the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第8节
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THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
There is no way。 Those men are not wiser than goats。 They may fall
to their deaths。 Let us watch。〃
〃They are brave men；〃 said Koolau。 〃Let us watch。〃
Side by side they lay among the morning…glories； with the yellow
blossoms of the hau dropping upon them from overhead； watching the
motes of men toil upward； till the thing happened； and three of them；
slipping； rolling； sliding； dashed over a cliff…lip and fell sheer half a
thousand feet。
Kiloliana chuckled。
〃We will be bothered no more；〃 he said。
〃They have war guns；〃 Koolau made answer。 〃The soldiers have not
yet spoken。〃
In the drowsy afternoon； most of the lepers lay in their rock dens
asleep。 Koolau； his rifle on his knees； fresh…cleaned and ready； dozed
in the entrance to his own den。 The maid with the twisted arms lay
below in the thicket and kept watch on the knife…edge passage。
Suddenly Koolau was startled wide awake by the sound of an explosion
on the beach。 The next instant the atmosphere was incredibly rent
asunder。 The terrible sound frightened him。 It was as if all the gods
had caught the envelope of the sky in their hands and were ripping it
apart as a woman rips apart a sheet of cotton cloth。 But it was such an
immense ripping； growing swiftly nearer。 Koolau glanced up
apprehensively； as if expecting to see the thing。 Then high up on the
cliff overhead the shell burst in a fountain of black smoke。 The rock
was shattered； the fragments falling to the foot of the cliff。
Koolau passed his hand across his sweaty brow。 He was terribly
shaken。 He had had no experience with shell…fire； and this was more
dreadful than anything he had imagined。
〃One；〃 said Kapahei； suddenly bethinking himself to keep count。
A second and a third shell flew screaming over the top of the wall；
bursting beyond view。 Kapahei methodically kept the count。 The
lepers crowded into the open space before the caves。 At first they were
frightened； but as the shells continued their flight overhead the leper folk
became reassured and began to admire the spectacle。
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THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
The two idiots shrieked with delight； prancing wild antics as each
air…tormenting shell went by。 Koolau began to recover his confidence。
No damage was being done。 Evidently they could not aim such large
missiles at such long range with the precision of a rifle。
But a change came over the situation。 The shells began to fall short。
One burst below in the thicket by the knife…edge。 Koolau remembered
the maid who lay there on watch； and ran down to see。 The smoke was
still rising from the bushes when he crawled in。 He was astounded。
The branches were splintered and broken。 Where the girl had lain was
a hole in the ground。 The girl herself was in shattered fragments。 The
shell had burst right on her。
First peering out to make sure no soldiers were attempting the
passage； Koolau started back on the run for the caves。 All the time the
shells were moaning； whining； screaming by； and the valley was
rumbling and reverberating with the explosions。 As he came in sight of
the caves； he saw the two idiots cavorting about； clutching each other's
hands with their stumps of fingers。 Even as he ran； Koolau saw a spout
of black smoke rise from the ground； near to the idiots。 They were
flung apart bodily by the explosion。 One lay motionless； but the other
was dragging himself by his hands toward the cave。 His legs trailed out
helplessly behind him； while the blood was pouring from his body。 He
seemed bathed in blood； and as he crawled he cried like a little dog。
The rest of the lepers； with the exception of Kapahei； had fled into the
caves。
〃Seventeen；〃 said Kapahei。 〃Eighteen；〃 he added。
This last shell had fairly entered into one of the caves。 The
explosion caused the caves to empty。 But from the particular cave no
one emerged。 Koolau crept in through the pungent； acrid smoke。 Four
bodies； frightfully mangled； lay about。 One of them was the sightless
woman whose tears till now had never ceased。
Outside； Koolau found his people in a panic and already beginning to
climb the goat…trail that led out of the gorge and on among the jumbled
heights and chasms。 The wounded idiot； whining feebly and dragging
himself along on the ground by his hands； was trying to follow。 But at
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THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
the first pitch of the wall his helplessness overcame him and he fell
back。
〃It would be better to kill him；〃 said Koolau to Kapahei； who still sat
in the same place。
〃Twenty…two；〃 Kapahei answered。 〃Yes； it would be a wise thing to
kill him。 Twenty…threetwenty…four。〃
The idiot whined sharply when he saw the rifle levelled at him。
Koolau hesitated； then lowered the gun。
〃It is a hard thing to do；〃 he said。
〃You are a fool； twenty…six； twenty…seven；〃 said Kapahei。 〃Let me
show you。〃
He arose； and with a heavy fragment of rock in his hand； approached
the wounded thing。 As he lifted his arm to strike； a shell burst full upon
him； relieving him of the necessity of the act and at the same time
putting an end to his count。
Koolau was alone in the gorge。 He watched the last of his people
drag their crippled bodies over the brow of the height and disappear。
Then he turned and went down to the thicket where the maid had keen
killed。 The shell…fire still continued； but he remained； for far below he
could see the soldiers climbing up。 A shell burst twenty feet away。
Flattening himself into the earth； he heard the rush of the fragments
above his body。 A shower of hau blossoms rained upon him。 He
lifted his head to peer down the trail； and sighed。 He was very much
afraid。 Bullets from rifles would not have worried him； but this shell…
fire was abominable。 Each time a shell shrieked by he shivered and
crouched； but each time he lifted his head again to watch the trail。
At last the shells ceased。 This； he reasoned； was because the
soldiers were drawing near。 They crept along the trail in single file；
and he tried to count them until he lost track。 At any rate； there were a
hundred or so of themall come after Koolau the leper。 He felt a
fleeting prod of pride。 With war guns and rifles； police and soldiers；
they came for him； and he was only one man； a crippled wreck of a man
at that。 They offered a thousand dollars for him； dead or alive。 In all
his life he had never possessed that much money。 The thought was a
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bitter one。 Kapahei had been right。 He； Koolau； had done no wrong。
Because the haoles wanted labour with which to work the stolen land；
they had brought in the Chinese coolies； and with them had come the
sickness。 And now； because he had caught the sickness； he was worth a
