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Green Mansions-Part22_W.H.Hudson(1841-1922)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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and sense of direction.



With increasing anxiety I hastened on, when all at once a low

growl issuing from the bushes some yards ahead of me brought me



to a stop. In a moment the dogs, Susio and Goloso, rushed out

from some hiding place furiously barking; but they quickly



recognized me and slunk back again. Relieved from fear, I walked

on for a short distance; then it struck me that the old man must



be about somewhere, as the dogs scarcely ever stirred from his

side. Turning back, I went to the spot where they had appeared



to me; and there, after a while, I caught sight of a dim, yellow

form as one of the brutes rose up to look at me. He had been



lying on the ground by the side of a wide-spreading bush, dead

and dry, but overgrown by a creeping plant which had completely



covered its broad, flat top like a piece of tapestry thrown over

a table, its slenderterminal stems and leaves hanging over the



edge like a deep fringe. But the fringe did not reach to the

ground and under the bush. in its dark interior. I caught sight



of the other dog; and after gazing in for some time, I also

discovered a black, recumbent form, which I took to be Nuflo.



"What are you doing there, old man?" I cried. "Where is

Rima--have you not seen her? Come out."



Then he stirred himself, slowly creeping out on all fours; and

finally, getting free of the dead twigs and leaves, he stood up



and faced me. He had a strange, wild look, his white beard all

disordered, moss and dead leaves clinging to it, his eyes staring



like an owl's, while his mouth opened and shut, the teeth

striking together audibly, like an angry peccary's. After



silently glaring at me in this mad way for some moments, he burst

out: "Cursed be the day when I first saw you, man of Caracas!



Cursed be the serpent that bit you and had not sufficient power

in its venom to kill! Ha! you come from Ytaioa, where you



talked with Rima? And you have now returned to the tiger's den

to mock that dangerous animal with the loss of its whelp. Fool,



if you did not wish the dogs to feed on your flesh, it would have

been better if you had taken your evening walk in some other



direction."

These raging words did not have the effect of alarming me in the



least, nor even of astonishing me very much, albeit up till now

the old man tract always shown himself suave and respectful. His



attack did not seem quite spontaneous. In spite of the wildness

of his manner and the violence of his speech, he appeared to be



acting a part which he had rehearsed beforehand. I was only

angry, and stepping forward, I dealt him a very sharp rap with my



knuckles on his chest. "Moderate your language, old man," I

said; "remember that you are addressing a superior."



"What do you say to me?" he screamed in a shrill, broken voice,

accompanying his words with emphatic gestures. "Do you think you



are on the pavement of Caracas? Here are no police to protect

you--here we are alone in the desert where names and titles are



nothing, standing man to man."

"An old man to a young one," I returned. "And in virtue of my



youth I am your superior. Do you wish me to take you by the

throat and shake your insolence out of you?"



"What, do you threaten me with violence?" he exclaimed, throwing

himself into a hostile attitude. "You, the man I saved, and



sheltered, and fed, and treated like a son! Destroyer of my

peace, have you not injured me enough? You have stolen my



grandchild's heart from me; with a thousand inventions you have

driven her mad! My child, my angel, Rima, my saviour! With your



lying tongue you have changed her into a demon to persecute me!

And you are not satisfied, but must finish your evil work by



inflicting blows on my worn body! All, all is lost to me! Take

my life if you wish it, for now it is worth nothing and I desire



not to keep it!" And here he threw himself on his knees and,

tearing open his old, raggedmantle, presented his naked breast



to me. "Shoot! Shoot!" he screeched. "And if you have no

weapon take my knife and plunge it into this sad heart, and let



me die!" And drawing his knife from its sheath, he flung it down

at my feet.



All this performance only served to increase my anger and

contempt; but before I could make any reply I caught sight of a



shadowy object at some distance moving towards us--something grey




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