wgolding.lordoftheflies-第42部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃I　got　this　to　say。　You're　acting　like　a　crowd　of　lads。〃
　The　booing　rose　and　died　again　as　Piggy　lifted　the　white；　magic　shell。
　〃Which　is　better…to　be　a　pack　of　painted　Indians　like　you　are；　or　to　be　sensible　like　Ralph　is？〃
　A　great　clamor　rose　among　the　savages。　Piggy　shouted　again。
　〃Which　is　better…to　have　rules　and　agree；　or　to　hunt　and　kill？〃
　Again　the　clamor　and　again〃Zup！〃
　Ralph　shouted　against　the　noise。
　〃Which　is　better；　law　and　rescue；　or　hunting　and　breaking　things　up？〃
　Now　Jack　was　veiling　too　and　Ralph　could　no　longer　make　himself　heard。　Jack　had　backed　right　against　the　tribe　and　they　were　a　solid　mass　of　menace　that　bristled　with　spears。　The　intention　of　a　charge　was　forming　among　them；　they　were　working　up　to　it　and　the　neck　would　be　swept　clear。　Ralph　stood　facing　them；　a　little　to　one　side；　his　spear　ready。　By　him　stood　Piggy　still　holding　out　the　talisman；　the　fragile；　shining　beauty　of　the　shell。　The　storm　of　sound　beat　at　them；　an　incantation　of　hatred。　High　overhead；　Roger；　with　a　sense　of　delirious　abandonment；　leaned　all　his　weight　on　the　lever。
　Ralph　heard　the　great　rock　long　before　he　saw　it。　He　was　aware　of　a　jolt　in　the　earth　that　came　to　him　through　the　soles　of　his　feet；　and　the　breaking　sound　of　stones　at　the　top　of　the　cliff。　Then　the　monstrous　red　thing；　bounded　across　the　neck　and　he　flung　himself　fiat　while　the　tribe　shrieked。
　The　rock　struck　Piggy　a　glancing　blow　from　chin　to　knee；　the　conch　exploded　into　a　thousand　white　fragments　and　ceased　to　exist。　Piggy；　saying　nothing；　with　no　time　for　even　a　grunt；　traveled　through　the　air　sideways　from　the　rock；　turning　over　as　he　went。　The　rock　bounded　twice　and　was　lost　in　the　forest。　Piggy　fell　forty　feet　and　landed　on　his　back　across　that　square　red　rock　in　the　sea。　His　head　opened　and　stuff　came　out　and　turned　red。　Piggy's　arms　and　legs　twitched　a　bit；　like　a　pig's　after　it　has　been　killed。　Then　the　sea　breathed　again　in　a　long；　slow　sigh；　the　water　boiled　white　and　pink　over　the　rock；　and　when　it　went；　sucking　back　again；　the　body　of　Piggy　was　gone。
　This　time　the　silence　was　plete。　Ralph's　lips　formed　a　word　but　no　sound　came。
　Suddenly　Jack　bounded　out　from　the　tribe　and　began　screaming　wildly。
　〃See？　See？　That's　what　you'll　get！　I　meant　that！　There　isn't　a　tribe　for　you　any　morel　The　conch　is　gone…〃
　He　ran　forward；　stooping。
　〃I'm　chief！〃
　Viciously；　with　full　intention；　he　hurled　his　spear　at　Ralph。　The　point　tore　the　skin　and　flesh　over　Ralph's　ribs；　then　sheared　off　and　fell　in　the　water。　Ralph　stumbled；　feeling　not　pain　but　panic；　and　the　tribe；　screaming　now　like　the　chief；　began　to　advance。　Another　spear；　a　bent　one　that　would　not　fly　straight；　went　past　his　face　and　one　fell　from　on　high　where　Roger　was。　The　twins　lay　hidden　behind　the　tribe　and　the　anonymous　devils'　faces　swarmed　across　the　neck。　Ralph　turned　and　ran。　A　great　noise　as　of　sea　gulls　rose　behind　him。　He　obeyed　an　instinct　that　he　did　not　know　he　possessed　and　swerved　over　the　open　space　so　that　the　spears　went　wide。　He　saw　the　headless　body　of　the　sow　and　jumped　in　time。　Then　he　was　crashing　through　foliage　and　small　boughs　and　was　hidden　by　the　forest。
　The　chief　stopped　by　the　pig；　turned　and　held　up　his　hands。
　〃Back！　Back　to　the　fort！〃
　Presently　the　tribe　returned　noisily　to　the　neck　where　Roger　joined　them。
　The　chief　spoke　to　him　angrily。
　〃Why　aren't　you　on　watch？〃
　Roger　looked　at　him　gravely。
　〃I　just　came　down…〃
　The　hangman's　horror　clung　round　him。　The　chief　said　no　more　to　him　but　looked　down　at　Samneric。　
　〃You　got　to　join　the　tribe。〃　
　〃You　lemme　go…〃
　〃…and　me。〃
　The　chief　snatched　one　of　the　few　spears　that　were　left　and　poked　Sam　in　the　ribs。
　〃What　d'you　mean　by　it；　eh？〃　said　the　chief　fiercely；　〃What　d'you　mean　by　ing　with　spears？　What　d'you　mean　by　not　joining　my　tribe？〃
　The　prodding　became　rhythmic。　Sam　yelled。
　〃That's　not　the　way。〃
　Roger　edged　past　the　chief；　only　just　avoiding　pushing　him　with　his　shoulder。　The　yelling　ceased；　and　Samneric　lay　looking　up　in　quiet　terror。　Roger　advanced　upon　them　as　one　wielding　a　nameless　authority。
　
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　TWELVE
　Cry　of　the　Hunters
　
　Ralph　lay　in　a　covert；　wondering　about　his　wounds。　The　bruised　flesh　was　inches　in　diameter　over　his　right　ribs；　with　a　swollen　and　bloody　scar　where　the　spear　had　hit　him。　His　hair　was　full　of　dirt　and　tapped　like　the　tendrils　of　a　creeper。　All　over　he　was　scratched　and　bruised　from　his　flight　through　the　forest。　By　the　time　his　breathing　was　normal　again；　he　had　worked　out　that　bathing　these　injuries　would　have　to　wait。　How　could　you　listen　for　naked　feet　if　you　were　splashing　in　water？　How　could　you　be　safe　by　the　little　stream　or　on　the　open　beach？　
　Ralph　listened。　He　was　not　really　far　from　the　Castle　Rock；　and　during　the　first　panic　he　had　thought　he　heard　sounds　of　pursuit　But　the　hunters　had　only　sneaked　into　the　fringes　of　the　greenery；　retrieving　spears　perhaps；　and　then　had　rushed　back　to　the　sunny　rock　as　if　terrified　of　the　darkness　under　the　leaves。　He　had　even　glimpsed　one　of　them；　striped　brown；　black；　and　red；　and　had　judged　that　it　was　Bill。　But　really；　thought　Ralph；　this　was　not　Bill。　This　was　a　savage　whose　image　refused　to　blend　with　that　ancient　picture　of　a　boy　in　shorts　and　shirt。
　The　afternoon　died　away；　the　circular　spots　of　sunlight　moved　steadily　over　green　fronds　and　brown　fiber　but　no　sound　came　from　behind　the　rock。　At　last　Ralph　wormed　out　of　the　ferns　and　sneaked　forward　to　the　edge　of　that　impenetrable　thicket　that　fronted　the　neck　of　land。　He　peered　with　elaborate　caution　between　branches　at　the　edge　and　could　see　Robert　sitting　on　guard　at　the　top　of　the　cliff。　He　held　a　spear　in　his　left　hand　and　was　tossing　up　a　pebble　and　catching　it　again　with　the　right。　Behind　him　a　column　of　smoke　rose　thickly；　so　that　Ralph's　nostrils　flared　and　his　mouth　dribbled。　He　wiped　his　nose　and　mouth　with　the　back　of　his　hand　and　for　the　first　time　since　the　morning　felt　hungry。　The　tribe　must　be　sitting　round　the　gutted　pig；　watching　the　fat　ooze　and　burn　among　the　ashes。　They　would　be　intent
　Another　figure；　an　unrecognizable　one；　appeared　by　Robert　and　gave　him　something；　then　turned　and　went　back　behind　the　rock。　Robert　laid　his　spear　on　the　rock　beside　him　and　began　to　gnaw　between　his　raised　hands。　So　the　feast　was　beginning　and　the　watchman　had　been　given　his　portion。
　Ralph　saw　that　for　the　time　being　he　was　safe。　He　limped　away　through　the　fruit　trees；　drawn　by　the　thought　of　the　poor　food　yet　bitter　when　he　remembered　the　feast。　Feast　today；　and　then　tomorrow。　。　。　。
　He　argued　unconvincingly　that　they　would　let　him　alone；　perhaps　even　make　an　outlaw　of　him。　But　then　the　fatal　unreasoning　knowledge　came　to　him　again。　The　breaking　of　the　conch　and　the　deaths　of　Piggy　and　Simon　lay　over　the　island　like　a　vapor。　These　painted　savages　would　go　further　and　further。　Then　there　was　that　indefinable　connection　between　himself　and　Jack；　who　therefore　would　never　let　him　alone；　never。
　He　paused；　sun…flecked；　holding　up　a　bough；　prepared　to　duck　under　it　A　spasm　of　terror　set　him　shaking　and　he　cried　aloud。
　〃No。　They're　not　as　bad　as　that。　It　was　an　accident。〃
　He　ducked　under　the　bough；　ran　clumsily；　then　stopped　and　listened。
　He　came　to　the　smashed　acres　of　fruit　and　ate　greedily。　He　saw　two　littluns　and；　not　having　any　idea　of　his　own　appearance；　wondered　why　they　screamed　and　ran。
　When　he　had　eaten　he　went　toward　the　beach。　The　sunlight　was　slanting　now　into　the　palms　by　the　wrecked　shelter。　There　was　the　platform　and　the　pool。　The　best　thing　to　do　was　to　ignore　this　leaden　feeling　about　the　heart　and　rely　on　their　mon　sense；　their　daylight　sanity。　Now　that　the　tribe　had　eaten；　the　thing　to　do　was　to　try　again。　And　anyway；　he　couldn't　stay　here　all　night　in　an　empty　shelter　by　the　deserted　platform。　His　flesh　crept　and　he　shivered　in　the　evening　sun。　No　fire；　no　smoke；　no　rescue。　He　turned　and　limped　away　through　the　forest　toward　Jack's　end　of　the　island。
　The　slanting　sticks　of　sunlight　were　lost　among　the　branches。　At　length　he　came　to　a　clearing　in　the　forest　where　rock　prevented　vegetation　from　growing。　Now　it　was　a　pool　of　shad