rh.conanthewarrior-第31部分

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slipped　over　to　put　a　few　white　notches　on　his　bow。　After　I　split　his　head　I　fell　in　with　this　lad　whose　name　is　Balthus　and　who's　e　from　the　Tauran　to　help　hold　the　frontier。〃
　　Valannus　approvingly　eyed　the　young　man's　frank　countenance　and　strongly…knit　frame。
　　〃I　am　glad　to　wele　you；　young　sir。　I　wish　more　of　your　people　would　e。　We　need　men　used　to　forest　life。　Many　of　our　soldiers　and　some　of　our　settlers　are　from　the　eastern　provinces　and　know　nothing　of　woodcraft；　or　even　of　agricultural　life。〃
　　〃Not　many　of　that　breed　this　side　of　Velitrium；〃　grunted　Conan。　〃That　town's　full　of　them；　though。　But　listen；　Valannus；　we　found　Tiberias　dead　on　the　trail。〃　And　in　a　few　words　he　related　the　grisly　affair。
　　Valannus　paled。　〃I　did　not　know　he　had　left　the　fort。　He　must　have　been　mad！〃
　　〃He　was；〃　answered　Conan。　〃Like　the　other　four；　each　one；　when　his　time　came；　went　mad　and　rushed　into　the　woods　to　meet　his　death　like　a　hare　running　down　the　throat　of　a　python。　Something　called　to　them　from　the　deeps　of　the　forest；　something　the　men　call　a　loon；　for　lack　of　a　better　name；　but　only　the　doomed　ones　could　hear　it。　Zogar　Sag　has　made　a　magic　that　Aquilonian　civilization　can't　overe。〃
　　To　this　thrust　Valannus　made　no　reply；　he　wiped　his　brow　with　a　shaky　hand。
　　〃Do　the　soldiers　know　of　this？〃
　　〃We　left　the　body　by　the　eastern　gate。〃
　　〃You　should　have　concealed　the　fact；　hidden　the　corpse　somewhere　in　the　woods。　The　soldiers　are　nervous　enough　already。〃
　　〃They'd　have　found　it　out　some　way。　If　I'd　hidden　the　body；　it　would　have　been　returned　to　the　fort　as　the　corpse　of　Soractus　was…tied　up　outside　the　gate　for　the　men　to　find　in　the　morning。〃
　　Valannus　shuddered。　Turning；　he　walked　to　a　casement　and　stared　silently　out　over　the　river；　black　and　shiny　under　the　glint　of　the　stars。　Beyond　the　river　the　jungle　rose　like　an　ebony　wall。　The　distant　screech　of　a　panther　broke　the　stillness。　The　night　pressed　in；　blurring　the　sounds　of　the　soldiers　outside　the　blockhouse；　dimming　the　fires。　A　wind　whispered　through　the　black　branches；　rippling　the　dusky　water。　On　its　wings　came　a　low；　rhythmic　pulsing；　sinister　as　the　pad　of　a　leopard's　foot。
　　〃After　all；〃　said　Valannus；　as　if　speaking　his　thoughts　aloud；　〃what　do　we　know…what　does　anyone　know…of　the　things　that　jungle　may　hide？　We　have　dim　rumors　of　great　swamps　and　rivers；　and　a　forest　that　stretches　on　and　on　over　everlasting　plains　and　hills　to　end　at　last　on　the　shores　of　the　western　ocean。　But　what　things　lie　between　this　river　and　that　ocean　we　dare　not　even　guess。　No　white　man　has　ever　plunged　deep　into　that　fastness　and　returned　alive　to　tell　us　what　be　found。　We　are　wise　in　our　civilized　knowledge；　but　our　knowledge　extends　just　so　far…to　the　western　bank　of　that　ancient　river！　Who　knows　what　shapes　earthly　and　unearthly　may　lurk　beyond　the　dim　circle　of　light　our　knowledge　has　cast？
　　〃Who　knows　what　gods　are　worshipped　under　the　shadows　of　that　heathen　forest；　or　what　devils　crawl　out　of　the　black　ooze　of　the　swamps？　Who　can　be　sure　that　all　the　inhabitants　of　that　black　country　are　natural？　Zogar　Sag…a　sage　of　the　eastern　cities　would　sneer　at　his　primitive　magic…making　as　the　mummery　of　a　fakir；　yet　he　has　driven　mad　and　killed　five　men　in　a　manner　no　man　can　explain。　I　wonder　if　he　himself　is　wholly　human。〃
　　〃If　I　can　get　within　ax…throwing　distance　of　him　I'll　settle　that　question；〃　growled　Conan；　helping　himself　to　the　governor's　wine　and　pushing　a　glass　toward　Balthus；　who　took　it　hesitatingly；　and　with　an　uncertain　glance　toward　Valannus。
　　The　governor　turned　toward　Conan　and　stared　at　him　thoughtfully。
　　〃The　soldiers；　who　do　not　believe　in　ghosts　or　devils；〃　he　said；　〃are　almost　in　a　panic　of　fear。　You；　who　believe　in　ghosts；　ghouls；　goblins；　and　all　manner　of　uncanny　things；　do　not　seem　to　fear　any　of　the　things　in　which　you　believe。〃
　　〃There's　nothing　in　the　universe　cold　steel　won't　cut；〃　answered　Conan。　〃I　threw　my　ax　at　the　demon；　and　he　took　no　hurt；　but　I　might　have　missed　in　the　dusk；　or　a　branch　deflected　its　flight。　I'm　not　going　out　of　my　way　looking　for　devils；　but　I　wouldn't　step　out　of　my　path　to　let　one　go　by。〃
　　Valannus　lifted　his　head　and　met　Conan's　gaze　squarely。
　　〃Conan；　more　depends　on　you　than　you　realize。　You　know　the　weakness　of　this　province…a　slender　wedge　thrust　into　the　untamed　wilderness。　You　know　that　the　lives　of　all　the　people　west　of　the　marches　depend　on　this　fort。　Were　it　to　fall；　red　axes　would　be　splintering　the　gates　of　Velitrium　before　a　horseman　could　cross　the　marches。　His　Majesty；　or　his　Majesty's　advisers；　have　ignored　my　plea　that　more　troops　be　sent　to　hold　the　frontier。　　They　know　nothing　of　border　conditions；　and　are　averse　to　expending　any　more　money　in　this　direction。　The　fate　of　the　frontier　depends　upon　the　men　who　now　hold　it。
　　〃You　know　that　most　of　the　army　which　conquered　Conajohara　has　been　withdrawn。　You　know　the　force　left　is　inadequate；　especially　since　that　devil　Zogar　Sag　managed　to　poison　our　water　supply；　and　forty　men　died　in　one　day。　Many　of　the　others　are　sick；　or　have　been　bitten　by　serpents　or　mauled　by　wild　beasts　which　seem　to　swarm　in　increasing　numbers　in　the　vicinity　of　the　fort。　The　soldiers　believe　Zogar's　boast　that　he　could　summon　the　forest　beasts　to　slay　his　enemies。
　　〃I　have　three　hundred　pikemen；　four　hundred　Bossonian　archers；　and　perhaps　fifty　men　who；　like　yourself；　are　skilled　in　woodcraft。　They　are　worth　ten　times　their　number　of　soldiers；　but　there　are　so　few　of　them。　Frankly；　Conan；　my　situation　is　being　precarious。　The　soldiers　whisper　of　desertion；　they　are　low…spirited；　believing　Zogar　Sag　has　loosed　devils　on　us。　They　fear　the　black　plague　with　which　he　threatened　us…the　terrible　black　death　of　the　swamplands。　When　I　see　a　sick　soldier　I　sweat　with　fear　of　seeing　him　turn　black　and　shrivel　and　die　before　my　eyes。
　　〃Conan；　if　the　plague　is　loosed　upon　us；　the　soldiers　will　desert　in　a　body！　The　border　will　be　left　unguarded　and　nothing　will　check　the　sweep　of　the　dark…skinned　hordes　to　the　very　gates　of　Velitrium…maybe　beyond！　If　we　cannot　hold　the　fort；　how　can　they　hold　the　town？
　　〃Conan；　Zogar　Sag　must　die；　if　we　are　to　hold　Conajohara。　You　have　penetrated　the　unknown　deeper　than　any　other　man　in　the　fort；　you　know　where　Gwawela　stands；　and　something　of　the　forest　trails　across　the　river。　Will　you　take　a　band　of　men　tonight　and　endeavor　to　kill　or　capture　him？　Oh；　I　know　it's　mad。　There　isn't　more　than　one　chance　in　a　thousand　that　any　of　you　will　e　back　alive。　But　if　we　don't　get　him；　it's　death　for　us　all。　You　can　take　as　many　men　as　you　wish。〃
　　〃A　dozen　men　are　better　for　a　job　like　that　than　a　regiment；〃　answered　Conan。　〃Five　hundred　men　couldn't　fight　their　way　to　Gwawela　and　back；　but　a　dozen　might　slip　in　and　out　again。　Let　me　pick　my　men。　I　don't　want　any　soldiers。〃
　　〃Let　me　go！〃　eagerly　exclaimed　Balthus。　〃I've　hunted　deer　all　my　life　on　the　Tauran。〃
　　〃All　right。　Valannus；　we'll　eat　at　the　stall　where　the　foresters　gather；　and　I'll　pick　my　men。　We'll　start　within　an　hour；　drop　down　the　river　in　a　boat　to　a　point　below　the　village　and　then　steal　upon　it　through　the　woods。　If　we　live；　we　should　be　back　by　daybreak。〃
　　
　　
　　　3。　　The　Crawlers　in　the　Dark
　　
　　The　river　was　a　vague　trace　between　walls　of　ebony。　The　paddles　that　propelled　the　long　boat　creeping　along　in　the　dense　shadow　of　the　eastern　bank　dipped　softly　into　the　water；　making　no　more　noise　than　the　beak　of　a　heron。　The　broad　shoulders　of　the　man　in　front　of　Balthus　were　a　blue　in　the　dense　gloom。　He　knew　that　not　even　the　keen　eyes　of　the　man　who　knelt　in　the　prow　would　discern　anything　more　than　a　few　feet　ahead　of　them。　Conan　was　feeling　his　way　by　instinct　and　an　intensive　familiarity　with　the　river。
　　No　one　spoke。　Balthus　had　had　a　good　look　at　his　panions　in　the　fort　before　they　slipped　out　of　the　stockade　and　down　the　bank　into　the　waiting　canoe。　They　were　of　a　new　breed　growing　up　in　the　world　on　the　raw　edge　of　the　frontier…men　whom　grim　necessity　had　taught　woodcraft。　Aquilonians　of　the　western　provinces　to　a　man；　they　had　many　points　in　mon。　They　dressed　alike…in　buckskin　boots；　leathern　breeks　and　deerskin　shirts；　with　broad　girdles　that　held　axes　and　short　swords；　and　they　were　all　gaunt　and　scarred　and　hard…eyed；　sinewy　and　taciturn。
　　They　were　wild　men；　of　a　sort；　yet　there　was　still　a　wide　gulf　between　them　and　the　Cimmerian。　They　were　sons　of　civilization；　reverted　to　a　semi…barbarism。　He　was　a　barbarian　of　a　thousand　generations　of　barbarians。　They　had　acquired　stealth　and　craft；　but　he　had　been　born　to　these　things。　He　excelled　them　even　in　lithe　economy　of　motion。　They　were　wolves；　but　he　was　a　tiger。
　　Balthus　admired　them　and　their　leader　and　felt　a　pulse　of　pride　that　he　was　admitted　into　their　pany。　He　was　proud　that　his　paddle　made　no　more　noise　than　did　theirs。　In　that　respect　at　least　he　was　their　equal；　though　woodcraft　learned　in　hunts　on　the　Tauran　could　never　equal　that　ground　into　the　souls　of　men　on　the　savage　border。
　　Below　the　fort　the　river　made　a　wide　bend。　The　lights　of　the　outpost　were　quickly　lost；　but　the　canoe　held　on　its　way　for　nearly　a　mile；　avoiding　snags　and　floating　logs　with　almost　uncanny　precision。
　　Then　a　low　grunt　from　their　leader；　and　they　swung　its　head　about　and　glided　toward　the　opposite　shore。　Emerging　from　the　black　shadows　of　the　brush　that　fringed　the　bank　and　ing　into　the　open　of　the　midstream　created　a　peculiar　illusion　of　rash　exposure。　But　the　stars　gave　little　light；　and　Balthus　knew　that　unless　one　were　watching　for　it；　it　would　be　all　but　impossible　for　the　keenest　eye　to　make　out　the　shadowy　shape　of　the　canoe　crossing　the　river。
　　They　swung　in　under　the　overhanging　bushes　of　the　western　shore　and　Balthus　groped　for　and　found　a　projecting　root　which　he　grasped。　No　word　was　spoken。　All　instructions　had　been　given　before　the　scouting…party　left　the　fort。　As　silently　as　a　great　panther；　Conan　slid　over　the　side　and　vanished　in　the　bushes。　Equally　noiseless；　nine　men　followed　him。　To　Balthus；　grasping　the　root　with　his　paddle　across　his　knee；　it　seemed　incredible　that　ten　men　should　thus　fade　into　the　tangled　forest　withou