第 11 节
作者:丁格      更新:2021-02-20 15:03      字数:9322
  across the sands till I came to the lip of the sea。
  Just here there was a boat and by it stood Giles the keeper。 He had
  come there to get out of the way of the hunting; which he hated as
  much as he did the coursing。 The sight of him settled meinto the sea
  I went。 The dogs wanted to follow me; but Jerry called and whipped
  them off。
  〃I won't have them caught in the current and drowned;〃 he said。 〃Let
  the flea…bitten old devil go; she's brought trouble enough already。〃
  〃Help me shove off the boat; Giles;〃 shouted Tom。 〃She shan't beat us;
  we must have her for the hounds。 Come on; Ella。〃
  〃Best leave her alone; Master Tom;〃 said Giles。 〃I think she's an
  unlucky one; that I do。〃
  Still the end of it was that he helped to float the little boat and
  got into it with Tom and Ella。
  Just after they had pushed off I saw a man running down the steps on
  the cliff waving his arms while he called out something。 But of him
  they took no heed。 I do not think they noticed him。 As for me; I swam
  on。
  I could not go very fast because I was so dreadfully tired; also I did
  not like swimming; and the cold waves broke over my head; making the
  cut in my nose smart and filling my eyes with something that stung
  them。 I could not see far either; nor did I know where I was going。 I
  knew nothing except I was about to die; and that soon everything would
  be at an end; men; dogseverything; yes; even Tom。 I wanted things to
  come to an end。 I had suffered so dreadfully; life was so horrible; I
  was so very tired。 I felt that it was better to die and have done。
  So I swam on a long way and began to forget things; indeed I thought
  that I was playing in the big turnip field with my mother and sister。
  But just as I was sinking exhausted a hand shot down into the water
  and caught me by the ears; although from below the fingers looked as
  though they were bending away from me。 I saw it coming and tried to
  sink more quickly; but could not。
  〃I've got her;〃 said the voice of Tom gleefully。 〃My! isn't she a
  beauty? Over nine pounds if she is an ounce。 Only just in time;
  though;〃 he went on; 〃for; look! she's drowning; her head wobbles as
  though she were sea…sick。 Buck up; pussie; buck up! You mustn't cheat
  the hounds at last; you know。 It wouldn't be sportsmanlike; and they
  hate dead hares。〃
  Then he held me by my hind legs to drain the water out of me; and
  afterwards began to blow down my nose; I did not know why。
  〃Don't do that; Tom;〃 said Ella sharply。 〃It's nasty。〃
  〃Must keep the life in her somehow;〃 answered Tom; and went on
  blowing。
  〃Master Tom;〃 interrupted Giles; who was rowing the boat。 〃I ain't
  particular; but I wish you'd leave that there hare alone。 Somehow I
  thinks there's bad news in its eye。 Who knows? P'raps the little devil
  feels。 Any way; it's a rum one; its swimming out to sea。 I never see'd
  a hunted hare do that afore。〃
  〃Bosh!〃 said Tom; and continued his blowing。
  We reached the shore and Tom jumped out of the boat; holding me by the
  ears。 The hounds were all on the beach; most of them lying down; for
  they were very tired; but the men were standing in a knot at a
  distance talking earnestly; Tom ran to the hounds; crying out
  〃Here she is; my beauties; here she is!〃 whereon they got up and began
  to bay。 Then he held me above them。
  〃Master Tom;〃 I heard Jerry's voice say; 〃for God's sake let that hare
  go and listen; Master Tom;〃 and the girl Ella; who of a sudden had
  begun to sob; tried to pull him back。
  But he was mad to see me bitten to death and eaten; and until he had
  done so would attend to no one。 He only shouted; 〃Onetwothree!
  Now; hounds! /Worry; worry; worry!/〃
  Then he threw me into the air above the red throats and gnashing teeth
  which leapt up towards me。
  *****
  The Hare paused; but added; 〃Did you tell me; friend Mahatma; that you
  had never been torn to pieces by hounds; 'broken up;' I believe they
  call it?〃
  〃Yes; I did;〃 I answered; 〃and what is more I shall be obliged if you
  will not dwell upon the subject。〃
  THE COMING OF THE RED…FACED MAN
  〃As you like;〃 said the Hare。 〃Certainly it was very dreadful。 It
  seemed to last a long time。 But I don't mind it so much now; for I
  feel that it can never happen to me again。 At least I hope it can't;
  for I don't know what I have done to deserve such a fate; any more
  than I know why it should have happened to me once。〃
  〃Something you did in a previous existence; perhaps;〃 I answered。 〃You
  see then you may have hunted other creatures so cruelly that at last
  your turn came to suffer what you had made them suffer。 I often think
  that because of what we have done before we men are also really being
  hunted by something we cannot see。〃
  〃Ah!〃 exclaimed the Hare; 〃I never thought of that。 I hope it is true;
  for it makes things seem juster and less wicked。 But I say; friend
  Mahatma; what am I doing here now; where you tell me poor creatures
  with four feet never; or hardly ever come?〃
  〃I don't know; Hare。 I am not wise; to whom it is only granted to
  visit the Road occasionally to search for some one。〃
  〃I understand; Mahatma; but still you must know a great deal or you
  would not be allowed in such a place before your time; or at any rate
  you must be able to guess a great deal。 So tell me; why do you think
  that I am here?〃
  〃I can't say; Hare; I can't indeed。 Perhaps after the Gates are open
  and your Guardian has given you to drink of the Cup; you will go to
  sleep and wake up again as something else。〃
  〃To drink of the cup; Mahatma? I don't drink; at least I didn't;
  though I can't tell what may happen here。 But what do you mean about
  waking up as something else? Please be more plain。 As what else?〃
  〃Oh! who can know? Possibly as you are on the human Road you might
  even become a man some day; though I should not advise you to build on
  such a hope as that。〃
  〃What do you say; Mahatma? A man! One of those two…legged beasts that
  hunt hares; a thing like Giles and Tomyes; Tom? Oh! not thatnot
  that! I'd almost rather go through everything again than become a
  cruel; torturing man。〃
  As it spoke thus the Hare grew so disturbed that it nearly vanished;
  literally it seemed to melt away till I could only perceive its
  outline。 With a kind of shock I comprehended all the horror that it
  must feel at such a prospect as I had suggested to it; and really this
  grasping of the truth hurt my human pride。 It had never come home to
  me before that the circumstances of their livesand deathsmust
  cause some creatures to see us in strange lights。
  〃Oh! I have no doubt I was mistaken;〃 I said hurriedly; 〃and that your
  wishes on the point will be respected。 I told you that I know
  nothing。〃
  At these words the Hare became quite visible again。
  It sat up and very reflectively began to rub its still shadowy nose
  with a shadowy paw。 I think that it remembered the sting of the salt
  water in the cut made by the glass of the window through which it had
  sprung。
  Believing that its remarkable story was done; and that presently it
  would altogether melt away and vanish out of my knowledge; I looked
  about me。 First I looked above the towering Gates to see whether the
  Lights had yet begun to change。 Then as they had not I looked down the
  Great White Road; following it for miles and miles; until even to my
  spirit sight it lost itself in the Nowhere。
  Presently coming up this Road towards us I saw a man dressed in a
  green coat; riding…breeches and boots and a peaked cap; who held in
  his hand a hunting…whip。 He was a fine…looking person of middle age;
  with a pleasant; open countenance; bright blue eyes; and very red
  cheeks; on which he wore light…coloured whiskers。 In short a jovial…
  looking individual; with whom things had evidently always gone well;
  one to whom sorrow and disappointment and mental struggle were utter
  strangers。 He; at least; had never known what it is to 〃endure
  hardness〃 in all his life。
  Studying his nature as one can do on the Road; I perceived also that
  in him there was no guile。 He was a good…minded; God…fearing man
  according to his simple lights; who had done many kindnesses and
  contributed liberally towards the wants of the poor; though as he had
  been very rich; it had cost him little thus to gratify the natural
  promptings of his heart。
  Moreover he was what Jorsen calls a 〃young soul;〃 quite young indeed;
  by which I mean that he had not often walked the Road in previous
  states of life; as for instance that Eastern woman had done who
  accosted me before the arrival of the Hare。 So to speak his crude
  nature had scarcely outgrown the primitive human condition in which
  necessity as well as taste make it customary and pleasant to men to
  kill; that condition through which almost every boy passes on his way
  to manhood; I suppose by the working of some secret law of
  reminiscence。
  It was this thought that first led me to connect the new…comer with
  the Red…faced Man of the Hare's story。 It may seem strange that I
  should have been so dense; but the truth is that it never occurred to
  me; any more than it had done to the Hare; that such a person would be
  at all likely to tread the Road for many years to come。 I had gathered
  that he was comparati