The Secret Rose-第3章

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irds　wheeled　closer　and　closer。　stay；　outcasts；　yet　a　little　while；　the　crucified　one　called　in　a　weak　voice　to　the　beggars；　and　keep　the　beasts　and　the　birds　from　me。　but　the　beggars　were　angry　because　he　had　called　them　outcasts；　so　they　threw　stones　and　mud　at　him；　and　went　their　way。　then　the　wolves　gathered　at　the　foot　of　the　cross；　and　the　birds　flew　lower　and　lower。　and　presently　the　birds　lighted　all　at　once　upon　his　head　and　arms　and　shoulders；　and　began　to　peck　at　him；　and　the　wolves　began　to　eat　his　feet。　outcasts；　he　moaned；　have　you　also　turned　against　the　outcast？

　．．



OUT　OF　THE　ROSE

　小说
one　winter　evening　an　old　knight　in　rusted　chain？armour　rode　slowly　along　the　woody　southern　slope　of　ben　bulben；　watching　the　sun　go　down　in　crimson　clouds　over　the　sea。　his　horse　was　tired；　as　after　a　long　journey；　and　he　had　upon　his　helmet　the　crest　of　no　neighbouring　lord　or　king；　but　a　small　rose　made　of　rubies　that　glimmered　every　moment　to　a　deeper　crimson。　his　white　hair　fell　in　thin　curls　upon　his　shoulders；　and　its　disorder　added　to　the　melancholy　of　his　face；　which　was　the　face　of　one　of　those　who　have　e　but　seldom　into　the　world；　and　always　for　its　trouble；　the　dreamers　who　must　do　what　they　dream；　the　doers　who　must　dream　what　they　do。

after　gazing　a　while　towards　the　sun；　he　let　the　reins　fall　upon　the　neck　of　his　horse；　and；　stretching　out　both　arms　towards　the　west；　he　said；　o　divine　rose　of　intellectual　flame；　let　the　gates　of　thy　peace　be　opened　to　me　at　last！　and　suddenly　a　loud　squealing　began　in　the　woods　some　hundreds　of　yards　further　up　the　mountain　side。　he　stopped　his　horse　to　listen；　and　heard　behind　him　a　sound　of　feet　and　of　voices。　they　are　beating　them　to　make　them　go　into　the　narrow　path　by　the　gorge；　said　someone；　and　in　another　moment　a　dozen　peasants　armed　with　short　spears　had　e　up　with　the　knight；　and　stood　a　little　apart　from　him；　their　blue　caps　in　their　hands。　where　do　you　go　with　the　spears？　he　asked；　and　one　who　seemed　the　leader　　answered：　a　troop　of　wood？thieves　came　down　from　the　hills　a　while　ago　and　carried　off　the　pigs　belonging　to　an　old　man　who　lives　by　glen　car　lough；　and　we　turned　out　to　go　after　them。　now　that　we　know　they　are　four　times　more　than　we　are；　we　follow　to　find　the　way　they　have　taken；　and　will　presently　tell　our　story　to　de　courcey；　and　if　he　will　not　help　us；　to　fitzgerald；　for　de　courcey　and　fitzgerald　have　lately　made　a　peace；　and　we　do　not　know　to　whom　we　belong。

but　by　that　time；　said　the　knight；　the　pigs　will　have　been　eaten。

a　dozen　men　cannot　do　more；　and　it　was　not　reasonable　that　the　whole　valley　should　turn　out　and　risk　their　lives　for　two；　or　for　two　dozen　pigs。

can　you　tell　me；　said　the　knight；　if　the　old　man　to　whom　the　pigs　belong　is　pious　and　true　of　heart？

he　is　as　true　as　another　and　more　pious　than　any；　for　he　says　a　prayer　to　a　saint　every　morning　before　his　breakfast。

then　it　were　well　to　fight　in　his　cause；　said　the　knight；　and　if　you　will　fight　against　the　wood？thieves　i　will　take　the　main　brunt　of　the　battle；　and　you　know　well　that　a　man　in　armour　is　worth　many　like　these　wood？thieves；　clad　in　wool　and　leather。

and　the　leader　turned　to　his　fellows　and　asked　if　they　would　take　the　chance；　but　they　seemed　anxious　to　get　back　to　their　cabins。

are　the　wood？thieves　treacherous　and　impious？

they　are　treacherous　in　all　their　dealings；　said　a　peasant；　and　no　man　has　known　them　to　pray。

then；　said　the　knight；　i　will　give　five　crowns　for　the　head　of　every　wood？thief　killed　by　us　in　the　fighting；　and　he　bid　the　leader　show　the　way；　and　they　all　went　on　together。　after　a　time　they　came　to　where　a　beaten　track　wound　into　the　woods；　and；　taking　this；　they　doubled　back　upon　their　previous　course；　and　began　to　ascend　the　wooded　slope　of　the　mountains。　in　a　little　while　the　path　grew　very　straight　and　steep；　and　the　knight　was　forced　to　dismount　and　leave　his　horse　tied　to　a　tree？stem。　they　knew　they　were　on　the　right　track：　for　they　could　see　the　marks　of　pointed　shoes　in　the　soft　clay　and　mingled　with　them　the　cloven　footprints　of　the　pigs。　presently　the　path　became　still　more　abrupt；　and　they　knew　by　the　ending　of　the　cloven　foot？prints　that　the　thieves　were　carrying　the　pigs。　now　and　then　a　long　mark　in　the　clay　showed　that　a　pig　had　slipped　down；　and　been　dragged　along　for　a　little　way。　they　had　journeyed　thus　for　about　twenty　minutes；　when　a　confused　sound　of　voices　told　them　that　they　were　ing　up　with　the　thieves。　and　then　the　voices　ceased；　and　they　understood　that　they　had　been　overheard　in　their　turn。　they　pressed　on　rapidly　and　cautiously；　and　in　about　five　minutes　one　of　them　caught　sight　of　a　leather　jerkin　half　hidden　by　a　hazel？bush。　an　arrow　struck　the　knights　chain？armour；　but　glanced　off　harmlessly；　and　then　a　flight　of　arrows　swept　by　them　with　the　buzzing　sound　of　great　bees。　they　ran　and　climbed；　and　climbed　and　ran　towards　the　thieves；　who　were　now　all　visible　standing　up　among　the　bushes　with　their　still　quivering　bows　in　their　hands：　for　they　had　only　their　spears　and　they　must　at　once　e　hand　to　hand。　the　knight　was　in　the　front　and　smote　down　first　one　and　then　another　of　the　wood？thieves。　the　peasants　shouted；　and；　pressing　on；　drove　the　wood？thieves　before　them　until　they　came　out　on　the　flat　top　of　the　mountain；　and　there　they　saw　the　two　pigs　quietly　grubbing　in　the　short　grass；　so　they　ran　about　them　in　a　circle；　and　began　to　move　back　again　towards　the　narrow　path：　the　old　knight　ing　now　the　last　of　all；　and　striking　down　thief　after　thief。　the　peasants　had　got　no　very　serious　hurts　among　them；　for　he　had　drawn　the　brunt　of　the　battle　upon　himself；　as　could　well　be　seen　from　the　bloody　rents　in　his　armour；　and　when　they　came　to　the　entrance　of　the　narrow　path　he　bade　them　drive　the　pigs　down　into　the　valley；　while　he　stood　there　to　guard　the　way　behind　them。　so　in　a　moment　he　was　alone；　and；　being　weak　with　loss　of　blood；　might　have　been　ended　there　and　then　by　the　wood？thieves　he　had　beaten　off；　had　fear　not　made　them　begone　out　of　sight　in　a　great　hurry。

an　hour　passed；　and　they　did　not　return；　and　now　the　knight　could　stand　on　guard　no　longer；　but　had　to　lie　down　upon　the　grass。　a　half？　hour　more　went　by；　and　then　a　young　lad　with　what　appeared　to　be　a　number　of　cocks　feathers　stuck　round　his　hat；　came　out　of　the　path　behind　him；　and　began　to　move　about　among　the　dead　thieves；　cutting　their　heads　off；　then　he　laid　the　heads　in　a　heap　before　the　knight；　and　said：　o　great　knight；　i　have　been　bid　e　and　ask　you　for　the　crowns　you　promised　for　the　heads：　five　crowns　a　head。

they　bid　me　tell　you　that　they　have　prayed　to　god　and　his　mother　to　give　you　a　long　life；　but　that　they　are　poor　peasants；　and　that　they　would　have　the　money　before　you　die。　they　told　me　this　over　and　over　for　fear　i　might　forget　it；　and　promised　to　beat　me　if　i　did。

the　knight　raised　himself　upon　his　elbow；　and　opening　a　bag　that　hung　to　his　belt；　counted　out　the　five　crowns　for　each　head。　there　were　thirty　heads　in　all。

o　great　knight；　said　the　lad；　they　have　also　bid　me　take　all　care　of　you；　and　light　a　fire；　and　put　this　ointment　upon　your　wounds。　and　he　gathered　sticks　and　leaves　together；　and；　flashing　his　flint　and　steel　under　a　mass　of　dry　leaves；　had　made　a　very　good　blaze。　then；　drawing　of　the　coat　of　mail；　he　began　to　anoint　the　wounds：　but　he　did　it　clumsily；　like　one　who　does　by　rote　what　he　had　been　told。　the　knight　motioned　him　to　stop；　and　said：　you　seem　a　good　lad。

i　would　ask　something　of　you　for　myself。

there　are　still　a　few　crowns；　said　the　knight；　shall　i　give　them　to　you？

o　no；　said　the　lad。　they　would　be　no　good　to　me。　there　is　only　one　thing　that　i　care　about　doing；　and　i　have　no　need　of　money　to　do　it。　i　go　from　village　to　village　and　from　hill　to　hill；　and　whenever　i　e　across　a　good　cock　i　steal　him　and　take　him　into　the　woods；　and　i　keep　him　there　under　a　basket　until　i　get　another　good　cock；　and　then　i　set　them　to　fight。　the　people　say　i　am　an　innocent；　and　do　not　do　me　any　harm；　and　never　ask　me　to　do　any　work　but　go　a　message　now　and　then。　it　is　because　i　am　an　innocent　that　they　send　me　to　get　the　crowns：　anyone　else　would　steal　them；　and　they　dare　not　e　back　themselves；　for　now　that　you　are　not　with　them　they　are　afraid　of　the　wood？thieves。　did　you　ever　hear　how；　when　the　wood？thieves　are　christened；　the　wolves　are　made　their　god？fathers；　and　their　right　arms　are　not　christened　at　all？

if　you　will　not　take　these　crowns；　my　good　lad；　i　have　nothing　for　you；　i　fear；　unless　you　would　have　that　old　coat　of　mail　which　i　shall　soon　need　no　more。

there　was　something　i　wanted：　yes；　i　remember　now；　said　the　lad。　i　want　you　to　tell　me　why　you　fought　like　the　champions　and　giants　in　the　stories　and　for　so　little　a　thing。　are　you　indeed　a　man　like　us？　are　you　not　rather　an　old　wizard　who　lives　among　these　hills；　and　will　not　a　wind　arise　presently　and　crumble　you　into　dust？

i　will　tell　you　of　myself；　replied　the　knight；　for　now　that　i　am　the　last　of　the　fellowship；　i　may　tell　all　and　witness　for　god。　look　at　the　rose　of　rubies　on　my　helmet；　and　see　the　symbol　of　my　life　and　of　my　hope。

and　then　he　told　the　lad　this　story；　but　with　always　more　frequent　pauses；　and；　while