rambling idle excursion-第10章

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painfully　turned　himself　in　his　bed　until　he　faced　the　other　warrior；
raised　himself　partly　on　his　elbow；　and　began　to　work　up　a　mysterious
expression　of　some　kind　in　his　face。　　Gradually；　irksomely；　but　surely
and　steadily；　it　developed；　and　at　last　it　took　definite　form　as　a　pretty
successful　wink。　　The　sufferer　fell　back　exhausted　with　his　labor；　but
bathed　in　glory。　　Now　entered　a　personal　friend　of　No。　2；　the　despoiled
soldier。　　No。　2　pleaded　with　him　with　eloquent　eyes；　till　presently　he
understood；　and　removed　the　coffin　from　under　No。　1's　bed　and　put　it
under　No。　2's。　　No。　2　indicated　his　joy；　and　made　some　more　signs；　the
friend　understood　again；　and　put　his　arm　under　No。　2's　shoulders　and
lifted　him　partly　up。　　Then　the　dying　hero　turned　the　dim　exultation　of
his　eye　upon　No。　1；　and　began　a　slow　and　labored　work　with　his　hands；
gradually　he　lifted　one　hand　up　toward　his　face；　it　grew　weak　and　dropped
back　again；　once　more　he　made　the　effort；　but　failed　again。　　He　took　a
rest；　he　gathered　all　the　remnant　of　his　strength；　and　this　time　he
slowly　but　surely　carried　his　thumb　to　the　side　of　his　nose；　spread　the
gaunt　fingers　wide　in　triumph；　and　dropped　back　dead。　　That　picture
sticks　by　me　yet。　　The　〃situation〃　is　unique。

The　next　morning；　at　what　seemed　a　very　early　hour；　the　little　white
table…waiter　appeared　suddenly　in　my　room　and　shot　a　single　word　out　of
himself　〃Breakfast！〃

This　was　a　remarkable　boy　in　many　ways。　　He　was　about　eleven　years　old；
he　had　alert；　intent　black　eyes；　he　was　quick　of　movement；　there　was　no
hesitation；　no　uncertainty　about　him　anywhere；　there　was　a　military
decision　in　his　lip；　his　manner；　his　speech；　that　was　an　astonishing
thing　to　see　in　a　little　chap　like　him；　he　wasted　no　words；　his　answers
always　came　so　quick　and　brief　that　they　seemed　to　be　part　of　the
question　that　had　been　asked　instead　of　a　reply　to　it。　　When　he　stood　at
table　with　his　fly…brush；　rigid；　erect；　his　face　set　in　a　cast…iron
gravity；　he　was　a　statue　till　he　detected　a　dawning　want　in　somebody's
eye；　then　he　pounced　down；　supplied　it；　and　was　instantly　a　statue　again。
When　he　was　sent　to　the　kitchen　for　anything；　he　marched　upright　till　he
got　to　the　door；　he　turned　hand…springs　the　rest　of　the　way。

〃Breakfast！〃

I　thought　I　would　make　one　more　effort　to　get　some　conversation　out　of
this　being。

〃Have　you　called　the　Reverend；　or　are〃

〃Yes　s'r！〃

〃Is　it　early；　or　is〃

〃Eight…five。〃

〃Do　you　have　to　do　all　the　'chores；'　or　is　there　somebody　to　give
you　a〃

〃Colored　girl。〃

〃Is　there　only　one　parish　in　this　island；　or　are　there〃

〃Eight！〃

〃Is　the　big　church　on　the　hill　a　parish　church；　or　is　it〃

〃Chapel…of…ease！〃

〃Is　taxation　here　classified　into　poll；　parish；　town；　and〃

〃Don't　know！〃

Before　I　could　cudgel　another　question　out　of　my　head；　he　was　below；
hand…springing　across　the　back　yard。　　He　had　slid　down　the　balusters；
headfirst。　　I　gave　up　trying　to　provoke　a　discussion　with　him。　　The
essential　element　of　discussion　had　been　left　out　of　him；　his　answers
were　so　final　and　exact　that　they　did　not　leave　a　doubt　to　hang
conversation　on。　　I　suspect　that　there　is　the　making　of　a　mighty　man　or　a
mighty　rascal　in　this　boyaccording　to　circumstancesbut　they　are　going
to　apprentice　him　to　a　carpenter。　　It　is　the　way　the　world　uses　its
opportunities。

During　this　day　and　the　next　we　took　carriage　drives　about　the　island　and
over　to　the　town　of　St。　George's；　fifteen　or　twenty　miles　away。　　Such
hard；　excellent　roads　to　drive　over　are　not　to　be　found　elsewhere　out　of
Europe。　　An　intelligent　young　colored　man　drove　us；　and　acted　as　guide…
book。　　In　the　edge　of　the　town　we　saw　five　or　six　mountain…cabbage　palms
（atrocious　name！）　standing　in　a　straight　row；　and　equidistant　from　each
other。　　These　were　not　the　largest　or　the　tallest　trees　I　have　ever　seen；
but　they　were　the　stateliest；　the　most　majestic。　　That　row　of　them　must
be　the　nearest　that　nature　has　ever　come　to　counterfeiting　a　colonnade。
These　trees　are　all　the　same　height；　say　sixty　feet；　the　trunks　as　gray
as　granite；　with　a　very　gradual　and　perfect　taper；　without　sign　of　branch
or　knot　or　flaw；　the　surface　not　looking　like　bark；　but　like　granite　that
has　been　dressed　and　not　polished。　　Thus　all　the　way　up　the　diminishing
shaft　for　fifty　feet；　then　it　begins　to　take　the　appearance　of　being
closely　wrapped；　spool…fashion；　with　gray　cord；　or　of　having　been　turned
in　a　lathe。　　Above　this　point　there　is　an　outward　swell；　and　thence
upward　for　six　feet　or　more　the　cylinder　is　a　bright；　fresh　green；　and　is
formed　of　wrappings　like　those　of　an　ear　of　green　Indian　corn。　　Then
comes　the　great；　spraying　palm　plume；　also　green。　　Other　palm　trees
always　lean　out　of　the　perpendicular；　or　have　a　curve　in　them。　　But　the
plumb…line　could　not　detect　a　deflection　in　any　individual　of　this
stately　row；　they　stand　as　straight　as　the　colonnade　of　Baalbec；　they
have　its　great　height；　they　have　its　gracefulness；　they　have　its　dignity；
in　moonlight　or　twilight；　and　shorn　of　their　plumes；　they　would　duplicate
it。

The　birds　we　came　across　in　the　country　were　singularly　tame；　even　that
wild　creature；　the　quail；　would　pick　around　in　the　grass　at　ease　while　we
inspected　it　and　talked　about　it　at　leisure。　　A　small　bird　of　the　canary
species　had　to　be　stirred　up　with　the　butt…end　of　the　whip　before　it
would　move；　and　then　it　moved　only　a　couple　of　feet。　　It　is　said　that
even　the　suspicious　flea　is　tame　and　sociable　in　Bermuda；　and　will　allow
himself　to　be　caught　and　caressed　without　misgivings。　　This　should　be
taken　with　allowance；　for　doubtless　there　is　more　or　less　brag　about　it。
In　San　Francisco　they　used　to　claim　that　their　native　flea　could　kick　a
child　over；　as　if　it　were　a　merit　in　a　flea　to　be　able　to　do　that；　as　if
the　knowledge　of　it　trumpeted　abroad　ought　to　entice　immigration。　　Such　a
thing　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　would　be　almost　sure　to　deter　a　thinking
man　from　coming。

We　saw　no　bugs　or　reptiles　to　speak　of；　and　so　I　was　thinking　of　saying
in　print；　in　a　general　way；　that　there　were　none　at　all；　but　one　night
after　I　had　gone　to　bed；　the　Reverend　came　into　my　room　carrying
something；　and　asked；　〃Is　this　your　boot？〃　　I　said　it　was；　and　he　said　he
had　met　a　spider　going　off　with　it。　　Next　morning　he　stated　that　just　at
dawn　the　same　spider　raised　his　window　and　was　coming　in　to　get　a　shirt；
but　saw　him　and　fled。

I　inquired；　〃Did　he　get　the　shirt？〃

〃No。〃

〃How　did　you　know　it　was　a　shirt　he　was　after？〃

〃I　could　see　it　in　his　eye。〃

We　inquired　around；　but　could　hear　of　no　Bermudian　spider　capable　of
doing　these　things。　　Citizens　said　that　their　largest　spiders　could　not
more　than　spread　their　legs　over　an　ordinary　saucer；　and　that　they　had
always　been　considered　honest。　　Here　was　testimony　of　a　clergyman　against
the　testimony　of　mere　worldlingsinterested　ones；　too。　　On　the　whole；　I
judged　it　best　to　lock　up　my　things。

Here　and　there　on　the　country　roads　we　found　lemon；　papaw；　orange；　lime；
and　fig　trees；　also　several　sorts　of　palms；　among　them　the　cocoa；　the
date；　and　the　palmetto。　　We　saw　some　bamboos　forty　feet　high；　with　stems
as　thick　as　a　man's　arm。　　Jungles　of　the　mangrove　tree　stood　up　out　of
swamps；　propped　on　their　interlacing　roots　as　upon　a　tangle　of　stilts。
In　drier　places　the　noble　tamarind　sent　down　its　grateful　cloud　of　shade。
Here　and　there　the　blossomy　tamarisk　adorned　the　roadside。　　There　was　a
curious　gnarled　and　twisted　black　tree；　without　a　single　leaf　on；　it。
It　might　have　passed　itself　off　for　a　dead　apple　tree　but　for　the　fact
that　it　had　a　a　star…like；　red…hot　flower　sprinkled　sparsely　over　its
person。　　It　had　the　scattery　red　glow　that　a　constellation　might　have
when　glimpsed　through　smoked　glass；　It　is　possible　that　our
constellations　have　been　so　constructed　as　to　be　invisible　through　smoked
glass；　if　this　is　so　it　is　a　great　mistake。

We　saw　a　tree　that　bears　grapes；　and　just　as　calmly　and　unostentatiously
as　a　vine　would　do　it。　　We　saw　an　India…rubber　tree；　but　out　of　season；
possibly；　so　there　were　no　shoes　on　it；　nor　suspenders；　nor　anything　that
a　person　would　properly　expect　to　find　there。　　This　g