the mirror of kong ho-第22章

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locusts。　From　this　mortifying　position　he　was　happily　saved　by



emerging　from　these　thought…dreams　before　it　was　too　late　to　return；



and；　also；　if　the　detail　is　not　too　insignificant　to　be　related；　by



the　fact　that　certain　chosen　runners　from　his　own　company　had　reached



a　point　in　the　road　before　him；　and　now　stood　joining　their



outstretched　arms　across　the　passage　and　raising　gravity…dispelling



cries。　Smiling　acquiescently；　therefore；　this　person　returned　in　their



midst；　and　receiving　a　new　weapon；　his　own　club　having　been



absent…mindedly　mislaid；　he　again　set　forth　warily　to　the　encounter。







Yet　in　this　he　did　not　altogether　neglect　a　discreet　prudence。　The



sympathetic　person　to　whom　he　was　indebted　for　the　pointed　allusion



had　specifically　declared　that　they　who　used　their　feet　with　the



desperate　savagery　of　baffled　spectres　guarded　the　nearer　limits　of



their　position；　the　intention　of　his　timely　hint　assuredly　being　that



I　should　seek　to　approach　from　the　opposite　end；　where；　doubtless；　the



more　humane　and　conciliatory　grass…hoppers　were　assembled。　Thus　guided



I　now　set　forth　in　a　widely…circuitous　direction；　having　the　point



where　I　meant　to　open　an　attack　clearly　before　my　eyes；　yet　seeking　to



deliver　a　more　effective　onslaught　by　reaching　it　to　some　extent



unperceived　and　to　this　end　creeping　forward　in　the　protecting　shadow



of　the　long　grass　and　untrimmed　herbage。







Whether　the　one　already　referred　to　had　incapably　failed　to　express



his　real　meaning；　or　whether　he　was　tremulous　by　nature　and



inordinately　self…deficient；　concerns　the　narration　less　than　the　fact



that　he　had　admittedly　produced　a　state　of　things　largely　in　excess　of



the　actual。　There　is　no　longer　any　serviceable　pretext　for　maintaining



that　those　guarding　any　point　of　their　position　were　other　than　mild



and　benevolent；　while　the　only　edged　weapon　displayed　was　one



courteously　produced　to　aid　this　person's　ineffectual　struggles　to



extricate　himself　when；　by　some　obscure　movement；　he　had　most　ignobly



entangled　his　pigtail　about　the　claws　of　his　sandal。







Ignorant　of　this；　the　true　state　of　things；　I　was　still　advancing



subtly　when　one　wearing　the　emblems　of　our　band　appeared　from　among



the　brown　insects　and　came　towards　me。　〃Courage！〃　I　exclaimed　in　a



guarded　tone；　raising　my　head　cautiously　and　rejoiced　to　find　that　I



should　not　be　alone。　〃Here　is　one　clad　in　green　bearing　succour；　who



will；　moreover；　obstinately　defend　his　stumps　to　the　last　extremity。〃







〃That's　right；〃　replied　the　opportune　person　agreeably；　〃we　need　a　few



like　that。　But　do　get　up　on　your　hind　legs　and　come　along；　there's　a



good　fellow。　You　can　play　at　bears　in　the　nursery　when　we　get　back；　if



you　want。〃







Certainly　one　can　simulate　the　movements　of　wild　animals　in　a



market…garden　if　the　impersonation　is　thought　to　be　desirable；　yet　the



reasonable　analogy　of　the　saying　is　elusive　in　the　extreme；　and　I



followed　the　ally　who　had　thus　betrayed　my　presence　with　a　deep…set



misgiving　although　in　the　absence　of　a　more　trustworthy　guide；　and　in



the　suspicion　that　some　point　of　my　every　ordinary　strategy　had　been



inept；　I　was　compelled　to　mould　myself　identically　into　his　advice。







Scarcely　had　he　left　me；　and　I　was　endeavouring　to　dispel　any　idea　of



treachery　towards　those　about　by　actions　of　graceful　courtesy；　when



oneunworthy　of　burialstanding　a　score　of　paces　distant；　（to　whom；



indeed；　this　person　was　at　the　moment　bowing　with　almost　passionate



vehemence；　inspired　by　the　conviction　that　he；　for　his　part；　was



engaged　in　a　like　attention；）　suddenly　cast　a　missilewhich；　somewhat



double…facedly；　he　had　hitherto　held　concealed　in　his　closed



handwith　undeviating　force　and　accuracy。　So　unexpected　was　the



movement；　so　painfully…impressed　the　vindictive　contact；　that　I　should



have　instinctively　seized　the　offensively…directed　object　and



contemptuously　hurled　it　back　again；　if　the　consequence　of　the　blow



had　not　deprived　my　mind　of　all　retaliatory　ambitions。　In　this



emergency　was　manifested　a　magnanimous　act　worthy　of　the　incense　of　a



poem；　for　a　person　standing　immediately　by；　seeing　how　this　one　was



balanced　in　his　emotions；　picked　up　the　missile；　and　although　one　of



the　foremost　of　the　opposing　band；　very　obligingly　flung　it　back　at



the　assailant。　Even　an　outcast　would　not　have　passed　this　without　a



suitable　tribute；　and　turning　to　him；　I　was　remarking　appreciatively



that　men　were　not　divided　by　seas　and　wooden　barriers；　but　by　the



unchecked　and　conflicting　lusts　of　the　mind；　when　the　unclean　and



weed…nurtured　traitor　twenty　paces　distant；　taking　a　degraded



advantage　from　this　person's　attitude；　again　propelled　his　weapon　with



an　even　more　concentrated　perfidy　than　before。　At　this　new　outrage



every　brown　cricket　shrank　from　the　attitude　of　alert　vigour　which



hitherto　he　had　maintained；　and　as　though　to　disassociate　themselves



from　the　stain　of　complicity　all　crossed　over　and　took　up　new



positions。







Up　to　this　point；　majestic　head；　in　order　to　represent　the　adventure



in　its　proper　sequence；　it　has　been　advisable　to　present　the　details



as　they　arose　before　the　eyes　of　a　reliable　and　dispassionate　gazer。



Now；　however；　it　is　no　less　seemly　to　declare　that　this　barbarian



sport　of　leaping　insects　is　not　so　discreditably　shallow　as　it　had　at



first　appeared；　while　in　every　action　there　may　be　found　an　apt　but



hidden　symbol。　Thus　the　presence　of　the　two　green　locusts　in　the　midst



of　others　of　a　dissimilar　nature　represents　the　unending　strife　by



which　even　the　most　pacific　are　ever　surrounded。　The　fragile　erection



of　sticks　（behind　which　this　person　at　first　sought　to　defend　himself



until　led　into　a　more　exposed　position　by　one　garbed　in　white；）　may　be



regarded　as　the　home　and　altar；　and　adequately　depicts　the　hollowness



of　the　protection　it　affords　and　the　necessity　of　reliantly　emerging



to　defy　an　invader　rather　than　lurking　discreditably　among　its



recesses。　The　missile　is　the　equivalent　of　a　precise　and　immediate



danger；　the　wooden　club　the　natural　instinct　for　defence　with　which



all　living　creatures　are　endowed；　so　that　when　the　peril　is　for　the



time　driven　away　the　opportunity　is　at　hand　for　the　display　of



virtuous　amusements；　the　exchanging　of　hospitality；　and　the　beating　of



professional　drums　as　we　would　say。　Thus；　at　the　next　attack　the　one



sharing　the　enterprise　with　me　struck　the　missile　so　proficiently　that



its　recovery　engaged　the　attention　of　all　our　adversaries；　and　then



began　to　exhibit　his　powers　by　running　and　leaping　towards　me。



Recognising　that　the　actual　moment　of　the　display　had　arrived；　this



person　at　once　emitted　a　penetrating　cry　of　concentrated　challenge；



and　also　began　to　leap　upwards　and　about；　and　with　so　much　energy　that



the　highly　achieved　limits　of　his　flight　surprised　even　himself。







As　for　the　bystanders；　esteemed；　those　who　opposed　us；　and　the　members



of　our　own　band；　although　this　leaping　sportiveness　is　a　competition



more　regarded　and　practised　among　all　orders　than　the　pursuit　of



commercial　eminence；　or　even　than　the　allurements　of　the　sublimest



Classics；　it　may　be　truly　imagined　that　never　before　had　they



witnessed　so　remarkable　a　game　cricket。　From　the　pagoda　a　loud　cry　of



wonder　acclaimed　the　dexterity　of　this　person's　efforts；　the　three



tiers　of　maidens　climbed　one　upon　another　in　their　anxiety　to　lose　no



detail　of　the　adventure；　and　outstanders　from　distant　points　began　to



assemble。　The　brown　enemy　at　once　abandoned　themselves　to　a　panic；　and



for　the　most　part　cast　themselves　incapably　to　the　ground；　rolling



from　side　to　side　in　an　access　of　emotion；　the　two　arbiters　clad　in



white　conferred　together；　doubtless　on　the　uselessness　of　further



contest；　while　the　ally　who　had　summoned　me　to　take　a　part　instead　of



being　encouraged　to　display　his　agility　in　a　like　manner　continued　to



run　slavishly　from　point　to　point；　while　I　overcame　the　distances　in　a



series　of　inspired　bounds。







In　the　meanwhile　the　sounds　of　encouragement　from　the　ever…increasing



multitude　grew　like　the　falling　of　a　sudden　coast　storm　among　the　ripe



leaves　of　a　tea…plantation；　and　with　them　the　voices　of　many　calling



upon　my　name　and　inciting　me　to　further　and　even　higher　achievements



reached　my　ears。　Not　to　grow　small　in　the　eyes　of　these　estimable



persons　I　continued　in　my　flight；　and　abandoning　all　set　movements　and



limits；　I　began　to　traverse　the　field　in　every　direction；　becoming



more　proficient　with　each　effort；　imparting　to　myself　a　sideway　and



even　backward　motion　while　yet　in　the　upper　spaces；　remaining　poised



for　an　appreciable　period；　and　lightly；　yet　with　graceful　ease；



avoiding　the　embraces　of　those　who　would　have　detained　me。　Undoubtedly



I　could　have　maintained　this　supremacy　until　our　band　might　justly



have　claimed　the　reward；　had　not　the　flattering　cries　of　approval



caused　an　indiscreet　mistake；　for　the　alarm　being　spread　in　the



village　that　a　conflagration　of　imposing　ferocity　was　raging；　an



ornamental　chariot　conveying　a　band　of　warriors　clad　in　brass　armour



presently　entered　into　the　strife；　and　discovering　no　fire　to　occupy



their　charitable　energies　they　misguidedly　honoured　this　offensive



person　by　propelling　a　solid　column　of　the　purest　and　most　refreshing



water　against　his　ignoble　body　when　at　the　point　of　his　highest



flight。　This　introduction　of　a　thunderbolt　into　the　everyday　life　of



an　insect　must　be　of　questionable　authenticity；　yet　not　feeling



sufficiently　instructed　in　the　lesser　details　of　the　sportiveness　to



challenge　the　device；　I　suffered　myself　to　be　led　towards　the　pavilion



with　no　more　struggling　than　enough　to　remove　the　ignominy　of　an



unresisting　surrender；　pleasantly　remarking　to　those　who　bore　me　along



that　to　a　person　of　philosophical　poise　the　written　destiny　was　as



apparent　in　the　falling　leaf　as　in　the　rising　sun；　pointing　the　saying



thus：　〃Although　the　Desert　of　Shan…tz　is　boundless；　and　mankind　number



a　million　million；　yet　in　it　Li…hing　encountered　his　mother…in…law。〃



Changing　to　meet　another　of　our　company　setting　forth　with　a　club　to



make　the　venture；　I　was　permitted　for　a　moment　to　engage　him；



whereupon　thrusting　into　his　hand　a　leather　charm　against　ill…directed



efforts；　and　instructing　him　to　bind　it　about　his　head；　I　encouraged



him　with　the　imperishable　watch…