首页 >出版文学> The Works of Rudyard Kipling One>第136章
  “AwomanoftheHillsWebeLepchasofDarjiling,butmetheycallanoutlanderbecausemyhairisasthouseest。”
  TheThibetanwoman,hiswife,touchedhimonthearmgently。
  ThelongparleyoutsidetheforthadlastedfarintothedayItwasnowcloseupontwilight-thehouroftheAngelusVerysolemnlythered-headedbratsrosefromthefloorandformedasemicircle。
  NamgayDoolalaidhisgunaside,lightedalittleoil-lamp,andsetitbeforearecessinthewallPullingbackawispofdirtycloth,herevealedawornbrasscrucifixleaningagainstthehelmetbadgeofalong-forgottenEastIndiaCompany’sregiment“Thusdidmyfather。”besaid,crossinghimselfclumsilyThewifeandchildrenfollowedsuitThen,alltogether,theystruckwill,letthismatterstandovertillthemorning。
  Onlythegodscandorightinahurry,anditmaybethatyondervillagerhaslied。”
  “Nay,forIknowthenatureofNamgayDoola;butsinceaguestasks,letthematterremainWiltthou,formysake,speakharshlytothisred-headedoutlander?Hemaylistentothee。”
  Imadeanattemptthatveryevening,butforthelifeofmeIcouldnotkeepmycountenanceNamgayDoolagrinnedsopersuasivelyandbegantotellmeaboutabigbrownbearinapoppyfieldbytheriverWouldIcaretoshootthatbear?Ispokeau~terelyonthesinofdetectedconspiracyandthecertaintyofpunishmentNamgayDoola’sfacecloudedforamomentShortlyafterwardhewithdrewfrommytent,andIheardhimsingingsoftlyamongthepinesThewordswereunintelligibletome,butthetune,likehisliquid,insinuatingspeech,seemedtheghostofsomethingstrangelyfamiliar。
  “Dirbanemard-i-yemendirToweereealagee。”
  croonedNamgayDoolaagainandagain,andIrackedmybrainforthatlosttuneItwasnottillafterdinnerthatIdiscoveredsomeonehadcutasquarefootofvelvetfromthecentreofmybest。mera-clothThisrAademesoangrythatIwandereddownthevalleyinthehopeofmeetingthebigbrownbearIcouldhearhimgruntinglikeadiscontentedpiginthepoppyfieldasIwaitedshoulderdeepinthedew-drippingIndiancorntocatchhimafterhismealThemoonwasatfullanddrewoutthescentofthetasseledcropThenI
  heardtheanguishedbellowofaHimalayancow-oneofthelittleblackcrummiesnobiggerthanNewfoundlanddogsTwoshadowsthatlookedlikeabearandhercubhurriedpastmeIwasintheactoffiringwhenIsawthateachboreabrilliantredheadThelesseranimalwastrailingsomethingrope-likethatleftadarktrackonthepathTheywerewithinsixfeetofme,andtheshadowofthemoonlightlayvelvet-blackontheirfacesVelvet-blackwasexactlytheword,forbyallthepowersofmoonlighttheyweremaskedinthevelvetofmycamera-clothImarveled,andwenttobed。
  NextmorningthekingdomwasinanuproarNamgayDoola,mensaid,hadgoneforthinthenightandwithasharpknifehadcutoffthetailofacowbelongingtotherabbit-facedvillagerwhohadbetrayedhimItwassacrilegeunspeakableagainsttheholycow!
  Thestatedesiredhisblood,huthehadretreatedintohishut,barricadedthedoorsandwindowswithbigstones,anddefiedtheworld。
  ThekingandIandthepopulaceapproachedthehutcautiously。
  Therewasnohopeofcapturingourmanwithoutlossoflife,forfromaholeinthewallprojectedthemuzzleofanextremelywell-cared-forgun-theonlyguninthestatethatcouldshoot。
  NamgayDoolahadnarrowlymissedavillagerjustbeforewecameup。
  Thestandingarmystood。
  Itcoulddonomore,forwhenitadvancedpiecesofsharpshaleflewfromthewindowsTothesewereaddedfromtimetotimeshowersofscaldingwaterWesawredbeadsbobbingupanddownwithinThefamilyofNamgayDoolaWORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
  wereaidingtheirsireBlood-curdlingyellsofdefianceweretheonlyanswertoourprayers。
  “Never。”saidtheking,puffing,“hassuchathingbefallenmystate。
  NextyearIwillcertainlybuyalittlecan-non。”Helookedatmeimploringly。
  “Isthereanypriestinthekingdomtowhomhewilllisten?”saidI,foralightwasbeginningtobreakuponme。
  “Heworshipshisowngod。”saidtheprimeminister“Wecanbutstarvehimout。”
  “Letthewhitemanapproach。”saidNamgayDoolafromwithin。
  “AllothersIwillkillSendmethewhiteman。”
  ThedoorwasthrownopenandIenteredthesmokyinteriorofaThibetanhutcrammedwithchildrenAndeverychildhadflamingredhairAfreshgatheredcow’staillayonthefloor,andbyitssidetwopiecesofblackvelvet-~yblackvelvet-rudelyhackedintothesemblanceofmasks。
  “Andwhatisthisshame,NamgayDoola?”Iasked。
  Hegrinnedmorecharminglythanever“Thereisnoshame。”saidhe“Ididbutcutoffthetailofthatman’scowHebetrayedmeI
  wasmindedtoshoothim,sahib,butnottodeathIndeed,nottodeath;onlyinthelegs。”
  “Andwhyatall,sinceitisthecustomtopayrevenuetotheking?
  Whyatall?”
  “Bythegodofmyfather,Icannottell。”saidNamgayDoola。
  “Andwhowasthyfather?”
  “Thesamethathadthisgun。”Heshowedmehisweapon,aTowermusket,bearingdate1832andthestampoftheHonorableEastIndiaCompany。
  “Andthyfather’sname?”saidI。
  “TimlayDoola。”saidhe“Atthefirst,Ibeingthenalittlechild,itisinmymindthatheworearedcoat。”
  “OfthatIhavenodoubt;butrepeatthenameofthyfathertwiceorthrice。”
  Heobeyed,andIunderstoodwhencethepuzzlingaccentinhisspeechcame“ThimlaDhula!”saidhe,excitedly“TothishourI
  worshiphisgod。”
  “MayIseethatgod?”
  “Inalittlewhile-attwilighttime。”
  “Rememberestthouaughtofthyfather’sspeech?”
  “ItislongagoButtherewasonewordwhichhesaidoftenThus,’’Shun!’ThenIandmybrethrenstooduponourfeet,ourhandstooursides,thus。”
  “EvensoAndwhatwasthymother?”
  “AwomanoftheHillsWebeLepchasofDarjiling,butmetheycallanoutlanderbecausemyhairisasthouseest。”
  TheThibetanwoman,hiswife,touchedhimonthearmgently。
  ThelongparleyoutsidetheforthadlastedfarintothedayItwasnowcloseupontwilight-thehouroftheAngelusVerysolemnlythered-headedbratsroscfromthefloorandformedasemicircle。
  NamgayDoolalaidhisgunaside,lightedalittleoil-lamp,andsetitbeforearecessinthewallPullingbackawispofdirtycloth,herevealedawornbrasscrucifixleaningagainstthehelmetbadgeofalong-forgottenEastIndiaCompany’sregiment“Thusdidmyfather。”hesaid,crossinghimselfclumsilyThewifeandchildrenfollowedsuitThen,alltogether,theystruckupthewailingchamthatIheardonthehillside:
  “Dirbanemard-i-yemendirToweereealagee。”
  IwaspuzzlednolongerAgainandagaintheysung,asiftheirheartswouldbreak,theirversionofthechorusof“TheWearingoftheGreen“:
  “They’rehangingmenandwomen,too,Forthewearingofthegreen,。”
  AdiabolicalinspirationcametomeOneofthebrats,aboyabouteightyearsold-couldhehavebeeninthefieldslastnight?-waswatchingmeashesungIpulledoutarupee,heldthecoinbetweenfingerandthumb,andlooked-onlylook-atthegunleaningagainstthewallAgrinofbrilliantandperfectcomprehensionoverspreadhisporringer-likefaceNeverforaninstantstoppingthesong,heheldouthishandforthemoney,andthenslidtheguntomyhandImighthaveshotNamgayDooladeadashechanted,butIwassatisfiedTheinevitableblood-instinctheldtrueNamgayDooladrewthecurtainacrosstherecessAngeluswasover。
  “ThusmyfathersungTherewasmuchmore,butIhaveforgotten,andIdonotknowthepurportofeventhesewords,butitmaybethatthegodwillunderstandIamnotofthispeople,andIwillnotpayrevenue。”
  “Andwhy?”
  Againthatsoul-compellinggrin“Whatoccupationwouldbetomebetweencropandcrop?ItisbetterthanscaringbearsButthesepeopledonotunderstand。”
  Hepickedthemasksoffthefloorandlookedinmyfaceassimplyasachild。
  “Bywhatroaddidstthouattainknowledgetomakethosedeviltries?”Isaid,pointing。
  “IcannottellIambutaLepchaofDarjiling,andyetthestuff“-
  “Whichthouhaststolen。”saidI“Nay,surelyDidIsteal?I
  desireditsoThestuff-thestuffWhatelseshouldIhavedonewiththestuff?”Hetwistedthevelvetbetweenhisfingers。
  “Butthesinofmaimingthecow-considerthat。”
  “Oh,sahib,themanbetrayedme;theheifer’stailwavedinthemoonlight,andIhadmyknifeWhatelseshouldIhavedone?ThetailcameoffereIwasawareSahib,thouknowestmorethanI。”
  “Thatistrue。”saidI“StaywithinthedoorIgotospeaktotheking。”ThepopulationofthestatewererangedonthehillsideI
  wentforthandspoke。
  “Oking。”saidI,“touchingthisman,therebetwocoursesopentothywisdomThoucansteitherhanghimfromatree-heandhisbrood-tillthereremainsnohairthatisredwithinthyland。”
  “Nay。”saidtheking“WhyshouldIhurtthelittlechildren?”
  Theyhadpouredoutofthehutandweremakingplumpobeisancestoevery-bodyNamgayDoolawaitedatthedoorwithhisgunacrosshisarm。
  “Orthoucanst,discardingtheirimpietyofthecow-maiming,raisehimtohonorinthyarmyHecomesofaracethatwillnotpayrevenueAredflameisinhisbloodwhichcomesoutatthetopofhisbeadinthatglowinghairMakehimchiefofthyarmyGivehimhonorasmaybefallandfullallowanceofwork,butlooktoit,oh,king,thatneitherhenorhisholdafootofearthfromtheehenceforwardFeedhimwithwordsandfavor,andalsoliquorfromcertainbottlesthatthouknowestof,andhewillbeabulwarkofdefenseButdenyhimevenatuft-letofgrassforhisownThisisthenaturethatGodhasgivenhimMoreover,hehasbrethren“-
  Thestategroanedunanimously。
  “Butifhisbrethrencometheywillsurelyfightwitheachothertilltheydie;orelsetheonewillalwaysgiveinformationconcerningtheotherShallhebeofthyarmy,oh,king?Choose“
  Thekingbowedhishead,andIsaid:
  “Comeforth,NamgayDoola,andcommandtheking’sarmyThynameshallnomorebeNamgayinthemouthsofmen,butPatsayDoola,for,asthouhasttrulysaid,Iknow。”
  ThenNamgayDoola,never-christenedPatsayDoola,sonofTimlayDoola-whichisTimDoolan-claspedtheking’sfeet,cuffedthestandingarmy,andhurriedinanagonyofcontritionfromtempletotemplemakingofferingsforthesinofthecattle-maiming。
  Andthekingwassopleasedwithmyperspicacitythatheofferedtosellmeavillagefor20poundssterlingButIbuynovillageintheHimalayassolongasoneredheadflaresbetweenthetailoftheheaven-climbingglacierandthedarkbirchforest。
  Iknowthatbreed。