the red one(红色的那人)-第8部分
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But why cheat him？ was Bassett's next thought。 Head…hunting；
cannibal beast of a human that was as much ape as human； nevertheless
Old Ngurn had； according to his lights； played squarer than square。
Ngurn was in himself a forerunner of ethics and contract； of consideration；
and gentleness in man。 No； Bassett decided； it would be a ghastly pity
and an act of dishonour to cheat the old fellow at the last。 His head was
Ngurn's； and Ngurn's head to cure it would be。
And Bassett； raising his hand in signal； bending forward his head as
agreed so as to expose cleanly the articulation to his taut spinal cord；
forgot Balatta； who was merely a woman； a woman merely and only and
undesired。 He knew； without seeing； when the razor… edged hatchet rose
in the air behind him。 And for that instant； ere the end； there fell upon
Bassett the shadows of the Unknown； a sense of impending marvel of the
rending of walls before the imaginable。 Almost； when he knew the blow
had started and just ere the edge of steel bit the flesh and nerves it seemed
that he gazed upon the serene face of the Medusa； Truth … And；
simultaneous with the bite of the steel on the onrush of the dark； in a
flashing instant of fancy； he saw the vision of his head turning slowly；
always turning； in the devil…devil house beside the breadfruit tree。
Waikiki； Honolulu； MAY 22； 1916。
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THE HUSSY
THERE are some stories that have to be true … the sort that cannot be
fabricated by a ready fiction…reckoner。 And by the same token there are
some men with stories to tell who cannot be doubted。 Such a man was
Julian Jones。 Although I doubt if the average reader of this will believe
the story Julian Jones told me。 Nevertheless I believe it。 So thoroughly
am I convinced of its verity that I am willing； nay； eager； to invest capital
in the enterprise and embark personally on the adventure to a far land。
It was in the Australian Building at the Panama Pacific Exposition that
I met him。 I was standing before an exhibit of facsimiles of the record
nuggets which had been discovered in the goldfields of the Antipodes。
Knobbed； misshapen and massive； it was as difficult to believe that they
were not real gold as it was to believe the accompanying statistics of their
weights and values。
〃That's what those kangaroo…hunters call a nugget；〃 boomed over my
shoulder directly at the largest of the specimens。
I turned and looked up into the dim blue eyes of Julian Jones。 I
looked up； for he stood something like six feet four inches in height。 His
hair； a wispy； sandy yellow； seemed as dimmed and faded as his eyes。 It
may have been the sun which had washed out his colouring； at least his
face bore the evidence of a prodigious and ardent sun…burn which had long
since faded to yellow。 As his eyes turned from the exhibit and focussed
on mine I noted a queer look in them as of one who vainly tries to recall
some fact of supreme importance。
〃What's the matter with it as a nugget？〃 I demanded。
The remote； indwelling expression went out of his eyes as he boomed
〃Why； its size。〃
〃It does seem large；〃 I admitted。 〃But there's no doubt it's authentic。
The Australian Government would scarcely dare … 〃
〃Large！〃 he interrupted； with a sniff and a sneer。
〃Largest ever discovered … 〃 I started on。
〃Ever discovered！〃 His dim eyes smouldered hotly as he proceeded。
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〃Do you think that every lump of gold ever discovered has got into the
newspapers and encyclopedias？〃
〃Well；〃 I replied judicially； 〃if there's one that hasn't； I don't see how
we're to know about it。 If a really big nugget； or nugget… finder； elects to
blush unseen … 〃
〃But it didn't；〃 he broke in quickly。 〃I saw it with my own eyes； and；
besides； I'm too tanned to blush anyway。 I'm a railroad man and I've
been in the tropics a lot。 Why； I used to be the colour of mahogany … real
old mahogany； and have been taken for a blue… eyed Spaniard more than
once … 〃
It was my turn to interrupt； and I did。
〃Was that nugget bigger than those in there； Mr。 … er … ？〃
〃Jones； Julian Jones is my name。〃
He dug into an inner pocket and produced an envelope addressed to
such a person； care of General Delivery； San Francisco； and I； in turn；
presented him with my card。
〃Pleased to know you； sir；〃 he said； extending his hand； his voice
booming as if accustomed to loud noises or wide spaces。 〃Of course I've
heard of you； seen your picture in the papers； and all that； and； though I
say it that shouldn't； I want to say that I didn't care a rap about those
articles you wrote on Mexico。 You're wrong； all wrong。 You make the
mistake of all Gringos in thinking a Mexican is a white man。 He ain't。
None of them ain't … Greasers； Spiggoties； Latin…Americans and all the rest
of the cattle。 Why； sir； they don't think like we think； or reason； or act。
Even their multiplication table is different。 You think seven times seven
is forty…nine； but not them。 They work it out different。 And white isn't
white to them； either。 Let me give you an example。 Buying coffee
retail for house…keeping in one…pound or ten…pound lots … 〃
〃How big was that nugget you referred to？〃 I queried firmly。 〃As big
as the biggest of those？〃
〃Bigger；〃 he said quietly。 〃Bigger than the whole blamed exhibit of
them put together； and then some。〃 He paused and regarded me with a
steadfast gaze。 〃I don't see no reason why I shouldn't go into the matter
with you。 You've got a reputation a man ought to be able to trust； and
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I've read you've done some tall skylarking yourself in out…of…the…way
places。 I've been browsing around with an eye open for some one to go
in with me on the proposition。〃
〃You can trust me；〃 I said。
And here I am； blazing out into print with the whole story just as he
told it to me as we sat on a bench by the lagoon before the Palace of Fine
Arts with the cries of the sea gulls in our ears。 Well； he should have kept
his appointment with me。 But I anticipate。
As we started to leave the building and hunt for a seat； a small woman；
possibly thirty years of age； with a washed…out complexion of the farmer's
wife sort； darted up to him in a bird…like way； for all the world like the
darting veering gulls over our heads and fastened herself to his arm with
the accuracy and dispatch and inevitableness of a piece of machinery。
〃There you go！〃 she shrilled。 〃A…trottin' right off and never givin' me
a thought。〃
I was formally introduced to her。 It was patent that she had never
heard of me； and she surveyed me bleakly with shrewd black eyes； set
close together and as beady and restless as a bird's。
〃You ain't goin' to tell him about that hussy？〃 she complained。
〃Well； now； Sarah； this is business； you see；〃 he argued plaintively。
〃I've been lookin' for a likely man this long while； and now that he's
shown up it seems to me I got a right to give him the hang of what
happened。〃
The small woman made no reply； but set her thin lips in a needle… like
line。 She gazed straight before her at the Tower of Jewels with so austere
an expression that no glint of refracted sunlight could soften it。 We
proceeded slowly to the lagoon； managed to obtain an unoccupied seat；
and sat down with mutual sighs of relief as we released our weights from
our tortured sightseeing feet。
〃One does get so mortal weary；〃 asserted the small woman； almost
defiantly。
Two swans waddled up from the mirroring water and investigated us。
When their suspicions of our niggardliness or lack of peanuts had been
confirmed； Jones half…turned his back on his life…partner and gave me his
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story。
〃Ever been in Ecuador？ Then take my advice … and don't。 Though I
take that back； for you and me might be hitting it for there together if you
can rustle up the faith in me and the backbone in yourself for the trip。
Well； anyway； it ain't so many years ago that I came ambling in there on a
rusty； foul…bottomed； tramp collier from Australia； forty…three days from
land to land。 Seven knots was her speed when everything favoured； and
we'd had a two weeks' gale to the north'ard of New Zealand； and broke our
engines down for two days off Pitcairn Island。
