the bridge-builders-第4部分

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stood　or　fell。　　He　went　over　it　in　his　head；　plate　by　plate；　span

by　span；　brick　by　brick；　pier　by　pier；　remembering；　comparing；

estimating；　and　recalculating；　lest　there　should　be　any　mistake；

and　through　the　long　hours　and　through　the　flights　of　formulae

that　danced　and　wheeled　before　him　a　cold　fear　would　come　to

pinch　his　heart。　　His　side　of　the　sum　was　beyond　question；　but

what　man　knew　Mother　Gunga's　arithmetic？　　Even　as　he　was　making

all　sure　by　the　multiplication　table；　the　river　might　be　scooping

a　pot…hole　to　the　very　bottom　of　any　one　of　those　eighty…foot

piers　that　carried　his　reputation。　　Again　a　servant　came　to　him

with　food；　but　his　mouth　was　dry；　and　he　could　only　drink　and

return　to　the　decimals　in　his　brain。　　And　the　river　was　still

rising。　　Peroo；　in　a　mat　shelter　coat；　crouched　at　his　feet；

watching　now　his　face　and　now　the　face　of　the　river；　but　saying

nothing。



At　last　the　Lascar　rose　and　floundered　through　the　mud　towards

the　village；　but　he　was　careful　to　leave　an　ally　to　watch　the

boats。



Presently　he　returned；　most　irreverently　driving　before　him　the

priest　of　his　creed　…　a　fat　old　man；　with　a　grey　beard　that

whipped　the　wind　with　the　wet　cloth　that　blew　over　his　shoulder。

Never　was　seen　so　lamentable　a　guru。



〃What　good　are　offerings　and　little　kerosene　lamps　and　dry

grain；〃　shouted　Peroo；　〃if　squatting　in　the　mud　is　all　that　thou

canst　do？　　Thou　hast　dealt　long　with　the　Gods　when　they　were

contented　and　well…wishing。　　Now　they　are　angry。　　Speak　to　them！〃



〃What　is　a　man　against　the　wrath　of　Gods？〃　whined　the　priest；

cowering　as　the　wind　took　him。　　〃Let　me　go　to　the　temple；　and　I

will　pray　there。〃



〃Son　of　a　pig；　pray　here！　　Is　there　no　return　for　salt　fish　and

curry　powder　and　dried　onions？　　Call　aloud！　　Tell　Mother　Gunga　we

have　had　enough。　　Bid　her　be　still　for　the　night。　　I　cannot　pray；

but　I　have　been　serving　in　the　Kumpani's　boats；　and　when　men　did

not　obey　my　orders　I　…〃　　A　flourish　of　the　wire…rope　colt　rounded

the　sentence；　and　the　priest；　breaking　free　from　his　disciple；

fled　to　the　village。



〃Fat　pig！〃　said　Peroo。　　〃After　all　that　we　have　done　for　him！

When　the　flood　is　down　I　will　see　to　it　that　we　get　a　new　guru。

Finlinson　Sahib；　it　darkens　for　night　now；　and　since　yesterday

nothing　has　been　eaten。　　Be　wise；　Sahib。　　No　man　can　endure

watching　and　great　thinking　on　an　empty　belly。　　Lie　down；　Sahib。

The　river　will　do　what　the　river　will　do。〃　〃The　bridge　is　mine；　I

cannot　leave　it。〃



〃Wilt　thou　hold　it　up　with　thy　hands；　then？〃　said　Peroo；

laughing。　　〃I　was　troubled　for　my　boats　and　sheers　before　the

flood　came。　　Now　we　are　in　the　hands　of　the　Gods。　　The　Sahib　will

not　eat　and　lie　down？　　Take　these；　then。　　They　are　meat　and　good

toddy　together；　and　they　kill　all　weariness；　besides　the　fever

that　follows　the　rain。　　I　have　eaten　nothing　else　to…day　at　all。〃



He　took　a　small　tin　tobacco…box　from　his　sodden　waist…belt　and

thrust　it　into　Findlayson's　hand；　saying：　〃Nay；　do　not　be　afraid。　

It　is　no　more　than　opium　…　clean　Malwa　opium。〃



Findlayson　shook　two　or　three　of　the　dark…brown　pellets　into　his

hand；　and　hardly　knowing　what　he　did；　swallowed　them。　　The　stuff

was　at　least　a　good　guard　against　fever　…the　fever　that　was

creeping　upon　him　out　of　the　wet　mud　…and　he　had　seen　what　Peroo

could　do　in　the　stewing　mists　of　autumn　on　the　strength　of　a　dose

from　the　tin　box。



Peroo　nodded　with　bright　eyes。　　〃In　a　little　…　in　a　little　the

Sahib　will　find　that　he　thinks　well　again。　　I　too　will　…〃

He　dived　into　his　treasure…box；　resettled　the　rain…coat　over

his　head；　and　squatted　down　to　watch　the　boats。　　It　was　too　dark

now　to　see　beyond　the　first　pier；　and　the　night　seemed　to　have

given　the　river　new　strength。　　Findlayson　stood　with　his　chin　on

his　chest；　thinking。　　There　was　one　point　about　one　of　the　piers

…　the　seventh　…　that　he　had　not　fully　settled　in　his　mind。　　The

figures　would　not　shape　themselves　to　the　eye　except　one　by　one

and　at　enormous　intervals　of　time。　　There　was　a　sound　rich　and

mellow　in　his　ears　like　the　deepest　note　of　a　double…bass　…　an

entrancing　sound　upon　which　he　pondered　for　several　hours；　as　it

seemed。　Then　Peroo　was　at　his　elbow；　shouting　that　a　wire　hawser

had　snapped　and　the　stone…boats　were　loose。　　Findlayson　saw　the

fleet　open　and　swing　out　fanwise　to　a　long…drawn　shriek　of　wire

straining　across　gunnels。



〃A　tree　hit　them。　　They　will　all　go；〃　cried　Peroo。　　〃The　main

hawser　has　parted。　　What　does　the　Sahib　do？〃



An　immensely　complex　plan　had　suddenly　flashed　into　Findlayson's

mind。　　He　saw　the　ropes　running　from　boat　to　boat　in　straight

lines　and　angles　…　each　rope　a　line　of　white　fire。　　But　there　was

one　rope　which　was　the　master　rope。　　He　could　see　that　rope。　　If

he　could　pull　it　once；　it　was　absolutely　and　mathematically

certain　that　the　disordered　fleet　would　reassemble　itself　in　the

backwater　behind　the　guard…tower。　　But　why；　he　wondered；　was

Peroo　clinging　so　desperately　to　his　waist　as　he　hastened　down

the　bank？　　It　was　necessary　to　put　the　Lascar　aside；　gently　and

slowly；　because　it　was　necessary　to　save　the　boats；　and；　further；

to　demonstrate　the　extreme　ease　of　the　problem　that　looked　so

difficult。　　And　then　…　but　it　was　of　no　conceivable　importance　…

a　wire…rope　raced　through　his　hand；　burning　it；　the　high　bank

disappeared；　　and　with　it　all　the　slowly　dispersing　factors　of

the　problem。　　He　was　sitting　in　the　rainy　darkness　…　sitting　in　a

boat　that　spun　like　a　top；　and　Peroo　was　standing　over　him。



〃I　had　forgotten；〃　said　the　Lascar；　slowly；　〃that　to　those

fasting　and　unused；　the　opium　is　worse　than　any　wine。　　Those　who

die　in　Gunga　go　to　the　Gods。　　Still；　I　have　no　desire　to　present

myself　before　such　great　ones。　　Can　the　Sahib　swim？〃



〃What　need？　　He　can　fly　…　fly　as　swiftly　as　the　wind；〃　was　the

thick　answer。



〃He　is　mad！〃　muttered　Peroo；　under　his　breath。　　〃And　he　threw　me

aside　like　a　bundle　of　dung…cakes。　　Well；　he　will　not　know　his

death。　　The　boat　cannot　live　an　hour　here　even　if　she　strike

nothing。　　It　is　not　good　to　look　at　death　　with　a　clear　eye。〃



He　refreshed　himself　again　from　the　tin　box；　squatted　down　in　the

bows　of　the　reeling；　pegged；　and　stitched　craft；　staring　through

the　mist　at　the　nothing　that　was　there。　　A　warm　drowsiness　crept

over　Findlayson；　the　Chief　Engineer；　whose　duty　was　with　his

bridge。　　The　heavy　raindrops　struck　him　with　a　thousand　tingling

little　thrills；　and　the　weight　of　all　time　since　time　was　made

hung　heavy　on　his　eyelids。　　He　thought　and　perceived　that　he　was

perfectly　secure；　for　the　water　was　so　solid　that　a　man　could

surely　step　out　upon　it；　and；　standing　still　with　his　legs　apart

to　keep　his　balance　…　this　was　the　most　important　point　…　would

be　borne　with　great　and　easy　speed　to　the　shore。　　But　yet　a

better　plan　came　to　him。　　It　needed　only　an　exertion　of　will　for

the　soul　to　hurl　the　body　ashore　as　wind　drives　paper；　to　waft　it

kite…fashion　to　the　bank。　　Thereafter　…　the　boat　spun　dizzily　…

suppose　the　high　wind　got　under　the　freed　body？　　Would　it　tower

up　like　a　kite　and　pitch　headlong　on　the　far…away　sands；　or　would

it　duck　about；　beyond　control；　through　all　eternity？　　Findlayson

gripped　the　gunnel　to　anchor　himself；　for　it　seemed　that　he　was

on　the　edge　of　taking　the　flight　before　he　had　settled　all　his

plans。　　Opium　has　more　effect　on　the　white　man　than　the　black。

Peroo　was　only　comfortably　indifferent　to　accidents。　　〃She　cannot

live；〃　he　grunted。　　〃Her　seams　open　already。　　If　she　were　even　a

dinghy　with　oars　we　could　have　ridden　it　out；　but　a　box　with

holes　is　no　good。　　Finlinson　Sahib；　she　fills。〃



〃Accha！　　I　am　going　away。　　Come　thou　also。〃　In　his　mind；

Findlayson　had　already　escaped　from　the　boat；　and　was　circling

high　in　air　to　find　a　rest　for　the　sole　of　his　foot。　　His　body　…

he　was　really　sorry　for　its　gross　helplessness　…　lay　in　the

stern；　the　water　rushing　about　its　knees。



〃How　very　ridiculous！〃　he　said　to　himself　from　his　eyrie　…〃　that

…　is　Findlayson　…　　chief　of　the　Kashi　Bridge。　　The　poor　beast　is

going　to　be　drowned；　too。　　Drowned　when　it's　close　to　shore。　　I'm

…　I'm　on　shore　already。　　Why　doesn't　　it　come　along？〃



To　his　intense　disgust；　he　found　his　soul　back　in　his　body　again；

and　that　body　spluttering　and　choking　in　deep　water。　　The　pain　of

the　reunion　was　atrocious；　but　it　was　necessary；　also；　to　fight

for　the　body。　　He　was　conscious　of　grasping　wildly　at　wet　sand；

and　striding　prodigiously；　as　one　strides　in　a　dream；　to　keep

foothold　in　the　swirling　water；　till　at　last　he　hauled　himself

clear　of　the　hold　of　the　river；　and　dropped；　panting；　on　wet

earth。



〃Not　this　night；〃　said　Peroo；　in　his　ear。　　〃The　Gods　have

protected　us。〃　　The　Lascar　moved　his　feet　cautiously；　and　they

rustled　among　dried　stumps。　　〃This　is　some　island　of　last　year's

indigo…crop；〃　he　went　on。　　〃We　shall　find　no　men　here；　but　have

great　care；　Sahib；　all　the　snakes　of　a　hundred　miles　have　been

flooded　out。　　Here　comes　the　lightning；　on　the　heels　of　the

wind。　Now　we　shall　be　able　to　look；　but　walk　carefully。〃



Findlayson　was　far　and　far　beyond　any　fear　of　snakes；　or　indeed

any　merely　human　emotion。　　He　saw；　after　he　had　rubbed　the　water

from　his　eyes；　with　an　immense　clearness；　and　trod；　so　it　seemed

to　himself　with　world…encompassing　strides。　　Somewhere　in　the

night　of　time　he　had　built　a　bridge　…　a　bridge　that　spanned

illimitable　levels　of　shining　seas；　but　the　Deluge　had　swept　it

away；　leaving　this　one　island　under　heaven　for　Findlayson　and　his

companion；　sole　survivors　of　the　breed　of　Man。



An　incessant　lightning；　forked　and　blue；　showed　all　that　there　was

to　be　seen　on　the　little　patch　in　the　flood　…　a　clump　of　thorn；

a　clump　of　swaying　creaking　bamboos；　and　a　grey　gnarled　peepul

overshadowing　a　Hindoo　shrine；　from　whose　dome　floated　a

tattered　red　flag。　　The　holy　man　whose　summer　resting…pla