the red one-第6部分

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tremendous　a　constitution　as　his　own；　that　he　would　never　live　to

cross　the　grass　lands；　perforate　the　perilous　coast　jungle；　and

reach　the　sea。　　He　faded　as　the　Southern　Cross　rose　higher　in　the

sky；　till　even　Balatta　knew　that　he　would　be　dead　ere　the　nuptial

date　determined　by　his　taboo。　　Ngurn　made　pilgrimage　personally　and

gathered　the　smoke　materials　for　the　curing　of　Bassett's　head；　and

to　him　made　proud　announcement　and　exhibition　of　the　artistic

perfectness　of　his　intention　when　Bassett　should　be　dead。　　As　for

himself；　Bassett　was　not　shocked。　　Too　long　and　too　deeply　had　life

ebbed　down　in　him　to　bite　him　with　fear　of　its　impending

extinction。　　He　continued　to　persist；　alternating　periods　of

unconsciousness　with　periods　of　semi…consciousness；　dreamy　and

unreal；　in　which　he　idly　wondered　whether　he　had　ever　truly　beheld

the　Red　One　or　whether　it　was　a　nightmare　fancy　of　delirium。



Came　the　day　when　all　mists　and　cob…webs　dissolved；　when　he　found

his　brain　clear　as　a　bell；　and　took　just　appraisement　of　his　body's

weakness。　　Neither　hand　nor　foot　could　he　lift。　　So　little　control

of　his　body　did　he　have；　that　he　was　scarcely　aware　of　possessing

one。　　Lightly　indeed　his　flesh　sat　upon　his　soul；　and　his　soul；　in

its　briefness　of　clarity；　knew　by　its　very　clarity　that　the　black

of　cessation　was　near。　　He　knew　the　end　was　close；　knew　that　in　all

truth　he　had　with　his　eyes　beheld　the　Red　One；　the　messenger

between　the　worlds；　knew　that　he　would　never　live　to　carry　that

message　to　the　world　…　that　message；　for　aught　to　the　contrary；

which　might　already　have　waited　man's　hearing　in　the　heart　of

Guadalcanal　for　ten　thousand　years。　　And　Bassett　stirred　with

resolve；　calling　Ngurn　to　him；　out　under　the　shade　of　the

breadfruit　tree；　and　with　the　old　devil…devil　doctor　discussing　the

terms　and　arrangements　of　his　last　life　effort；　his　final　adventure

in　the　quick　of　the　flesh。



〃I　know　the　law；　O　Ngurn；〃　he　concluded　the　matter。　　〃Whoso　is　not

of　the　folk　may　not　look　upon　the　Red　One　and　live。　　I　shall　not

live　anyway。　　Your　young　men　shall　carry　me　before　the　face　of　the

Red　One；　and　I　shall　look　upon　him；　and　hear　his　voice；　and

thereupon　die；　under　your　hand；　O　Ngurn。　　Thus　will　the　three

things　be　satisfied：　　the　law；　my　desire；　and　your　quicker

possession　of　my　head　for　which　all　your　preparations　wait。〃



To　which　Ngurn　consented；　adding：



〃It　is　better　so。　　A　sick　man　who　cannot　get　well　is　foolish　to

live　on　for　so　little　a　while。　　Also　is　it　better　for　the　living

that　he　should　go。　　You　have　been　much　in　the　way　of　late。　　Not　but

what　it　was　good　for　me　to　talk　to　such　a　wise　one。　　But　for　moons

of　days　we　have　held　little　talk。　　Instead；　you　have　taken　up　room

in　the　house　of　heads；　making　noises　like　a　dying　pig；　or　talking

much　and　loudly　in　your　own　language　which　I　do　not　understand。

This　has　been　a　confusion　to　me；　for　I　like　to　think　on　the　great

things　of　the　light　and　dark　as　I　turn　the　heads　in　the　smoke。

Your　much　noise　has　thus　been　a　disturbance　to　the　long…learning

and　hatching　of　the　final　wisdom　that　will　be　mine　before　I　die。

As　for　you；　upon　whom　the　dark　has　already　brooded；　it　is　well　that

you　die　now。　　And　I　promise　you；　in　the　long　days　to　come　when　I

turn　your　head　in　the　smoke；　no　man　of　the　tribe　shall　come　in　to

disturb　us。　　And　I　will　tell　you　many　secrets；　for　I　am　an　old　man

and　very　wise；　and　I　shall　be　adding　wisdom　to　wisdom　as　I　turn

your　head　in　the　smoke。〃



So　a　litter　was　made；　and；　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　half　a　dozen

of　the　men；　Bassett　departed　on　the　last　little　adventure　that　was

to　cap　the　total　adventure；　for　him；　of　living。　　With　a　body　of

which　he　was　scarcely　aware；　for　even　the　pain　had　been　exhausted

out　of　it；　and　with　a　bright　clear　brain　that　accommodated　him　to　a

quiet　ecstasy　of　sheer　lucidness　of　thought；　he　lay　back　on　the

lurching　litter　and　watched　the　fading　of　the　passing　world；

beholding　for　the　last　time　the　breadfruit　tree　before　the　devil…

devil　house；　the　dim　day　beneath　the　matted　jungle　roof；　the　gloomy

gorge　between　the　shouldering　mountains；　the　saddle　of　raw

limestone；　and　the　mesa　of　black　volcanic　sand。



Down　the　spiral　path　of　the　pit　they　bore　him；　encircling　the

sheening；　glowing　Red　One　that　seemed　ever　imminent　to　iridesce

from　colour　and　light　into　sweet　singing　and　thunder。　　And　over

bones　and　logs　of　immolated　men　and　gods　they　bore　him；　past　the

horrors　of　other　immolated　ones　that　yet　lived；　to　the　three…king…

post　tripod　and　the　huge　king…post　striker。



Here　Bassett；　helped　by　Ngurn　and　Balatta；　weakly　sat　up；　swaying

weakly　from　the　hips；　and　with　clear；　unfaltering；　all…seeing　eyes

gazed　upon　the　Red　One。



〃Once；　O　Ngurn；〃　he　said；　not　taking　his　eyes　from　the　sheening；

vibrating　surface　whereon　and　wherein　all　the　shades　of　cherry…red

played　unceasingly；　ever　a…quiver　to　change　into　sound；　to　become

silken　rustlings；　silvery　whisperings；　golden　thrummings　of　cords；

velvet　pipings　of　elfland；　mellow　distances　of　thunderings。



〃I　wait；〃　Ngurn　prompted　after　a　long　pause；　the　long…handled

tomahawk　unassumingly　ready　in　his　hand。



〃Once；　O　Ngurn；〃　Bassett　repeated；　〃let　the　Red　One　speak　so　that　I

may　see　it　speak　as　well　as　hear　it。　　Then　strike；　thus；　when　I

raise　my　hand；　for；　when　I　raise　my　hand；　I　shall　drop　my　head

forward　and　make　place　for　the　stroke　at　the　base　of　my　neck。　　But；

O　Ngurn；　I；　who　am　about　to　pass　out　of　the　light　of　day　for　ever；

would　like　to　pass　with　the　wonder…voice　of　the　Red　One　singing

greatly　in　my　ears。〃



〃And　I　promise　you　that　never　will　a　head　be　so　well　cured　as

yours；〃　Ngurn　assured　him；　at　the　same　time　signalling　the

tribesmen　to　man　the　propelling　ropes　suspended　from　the　king…post

striker。　　〃Your　head　shall　be　my　greatest　piece　of　work　in　the

curing　of　heads。〃



Bassett　smiled　quietly　to　the　old　one's　conceit；　as　the　great

carved　log；　drawn　back　through　two…score　feet　of　space；　was

released。　　The　next　moment　he　was　lost　in　ecstasy　at　the　abrupt　and

thunderous　liberation　of　sound。　　But　such　thunder！　　Mellow　it　was

with　preciousness　of　all　sounding　metals。　　Archangels　spoke　in　it；

it　was　magnificently　beautiful　before　all　other　sounds；　it　was

invested　with　the　intelligence　of　supermen　of　planets　of　other

suns；　it　was　the　voice　of　God；　seducing　and　commanding　to　be　heard。

And　…　the　everlasting　miracle　of　that　interstellar　metal！　Bassett；

with　his　own　eyes；　saw　colour　and　colours　transform　into　sound　till

the　whole　visible　surface　of　the　vast　sphere　was　a…crawl　and

titillant　and　vaporous　with　what　he　could　not　tell　was　colour　or

was　sound。　　In　that　moment　the　interstices　of　matter　were　his；　and

the　interfusings　and　intermating　transfusings　of　matter　and　force。



Time　passed。　　At　the　last　Bassett　was　brought　back　from　his　ecstasy

by　an　impatient　movement　of　Ngurn。　　He　had　quite　forgotten　the　old

devil…devil　one。　　A　quick　flash　of　fancy　brought　a　husky　chuckle

into　Bassett's　throat。　　His　shot…gun　lay　beside　him　in　the　litter。

All　he　had　to　do；　muzzle　to　head；　was　to　press　the　trigger　and　blow

his　head　into　nothingness。



But　why　cheat　him？　was　Bassett's　next　thought。　　Head…hunting；

cannibal　beast　of　a　human　that　was　as　much　ape　as　human；

nevertheless　Old　Ngurn　had；　according　to　his　lights；　played　squarer

than　square。　　Ngurn　was　in　himself　a　forerunner　of　ethics　and

contract；　of　consideration；　and　gentleness　in　man。　　No；　Bassett

decided；　it　would　be　a　ghastly　pity　and　an　act　of　dishonour　to

cheat　the　old　fellow　at　the　last。　　His　head　was　Ngurn's；　and

Ngurn's　head　to　cure　it　would　be。



And　Bassett；　raising　his　hand　in　signal；　bending　forward　his　head

as　agreed　so　as　to　expose　cleanly　the　articulation　to　his　taut

spinal　cord；　forgot　Balatta；　who　was　merely　a　woman；　a　woman　merely

and　only　and　undesired。　　He　knew；　without　seeing；　when　the　razor…

edged　hatchet　rose　in　the　air　behind　him。　　And　for　that　instant；

ere　the　end；　there　fell　upon　Bassett　the　shadows　of　the　Unknown；　a

sense　of　impending　marvel　of　the　rending　of　walls　before　the

imaginable。　　Almost；　when　he　knew　the　blow　had　started　and　just　ere

the　edge　of　steel　bit　the　flesh　and　nerves　it　seemed　that　he　gazed

upon　the　serene　face　of　the　Medusa；　Truth　…　And；　simultaneous　with

the　bite　of　the　steel　on　the　onrush　of　the　dark；　in　a　flashing

instant　of　fancy；　he　saw　the　vision　of　his　head　turning　slowly；

always　turning；　in　the　devil…devil　house　beside　the　breadfruit

tree。





Waikiki；　Honolulu；

MAY　22；　1916。









STORY：　　THE　HUSSY









THERE　are　some　stories　that　have　to　be　true　…　the　sort　that　cannot

be　fabricated　by　a　ready　fiction…reckoner。　　And　by　the　same　token

there　are　some　men　with　stories　to　tell　who　cannot　be　doubted。

Such　a　man　was　Julian　Jones。　　Although　I　doubt　if　the　average

reader　of　this　will　believe　the　story　Julian　Jones　told　me。

Nevertheless　I　believe　it。　　So　thoroughly　am　I　convinced　of　its

verity　that　I　am　willing；　nay；　eager；　to　invest　capital　in　the

enterprise　and　embark　personally　on　the　adventure　to　a　far　land。



It　was　in　the　Australian　Building　at　the　Panama　Pacific　Exposition

that　I　met　him。　　I　was　standing　before　an　exhibit　of　facsimiles　of

the　record　nuggets　which　had　been　discovered　in　the　goldfields　of

the　Antipodes。　　Knobbed；　misshapen　and　massive；　it　was　as　difficult

to　believe　that　they　were　not　real　gold　as　it　was　to　believe　the

accompanying　statistics　of　their　weights　and　values。



〃That's　what　those　kangaroo…hunters　call　a　nugget；〃　boomed　over　my

shoulder　directly　at　the　largest　of　the　specimens。



I　turned　and　looked　up　into　the　dim　blue　eyes　of　Julian　Jones。　　I

looked　up；　for　he　stood　something　like　six　feet　four　inches　in

height。　　His　hair；　a　wispy；　sandy　yellow；　seemed　as　dimmed　and

faded　as　his　eyes。　　It　may　have　been　the　sun　which　had　washed　out

his　colouring；　at　least　his　face　bore　the