stories by english authors-orient (英国作家故事集)-第8章
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came out with his crown on his head； swinging his arms and stamping his
feet； and looking more pleased than Punch。
〃 'For the last time； drop it； Dan；' says I； in a whisper； 'Billy Fish here
says that there will be a row。'
〃 'A row among my people！' says Dravot。 'Not much。 Peachey； you're a
fool not to get a wife too。 Where's the girl？' says he； with a voice as loud
as the braying of a jackass。 'Call up all the Chiefs and priests； and let the
Emperor see if his wife suits him。'
〃There was no need to call any one。 They were all there leaning on
their guns and spears round the clearing in the centre of the pine wood。 A
lot of priests went down to the little temple to bring up the girl； and the
horns blew fit to wake the dead。 Billy Fish saunters round and gets as
close to Daniel as he could； and behind him stood his twenty men with
matchlocksnot a man of them under six feet。 I was next to Dravot； and
behind me was twenty men of the regular Army。 Up comes the girl； and a
strapping wench she was； covered with silver and turquoises； but white as
death； and looking back every minute at the priests。
〃 'She'll do；' said Dan； looking her over。 'What's to be afraid of； lass？
Come and kiss me。' He puts his arm round her。 She shuts her eyes； gives a
bit of a squeak； and down goes her face in the side of Dan's flaming…red
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beard。
〃 'The slut's bitten me！' says he； clapping his hand to his neck； and；
sure enough； his hand was red with blood。 Billy Fish and two of his
matchlock men catches hold of Dan by the shoulders and drags him into
the Bashkai lot； while the priests howls in their lingo； 'Neither God nor
Devil； but a man！' I was all taken aback； for a priest cut at me in front； and
the Army behind began firing into the Bashkai men。
〃 'God A'mighty！' says Dan； 'what is the meaning o' this？'
〃 'Come back！ Come away！' says Billy Fish。 'Ruin and Mutiny is the
matter。 We'll break for Bashkai if we can。'
〃I tried to give some sort of orders to my men；the men o' the regular
Army；but it was no use； so I fired into the brown of 'em with an English
Martini and drilled three beggars in a line。 The valley was full of shouting；
howling creatures； and every soul was shrieking； 'Not a God nor a Devil；
but only a man！' The Bashkai troops stuck to Billy Fish all they were
worth； but their matchlocks wasn't half as good as the Kabul breech…
loaders； and four of them dropped。 Dan was bellowing like a bull； for he
was very wrathy； and Billy Fish had a hard job to prevent him running out
at the crowd。
〃 'We can't stand；' says Billy Fish。 'Make a run for it down the valley！
The whole place is against us。' The matchlock…men ran； and we went down
the valley in spite of Dravot。 He was swearing horrible and crying out that
he was a King。 The priests rolled great stones on us； and the regular Army
fired hard； and there wasn't more than six men； not counting Dan； Billy
Fish； and Me； that came down to the bottom of the valley alive。
〃Then they stopped firing； and the horns in the temple blew again。
'Come awayfor Gord's sake come away！' says Billy Fish。 'They'll send
runners out to all the villages before ever we get to Bashkai。 I can protect
you there； but I can't do anything now。〃
〃My own notion is that Dan began to go mad in his head from that
hour。 He stared up and down like a stuck pig。 Then he was all for walking
back alone and killing the priests with his bare hands； which he could have
done。 'An Emperor am I；' says Daniel； 'and next year I shall be a Knight of
the Queen。'
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〃 'All right； Dan；' says I； 'but come along now while there's time。'
〃 'It's your fault；' says he； 'for not looking after your Army better。 There
was mutiny in the midst； and you didn't knowyou damned engine…
driving； plate…laying； missionary's…pass…hunting hound！' He sat upon a
rock and called me every foul name he could lay tongue to。 I was too
heart…sick to care； though it was all his foolishness that brought the smash。
〃 'I'm sorry； Dan；' says I； 'but there's no accounting for natives。 This
business is our Fifty…seven。 Maybe we'll make something out of it yet；
when we've got to Bashkai。'
〃 'Let's get to Bashkai； then；' says Dan； 'and； by God； when I come
back here again I'll sweep the valley so there isn't a bug in a blanket left！'
〃We walked all that day； and all that night Dan was stumping up and
down on the snow； chewing his beard and muttering to himself。
〃 'There's no hope o' getting clear；' said Billy Fish。 'The priests have
sent runners to the villages to say that you are only men。 Why didn't you
stick on as Gods till things was more settled？ I'm a dead man；' says Billy
Fish； and he throws himself down on the snow and begins to pray to his
Gods。
〃Next morning we was in a cruel bad countryall up and down； no
level ground at all； and no food； either。 The six Bashkai men looked at
Billy Fish hungry…way as if they wanted to ask something； but they never
said a word。 At noon we came to the top of a flat mountain all covered
with snow； and when we climbed up into it； behold； there was an Army in
position waiting in the middle！
〃 'The runners have been very quick；' says Billy Fish； with a little bit
of a laugh。 'They are waiting for us。'
〃Three or four men began to fire from the enemy's side； and a chance
shot took Daniel in the calf of the leg。 That brought him to his senses。 He
looks across the snow at the Army； and sees the rifles that we had brought
into the country。
〃 'We're done for；' says he。 'They are Englishmen； these people；and
it's my blasted nonsense that has brought you to this。 Get back； Billy Fish；
and take your men away； you've done what you could； and now cut for it。
Carnehan；' says he； 'shake hands with me and go along with Billy； Maybe
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they won't kill you。 I'll go and meet 'em alone。 It's me that did it！ Me； the
King！'
〃 'Go！' says I。 'Go to Hell； Dan！ I'm with you here。 Billy Fish； you
clear out； and we two will meet those folk。'
〃 'I'm a Chief；' says Billy Fish； quite quiet。 'I stay with you。 My men
can go。'
〃The Bashkai fellows didn't wait for a second word； but ran off； and
Dan and Me and Billy Fish walked across to where the drums were
drumming and the horns were horning。 It was coldawful cold。 I've got
that cold in the back of my head now。 There's a lump of it there。〃
The punka…coolies had gone to sleep。 Two kerosene lamps were
blazing in the office； and the perspiration poured down my face and
splashed on the blotter as I leaned forward。 Carnehan was shivering； and I
feared that his mind might go。 I wiped my face； took a fresh grip of the
piteously mangled hands； and said； 〃What happened after that？〃
The momentary shift of my eyes had broken the clear current。
〃What was you pleased to say？〃 whined Carnehan。 〃They took them
without any sound。 Not a little whisper all along the snow； not though the
King knocked down the first man that set hand on himnot though old
Peachey fired his last cartridge into the brown of 'em。 Not a single solitary
sound did those swines make。 They just closed up tight； and I tell you their
furs stunk。 There was a man called Billy Fish； a good friend of us all； and
they cut his throat； Sir； then and there； like a pig； and the King kicks up the
bloody snow and says； 'We've had a dashed fine run for our money。 What's
coming next？' But Peachey； Peachey Taliaferro； I tell you； Sir； in
confidence as betwixt two friends； he lost his head； Sir。 No； he didn't；
neither。 The King lost his head； so he did； all along o' one of those cunning
rope bridges。 Kindly let me have the paper…cutter； Sir。 It tilted this way。
They marched him a mile across that snow to a rope bridge over a ravine
with a river at the bottom。 You may have seen such。 They prodded him
behind like an ox。 'Damn your eyes！' says the King。 'D' you suppose I can't
die like a gentleman？' He turns to Peachey Peachey that was crying like
a child。 'I've brought you to this； Peachey；' says he。 'Brought you out of
your happy life to be killed in Kafiristan； where you was late Commander…
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in…Chief of the Emperor's forces。 Say you forgive me； Peachey。' 'I do；' says
Peachey。 'Fully and freely do I forgive you； Dan。' 'Shake hands； Peachey；'
says he。 'I'm going now。' Out he goes； looking neither right nor left； and
when he was plumb in the middle of those dizzy dancing ropes； 'Cut you
beggars；' he shouts； and they cut； and old Dan fell； turning round and
round and round； twenty thousand miles； for he took half an hour to fall
till he struck the water； and I could see his body caught on a rock with the
gold crown close beside。
〃But do you know what they did to Peachey between two pine…trees？
They crucified him； Sir； as Peachey's hand will show。 They used wooden
pegs for his hands and feet； but he didn't die。 He hung there and screamed；
and they took him down next day； and said it was a miracle that he wasn't
dead。 They took him downpoor old Peachey that hadn't done them any
harmthat hadn't done them any〃
He rocked to and fro and wept bitterly； wiping his eyes with the back
of his scarred hands and moaning like a child for some ten minutes。
〃They was cruel enough to feed him up in the temple； because they
said he was more of a God than old Daniel that was a man。 Then they
turned him out on the snow； and told him to go home； and Peachey came
home in about a year； begging along the roads quite safe； for Daniel
