trooper peter halket of mashonaland-第9部分

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said；　'We　curse　the　kings　that　sit　at　ease；　and　care　not　who　oppresses　the

folk；　so　their　coffers　be　full　and　their　bellies　satisfied；　and　they　be　not

troubled　with　the　trouble　of　rule'；　you；　who　have　taken　the　king's　rule

from　him　and　sit　enthroned　within　his　seat；　is　his　sin　not　yours　today？　　If

men　should　add　but　one　hour　to　your　day's　labour；　or　make　but　one　fraction

dearer　the　bread　you　eat；　would　you　not　rise　up　as　one　man？　　Yet；　what　is

dealt　out　to　men　beyond　seas　whom　you　rule　wounds　you　not。　　Nay；　have　you

not　sometimes　said；　as　kings　of　old：　　'It　matters　not　who　holds　out　our

sword；　marauder　or　speculator；　so　he　calls　it　ours；　we　must　cloak　up　the

evil　it　has　done！'　　Think　you；　no　other　curses　rise　to　heaven　but　yours？　

Where　is　your　sword？　　Into　whose　hand　has　it　fallen？　　Take　it　quickly　and

cleanse　it！'〃



Peter　Halket　crouched；　looking　upwards；　then　he　cried：　　〃Master；　I　cannot

give　that　message；　I　am　a　poor　unlearn'd　man。　　And　if　I　should　go　to

England　and　cry　aloud；　they　would　say；　'Who　is　this；　who　comes　preaching　to

a　great　people？　　Is　not　his　mother　with　us；　and　a　washerwoman；　and　was　not

his　father　a　day　labourer　at　two　shillings　a　day？'　and　they　would　laugh　me

to　scorn。　　And；　in　truth；　the　message　is　so　long　I　could　not　well　remember

it；　give　me　other　work　to　do。〃



And　the　stranger　said；　〃Take　a　message　to　the　men　and　women　of　this　land。　

Go；　from　the　Zambezi　to　the　sea；　and　cry　to　its　white　men　and　women；　and

say：　　'I　saw　a　wide　field；　and　in　it　were　two　fair　beasts。　　Wide　was　the

field　about　them　and　rich　was　the　earth　with　sweet　scented　herbs；　and　so

abundant　was　the　pasturage　that　hardly　might　they　consume　all　that　grew

about　them：　　and　the　two　were　like　one　to　another；　for　they　were　the　sons

of　one　mother。　　And　as　I　looked；　I　saw；　far　off　to　the　northward；　a　speck

within　the　sky；　so　small　it　was；　and　so　high　it　was；　that　the　eye　scarce

might　mark　it。　　Then　it　came　nearer　and　hovered　over　the　spot　where　the　two

beasts　fed：and　its　neck　was　bare；　and　its　beak　was　hooked；　and　its　talons

were　long；　and　its　wings　strong。　　And　it　hovered　over　the　field　where　the

two　beasts　were；　and　I　saw　it　settle　down　upon　a　great　white　stone；　and　it

waited。　　And　I　saw　more　specks　to　the　northward；　and　more　and　more　came

onward　to　join　him　who　sat　upon　the　stone。　　And　some　hovered　over　the

beasts；　and　some　sharpened　their　beaks　on　the　stones；　and　some　walked　in

and　out　between　the　beasts'　legs。　　And　I　saw　that　they　were　waiting　for

something。



〃'Then　he　who　first　came　flew　from　one　of　the　beasts　to　the　other；　and　sat

upon　their　necks；　and　put　his　beak　within　their　ears。　　And　he　flew　from　one

to　the　other　and　flapped　his　wings　in　their　faces　till　the　beasts　were

blinded；　and　each　believed　it　was　his　fellow　who　attacked　him。　　And　they

fell　to；　and　fought；　they　gored　one　another's　sides　till　the　field　was　red

with　blood　and　the　ground　shook　beneath　them。　　The　birds　sat　by　and

watched；　and　when　the　blood　flowed　they　walked　round　and　round。　　And　when

the　strength　of　the　two　beasts　was　exhausted　they　fell　to　earth。　　Then　the

birds　settled　down　upon　them；　and　feasted；　till　their　maws　were　full；　and

their　long　bare　necks　were　wet；　and　they　stood　with　their　beaks　deep　in　the

entrails　of　the　two　dead　beasts；　and　looked　out　with　their　keen　bright　eyes

from　above　them。　　And　he　who　was　king　of　all　plucked　out　the　eyes；　and　fed

on　the　hearts　of　the　dead　beasts。　　And　when　his　maw　was　full；　so　that　he

could　eat　no　more；　he　sat　on　his　stone　hard　by　and　flapped　his　great

wings。'



〃Peter　Simon　Halket；　cry　to　the　white　men　and　women　of　South　Africa：　　'You

have　a　goodly　land；　you　and　your　children's　children　shall　scarce　fill　it；

though　you　should　stretch　out　your　arms　to　welcome　each　stranger　who　comes

to　live　and　labour　with　you。　　You　are　the　twin　branches　of　one　tree；　you

are　the　sons　of　one　mother。　　Is　this　goodly　land　not　wide　enough　for　you；

that　you　should　rend　each　other's　flesh　at　the　bidding　of　those　who　will

wet　their　beaks　within　both　your　vitals？Look　up；　see；　they　circle　in　the

air　above　you！'〃



Almost　Peter　Halket　started　and　looked　upward；　but　there　was　only　the　black

sky　of　Mashonaland　over　his　head。



The　stranger　stood　silent　looking　downward　into　the　fire。　　Peter　Halket

half　clasped　his　arms　about　his　knees。



〃My　master；〃　he　cried；　〃how　can　I　take　this　message？　　The　Dutchmen　of　South

Africa　will　not　listen　to　me；　they　will　say　I　am　an　Englishman。　　And　the

Englishmen　will　say：　　'Who　is　this　fellow　who　comes　preaching　peace；　peace；

peace？　　Has　he　not　been　a　year　in　the　country　and　he　has　not　a　share　in　a

single　company？　　Can　anything　he　says　be　worth　hearing？　　If　he　were　a　man

of　any　sense　he　would　have　made　five　thousand　pounds　at　least。'　　And　they

will　not　listen　to　me。　　Give　me　another　labour！〃



And　the　stranger　said：　　〃Take　a　message　to　one　man。　　Find　him；　whether　he

sleep　or　wake；　whether　he　eat　or　drink；　and　say　to　him：　　'Where　are　the

souls　of　the　men　that　you　have　bought？'



〃And　if　he　shall　answer　you　and　say：　　'I　bought　no　men's　souls！　　The　souls

that　I　bought　were　the　souls　of　dogs？'　　Then　ask　him　this　question；　say　to

him；　'Where　are　the'



〃And　if　he　cry　out；　'You　lie；　you　lie！　　I　know　what　you　are　going　to　say。　

What　do　I　know　of　envoys？　　Was　I　ever　afraid　of　the　British　Government？　　It

is　all　a　lie！'　　Then　question　him　no　further。　　But　say：　　'There　was　a

rushlight　once。　　It　flickered　and　flared；　and　it　guttered　down；　and　went

outand　no　man　heeded　it：　　it　was　only　a　rushlight。



〃'And　there　was　a　light　once；　men　set　it　on　high　within　a　lighthouse；　that

it　might　yield　light　to　all　souls　at　sea；　that　afar　off　they　might　see　its

steady　light　and　find　harbour；　and　escape　the　rocks。



〃'And　that　light　flickered　and　flared；　as　it　listed。　　It　went　this　way　and

it　went　that；　it　burnt　blue；　and　green；　and　red；　now　it　disappeared

altogether；　and　then　it　burnt　up　again。　　And　men；　far　out　at　sea；　kept

their　eyes　fixed　where　they　knew　the　light　should　be：　　saying；　'We　are

safe；　the　great　light　will　lead　us　when　we　near　the　rocks。'　　And　on　dark

nights　men　drifted　nearer　and　nearer；　and　in　the　stillness　of　the　midnight

they　struck　on　the　lighthouse　rocks　and　went　down　at　its　feet。



〃'What　now　shall　be　done　to　that　light；　in　that　it　was　not　a　rushlight；　in

that　it　was　set　on　high　by　the　hands　of　men；　and　in　that　men　trusted　it？　

Shall　it　not　be　put　out？'



〃And　if　he　shall　answer；　saying；　'What　are　men　to　me？　they　are　fools；　all

fools！　　Let　them　die！'tell　him　again　this　story：　　'There　was　a　streamlet

once：　　it　burst　forth　from　beneath　the　snow　on　a　mountain's　crown；　and　the

snow　made　a　cove　over　it。　　It　ran　on　pure　and　blue　and　clear　as　the　sky

above　it；　and　the　banks　of　snow　made　its　cradle。　　Then　it　came　to　a　spot

where　the　snow　ended；　and　two　ways　lay　before　it　by　which　it　might　journey；

one；　on　the　mountain　ridges；　past　rocks　and　stones；　and　down　long　sunlit

slopes　to　the　sea；　and　the　other；　down　a　chasm。　　And　the　stream　hesitated：　

it　twirled　and　purled；　and　went　this　way　and　went　that。　　It　MIGHT　have

been；　that　it　would　have　forced　its　way　past　rocks　and　ridges　and　along

mountain　slopes；　and　made　a　path　for　itself　where　no　path　had　been；　the

banks　would　have　grown　green；　and　the　mountain　daisy　would　have　grown

beside　it；　and　all　night　the　stars　would　have　looked　at　their　faces　in　it；

and　down　the　long　sunny　slopes　the　sun　would　have　played　on　it　by　day；　and

the　wood　dove　would　have　built　her　nest　in　the　trees　beside　it；　and

singing；　singing；　always　singing；　it　would　have　made　its　way　at　last　to　the

great　sea；　whose　far…off　call　all　waters　hear。



〃'But　it　hesitated。It　might　have　been；　that；　had　but　some　hand　been　there

to　move　but　one　stone　from　its　path；　it　would　have　forced　its　way　past

rocks　and　ridges；　and　found　its　way　to　the　great　seait　might　have　been！　

But　no　hand　was　there。　　The　streamlet　gathered　itself　together；　and　（it

might　be；　that　it　was　even　in　its　haste　to　rush　onwards　to　the　sea！）it

made　one　leap　into　the　abyss。



〃'The　rocks　closed　over　it。　　Nine　hundred　fathoms　deep；　in　a　still；　dark

pool　it　lay。　　The　green　lichen　hung　from　the　rocks。　　No　sunlight　came

there；　and　the　stars　could　not　look　down　at　night。　　The　pool　lay　still　and

silent。　　Then；　because　it　was　alive　and　could　not　rest；　it　gathered　its

strength　together；　through　fallen　earth　and　broken　debris　it　oozed　its　way

silently　on；　and　it　crept　out　in　a　deep　valley；　the　mountains　closed　it

around。　　And　the　streamlet　laughed　to　itself；　'Ha；　ha！　　I　shall　make　a

great　lake　here；　a　sea！'　　And　it　oozed；　and　it　oozed；　and　it　filled　half

the　plain。　　But　no　lake　cameonly　a　great　marshbecause　there　was　no　way

outwards；　and　the　water　rotted。　　The　grass　died　out　along　its　edges；　and

the　trees　dropped　their　leaves　and　rotted　in　the　water；　and　the　wood　dove

who　had　built　her　nest　there　flew　up　to　the　mountains；　because　her　young

ones　died。　　And　the　toads　sat　on　the　stones　and　dropped　their　spittle　in

the　water；　and　the　reeds　were　yellow　that　grew　along　the　edge。　　And　at

night；　a　heavy；　white　fog　gathered　over　the　water；　so　that　the　stars　could

not　see　through　it；　and　by　day　a　fine　white　mist　hung　over　it；　and　the

sunbeams　could　not　play　on　it。　　And　no　man　knew　that　once　the　marsh　had

leapt　forth　clear　and　blue　from　under　a　hood　of　snow　on　the　mountain's　top：　

aye；　and　that　the　turning　of　one　stone　might　have　caused　that　it　had　run　on

and　on；　and　mingled　its　song　with　the　sea's　song　for　ever。'〃



The　stranger　was　silent　for　a　while。



Then　he　said；　〃Should　he　answer　you　and　say；　'What　do　I　care！　　What　are

coves　and　mountain　tops　to　me？　　Gold　is　real；　and　the　power　to　crush　men

within　my　hand'；　tell　him　no　further。



〃But　if　by　some　chance　he　should　listen；　then；　say　this　one　thing　to　him；

clearly　in　the　ear；　that　he　may　not　fail　to　hear　it：　　'The　morning　may

break　grey；　and　the　midday　be　dark　and　stormy；　but　the　gl