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！
poison to suffer further inflammation； he closed his eyes and slept an
unbroken stretch till sun…up。 A little later Balatta had returned； bringing
with her a half…dozen women who； unbeautiful as they were； were patently
not so unbeautiful as she。 She evidenced by her conduct that she
considered him her find； her property； and the pride she took in showing
him off would have been ludicrous had his situation not been so desperate。
Later； after what had been to him a terrible journey of miles； when he
collapsed in front of the devil…devil house in the shadow of the breadfruit
tree； she had shown very lively ideas on the matter of retaining possession
of him。 Ngurn； whom Bassett was to know afterward as the devil…devil
doctor； priest； or medicine man of the village； had wanted his head。
Others of the grinning and chattering monkey…men； all as stark of clothes
and bestial of appearance as Balatta； had wanted his body for the roasting
oven。 At that time he had not understood their language； if by
LANGUAGE might be dignified the uncouth sounds they made to
represent ideas。 But Bassett had thoroughly understood the matter of
debate； especially when the men pressed and prodded and felt of the flesh
of him as if he were so much commodity in a butcher's stall。
Balatta had been losing the debate rapidly； when the accident
happened。 One of the men； curiously examining Bassett's shot…gun；
managed to cock and pull a trigger。 The recoil of the butt into the pit of
the man's stomach had not been the most sanguinary result； for the charge
of shot； at a distance of a yard； had blown the head of one of the debaters
into nothingness。
Even Balatta joined the others in flight； and； ere they returned； his
senses already reeling from the oncoming fever…attack； Bassett had
regained possession of the gun。 Whereupon； although his teeth chattered
with the ague and his swimming eyes could scarcely see； he held on to his
fading consciousness until he could intimidate the bushmen with the
simple magics of compass； watch； burning glass； and matches。 At the
9
… Page 10…
THE RED ONE
last； with due emphasis； of solemnity and awfulness； he had killed a young
pig with his shot…gun and promptly fainted。
Bassett flexed his arm…muscles in quest of what possible strength
might reside in such weakness； and dragged himself slowly and totteringly
to his feet。 He was shockingly emaciated； yet； during the various
convalescences of the many months of his long sickness； he had never
regained quite the same degree of strength as this time。 What he feared
was another relapse such as he had already frequently experienced。
Without drugs； without even quinine； he had managed so far to live
through a combination of the most pernicious and most malignant of
malarial and black…water fevers。 But could he continue to endure？ Such
was his everlasting query。 For； like the genuine scientist he was； he would
not be content to die until he had solved the secret of the sound。
Supported by a staff； he staggered the few steps to the devil…devil
house where death and Ngurn reigned in gloom。 Almost as infamously
dark and evil…stinking as the jungle was the devil…devil house … in Bassett's
opinion。 Yet therein was usually to be found his favourite crony and
gossip； Ngurn； always willing for a yarn or a discussion； the while he sat
in the ashes of death and in a slow smoke shrewdly revolved curing
human heads suspended from the rafters。 For； through the months'
interval of consciousness of his long sickness； Bassett had mastered the
psychological simplicities and lingual difficulties of the language of the
tribe of Ngurn and Balatta and Vngngn … the latter the addle…headed young
chief who was ruled by Ngurn； and who； whispered intrigue had it； was
the son of Ngurn。
〃Will the Red One speak to…day？〃 Bassett asked； by this time so
accustomed to the old man's gruesome occupation as to take even an
interest in the progress of the smoke…curing。
With the eye of an expert Ngurn examined the particular head he was
at work upon。
〃It will be ten days before I can say 'finish；'〃 he said。 〃Never has any
man fixed heads like these。〃
Bassett smiled inwardly at the old fellow's reluctance to talk with him
of the Red One。 It had always been so。 Never； by any chance； had
10
… Page 11…
THE RED ONE
Ngurn or any other member of the weird tribe divulged the slightest hint
of any physical characteristic of the Red One。 Physical the Red One must
be； to emit the wonderful sound； and though it was called the Red One；
Bassett could not be sure that red represented the colour of it。 Red
enough were the deeds and powers of it； from what abstract clues he had
gleaned。 Not alone； had Ngurn informed him； was the Red One more
bestial powerful than the neighbour tribal gods； ever athirst for the red
blood of living human sacrifices； but the neighbour gods themselves were
sacrificed and tormented before him。 He was the god of a dozen allied
villages similar to this one； which was the central and commanding village
of the federation。 By virtue of the Red One many alien villages had been
devastated and even wiped out； the prisoners sacrificed to the Red One。
This was true to…day； and it extended back into old history carried down by
word of mouth through the generations。 When he； Ngurn； had been a
young man； the tribes beyond the grass lands had made a war raid。 In the
counter raid； Ngurn and his fighting folk had made many prisoners。 Of
children alone over five score living had been bled white before the Red
One； and many； many more men and women。
The Thunderer was another of Ngurn's names for the mysterious deity。
Also at times was he called The Loud Shouter； The God… Voiced； The