the research magnificent-第7部分

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a　still　greater　it　kills。　　But　at　enormous　voltages；　as　Tesla　was　the　first　to　demonstrate；　it　does　no　injury。　　And　following　on　this　came　memoranda　on　the　recorded　behaviour　of　martyrs；　on　the　self…torture　of　Hindoo　ascetics；　of　the　defiance　of　Red　Indian　prisoners。　〃These　things；〃　Benham　had　written；　〃are　much　more　horrible　when　one　considers　them　from　the　point　of　view　of　an　easy…chair〃；White　gave　an　assenting　nod〃ARE　THEY　REALLY　HORRIBLE　AT　ALL？　　Is　it　possible　that　these　charred　and　slashed　and　splintered　persons；　those　Indians　hanging　from　hooks；　those　walkers　in　the　fiery　furnace；　have　had　glimpses　through　great　windows　that　were　worth　the　price　they　paid　for　them？　　Haven't　we　allowed　those　checks　and　barriers　that　are　so　important　a　restraint　upon　childish　enterprise；　to　creep　up　into　and　distress　and　distort　adult　life？　。　。　。　〃The　modern　world　thinks　too　much　as　though　painlessness　and　freedom　from　danger　were　ultimate　ends。　　It　is　fear…haunted；　it　is　troubled　by　the　thoughts　of　pain　and　death；　which　it　has　never　met　except　as　well…guarded　children　meet　these　things；　in　exaggerated　and　untestable　forms；　in　the　menagerie　or　in　nightmares。　　And　so　it　thinks　the　discovery　of　anaesthetics　the　crowning　triumph　of　civilization；　and　cosiness　and　innocent　amusement；　those　ideals　of　the　nursery；　the　whole　purpose　of　mankind。　。　。　。〃　〃Mm；〃　said　White；　and　pressed　his　lips　together　and　knotted　his　brows　and　shook　his　head。

10

But　the　bulk　of　Benham's　discussion　of　fear　was　not　concerned　with　this　perverse　and　overstrained　suggestion　of　pleasure　reached　through　torture；　this　exaggeration　of　the　man　resolved　not　to　shrink　at　anything；　it　was　an　examination　of　the　present　range　and　use　of　fear　that　led　gradually　to　something　like　a　theory　of　control　and　discipline。　　The　second　of　his　two　dominating　ideas　was　that　fear　is　an　instinct　arising　only　in　isolation；　that　in　a　crowd　there　may　be　a　collective　panic；　but　that　there　is　no　real　individual　fear。　Fear；　Benham　held；　drives　the　man　back　to　the　crowd；　the　dog　to　its　master；　the　wolf　to　the　pack；　and　when　it　is　felt　that　the　danger　is　pooled；　then　fear　leaves　us。　　He　was　quite　prepared　to　meet　the　objection　that　animals　of　a　solitary　habit　do　nevertheless　exhibit　fear。　　Some　of　this　apparent　fear；　he　argued；　was　merely　discretion；　and　what　is　not　discretion　is　the　survival　of　an　infantile　characteristic。　　The　fear　felt　by　a　tiger　cub　is　certainly　a　social　emotion；　that　drives　it　back　to　the　other　cubs；　to　its　mother　and　the　dark　hiding　of　the　lair。　　The　fear　of　a　fully　grown　tiger　sends　it　into　the　reeds　and　the　shadows；　to　a　refuge；　that　must　be　〃still　reminiscent　of　the　maternal　lair。〃　　But　fear　has　very　little　hold　upon　the　adult　solitary　animal；　it　changes　with　extreme　readiness　to　resentment　and　rage。　〃Like　most　inexperienced　people；〃　ran　his　notes；　〃I　was　astonished　at　the　reported　feats　of　men　in　war；　I　believed　they　were　exaggerated；　and　that　there　was　a　kind　of　unpremeditated　conspiracy　of　silence　about　their　real　behaviour。　　But　when　on　my　way　to　visit　India　for　the　third　time　I　turned　off　to　see　what　I　could　of　the　fighting　before　Adrianople；　I　discovered　at　once　that　a　thousand　casually　selected　conscripts　will；　every　one　of　them；　do　things　together　that　not　one　of　them　could　by　any　means　be　induced　to　do　alone。　　I　saw　men　not　merely　obey　orders　that　gave　them　the　nearly　certain　prospect　of　death；　but　I　saw　them　exceeding　orders；　I　saw　men　leap　out　of　cover　for　the　mere　sake　of　defiance；　and　fall　shot　through　and　smashed　by　a　score　of　bullets。　　I　saw　a　number　of　Bulgarians　in　the　hands　of　the　surgeon；　several　quite　frightfully　wounded；　refuse　chloroform　merely　to　impress　the　English　onlooker；　some　of　their　injuries　I　could　scarcely　endure　to　see；　and　I　watched　a　line　of　infantry　men　go　on　up　a　hill　and　keep　on　quite　manifestly　cheerful　with　men　dropping　out　and　wriggling；　and　men　dropping　out　and　lying　still　until　every　other　man　was　down。　。　。　。　　Not　one　man　would　have　gone　up　that　hill　alone；　without　onlookers。　。　。　。〃　Rowe；　the　lion　hunter；　told　Benham　that　only　on　one　occasion　in　his　life　had　he　given　way　to　ungovernable　fear；　and　that　was　when　he　was　alone。　　Many　times　he　had　been　in　fearful　situations　in　the　face　of　charging　lions　and　elephants；　and　once　he　had　been　bowled　over　and　carried　some　distance　by　a　lion；　but　on　none　of　these　occasions　had　fear　demoralized　him。　　There　was　no　question　of　his　general　pluck。　But　on　one　occasion　he　was　lost　in　rocky　waterless　country　in　Somaliland。　　He　strayed　out　in　the　early　morning　while　his　camels　were　being　loaded；　followed　some　antelope　too　far；　and　lost　his　bearings。　　He　looked　up　expecting　to　see　the　sun　on　his　right　hand　and　found　it　on　his　left。　　He　became　bewildered。　　He　wandered　some　time　and　then　fired　three　signal　shots　and　got　no　reply。　　Then　losing　his　head　he　began　shouting。　　He　had　only　four　or　five　more　cartridges　and　no　water…bottle。　　His　men　were　accustomed　to　his　going　on　alone；　and　might　not　begin　to　remark　upon　his　absence　until　sundown。　。　。　。　　It　chanced；　however；　that　one　of　the　shikari　noted　the　water…bottle　he　had　left　behind　and　organized　a　hunt　for　him。　Long　before　they　found　him　he　had　passed　to　an　extremity　of　terror。　The　world　had　become　hideous　and　threatening；　the　sun　was　a　pitiless　glare；　each　rocky　ridge　he　clambered　became　more　dreadful　than　the　last；　each　new　valley　into　which　he　looked　more　hateful　and　desolate；　the　cramped　thorn　bushes　threatened　him　gauntly；　the　rocks　had　a　sinister　lustre；　and　in　every　blue　shadow　about　him　the　night　and　death　lurked　and　waited。　　There　was　no　hurry　for　them；　presently　they　would　spread　out　again　and　join　and　submerge　him；　presently　in　the　confederated　darkness　he　could　be　stalked　and　seized　and　slain。　Yes；　this　he　admitted　was　real　fear。　　He　had　cracked　his　voice；　yelling　as　a　child　yells。　　And　then　he　had　become　afraid　of　his　own　voice。　。　。　。　〃Now　this　excess　of　fear　in　isolation；　this　comfort　in　a　crowd；　in　support　and　in　a　refuge；　even　when　support　or　refuge　is　quite　illusory；　is　just　exactly　what　one　would　expect　of　fear　if　one　believed　it　to　be　an　instinct　which　has　become　a　misfit。　　In　the　ease　of　the　soldier　fear　is　so　much　a　misfit　that　instead　of　saving　him　for　the　most　part　it　destroys　him。　　Raw　soldiers　under　fire　bunch　together　and　armies　fight　in　masses；　men　are　mowed　down　in　swathes；　because　only　so　is　the　courage　of　the　common　men　sustained；　only　so　can　they　be　brave；　albeit　spread　out　and　handling　their　weapons　as　men　of　unqualified　daring　would　handle　them　they　would　be　infinitely　safer　and　more　effective。　。　。　。　〃And　all　of　us；　it　may　be；　are　restrained　by　this　misfit　fear　from　a　thousand　bold　successful　gestures　of　mind　and　body；　we　are　held　back　from　the　attainment　of　mighty　securities　in　pitiful　temporary　shelters　that　are　perhaps　in　the　end　no　better　than　traps。　。　。　。〃　From　such　considerations　Benham　went　on　to　speculate　how　far　the　crowd　can　be　replaced　in　a　man's　imagination；　how　far　some　substitute　for　that　social　backing　can　be　made　to　serve　the　same　purpose　in　neutralizing　fear。　　He　wrote　with　the　calm　of　a　man　who　weighs　the　probabilities　of　a　riddle；　and　with　the　zeal　of　a　man　lost　to　every　material　consideration。　　His　writi