green mansions-第44节

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He　looked　at　me　with　suspicion　and　then　shook　his　head。　　I　dared　not　press　him　with　more　questions；　but　after　an　interval　he　said　plainly：　〃She　is　not　there　now。〃

And　I　was　forced　to　believe　him；　for　had　Rima　been　in　the　wood　they　would　not　have　been　there。　　She　was　not　there；　this　much　I　had　discovered。　　Had　she；　then；　lost　her　way；　or　perished　on　that　long　journey　from　Riolama？　　Or　had　she　returned　only　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　her　cruel　enemies？　　My　heart　was　heavy　in　me；　but　if　these　devils　in　human　shape　knew　more　than　they　had　told　me；　I　must；　I　said；　hide　my　anxiety　and　wait　patiently　to　find　it　out；　should　they　spare　my　life。　　And　if　they　spared　me　and　had　not　spared　that　other　sacred　life　interwoven　with　mine；　the　time　would　come　when　they　would　find；　too　late；　that　they　had　taken　to　their　bosom　a　worse　devil　than　themselves。



CHAPTER　XIX

My　arrival　at　the　village　created　some　excitement；　but　I　was　plainly　no　longer　regarded　as　a　friend　or　one　of　the　family。　　Runi　was　absent；　and　I　looked　forward　to　his　return　with　no　little　apprehension；　he　would　doubtless　decide　my　fate。　　Kua…ko　was　also　away。　　The　others　sat　or　stood　about　the　great　room；　staring　at　me　in　silence。　　I　took　no　notice；　but　merely　asked　for　food；　then　for　my　hammock；　which　I　hung　up　in　the　old　place；　and　lying　down　I　fell　into　a　doze。　　Runi　made　his　appearance　at　dusk。　　I　rose　and　greeted　him；　but　he　spoke　no　word　and；　until　he　went　to　his　hammock；　sat　in　sullen　silence；　ignoring　my　presence。

On　the　following　day　the　crisis　came。　　We　were　once　more　gathered　in　the　roomall　but　Kua…ko　and　another　of　the　men；　who　had　not　yet　returned　from　some　expeditionand　for　the　space　of　half　an　hour　not　a　word　was　spoken　by　anyone。　　Something　was　expected；　even　the　children　were　strangely　still；　and　whenever　one　of　the　pet　birds　strayed　in　at　the　open　door；　uttering　a　little　plaintive　note；　it　was　chased　out　again；　but　without　a　sound。　　At　length　Runi　straightened　himself　on　his　seat　and　fixed　his　eyes　on　me；　then　cleared　his　throat　and　began　a　long　harangue；　delivered　in　the　loud；　monotonous　singsong　which　I　knew　so　well　and　which　meant　that　the　occasion　was　an　important　one。　　And　as　is　usual　in　such　efforts；　the　same　thought　and　expressions　were　used　again　and　again；　and　yet　again；　with　dull；　angry　insistence。　　The　orator　of　Guayana　to　be　impressive　must　be　long；　however　little　he　may　have　to　say。　　Strange　as　it　may　seem；　I　listened　critically　to　him；　not　without　a　feeling　of　scorn　at　his　lower　intelligence。　But　I　was　easier　in　my　mind　now。　　From　the　very　fact　of　his　addressing　such　a　speech　to　me　I　was　convinced　that　he　wished　not　to　take　my　life；　and　would　not　do　so　if　I　could　clear　myself　of　the　suspicion　of　treachery。

I　was　a　white　man；　he　said；　they　were　Indians；　nevertheless　they　had　treated　me　well。　　They　had　fed　me　and　sheltered　me。　　They　had　done　a　great　deal　for　me：　they　had　taught　me　the　use　of　the　zabatana；　and　had　promised　to　make　one　for　me；　asking　for　nothing　in　return。　　They　had　also　promised　me　a　wife。　　How　had　I　treated　them？　　I　had　deserted　them；　going　away　secretly　to　a　distance；　leaving　them　in　doubt　as　to　my　intentions。　　How　could　they　tell　why　I　had　gone；　and　where？　　They　had　an　enemy。　　Managa　was　his　name；　he　and　his　people　hated　them；　I　knew　that　he　wished　them　evil；　I　knew　where　to　find　him；　for　they　had　told　me。　　That　was　what　they　thought　when　I　suddenly　left　them。　　Now　I　returned　to　them；　saying　that　I　had　been　to　Riolama。　　He　knew　where　Riolama　was；　although　he　had　never　been　there：　it　was　so　far。　　Why　did　I　go　to　Riolama？　　It　was　a　bad　place。　　There　were　Indians　there；　a　few；　but　they　were　not　good　Indians　like　those　of　Parahuari；　and　would　kill　a　white　man。　　HAD　I　gone　there？　　Why　had　I　gone　there？

He　finished　at　last；　and　it　was　my　turn　to　speak；　but　he　had　given　me　plenty　of　time；　and　my　reply　was　ready。　　〃I　have　heard　you；〃　I　said。　　〃Your　words　are　good　words。　　They　are　the　words　of　a　friend。　　'I　am　the　white　man's　friend；'　you　say；　'is　he　my　friend？　He　went　away　secretly；　saying　no　word；　why　did　he　go　without　speaking　to　his　friend　who　had　treated　him　well？　　Has　he　been　to　my　enemy　Managa？　　Perhaps　he　is　a　friend　of　my　enemy？　　Where　has　he　been？'　I　must　now　answer　these　things；　saying　true　words　to　my　friend。　　You　are　an　Indian；　I　am　a　white　man。　　You　do　not　know　all　the　white　man's　thoughts。　　These　are　the　things　I　wish　to　tell　you。　　In　the　white　man's　country　are　two　kinds　of　men。　　There　are　the　rich　men；　who　have　all　that　a　man　can　desirehouses　made　of　stone；　full　of　fine　things；　fine　clothes；　fine　weapons；　fine　ornaments；　and　they　have　horses；　cattle；　sheep；　dogseverything　they　desire。　　Because　they　have　gold；　for　with　gold　the　white　man　buys　everything。　　The　other　kind　of　white　men　are　the　poor；　who　have　no　gold　and　cannot　buy　or　have　anything：　they　must　work　hard　for　the　rich　man　for　the　little　food　he　gives　them；　and　a　rag　to　cover　their　nakedness；　and　if　he　gives　them　shelter　they　have　it；　if　not　they　must　lie　down　in　the　rain　out　of　doors。　　In　my　own　country；　a　hundred　days　from　here；　I　was　the　son　of　a　great　chief；　who　had　much　gold；　and　when　he　died　it　was　all　mine；　and　I　was　rich。　　But　I　had　an　enemy；　one　worse　than　Managa；　for　he　was　rich　and　had　many　people。　　And　in　a　war　his　people　overcame　mine；　and　he　took　my　gold；　and　all　I　possessed；　making　me　poor。　　The　Indian　kills　his　enemy；　but　the　white　man　takes　his　gold；　and　that　is　worse　than　death。　　Then　I　said：　'I　have　been　a　rich　man　and　now　I　am　poor；　and　must　work　like　a　dog　for　some　rich　man；　for　the　sake　of　the　little　food　he　will　throw　me　at　the　end　of　each　day。　　No；　I　cannot　do　it！　　I　will　go　away　and　live　with　the　Indians；　so　that　those　who　have　seen　me　a　rich　man　shall　never　see　me　working　like　a　dog　for　a　master；　and　cry　out　and　mock　at　me。　　For　the　Indians　are　not　like　white　men：　they　have　no　gold；　they　are　not　rich　and　poor；　all　are　alike。　　One　roof　covers　them　from　the　rain　and　sun。　All　have　weapons　which　they　make；　all　kill　birds　in　the　forest　and　catch　fish　in　the　rivers；　and　the　women　cook　the　meat　and　all　eat　from　one　pot。　　And　with　the　Indians　I　will　be　an　Indian；　and　hunt　in　the　forest　and　eat　with　them　and　drink　with　them。'　Then　I　left　my　country　and　came　here；　and　lived　with　you；　Runi；　and　was　well　treated。　　And　now；　why　did　I　go　away？　　This　I　have　now　to　tell　you。　　After　I　had　been　here　a　certain　time　I　went　over　there　to　the　forest。　　You　wished　me　not　to　go；　because　of　an　evil　thing；　a　daughter　of　the　Didi；　that　lived　there；　but　I　feared　nothing　and　went。　　There　I　met　an　old　man；　who　talked　to　me　in　the　white　man's　language。　　He　had　travelled　and　seen　much；　and　told　me　one　strange　thing。　　On　a　mountain　at　Riolama　he　told　me　that　he　had　seen　a　great　lump　of　gold；　as　much　as　a　man　could　carry。　　And　when　I　heard　this　I　said：　'With　the　gold　I　could　return　to　my　country；　and　buy　weapons　for　myself　and　all　my　people　and　go　to　war　with　my　enemy　and　deprive　him　of　all　his　possessions　and　serve　him　as　he　served　me。'　I　asked　the　old　man　to　take　me　to　Riolama；　and　when　he　had　consented　I　went　away　from　here　without　saying　a　word；　so　as　not　to　be　prevented。　　It　is　far　to　Riolama；　and　I　had　no　weapons；　but　I　feared　nothing。　　I　said：　'If　I　must　fight　I　must　fight；　and　if　I　must　be　killed　I　must　be　killed。'　But　when　I　got　to　Riolama　I　found　no　gold。　　There　was　only　a　yellow　stone　which　the　old　man　had　mistaken　for　gold。　　It　was　yellow；　like　gold；　but　it　would　buy　nothing。　　Therefore　I　came　back　to　Parahuari　again；　to　my　friend；　and　if　he　is　angry　with　me　still　because　I　went　away　without　informing　him；　let　him　say：　'Go　and　seek　elsewhere　for　a　new　friend；　for　I　am　your　friend　no　longer。〃'

I　concluded　thus　boldly　because　I　did　not　wish　him　to　know　that　I　had　suspected　him　of　harbouring　any　sinister　designs；　or　that　I　looked　on　our　quarrel　as　a　very　serious　one。　　When　I　had　finished　speaking　he　emitted　a　sound　which　expressed　neither　approval　nor　disapproval；　but　only　the　fact　that　he　had　heard　me。　　But　I　was　satisfied。　　His　expression　had　undergone　a　favourable　change；　it　was　less　grim。　　After　a　while　he　remarked；　with　a　peculiar　twitching　of　the　mouth　which　might　have　developed　into　a　smile：　〃The　white　man　will　do　much　to　get　gold。　　You　walked　twenty　days　to　see　a　yellow　stone　that　would　buy　nothing。〃　　It　was　fortunate　that　he　took　this　view　of　the　case；　which　was　flattering　to　his　Indian　nature；　and　perhaps　touched　his　sense　of　the　ludicrous。　　At　all　events；　he　said　nothing　to　discredit　my　story；　to　which　they　had　all　listened　with　profound　interest。

From　that　time　it　seemed　to　be　tacitly　agreed　to　let　bygones　be　bygones；　and　I　could　see　that　as　the　dangerous　feeling　that　had　threatened　my　life　diminished；　the　old　pleasure　they　had　once　found　in　my　company　returned。　　But　my　feelings　towards　them　did　not　change；　nor　could　they　while　that　black　and　terrible　suspicion　concerning　Rima　was　in　my　heart。　　I　talked　again　freely　with　them；　as　if　there　had　been　no　break　in　the　old　friendly　relations。　　If　they　watched　me　furtively　whenever　I　went　out　of　doors；　I　affected　not　to　see　it。　　I　set　to　work　to　repair　my　rude　guitar；　which　had　been　broken　in　my　absence；　and　studied　to　show　them　a　cheerful　countenance。　　But　when　alone；　or　in　my　hammock；　hidden　f