　through　the　months'　interval　of　consciousness　of　his

long　sickness；　Bassett　had　mastered　the　psychological　simplicities

and　lingual　difficulties　of　the　language　of　the　tribe　of　Ngurn　and

Balatta　and　Vngngn　…　the　latter　the　addle…headed　young　chief　who

was　ruled　by　Ngurn；　and　who；　whispered　intrigue　had　it；　was　the　son

of　Ngurn。



〃Will　the　Red　One　speak　to…day？〃　Bassett　asked；　by　this　time　so

accustomed　to　the　old　man's　gruesome　occupation　as　to　take　even　an

interest　in　the　progress　of　the　smoke…curing。



With　the　eye　of　an　expert　Ngurn　examined　the　particular　head　he　was

at　work　upon。



〃It　will　be　ten　days　before　I　can　say　'finish；'〃　he　said。　　〃Never

has　any　man　fixed　heads　like　these。〃



Bassett　smiled　inwardly　at　the　old　fellow's　reluctance　to　talk　with

him　of　the　Red　One。　　It　had　always　been　so。　　Never；　by　any　chance；

had　Ngurn　or　any　other　member　of　the　weird　tribe　divulged　the

slightest　hint　of　any　physical　characteristic　of　the　Red　One。

Physical　the　Red　One　must　be；　to　emit　the　wonderful　sound；　and

though　it　was　called　the　Red　One；　Bassett　could　not　be　sure　that

red　represented　the　colour　of　it。　　Red　enough　were　the　deeds　and

powers　of　it；　from　what　abstract　clues　he　had　gleaned。　　Not　alone；

had　Ngurn　informed　him；　was　the　Red　One　more　bestial　powerful　than

the　neighbour　tribal　gods；　ever　athirst　for