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Green Mansions-Part9_W.H.Hudson(1841-1922)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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leaf. Now began a series of wonderful manoeuvres on the spider's



part, with the object of circumventing the imaginary fly, which

seemed specially designed to meet this special case; for



certainly no insect had ever before behaved in quite so erratic a

manner. Each time the shadow flew past, the spider ran swiftly



in the same direction, hiding itself under the leaves, always

trying to get near without alarming its prey; and then the shadow



would go round and round in a small circle, and some new

strategic move on the part of the hunter would be called forth.



I became deeply interested in this curious scene; I began to wish

that the shadow would remain quiet for a moment or two, so as to



give the hunter a chance. And at last I had my wish: the shadow

was almost motionless, and the spider moving towards it, yet



seeming not to move, and as it crept closer I fancied that I

could almost see the little striped body quivering with



excitement. Then came the final scene: swift and straight as an

arrow the hunter shot himself on to the fly-like shadow, then



wiggled round and round, evidentlytrying to take hold of his

prey with fangs and claws; and finding nothing under him, he



raised the fore part of his body vertically, as if to stare about

him in search of the delusive fly; but the action may have simply



expressed astonishment. At this moment I was just on the point

of giving free and loud vent to the laughter which I had been



holding in when, just behind me, as if from some person who had

been watching the scene over my shoulder and was as much amused



as myself at its termination, sounded a clear trill of merry

laughter. I started up and looked hastily around, but no living



creature was there. The mass of loose foliage I stared into was

agitated, as if from a body having just pushed through it. In a



moment the leaves and fronds were motionless again; still, I

could not be sure that a slight gust of wind had not shaken them.



But I was so convinced that I had heard close to me a real human

laugh, or sound of some living creature that exactly simulated a



laugh, that I carefully searched the ground about me, expecting

to find a being of some kind. But I found nothing, and going



back to my seat on the hanging branch, I remained seated for a

considerable time, at first only listening, then pondering on the



mystery of that sweet trill of laughter; and finally I began to

wonder whether I, like the spider that chased the shadow, had



been deluded, and had seemed to hear a sound that was not a

sound.



On the following day I was in the wood again, and after a two or

three hours' ramble, during which I heard nothing, thinking it



useless to haunt the known spots any longer, I turned southwards

and penetrated into a denser part of the forest, where the



undergrowth made progress difficult. I was not afraid of losing

myself; the sun above and my sense of direction, which was always



good, would enable me to return to the starting-point.

In this direction I had been pushing resolutely on for over half



an hour, finding it no easy matter to make my way without

constantly deviating to this side or that from the course I



wished to keep, when I came to a much more open spot. The trees

were smaller and scantier here, owing to the rocky nature of the



ground, which sloped rather rapidly down; but it was moist and

overgrown with mosses, ferns, creepers, and low shrubs, all of



the liveliest green. I could not see many yards ahead owing to

the bushes and tall fern fronds; but presently I began to hear a



low, continuous sound, which, when I had advanced twenty or

thirty yards further, I made out to be the gurgling of running



water; and at the same moment I made the discovery that my throat

was parched and my palms tingling with heat. I hurried on,



promising myself a cool draught, when all at once, above the soft

dashing and gurgling of the water, I caught yet another sound--a



low, warbling note, or succession of notes, which might have been

emitted by a bird. But it startled me nevertheless--bird-like



warbling sounds had come to mean so much to me--and pausing, I

listened intently. It was not repeated, and finally, treading






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