osc.am2.redprophet-第16部分

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。　But　for　now；　he　had　no　way　of　knowing　if　the　rabbits　gave　consent　or　not。
　　So　he　didn't　know　if　he　had　the　right　or　not。　Didn't　know　if　he　was　taking　like　a　Red　man；　just　what　the　land　offered；　or　stealing　like　a　White　man；　murdering　whatever　it　pleased　him　to　kill。　He　had　no　choice。　He　thrust　the　stick　into　the　burrow；　twisting　it。　He　felt　it　quiver；　heard　the　squeal；　and　pulled　it　out；　still　twisting。　Little　rabbit；　not　a　big　one；　just　a　little　rabbit　squirming　to　get　away　from　the　splinters；　but　Lolla…Wossiky　was　quick；　just　at　the　moment　the　rabbit　was　at　the　burrow　mouth；　ready　to　get　free　and　run；　Lolla…Wossiky　had　his　hand　there；　held　the　rabbit　by　the　head；　lifted　it　quickly　into　the　air　and　gave　it　a　snap　and　a　shake。　It　came　down　dead；　little　rabbit；　and　Lolla…Wossiky　carried　it　away　from　the　burrow；　back　to　the　keg；　because　it　is　very　bad；　it　makes　an　empty　place　in　the　land；　if　you　skin　a　baby　animal　where　its　kin　can　see　or　hear　you。
　　He　did　not　make　a　fire。　Too　dangerous；　and　there　was　no　time　to　smoke　the　meat；　not　this　close　to　White　Murderer　Harrison's　fort。　There　wasn't　much　meat　anyway；　he　ate　it　all；　raw　so　it　took　chewing　but　the　flavor　was　very　strong　and　good。　If　you　can't　smoke　meat；　Red　man　knows；　carry　all　you　can　in　your　belly。　He　tucked　the　hide　into　the　waist　of　his　loincloth；　hoisted　the　keg　over　his　shoulder；　and　started　north。　The　white　light　was　on　ahead　of　him；　dream　beast　calling；　dream　beast　urging　him　on。　I　will　wake　you　up；　said　the　dream　beast。　I　will　end　your　dream。
　　White　man　heard　about　dream　beasts。　White　man　thought　the　Red　man　went　out　into　the　forest　and　had　dreams。　Stupid　White　man；　never　understood。　All　of　life　at　first　is　a　long　sleep；　a　long　dream。　You　fall　asleep　at　the　moment　you　are　born；　and　never　wake　up；　never　wake　up　until　finally　one　day　the　dream　beast　calls　you。　You　go　then；　into　the　forest；　sometimes　only　a　few　steps；　sometimes　to　the　edge　of　the　world。　You　go　until　you　meet　the　beast　who　calls　you。　The　beast　is　not　in　a　dream。　The　beast　wakes　you　up　from　the　dream。　The　beast　shows　you　who　you　are；　teaches　you　your　place　in　the　land。　Then　you　go　home　awake；　awake　at　last；　and　tell　the　shaman　and　your　mother　and　your　sisters　who　the　dream　beast　was。　A　bear？　A　badger？　A　bird？　A　fish？　A　hawk　or　an　eagle？　A　bee　or　a　wasp？　The　shaman　will　tell　you　stories　and　help　you　choose　your　woke…up　name。　Your　mother　and　sisters　will　name　all　your　children；　whether　they　have　been　born　yet　or　not。
　　All　of　Lolla…Wossiky's　brothers　met　their　dream　beasts　long　ago。　Now　his　mother　was　dead；　his　two　sisters　were　gone　to　live　with　another　tribe。　Who　would　name　his　children？
　　I　know；　said　Lolla…Wossiky。　I　know。　Lolla…Wossiky　will　never　have　children；　this　old　one…eyed　whisky…Red。　But　Lolla…Wossiky　will　find　his　dream　beast。　Lolla…Wossiky　will　wake　up。　Lolla…Wossiky　will　have　his　woke…up　name。
　　Then　Lolla…Wossiky　will　see　if　he　should　live　or　die。　If　the　black　noise　goes　on；　and　waking　up　teaches　him　nothing　more　than　he　knows　now；　Lolla…Wossiky　will　go　sleep　in　the　river　and　let　it　roll　him　to　the　sea；　far　away　from　the　land　and　the　black　noise。　But　if　waking　up　teaches　him　some　reason　to　live　on；　black　noise　or　not；　then　Lolla…Wossiky　will　live；　many　long　years　of　drink　and　pain；　pain　and　drink。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　drank　four　swallows　every　morning；　four　swallows　every　night；　and　then　went　to　sleep　hoping　that　when　the　dream　beast　woke　him　up；　he　then　could　die。
　　
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　　One　day　he　stood　on　the　banks　of　a　clearwater　stream；　with　the　black　noise　thick　in　his　vision　and　loud　in　his　ears。　A　great　brown　bear　stood　in　the　water。　It　slapped　the　face　of　the　water　and　a　fish　flew　into　the　air。　The　bear　caught　it　in　his　teeth；　chomped　twice；　and　swallowed。　It　was　not　the　eating　that　Lolla…Wossiky　cared　about。　It　was　the　bear's　eyes。
　　The　bear　had　one　eye　missing；　just　like　Lolla…Wossiky。　This　made　Lolla…Wossiky　wonder　if　the　bear　could　be　his　dream　beast。　But　that　could　not　be。　The　white　light　that　called　him　was　still　north　and　somewhat　west　of　this　place。　So　this　bear　was　not　the　dream　beast；　it　was　part　of　the　dream。
　　Still；　it　might　have　a　message　for　Lolla…Wossiky。　This　bear　might　be　here　because　the　land　wanted　to　tell　Lolla…Wossiky　a　story。
　　This　is　the　first　thing　Lolla…Wossiky　noticed：　When　the　bear　caught　the　fish　in　his　jaws；　he　was　looking　with　his　single　eye；　seeing　the　glimmer　of　sunlight　shining　on　the　fish。　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　about　this；　cause　Lolla…Wossiky　tilted　his　head　to　one　side　just　like　the　bear。
　　This　is　the　second　thing　Lolla…Wossiky　noticed：　When　the　bear　looked　into　the　water　to　see　the　fish　swimming；　so　he　could　slap　at　it；　he　looked　with　the　other　eye；　with　the　eye　that　wasn't　there。　Lolla…Wossiky　didn't　understand　this。　It　was　very　strange；
　　This　is　the　last　thing　Lolla…Wossiky　noticed：　As　he　watched　the　bear；　his　own　good　eye　was　closed。　And　when　he　opened　his　eye；　the　river　was　still　there；　the　sunlight　was　still　there；　the　fishes　still　danced　into　the　air　and　then　disappeared；　but　the　bear　was　gone。　Lolla…Wossiky　could　see　the　bear　only　if　he　closed　his　good　eye。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　drank　two　swallows；　from　the　keg；　and　the　bear　went　away。
　　
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　　One　day　Lolla…Wossiky　crossed　a　White　man's　road；　and　felt　it　like　a　river　moving　under　his　feet。　The　current　of　the　road　swept　him　along。　He　staggered　with　it；　then　caught　the　stride　and　jogged　along；　the　keg　on　his　shoulder。　A　Red　man　never　walked　on　the　White　man's　road　　the　dirt　was　packed　too　hard　in　dry　weather；　mud　too　deep　in　rain；　and　the　wagon　wheel　ruts　reached　out　like　White　man's　hands　to　turn　the　Red　man's　ankle；　trip　him　up；　break　him　down。　This　time；　though；　the　ground　was　soft　like　spring　grass　on　a　riverbank；　as　long　as　Lolla…Wossiky　ran　along　the　road　the　right　direction。　Not　toward　the　light　anymore；　cause　the　light　was　soft　around　him；　and　he　knew　the　dream　beast　was　very　very　close。
　　The　road　three　times　went　over　water　　two　little　streams　and　a　big　one　　and　each　time　there　was　a　bridge；　made　of　great　heavy　logs　and　sturdy　planks；　with　a　roof　like　a　White　man's　house。　Lolla…Wossiky　stood　on　the　first　bridge　a　long　time。　He　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　Here　he　was　standing　in　the　place　where　water　was　supposed　to　be；　and　yet　the　bridge　was　so　heavy　and　strong；　the　walls　so　thick；　that　he　couldn't　see　or　hear　the　water　at　all。
　　And　the　river　hated　it。　Lolla…Wossiky　could　hear　how　angry　it　was；　how　it　wanted　to　reach　up　and　tear　the　bridge　away。　White　man's　ways；　thought　Lolla…Wossiky；　White　man　has　to　conquer；　tear　things　away　from　the　land。
　　Yet　standing　on　the　bridge；　he　noticed　something　else。　Even　though　the　likker　was　mostly　gone　from　his　body；　the　black　noise　was　quieter　on　the　bridge。　He　could　hear　more　of　the　green　silence　than　he　had　in　a　long　time。　As　if　the　black　noise　came　partly　from　the　river。　How　can　that　be？　River　got　no　anger　against　Red　man。　And　no　White…built　thing　can　bring　the　Red　man　closer　to　the　land。　Yet　that　was　what　happened　in　this　place。　Lolla…Wossiky　hurried　on　down　the　road；　maybe　when　his　dream　beast　woke　him　up；　he'd　understand　this　thing。
　　Road　poured　out　into　a　place　of　meadows　and　a　few　White　man's　buildings。　Lots　of　wagons。　Horses　posted　and　tied；　grazing　on　the　meadow　grass。　Sound　of　metal　hammers　ringing；　chopping　of　axes　in　the　wood；　screech　of　saws　going　back　and　forth；　all　kinds　of　White…man　forest…killing　sounds。　A　White　man's　town。
　　But　not　a　White　man's　town。　Lolla…Wossiky　stopped　at　the　edge　of　the　open　land。　Why　is　this　White　man's　town　different；　what's　missing　that　I　expect　to　see？
　　The　stockade。　There　was　no　stockade。
　　Where　did　the　White　men　go　to　hide？　Where　did　they　lock　up　drunken　Reds　and　White　man　thieves？　Where　did　they　hide　their　guns？
　　〃Lift！　Lift！　Lift！〃　White　man's　voice　ringing　out　loud　as　a　bell　in　the　thick　air　of　a　summer　afternoon。
　　Up　a　grassy　hill；　maybe　half　a　mile　off；　a　strange　wooden　thing　was　rising　up。　Lolla…Wossiky　couldn't　see　the　men　raising　it　cause　the　angle　was　wrong；　they　were　all　hid　up　behind　the　brow　of　the　hill。　But　he　could　see　a　new…wood　frame　go　up；　poles　at　the　high　end　to　raise　it　into　place。
　　〃Side　wall　n