登陆注册
5184400000067

第67章 THE SEXTON'S OLD HORSE(2)

"Mr.Vane,"he said,"do you not know why you have not yet done anything worth doing?""Because I have been a fool,"I answered.

"Wherein?"

"In everything."

"Which do you count your most indiscreet action?""Bringing the princess to life:I ought to have left her to her just fate.""Nay,now you talk foolishly!You could not have done otherwise than you did,not knowing she was evil!--But you never brought any one to life!How could you,yourself dead?""I dead?"I cried.

"Yes,"he answered;"and you will be dead,so long as you refuse to die.""Back to the old riddling!"I returned scornfully.

"Be persuaded,and go home with me,"he continued gently."The most--nearly the only foolish thing you ever did,was to run from our dead."I pressed the horse's ribs,and he was off like a sudden wind.Igave him a pat on the side of the neck,and he went about in a sharp-driven curve,"close to the ground,like a cat when scratchingly she wheels about after a mouse,"leaning sideways till his mane swept the tops of the heather.

Through the dark I heard the wings of the raven.Five quick flaps I heard,and he perched on the horse's head.The horse checked himself instantly,ploughing up the ground with his feet.

"Mr.Vane,"croaked the raven,"think what you are doing!Twice already has evil befallen you--once from fear,and once from heedlessness:breach of word is far worse;it is a crime.""The Little Ones are in frightful peril,and I brought it upon them!"I cried."--But indeed I will not break my word to you.I will return,and spend in your house what nights--what days--what years you please.""I tell you once more you will do them other than good if you go to-night,"he insisted.

But a false sense of power,a sense which had no root and was merely vibrated into me from the strength of the horse,had,alas,rendered me too stupid to listen to anything he said!

"Would you take from me my last chance of reparation?"I cried.

"This time there shall be no shirking!It is my duty,and I will go--if I perish for it!""Go,then,foolish boy!"he returned,with anger in his croak."Take the horse,and ride to failure!May it be to humility!"He spread his wings and flew.Again I pressed the lean ribs under me.

"After the spotted leopardess!"I whispered in his ear.

He turned his head this way and that,snuffing the air;then started,and went a few paces in a slow,undecided walk.Suddenly he quickened his walk;broke into a trot;began to gallop,and in a few moments his speed was tremendous.He seemed to see in the dark;never stumbled,not once faltered,not once hesitated.I sat as on the ridge of a wave.I felt under me the play of each individual muscle:his joints were so elastic,and his every movement glided so into the next,that not once did he jar me.His growing swiftness bore him along until he flew rather than ran.

The wind met and passed us like a tornado.

Across the evil hollow we sped like a bolt from an arblast.No monster lifted its neck;all knew the hoofs that thundered over their heads!We rushed up the hills,we shot down their farther slopes;from the rocky chasms of the river-bed he did not swerve;he held on over them his fierce,terrible gallop.The moon,half-way up the heaven,gazed with a solemn trouble in her pale countenance.

Rejoicing in the power of my steed and in the pride of my life,Isat like a king and rode.

We were near the middle of the many channels,my horse every other moment clearing one,sometimes two in his stride,and now and then gathering himself for a great bounding leap,when the moon reached the key-stone of her arch.Then came a wonder and a terror:she began to descend rolling like the nave of Fortune's wheel bowled by the gods,and went faster and faster.Like our own moon,this one had a human face,and now the broad forehead now the chin was uppermost as she rolled.I gazed aghast.

Across the ravines came the howling of wolves.An ugly fear began to invade the hollow places of my heart;my confidence was on the wane!The horse maintained his headlong swiftness,with ears pricked forward,and thirsty nostrils exulting in the wind his career created.But there was the moon jolting like an old chariot-wheel down the hill of heaven,with awful boding!She rolled at last over the horizon-edge and disappeared,carrying all her light with her.

The mighty steed was in the act of clearing a wide shallow channel when we were caught in the net of the darkness.His head dropped;its impetus carried his helpless bulk across,but he fell in a heap on the margin,and where he fell he lay.I got up,kneeled beside him,and felt him all over.Not a bone could I find broken,but he was a horse no more.I sat down on the body,and buried my face in my hands.

同类推荐
  • 韩诗外传

    韩诗外传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阳宅三要

    阳宅三要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Sarrasine

    Sarrasine

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上九要心印妙经

    太上九要心印妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十诵律毗尼序

    十诵律毗尼序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 故事里没有答案

    故事里没有答案

    一本集15个创意脑洞故事的短篇小说集,内容题材包含穿越爱情、神话新演、脑洞虚幻、江湖传说等。本书没有固定的主题,也没有固定的套路,但每一个故事的精神内核又高度的一致。《故事里没有答案》在现实的世界中穿插奇幻色彩的虚构故事,同时又引导读者在故事中反思自我,是一部充满生活小哲理的小说集。不同的故事都会唤起我们对人性的反思,让我们在当下单调乏味生活中,更能勾起年少时的热血和激情,更能珍惜当下,做好自己。
  • 温太太的豪门日常

    温太太的豪门日常

    一场精心设计的宴会,她被陷害,声名狼藉。相恋多年的男友当场下跪跟旧爱求婚。在她走投无路之时,一夜醉酒的对象趁机步步紧逼。“嫁给我,我可以帮你。”他是帝国最年轻的司令,强势,霸道,心狠手辣。偏偏宠她入骨。“为什么是我?”她不解。“因为你长得像一个人?”“像谁?”“温太太”
  • 柯南里的漫画家

    柯南里的漫画家

    当发现自己穿越成了豆丁之后,悠夏决定让阿宅的荣光笼罩世界。相对于当个侦探去破案,他更想画画漫画,写写书宅在自己的房间,偶尔也会做些游戏。悠夏用事实证明了一件事——阿宅就算穿越了还是会想继续当阿宅。
  • 仙门甜妹:男神,有点撩

    仙门甜妹:男神,有点撩

    一抹失忆灵魂,附身在了一盏万年不灭的煤油灯上。九天之上,他坐在书房内,点燃煤油灯,煤油灯内的她,痴痴的凝望着君颜。一眼万年,终究修成女身。她兴奋地站在他的面前,回应她的是……
  • The Last Chronicle of Barset

    The Last Chronicle of Barset

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新武帝

    新武帝

    大梦初醒,来历不凡的少年已然重生。自此,他面对的是爱恨悲欢家国恩怨、红颜转瞬快意恩仇!波澜壮阔的大时代里,身上背负的沉重期盼支撑着他从未停下的脚步!终有一日,他发现武道巅峰已是他的宿命!——————————这是幻想世界里的少年英雄梦。
  • 培养青少年为人处事的故事(青少年健康成长大课堂)

    培养青少年为人处事的故事(青少年健康成长大课堂)

    一滴水可以折射阳光的光辉,一本好书可以滋润美好的心灵。健康的身心、丰富的情感、较强的实践能力、优良的品质、过硬的特殊技能、良好的习惯、深厚的文化底蕴及必要的合作素质等,是青少年朋友在成长道路上顺利前进所需要的最基础、最必要的条件,为青少年朋友们从自身着眼、开创成功指明了方向。社会是一幅斑驳陆离的图画,人生是一条蜿蜒扭动的曲线。知识是智慧和能力的基础。知识能够守护生命,是保护自己的盔甲。如何适应社会,在复杂的成长环境里生存、发展,让生命既充满阳光和雨露,也承受义务和责任,是每一个未成年人必须面对的课题。《青少年健康成长大课堂》愿陪同青少年朋友快乐成长,打造成功的健康、理想、阳光的人生。
  • 英雄联盟之决胜巅峰

    英雄联盟之决胜巅峰

    今年18岁的高中生林枫同学其实很严肃地思考过一个问题:当年在英雄联盟第一个职业赛季的赛场上被他吊打过的菜比们,现在好像都已经成为了职业圈中的顶尖大神、而他自己时隔四年重新回归,做的第一件事情……居然是帮同居的女主播坐镇直播间镇场子!
  • 谥法

    谥法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 混混校草暗恋乖乖女

    混混校草暗恋乖乖女

    人人都说欧阳校草冷酷、绝情,对女生不屑一顾,她却道欧阳校草是个大色狼。他竟然把她推倒在学校的主席台上强吻她。并且吻完一次又一次。还被很多同学看到了!怎么办?她恨死他了……欧阳辰是学校里的风云人物,林希儿是普普通通的小女生。他暗恋她,想尽办法接近她。而她却浑然不知,以为他只是想欺负她。两个不同世界的人,会擦出什么样的火花呢?