the mirror of kong ho-第35部分

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began　to　exhibit　his　powers　by　running　and　leaping　towards　me。



Recognising　that　the　actual　moment　of　the　display　had　arrived；　this



person　at　once　emitted　a　penetrating　cry　of　concentrated　challenge；



and　also　began　to　leap　upwards　and　about；　and　with　so　much　energy　that



the　highly　achieved　limits　of　his　flight　surprised　even　himself。







As　for　the　bystanders；　esteemed；　those　who　opposed　us；　and　the　members



of　our　own　band；　although　this　leaping　sportiveness　is　a　competition



more　regarded　and　practised　among　all　orders　than　the　pursuit　of



commercial　eminence；　or　even　than　the　allurements　of　the　sublimest



Classics；　it　may　be　truly　imagined　that　never　before　had　they



witnessed　so　remarkable　a　game　cricket。　From　the　pagoda　a　loud　cry　of



wonder　acclaimed　the　dexterity　of　this　person's　efforts；　the　three



tiers　of　maidens　climbed　one　upon　another　in　their　anxiety　to　lose　no



detail　of　the　adventure；　and　outstanders　from　distant　points　began　to



assemble。　The　brown　enemy　at　once　abandoned　themselves　to　a　panic；　and



for　the　most　part　cast　themselves　incapably　to　the　ground；　rolling



from　side　to　side　in　an　access　of　emotion；　the　two　arbiters　clad　in



white　conferred　together；　doubtless　on　the　uselessness　of　further



contest；　while　the　ally　who　had　summoned　me　to　take　a　part　instead　of



being　encouraged　to　display　his　agility　in　a　like　manner　continued　to



run　slavishly　from　point　to　point；　while　I　overcame　the　distances　in　a



series　of　inspired　bounds。







In　the　meanwhile　the　sounds　of　encouragement　from　the　ever…increasing



multitude　grew　like　the　falling　of　a　sudden　coast　storm　among　the　ripe



leaves　of　a　tea…plantation；　and　with　them　the　voices　of　many　calling



upon　my　name　and　inciting　me　to　further　and　even　higher　achievements



reached　my　ears。　Not　to　grow　small　in　the　eyes　of　these　estimable



persons　I　continued　in　my　flight；　and　abandoning　all　set　movements　and



limits；　I　began　to　traverse　the　field　in　every　direction；　becoming



more　proficient　with　each　effort；　imparting　to　myself　a　sideway　and



even　backward　motion　while　yet　in　the　upper　spaces；　remaining　poised



for　an　appreciable　period；　and　lightly；　yet　with　graceful　ease；



avoiding　the　embraces　of　those　who　would　have　detained　me。　Undoubtedly



I　could　have　maintained　this　supremacy　until　our　band　might　justly



have　claimed　the　reward；　had　not　the　flattering　cries　of　approval



caused　an　indiscreet　mistake；　for　the　alarm　being　spread　in　the



village　that　a　conflagration　of　imposing　ferocity　was　raging；　an



ornamental　chariot　conveying　a　band　of　warriors　clad　in　brass　armour



presently　entered　into　the　strife；　and　discovering　no　fire　to　occupy



their　charitable　energies　they　misguidedly　honoured　this　offensive



person　by　propelling　a　solid　column　of　the　purest　and　most　refreshing



water　against　his　ignoble　body　when　at　the　point　of　his　highest



flight。　This　introduction　of　a　thunderbolt　into　the　everyday　life　of



an　insect　must　be　of　questionable　authenticity；　yet　not　feeling



sufficiently　instructed　in　the　lesser　details　of　the　sportiveness　to



challenge　the　device；　I　suffered　myself　to　be　led　towards　the　pavilion



with　no　more　struggling　than　enough　to　remove　the　ignominy　of　an



unresisting　surrender；　pleasantly　remarking　to　those　who　bore　me　along



that　to　a　person　of　philosophical　poise　the　written　destiny　was　as



apparent　in　the　falling　leaf　as　in　the　rising　sun；　pointing　the　saying



thus：　〃Although　the　Desert　of　Shan…tz　is　boundless；　and　mankind　number



a　million　million；　yet　in　it　Li…hing　encountered　his　mother…in…law。〃



Changing　to　meet　another　of　our　company　setting　forth　with　a　club　to



make　the　venture；　I　was　permitted　for　a　moment　to　engage　him；



whereupon　thrusting　into　his　hand　a　leather　charm　against　ill…directed



efforts；　and　instructing　him　to　bind　it　about　his　head；　I　encouraged



him　with　the　imperishable　watch…word　of　the　Emperor　Tsin　Su；　〃The



stars　are　indeed　small；　but　their　light　carries　as　far　as　that　of　the



full　moon。〃







At　the　steps　of　the　pagoda　so　great　was　the　throng　of　those　who　would



have　overwhelmed　me　with　their　gracious　attention；　that　had　not　this



person's　neck　become　practically　automatic　by　ceaseless　use　of　late；



he　would　have　been　utterly　unequal　to　the　emergency。　As　it　was；　he



could　only　bestow　a　superficial　hand…wave　upon　a　company　of



gold…embroidered　musicians　who　greeted　his　return　with　appropriate



melody；　and　a　glance　of　well…indicated　regret　that　he　had　no　fuller



means　of　conveying　his　complicated　emotions；　in　the　direction　of　the



uppermost　tier　of　maidens。　Then　the　awaiting　Sir　Philip　took　him



firmly　towards　the　inner　part　of　the　pavilion；　and　announced；　so



adroitly　and　with　such　high…spirited　vigour　had　this　one　maintained



the　conflict；　that　it　had　been　resolutely　agreed　on　all　sides　not　to



make　a　test　of　his　competence　any　further。







Thereupon　a　band　of　very　sumptuously　arrayed　nymphs　drew　near　with



offerings　of　liquid　fat　and　a　variety　of　crimson　fruit；　which　it　is



customary　to　grind　together　on　the　platterunapproachable　in　the



result；　certainly；　yet　incredibly　elusive　to　the　unwary　in　the　manner



of　bruising；　and　practically　ineradicable　upon　the　more　delicate



shades　of　silk　garment。　In　such　a　situation　the　one　who　is　now



relating　the　various　incidents　of　the　day　may　be　imagined　by　a



broad…minded　and　affectionate　sire：　partaking　of　this　native　fruit　and



oil；　and　from　time　to　time　expressing　his　insatiable　anguish　that　he



continually　fails　to　become　more　proficient　in　controlling　the　oblique



movements　of　the　viands；　while　the　less　successful　crickets　are



constrained　to　persevere　in　the　combat；　and　the　ever…present　note　of



evasive　purport　is　raised　by　a　voice　from　behind　a　screen　exclaiming；



〃Out　afore？　That　he　may　have　been；　but　do　ee　think　we　was　a…going　to



give　he　out　afore？　No；　maaster；　us　doant　a…have　a　circus　every　day



hereabouts。〃







Thus　may　this　imagination　of　competitive　locusts　be　set　forth　to　the



end。　If　a　fuller　proof　of　what　an　unostentatious　self…effacement



hesitates　to　enlarge　upon　were　required；　it　might　be　found　in　the



barbarian　printed　leaf；　for　the　next　day　this　person　saw　a　public



record　of　the　strife；　in　which　his　own　name　was　followed　by　a



numerical　emblem　signifying　that　he　had　not　stumbled　or　proved



incompetent　in　any　one　particular。　Sir　Philip；　I　beheld　with　pained



surprise；　had　obtusely　suffered　himself　to　be　caught　out　in　the



committal　of　fifty…nine　set　offences。







With　a　not　unnatural　anticipation　that；　as　a　result　of　this



painstaking　description；　this　person　will　find　two　well…equipped　camps



of　contending　locusts　in　Yuen…ping　on　h