wild wales-第95部分

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Would　swallow　earth　and　ocean　all。'


Hey？〃

〃Really；　sir；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃I　don't　know　how　to　reply　to　
you；　for　the　greater　part　of　your　discourse　is　utterly　
unintelligible　to　me。　　Perhaps　you　are　a　better　Welshman　than　
myself；　but　however　that　may　be；　I　shall　take　the　liberty　of　
retiring　in　order　to　give　orders　about　your　supper。〃

In　about　half…an…hour　the　supper　made　its　appearance　in　the　shape　
of　some　bacon　and　eggs。　　On　tasting　them　I　found　them　very　good；　
and　calling　for　some　ale　I　made　a　very　tolerable　supper。　　After　the　
things　had　been　removed　I　drew　near　to　the　fire；　but　as　it　still　
smoked；　I　soon　betook　myself　to　the　kitchen。　　My　guide　had　taken　
his　departure；　but　the　others　whom　I　had　left　were　still　there。　　
The　landlord　was　talking　in　Welsh　to　a　man　in　a　rough　great…coat；　
about　sheep。　　Setting　himself　down　near　the　fire　I　called　for　a　
glass　of　whiskey　and　water；　and　then　observing　that　the　landlord　
and　his　friend　had　suddenly　become　silent；　I　said：　　〃Pray　go　on　
with　your　discourse；　don't　let　me　be　any　hindrance　to　you。〃

〃Yes；　sir！〃　said　the　landlord　snappishly；　〃go　on　with　our　discourse　
for　your　edification；　I　suppose？〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃suppose　it　is　for　my　edification；　surely　you　don't　
grudge　a　stranger　a　little　edification　which　will　cost　you　
nothing？〃

〃I　don't　know　that；　sir；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃I　don't　know　that。　　
Really；　sir；　the　kitchen　is　not　the　place　for　a　gentleman。〃

〃Yes；　it　is；〃　said　I；　〃provided　the　parlour　smokes。　　Come；　come；　I　
am　going　to　have　a　glass　of　whiskey　and　water；　perhaps　you　will　
take　one　with　me。〃

〃Well；　sir！〃　said　the　landlord；　in　rather　a　softened　tone；　〃I　have　
no　objection　to　take　a　glass　with　you。〃

Two　glasses　of　whiskey　and　water　were　presently　brought；　and　the　
landlord　and　I　drank　to　each　other's　health。

〃Is　this　a　sheep　district？〃　said　I；　after　a　pause　of　a　minute　or　
two。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃it　may　to　a　certain　extent　be　
called　a　sheep　district。〃

〃I　suppose　the　Southdown　and　Norfolk　breeds　would　not　do　for　these　
here　parts；〃　said　I；　with　a　regular　Norfolk　whine。

〃No；　sir；　I　don't　think　they　would　exactly；〃　said　the　landlord；　
staring　at　me。　　〃Do　you　know　anything　about　sheep？〃

〃Plenty；　plenty；〃　said　I；　〃quite　as　much　indeed　as　about　Welsh　
words　and　poetry。〃　　Then　in　a　yet　more　whining　tone　than　before；　I　
said：　　〃Do　you　think　that　a　body　with　money　in　his　pocket　could　
hire　a　nice　comfortable　sheep　farm　hereabouts？〃

〃Oh；　sir！〃　said　the　landlord　in　a　furious　tone；　〃you　have　come　to　
look　out　for　a　farm；　I　see；　and　to　outbid　us　poor　Welshmen：　　it　is　
on　that　account　you　have　studied　Welsh；　but；　sir；　I　would　have　you　
know　…　〃

〃Come！〃　said　I；　〃don't　be　afraid；　I　wouldn't　have　all　the　farms　in　
your　country；　provided　you　would　tie　them　in　a　string　and　offer　
them　to　me。　　If　I　talked　about　a　farm；　it　was　because　I　am　in　the　
habit　of　talking　about　everything；　being　versed　in　all　matters；　do　
you　see；　or　affecting　to　be　so；　which　comes　much　to　the　same　thing。　　
My　real　business　in　this　neighbourhood　is　to　see　the　Devil's　Bridge　
and　the　scenery　about　it。〃

〃Very　good；　sir；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃I　thought　so　at　first。　　A　
great　many　English　go　to　see　the　Devil's　Bridge　and　the　scenery　
near　it；　though　I　really　don't　know　why；　for　there　is　nothing　so　
very　particular　in　either。　　We　have　a　bridge　here　too；　quite　as　
good　as　the　Devil's　Bridge；　and　as　for　scenery；　I'll　back　the　
scenery　about　this　house　against　anything　of　the　kind　in　the　
neighbourhood　of　the　Devil's　Bridge。　　Yet　everybody　goes　to　the　
Devil's　Bridge　and　nobody　comes　here！〃

〃You　might　easily　bring　everybody　here；〃　said　I；　〃if　you　would　but　
employ　your　talent。　　You　should　celebrate　the　wonders　of　your　
neighbourhood　in　cowydds；　and　you　would　soon　have　plenty　of　
visitors；　but　you　don't　want　them；　you　know；　and　prefer　to　be　
without　them。〃

The　landlord　looked　at　me　for　a　moment；　then　taking　sip　of　his　
whiskey　and　water　he　turned　to　the　man　with　whom　he　had　previously　
been　talking　and　recommenced　the　discourse　about　sheep。　　I　make　no　
doubt；　however；　that　I　was　a　restraint　upon　them；　they　frequently　
glanced　at　me；　and　soon　fell　to　whispering。　　At　last　both　got　up　
and　left　the　room；　the　landlord　finishing　his　glass　of　whiskey　and　
water　before　he　went　away。

〃So　you　are　going　to　the　Devil's　Bridge；　sir！〃　said　an　elderly　man；　
dressed　in　a　grey　coat；　with　a　broad…brimmed　hat；　who　sat　on　the　
settle　smoking　a　pipe　in　company　with　another　elderly　man　with　a　
leather　hat；　with　whom　I　had　heard　him　discourse　sometimes　in　
Welsh；　sometimes　in　English；　the　Welsh　which　he　spoke　being　rather　
broken。

〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　going　to　have　a　sight　of　the　bridge　and　the　
neighbouring　scenery。〃

〃Well；　sir；　I　don't　think　you　will　be　disappointed；　for　both　are　
wonderful。〃

〃Are　you　a　Welshman？〃　said　I。

〃No；　sir；　I　am　not；　I　am　an　Englishman　from　Durham；　which　is　the　
best　county　in　England。〃

〃So　it　is；〃　said　I　…　〃for　some　things　at　any　rate。　　For　example；　
where　do　you　find　such　beef　as　in　Durham？〃

〃Ah；　where　indeed；　sir？　　I　have　always　said　that　neither　the　
Devonshire　nor　the　Lincolnshire　beef　is　to　be　named　in　the　same　day　
with　that　of　Durham。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃what　business　do　you　follow　in　these　parts？　　I　
suppose　you　farm？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　do　not；　I　am　what　they　call　a　mining　captain。〃

〃I　suppose　that　gentleman；〃　said　I；　motioning　to　the　man　in　the　
leather　hat；　〃is　not　from　Durham？〃

〃No；　sir；　he　is　not；　he　is　from　this　neighbourhood。〃

〃And　does　he　follow　mining？〃

〃No；　sir；　he　does　not；　he　carries　about　the　letters。〃

〃Is　your　mine　near　this　place？〃

〃Not　very；　sir；　it　is　nearer　the　Devil's　Bridge。〃

〃Why　is　the　bridge　called　the　Devil's　Bridge？〃　said

〃Because；　sir；　'tis　said　that　the　Devil　built　it　in　the　old　time；　
though　that　I　can　hardly　believe；　for　the　Devil；　do　ye　see；　
delights　in　nothing　but　mischief；　and　it　is　not　likely　that　such　
being　the　case　he　would　have　built　a　thing　which　must　have　been　of　
wonderful　service　to　people　by　enabling　them　to　pass　in　safety　over　
a　dreadful　gulf。〃

〃I　have　heard；〃　said　the　old　postman　with　the　leather　hat；　〃that　
the　Devil　had　no　hand　in　de　work　at　all；　but　that　it　was　built　by　a　
Mynach；　or　monk；　on　which　account　de　river　over　which　de　bridge　is　
built　is　called　Afon　y　Mynach　…　dat　is　de　Monk's　River。〃

〃Did　you　ever　hear；〃　said　I；　〃of　three　creatures　who　lived　a　long　
time　ago　near　the　Devil's　Bridge；　called　the　Plant　de　Bat？〃

〃Ah；　master！〃　said　the　old　postman；　〃I　do　see　that　you　have　been　in　
these　parts　before；　had　you　not；　you　would　not　know　of　the　Plant　de　
Bat。〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　have　never　been　here　before；　but　I　heard　of　them　
when　I　was　a　boy；　from　a　Cumro　who　taught　me　Welsh；　and　had　lived　
for　some　time　in　these　parts。　　Well；　what　do　they　say　here　about　
the　Plant　de　Bat？　for　he　who　mentioned　them　to　me　could　give　me　no　
further　information　about　them　than　that　they　were　horrid　creatures　
who　lived　in　a　cave　near　the　Devil's　Bridge　several　hundred　years　
ago。〃

〃Well；　master；〃　said　the　old　postman；　thrusting　his　forefinger　
twice　or　thrice　into　the　bowl　of　his　pipe；　〃I　will　tell　you　what　
they　says　here　about　the　Plant　de　Bat。　　In　de　old　time　…　two；　three　
hundred　year　ago　…　a　man　lived　somewhere　about　here　called　Bat　or　
Bartholomew；　this　man　had　three　children；　two　boys　and　one　girl；　
who；　because　their　father's　name　was　Bat；　were　generally　called　
'Plant　de　Bat；'　or　Bat's　children。　　Very　wicked　children　they　were　
from　their　cradle；　giving　their　father　and　mother　much　trouble　and　
uneasiness；　no　good　in　any　one　of　them；　neither　in　the　boys　nor　the　
girl。　　Now　the　boys；　once　when　they　were　rambling　idly　about；　
lighted　by　chance　upon　a　cave　near　the　Devil's　Bridge。　　Very　
strange　cave　it　was；　with　just　one　little　hole　at　top　to　go　in　by；　
so　the　boys　said　to　one　another：　　'Nice　cave　this　for　thief　to　live　
in。　　Suppose　we　come　here　when　we　are　a　little　more　big　and　turn　
thief　ourselves。'　　Well；　they　waited　till　they　were　a　little　more　
big；　and　then　leaving　their　father's　house　they　came　to　de　cave　and　
turned　thief；　lying　snug　there　all　day　and　going　out　at　night　to　
rob　upon　the　roads。　　Well；　there　was　soon　much　talk　in　the　country　
about　the　robberies　which　were　being　committed；　and　people　often　
went　out　in　search　of　de　thieves；　but　all　in　vain；　and　no　wonder；　
for　they　were　in　a　cave　very　hard　to　light　upon；　having；　as　I　said　
before；　merely　one　little　hole　at　top　to　go　in　by。　　So；　Bat's　boys　
went　on　swimmingly　for　a　long　time；　lying　snug　in　cave　by　day　and　
going　out　at　night　to　rob；　letting　no　one　know　where　they　were　but　
their　sister；　who　was　as　bad　as　themselves；　and　used　to　come　to　
them　and　bring　them　food　and　stay　with　them　for　weeks；　and　
sometimes　go　out　and　rob　with　them。　　But　as　de　pitcher　which　goes　
often　to　de　well　comes　home　broke　at　last；　so　it　happened　with　
Bat's　children。　　After　robbing　people　upon　the　roads　by　night　many　
a　long　year　and　never　being　found　out；　they　at　last　met　one　great　
gentleman　upon　the　roads　by　night　and　not　only　robbed；　but　killed　
him；　leaving　his　body　all　cut　and　gashed　near　to　Devil's　Bridge。　　
That　job　was　the　ruin　of　Plant　de　Bat；　for　the　great　gentleman's　
friends　gathered　together　and　hunted　after　his　murderers　with　dogs；　
and　at　length　came　to　the　cave；　and　going　in；　found　it　stocked　with　
riches；　and　the　Plant　de　Bat　sitting　upon　the　riches；　not　only　the　
boys　but　the　girl　also。　　So　they　took　out　the　riches　and　the　Plant　
de　Bat；　and　the　riches　they　did　give　to　churches　and　spyttys；　and　
the　Plant　de　Bat　they　did　execute；　hanging　the　boys　and　burning　the　
girl。　　That；　master；　is　what　they　says　in　dese　parts　about　the　
Plant　de　Bat。〃

〃Thank　you！〃　said　I。　　〃Is　the　cave　yet　to　be　seen？〃

〃Oh　yes！　it　is　yet　to　be　seen；　or　part　of　it；　for　it　is　not　now　
what　it　was；　having　been　partly　flung　open　to　hinder　other　thieves　
from　nestling　in　it。　　It　is　on　the　bank　of　the　river　Mynach；　just　
before　it　joins　the　Rheidol。　　Many　gentlefolk　in　de　summer　go　to　
see　the　Plant　de　Bat's　cave。〃

〃Are　you　sure；〃　said　I；　〃that　Plant　de　Bat　means　Bat's　children？〃

〃I　a