第46章

“`Thefellowstartedatthis，“saidBrown，relatingtometheopeningofthisstrangeconversationbetweenthosetwomen，separatedonlybythemuddybedofacreek，butstandingontheoppositepolesofthatconceptionoflifewhichincludesallmankind——“Thefellowstartedatthisandgotveryredintheface。Toobigtobequestioned，Isuppose。Itoldhimthatifhelookeduponmeasadeadmanwithwhomyoumaytakeliberties，hehimselfwasnotawhitbetteroffreally。Ihadafellowuptherewhohadabeaddrawnonhimallthetime，andonlywaitedforasignfromme。Therewasnothingtobeshockedatinthis。Hehadcomedownofhisownfreewill。`Letusagree，’saidI，`thatwearebothdeadmen，andletustalkonthatbasis，asequals。Weareallequalbeforedeath，’Isaid。IadmittedIwastherelikearatinatrap，butwehadbeendriventoit，andevenatrappedratcangiveabite。Hecaughtmeupinamoment。`Notifyoudon’tgonearthetraptilltheratisdead。’Itoldhimthatsortofgamewasgoodenoughforthesenativefriendsofhis，butIwouldhavethoughthimtoowhitetoserveevenaratso。Yes，Ihadwantedtotalkwithhim。

Nottobegformylife，though。Myfellowswere——well——whattheywere——menlikehimself，anyhow。Allwewantedfromhimwastocomeoninthedevil’snameandhaveitout。`Godd——nit，’saidI，whilehestoodthereasstillasawoodenpost，`youdon’twanttocomeouthereeverydaywithyourglassestocounthowmanyofusareleftonourfeet。Come。Eitherbringyourinfernalcrowdalongorletusgooutandstarveintheopensea，byGod!Youhavebeenwhiteonce，forallyourtalltalkofthisbeingyourownpeopleandyoubeingonewiththem。Areyou？Andwhatthedevildoyougetforit；whatisityou’vefoundherethatissod——dprecious？

Hey？Youdon’twantustocomedownhereperhaps——doyou？Youaretwohundredtoone。Youdon’twantustocomedownintotheopen。Ah!Ipromiseyouweshallgiveyousomesportbeforeyou’vedone。Youtalkaboutmemakingacowardlysetuponunoffendingpeople。What’sthattomethattheyareunoffendingwhenIamstarvingfornexttonooffence？ButIamnotacoward。

Don’tyoubeone。Bringthemalongor，byallthefiends，weshallyetmanagetosendhalfyourunoffendingtowntoheavenwithusinsmoke!“’

`Hewasterrible——relatingthistome——thistorturedskeletonofamandrawnuptogetherwithhisfaceoverhisknees，uponamiserablebedinthatwretchedhovel，andliftinghisheadtolookatmewithmalignanttriumph。

“`That’swhatItoldhim——Iknewwhattosay，“hebeganagain，feeblyatfirst，butworkinghimselfupwithincrediblespeedintoafieryutteranceofhisscorn。“`Wearen’tgoingintotheforesttowanderlikeastringoflivingskeletonsdroppingoneafteranotherforantstogotoworkuponusbeforewearefairlydead。Oh，no!’……`Youdon’tdeserveabetterfate，’hesaid。`Andwhatdoyoudeserve，’Ishoutedathim，`youthatIfindskulkingherewithyourmouthfullofyourresponsibility，ofinnocentlives，ofyourinfernalduty？WhatdoyouknowmoreofmethanIknowofyou？Icamehereforfood。D’yehear？——foodtofillourbellies。Andwhatdidyoucomefor？Whatdidyouaskforwhenyoucamehere？Wedon’taskyouforanythingbuttogiveusafightoraclearroadtogobackwhencewecame……’`Iwouldfightwithyounow，’sayshe，pullingathislittlemoustache。`AndIwouldletyoushootme，andwelcome，’Isaid。

`Thisisasgoodajumping-offplaceformeasanother。Iamsickofmyinfernalluck。Butitwouldbetooeasy。Therearemymeninthesameboat——and，byGod，Iamnotthesorttojumpoutoftroubleandleavetheminad——dlurch，’Isaid。HestoodthinkingforawhileandthenwantedtoknowwhatIhaddone(`outthere，’hesays，tossinghisheaddownstream)tobehazedaboutso。`Havewemettotelleachotherthestoryofourlives？’Iaskedhim。`Supposeyoubegin。No？Well，IamsureIdon’twanttohear。Keepittoyourself。Iknowitisnobetterthanmine。I’velived——andsodidyouthoughyoutalkasifyouwereoneofthosepeoplethatshouldhavewingssoastogoaboutwithouttouchingthedirtyearth。Well——itisdirty。

Ihaven’tgotanywings。IamherebecauseIwasafraidonceinmylife。

Wanttoknowwhatof？Ofaprison。Thatscaresme，andyoumayknowit——ifit’sanygoodtoyou。Iwon’taskyouwhatscaredyouintothisinfernalhole，whereyouseemtohavefoundprettypickings。That’syourluckandthisismine——theprivilegetobegforthefavourofbeingshotquickly，orelsekickedouttogofreeandstarveinmyownway。“’……

`Hisdebilitatedbodyshookwithanexultationsovehement，soassured，andsomaliciousthatitseemedtohavedrivenoffthedeathwaitingforhiminthathut。Thecorpseofhismadself-loveupros