the lion and the unicorn-第9节

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as　though　it　were　a　coronet；　and　placed　it　between　them　on　his
table。

〃Philip；〃　she　stammered；　with　the　tears　in　her　voice　and　eyes；
〃if　you　will　let　meI　have　come　to　stay。〃

The　table　was　no　longer　between　them。　　He　caught　her　in　his　arms
and　kissed　her　face　and　her　uncovered　head　again　and　again。　　From
outside　the　rain　beat　drearily　and　the　fog　rolled　through　the
street；　but　inside　before　the　fire　the　two　young　people　sat　close
together；　asking　eager　questions　or　sitting　in　silence；　staring
at　the　flames　with　wondering；　happy　eyes。


The　Lion　and　the　Unicorn　saw　them　only　once　again。　　It　was　a
month　later　when　they　stopped　in　front　of　the　shop　in　a　four…
wheeler；　with　their　baggage　mixed　on　top　of　it；　and　steamer…
labels　pasted　over　every　trunk。

〃And；　oh；　Prentiss！〃　Carroll　called　from　the　cab…window。　　〃I　came
near　forgetting。　　I　promised　to　gild　the　Lion　and　the　Unicorn
if　I　won　out　in　London。　　So　have　it　done；　please；　and　send　the
bill　to　me。　　For　I've　won　out　all　right。〃　　And　then　he　shut　the
door　of　the　cab；　and　they　drove　away　forever。

〃Nice　gal；　that；〃　growled　the　Lion。　　〃I　always　liked　her。　　I　am
glad　they've　settled　it　at　last。〃

The　Unicorn　sighed；　sentimentally。　　〃The　other　one's　worth　two　of
her；〃　he　said。



ON　THE　FEVER　SHIP

There　were　four　rails　around　the　ship's　sides；　the　three　lower
ones　of　iron　and　the　one　on　top　of　wood；　and　as　he　looked　between
them　from　the　canvas　cot　he　recognized　them　as　the　prison…bars
which　held　him　in。　　Outside　his　prison　lay　a　stretch　of　blinding
blue　water　which　ended　in　a　line　of　breakers　and　a　yellow　coast
with　ragged　palms。　　Beyond　that　again　rose　a　range　of　mountain…
peaks；　and；　stuck　upon　the　loftiest　peak　of　all；　a　tiny　block…
house。　　It　rested　on　the　brow　of　the　mountain　against　the　naked
sky　as　impudently　as　a　cracker…box　set　upon　the　dome　of　a　great
cathedral。

As　the　transport　rode　on　her　anchor…chains；　the　iron　bars　around
her　sides　rose　and　sank　and　divided　the　landscape　with　parallel
lines。　　From　his　cot　the　officer　followed　this　phenomenon　with
severe；　painstaking　interest。　　Sometimes　the　wooden　rail　swept　up
to　the　very　block…house　itself；　and　for　a　second　of　time
blotted　it　from　sight。　　And　again　it　sank　to　the　level　of　the
line　of　breakers；　and　wiped　them　out　of　the　picture　as　though
they　were　a　line　of　chalk。

The　soldier　on　the　cot　promised　himself　that　the　next　swell　of
the　sea　would　send　the　lowest　rail　climbing　to　the　very　top　of
the　palm…trees　or；　even　higher；　to　the　base　of　the　mountains；　and
when　it　failed　to　reach　even　the　palm…trees　he　felt　a　distinct
sense　of　ill　use；　of　having　been　wronged　by　some　one。　　There　was
no　other　reason　for　submitting　to　this　existence；　save　these
tricks　upon　the　wearisome；　glaring　landscape；　and；　now；　whoever
it　was　who　was　working　them　did　not　seem　to　be　making　this　effort
to　entertain　him　with　any　heartiness。

It　was　most　cruel。　　Indeed；　he　decided　hotly；　it　was　not　to　be
endured；　he　would　bear　it　no　longer；　he　would　make　his　escape。　
But　he　knew　that　this　move；　which　could　be　conceived　in　a
moment's　desperation；　could　only　be　carried　to　success　with　great
strategy；　secrecy；　and　careful　cunning。　　So　he　fell　back　upon　his
pillow　and　closed　his　eyes；　as　though　he　were　asleep；　and
then　opening　them　again；　turned　cautiously；　and　spied　upon　his
keeper。　　As　usual；　his　keeper　sat　at　the　foot　of　the　cot　turning
the　pages　of　a　huge　paper　filled　with　pictures　of　the　war　printed
in　daubs　of　tawdry　colors。　　His　keeper　was　a　hard…faced　boy
without　human　pity　or　consideration；　a　very　devil　of　obstinacy
and　fiendish　cruelty。　　To　make　it　worse；　the　fiend　was　a　person
without　a　collar；　in　a　suit　of　soiled　khaki；　with　a　curious　red
cross　bound　by　a　safety…pin　to　his　left　arm。　　He　was　intent　upon
the　paper　in　his　hands；　he　was　holding　it　between　his　eyes　and
his　prisoner。　　His　vigilance　had　relaxed；　and　the　moment　seemed
propitious。　　With　a　sudden　plunge　of　arms　and　legs；　the　prisoner
swept　the　bed　sheet　from　him；　and　sprang　at　the　wooden　rail　and
grasped　the　iron　stanchion　beside　it。　　He　had　his　knee　pressed
against　the　top　bar　and　his　bare　toes　on　the　iron　rail　beneath
it。　　Below　him　the　blue　water　waited　for　him。　　It　was　cool　and
dark　and　gentle　and　deep。　　It　would　certainly　put　out　the　fire　in
his　bones；　he　thought；　it　might　even　shut　out　the　glare　of　the
sun　which　scorched　his　eyeballs。　

But　as　he　balanced　for　the　leap；　a　swift　weakness　and　nausea
swept　over　him；　a　weight　seized　upon　his　body　and　limbs。　　He
could　not　lift　the　lower　foot　from　the　iron　rail；　and　he　swayed
dizzily　and　trembled。　　He　trembled。　　He　who　had　raced　his　men　and
beaten　them　up　the　hot　hill　to　the　trenches　of　San　Juan。　　But　now
he　was　a　baby　in　the　hands　of　a　giant；　who　caught　him　by　the
wrist　and　with　an　iron　arm　clasped　him　around　his　waist　and
pulled　him　down；　and　shouted；　brutally；　〃Help；　some　of　you'se；
quick；　he's　at　it　again。　　I　can't　hold　him。〃

More　giants　grasped　him　by　the　arms　and　by　the　legs。　　One　of　them
took　the　hand　that　clung　to　the　stanchion　in　both　of　his；　and
pulled　back　the　fingers　one　by　one；　saying；　〃Easy　now；
Lieutenanteasy。〃

The　ragged　palms　and　the　sea　and　block…house　were　swallowed　up　in
a　black　fog；　and　his　body　touched　the　canvas　cot　again　with　a
sense　of　home…coming　and　relief　and　rest。　　He　wondered　how　he
could　have　cared　to　escape　from　it。　　He　found　it　so　good　to　be
back　again　that　for　a　long　time　he　wept　quite　happily；　until　the
fiery　pillow　was　moist　and　cool。

The　world　outside　of　the　iron　bars　was　like　a　scene　in　a　theatre
set　for　some　great　event；　but　the　actors　were　never　ready。　　He
remembered　confusedly　a　play　he　had　once　witnessed　before　that
same　scene。　　Indeed；　he　believed　he　had　played　some　small　part　in
it；　but　he　remembered　it　dimly；　and　all　trace　of　the　men　who　had
appeared　with　him　in　it　was　gone。　　He　had　reasoned　it　out　that
they　were　up　there　behind　the　range　of　mountains；　because　great
heavy　wagons　and　ambulances　and　cannon　were　emptied　from　the
ships　at　the　wharf　above　and　were　drawn　away　in　long　lines　behind
the　ragged　palms；　moving　always　toward　the　passes　between　the
peaks。　　At　times　he　was　disturbed　by　the　thought　that　he　should
be　up　and　after　them；　that　some　tradition　of　duty　made　his
presence　with　them　imperative。　　There　was　much　to　be　done　back　of
the　mountains。　　Some　event　of　momentous　import　was　being　carried
forward　there；　in　which　he　held　a　part；　but　the　doubt　soon　passed
from　him；　and　he　was　content　to　lie　and　watch　the　iron　bars
rising　and　falling　between　the　block…house　and　the　white
surf。

If　they　had　been　only　humanely　kind；　his　lot　would　have　been
bearable；　but　they　starved　him　and　held　him　down　when　he　wished
to　rise；　and　they　would　not　put　out　the　fire　in　the　pillow；　which
they　might　easily　have　done　by　the　simple　expedient　of　throwing
it　over　the　ship's　side　into　the　sea。　　He　himself　had　done　this
twice；　but　the　keeper　had　immediately　brought　a　fresh　pillow
already　heated　for　the　torture　and　forced　it　under　his　head。

His　pleasures　were　very　simple；　and　so　few　that　he　could　not
understand　why　they　robbed　him　of　them　so　jealously。　　One　was　to
watch　a　green　cluster　of　bananas　that　hung　above　him　from　the
awning　twirling　on　a　string。　　He　could　count　as　many　of　them　as
five　before　the　bunch　turned　and　swung　lazily　back　again；　when　he
could　count　as　high　as　twelve；　sometimes　when　the　ship　rolled
heavily　he　could　count　to　twenty。　　It　was　a　most　fascinating
game；　and　contented　him　for　many　hours。　　But　when　they　found　this
out　they　sent　for　the　cook　to　come　and　cut　them　down；　and　the
cook　carried　them　away　to　his　galley。

Then；　one　day；　a　man　came　out　from　the　shore；　swimming　through
the　blue　water　with　great　splashes。　　He　was　a　most　charming　man；
who　spluttered　and　dove　and　twisted　and　lay　on　his　back　and
kicked　his　legs　in　an　excess　of　content　and　delight。　　It　was　a
real　pleasure　to　watch　him；　not　for　days　had　anything　so　amusing
appeared　on　the　other　side　of　the　prison…bars。　　But　as　soon　as
the　keeper　saw　that　the　man　in　the　water　was　amusing　his
prisoner；　he　leaned　over　the　ship's　side　and　shouted；　〃Sa…ay；
you；　don't　you　know　there's　sharks　in　there？〃

And　the　swimming　man　said；　〃The　hll　there　is！〃　and　raced　back
to　the　shore　like　a　porpoise　with　great　lashing　of　the　water；　and
ran　up　the　beach　half…way　to　the　palms　before　he　was　satisfied　to
stop。　　Then　the　prisoner　wept　again。　　It　was　so　disappointing。　
Life　was　robbed　of　everything　now。　　He　remembered　that　in　a
previous　existence　soldiers　who　cried　were　laughed　at　and　mocked。

But　that　was　so　far　away　and　it　was　such　an　absurd　superstition
that　he　had　no　patience　with　it。　　For　what　could　be　more
comforting　to　a　man　when　he　is　treated　cruelly　than　to　cry。　
It　was　so　obvious　an　exercise；　and　when　one　is　so　feeble　that　one
cannot　vault　a　four…railed　barrier　it　is　something　to　feel　that
at　least　one　is　strong　enough　to　cry。

He　escaped　occasionally；　traversing　space　with　marvellous
rapidity　and　to　great　distances；　but　never　to　any　successful
purpose；　and　his　flight　inevitably　ended　in　ignominious　recapture
and　a　sudden　awakening　in　bed。　　At　these　moments　the　familiar　and
hated　palm