第 5 节
作者:漂亮格子      更新:2021-04-30 16:08      字数:9322
  passing smells were entered and left。 A turn in the course was
  made。 Then a roaring of many feet; more swinging of the basket; a
  short pause; another change of direction; then some clicks; some
  bangs; a long shrill whistle; and door…bells of a very big front
  door; a rumbling; a whizzing; an unpleasant smell; a hideous
  smell; a growing horrible; hateful choking smell; a deadly;
  griping; poisonous stench; with roaring that drowned poor Kitty's
  yowls; and just as it neared the point where endurance ceased;
  there was relief。 She heard clicks and clacks。 There was light;
  there was air。 Then a man's voice called; 〃All out for 125th
  Street;〃 though of course to Kitty it was a mere human bellow。
  The roaring almost ceaseddid cease。 Later the rackety…bang was
  renewed with plenty of sounds and shakes; though not the
  poisonous gas; a long; hollow; booming roar with a pleasant dock
  smell was quickly passed; and then there was a succession of
  jolts; roars; jars; stops; clicks; clacks; smells; jumps; shakes;
  more smells; more shakes;big shakes; little shakes;gases;
  smokes; screeches; door…bells; tremblings; roars; thunders; and
  some new smells; raps; taps; heavings; rumblings; and more
  smells; but all without any of the feel that the direction is
  changed。 When at last it stopped; the sun came twinkling through
  the basket…lid。 The Royal Cat was lifted into a Rumble…shaker of
  the old familiar style; and; swerving aside from their past
  course; very soon the noises of its wheels were grittings and
  rattlings; a new and horrible sound was addedthe barking of
  Dogs; big and little and dreadfully close。 The basket was lifted;
  and Slum Kitty had reached her country home。
  Every one was officiously kind。 They wanted to please the Royal
  Cat; but somehow none of them did; except; possibly; the big; fat
  cook that Kitty discovered on wandering into the kitchen。 This
  unctuous person smelt more like a slum than anything she had met
  for months; and the Royal Analostan was proportionately
  attracted。 The cook; when she learned that fears were entertained
  about the Cat staying; said: 〃Shure; she'd 'tind to thot; wanst a
  Cat licks her futs; shure she's at home。〃 So she deftly caught
  the unapproachable royalty in her apron; and committed the
  horrible sacrilege of greasing the soles of her feet with
  pot…grease。 Of course Kitty resented itshe resented everything
  in the place; but on being set down she began to dress her paws
  and found evident satisfaction in that grease。 She licked all
  four feet for an hour; and the cook triumphantly announced that
  now 〃shure she'd be apt to shtay。〃 And stay she did; but she
  showed a most surprising and disgusting preference for the
  kitchen; the cook; and the garbage…pail。
  The family; though distressed by these distinguished
  peculiarities; were glad to see the Royal Analostan more
  contented and approachable。 They gave her more liberty after a
  week or two。 They guarded her from every menace。 The Dogs were
  taught to respect her。 No man or boy about the place would have
  dreamed of throwing a stone at the famous pedigreed Cat。 She had
  all the food she wanted; but still she was not happy。 She was
  hankering for many things; she scarcely knew what。 She had
  everythingyes; but she wanted something else。 Plenty to eat and
  drinkyes; but milk does not taste the same when you can go and
  drink all you want from a saucer; it has to be stolen out of a
  tin pail when you are belly…pinched with hunger and thirst; or it
  does not have the tangit isn't milk。
  Yes; there was a junk…yard back of the house and beside it and
  around it too; a big one; but it was everywhere poisoned and
  polluted with roses。 The very Horses and Dogs had the wrong
  smells; the whole country round was a repellent desert of
  lifeless; disgusting gardens and hay…fields; without a single
  tenement or smoke…stack in sight。 How she did hate it all! There
  was only one sweet…smelling shrub in the whole horrible place;
  and that was in a neglected corner。 She did enjoy nipping that
  and rolling in the leaves; it was a bright spot in the grounds;
  but the only one; for she had not found a rotten fish…head nor
  seen a genuine garbage…can since she came; and altogether it was
  the most unlovely; unattractive; unsmellable spot she had ever
  known。 She would surely have gone that first night had she had
  the liberty。 The liberty was weeks in coming; and; meanwhile; her
  affinity with the cook had developed as a bond to keep her; but
  one day after a summer of discontent a succession of things
  happened to stir anew the slum instinct of the royal prisoner。
  A great bundle of stuff from the docks had reached the country
  mansion。 What it contained was of little moment; but it was rich
  with a score of the most piquant and winsome of dock and slum
  smells。 The chords of memory surely dwell in the nose; and
  Pussy's past was conjured up with dangerous force。 Next day the
  cook 'left' through some trouble over this very bundle。 It was
  the cutting of cables; and that evening the youngest boy of the
  house; a horrid little American with no proper appreciation of
  royalty; was tying a tin to the blue…blooded one's tail;
  doubtless in furtherance of some altruistic project; when Pussy
  resented the liberty with a paw that wore five big fish…hooks for
  the occasion。 The howl of downtrodden America roused America's
  mother。 The deft and womanly blow that she aimed with her book
  was miraculously avoided; and Pussy took flight; up…stairs; of
  course。 A hunted Rat runs down…stairs; a hunted Dog goes on the
  level; a hunted Cat runs up。 She hid in the garret; baffled
  discovery; and waited till night came。 Then; gliding down…stairs;
  she tried each screen…door in turn; till she found one unlatched;
  and escaped into the black August night。 Pitch…black to man's
  eyes; it was simply gray to her; and she glided through the
  disgusting shrubbery and flower…beds; took a final nip at that
  one little bush that had been an attractive spot in the garden;
  and boldly took her back track of the spring。
  How could she take a back track that she never saw? There is in
  all animals some sense of direction。 It is very low in man and
  very high in Horses; but Cats have a large gift; and this
  mysterious guide took her westward; not clearly and definitely;
  but with a general impulse that was made definite simply because
  the road was easy to travel。 In an hour she had covered two miles
  and reached the Hudson River。 Her nose had told her many times
  that the course was true。 Smell after smell came back; just as a
  man after walking a mile in a strange street may not recall a
  single feature; but will remember; on seeing it again; 〃Why; yes;
  I saw that before。〃 So Kitty's main guide was the sense of
  direction; but it was her nose that kept reassuring her; 〃Yes;
  now you are rightwe passed this place last spring。〃
  At the river was the railroad。 She could not go on the water; she
  must go north or south。 This was a case where her sense of
  direction was clear; it said; 〃Go south;〃 and Kitty trotted down
  the foot…path between the iron rails and the fence。
  LIFE III
  IX
  Cats can go very fast up a tree or over a wall; but when it comes
  to the long steady trot that reels off mile after mile; hour
  after hour; it is not the   cat…hop; but the dog…trot; that
  counts。 Although the travelling was good and the path direct; an
  hour had gone before two more miles were put between her and the
  Hades of roses。 She was tired and a little foot…sore。 She was
  thinking of rest when a Dog came running to the fence near by;
  and broke out into such a horrible barking close to her ear that
  Pussy leaped in terror。 She ran as hard as she could down the
  path; at the same time watching to see if the Dog should succeed
  in passing the fence。 No; not yet! but he ran close by it;
  growling horribly; while Pussy skipped along on the safe side。
  The barking of the Dog grew into a low rumblea louder rumble
  and roaringa terrifying thunder。 A light shone。 Kitty glanced
  back to see; not the Dog; but a huge Black Thing with a blazing
  red eye coming on; yowling and spitting like a yard full of Cats。
  She put forth all her powers to run; made such time as she had
  never made before; but dared not leap the fence。 She was running
  like a Dog; was flying; but all in vain; the monstrous pursuer
  overtook her; but missed her in the darkness; and hurried past to
  be lost in the night; while Kitty crouched gasping for breath;
  half a mile nearer home since that Dog began to bark。
  This was her first encounter with the strange monster; strange to
  her eyes only; her nose seemed to know him and told her this was
  another landmark on the home trail。 But Pussy lost much of her
  fear of his kind。 She learned that they were very stupid and
  could not find her if she slipped quietly under a fence and lay
  still。 Before morning she had encountered several of them; but
  escaped unharmed from all。
  About sunrise she reached a nice little slum on her home trail;
  and was lucky enough to find several unsterilized eatables in an
  ash…heap。 She spent the day around a stable where were two Dogs
  and a number of small boys; that between them came near ending
  her career。 It was so very like home; but