《The Secret Rose》第11章

ith　that　rushed　into　the　water。　in　a　moment　he　returned。　the　woman　had　vanished；　and　though　he　had　thrust　his　sword　into　air　and　water　he　had　found　nothing。
the　five　troopers　remounted；　and　set　their　horses　at　the　ford；　but　all　to　no　purpose。　they　tried　again　and　again；　and　went　plunging　hither　and　thither；　the　horses　foaming　and　rearing。　let　us；　said　the　old　trooper；　ride　back　a　little　into　the　wood；　and　strike　the　river　higher　up。　they　rode　in　under　the　boughs；　the　ground？ivy　crackling　under　the　hoofs；　and　the　branches　striking　against　their　steel　caps。　after　about　twenty　minutes　riding　they　came　out　again　upon　the　river；　and　after　another　ten　minutes　found　a　place　where　it　was　possible　to　cross　without　sinking　below　the　stirrups。　the　wood　upon　the　other　side　was　very　thin；　and　broke　the　moonlight　into　long　streams。　the　wind　had　arisen；　and　had　begun　to　drive　the　clouds　rapidly　across　the　face　of　the　moon；　so　that　thin　streams　of　light　seemed　to　be　dancing　a　grotesque　dance　among　the　scattered　bushes　and　small　fir？trees。　the　tops　of　the　trees　began　also　to　moan；　and　the　sound　of　it　was　like　the　voice　of　the　dead　in　the　wind；　and　the　troopers　remembered　the　belief　that　tells　how　the　dead　in　purgatory　are　spitted　upon　the　points　of　the　trees　and　upon　the　points　of　the　rocks。　they　turned　a　little　to　the　south；　in　the　hope　that　they　might　strike　the　beaten　path　again；　but　they　could　find　no　trace　of　it。
meanwhile；　the　moaning　grew　louder　and　louder；　and　the　dance　of　the　white　moon？fires　more　and　more　rapid。　gradually　they　began　to　be　aware　of　a　sound　of　distant　music。　it　was　the　sound　of　a　bagpipe；　and　they rode　towards　it　with　great　joy。　it　came　from　the　bottom　of　a　deep；　cup？like　hollow。　in　the　midst　of　the　hollow　was　an　old　man　with　a　red　cap　and　withered　face。　he　sat　beside　a　fire　of　sticks；　and　had　a　burning　torch　thrust　into　the　earth　at　his　feet；　and　played　an　old　bagpipe　furiously。　his　red　hair　dripped　over　his　face　like　the　iron　rust　upon　a　rock。　did　you　see　my　wife？　he　cried；　looking　up　a　moment；　she　was　washing！　she　was　washing！
i　am　afraid　of　him；　said　the　young　trooper；　i　fear　he　is　one　of　the　sidhe。　no；　said　the　old　trooper；　he　is　a　man；　for　i　can　see　the　sun？freckles　upon　his　face。　we　will　pel　him　to　be　our　guide；　and　at　that　he　drew　his　sword；　and　the　others　did　the　same。　they　stood　in　a　ring　round　the　piper；　and　pointed　their　swords　at　him；　and　the　old　trooper　then　told　him　that　they　must　kill　two　rebels；　who　had　taken　the　road　between　ben　bulben　and　the　great　mountain　spur　that　is　called　cashel？　na？gael；　and　that　he　must　get　up　before　one　of　them　and　be　their　guide；　for　they　had　lost　their　way。　the　piper　turned；　and　pointed　to　a　neighbouring　tree；　and　they　saw　an　old　white　horse　ready　bitted；　bridled；　and　saddled。　he　slung　the　pipe　across　his　back；　and；　taking　the　torch　in　his　hand；　got　upon　the　horse；　and　started　off　before　them；　as　hard　as　he　could　go。
the　wood　grew　thinner　and　thinner；　and　the　ground　began　to　slope　up　toward　the　mountain。　the　moon　had　already　set；　and　the　little　white　flames　of　the　stars　had　e　out　everywhere。　the　ground　sloped　more　and　more　until　at　last　they　rode　far　above　the　woods　upon　the　wide　top　of　the　mountain。　the　woods　lay　spread　out　mile　after　mile　below；　and　away　to　the　south　shot　up　the　red　glare　of　the　burning　town。　but　before　and　above　them　were　the　little　white　flames。　the　guide　drew　rein　suddenly；　and　pointing　upwards　with　the　hand　that　did　not　hold　the　torch；　shrieked　out；　look；　look　at　the　holy　candles！　and　then　plunged　forward　at　a　gallop；　waving　the　torch　hither　and　thither。　do　you　hear　the　hoofs　of　the　messengers？　cried　the　guide。　quick；　quick！　or　they　will　be　gone　out　of　your　hands！　and　he　laughed　as　with　delight　of　the　chase。　the　troopers　thought　they　could　hear　far　off；　and　as　if　below　them；　rattle　of　hoofs；　but　now　the　ground　began　to　slope　more　and　more；　and　the　speed　grew　more　headlong　moment　by　moment。　they　tried　to　pull　up；　but　in　vain；　for　the　horses　seemed　to　have　gone　mad。　the　guide　had　thrown　the　reins　on　to　the　neck　of　the　old　white　horse；　and　was　waving　his　arms　and　singing　a　wild　gaelic　song。　suddenly　they　saw　the　thin　gleam　of　a　river；　at　an　immense　distance　below；　and　knew　that　they　were　upon　the　brink　of　the　abyss　that　is　now　called　lug？na？gael；　or　in　english　the　strangers　leap。　the　six　horses　sprang　forward；　and　five　screams　went　up　into　the　air；　a　moment　later　five　men　and　horses　fell　with　a　dull　crash　upon　the　green　slopes　at　the　foot　of　the　rocks。
。。！
THE　OLD　MEN　OF　THE　TWILIGHT
小说
at　the　place；　close　to　the　dead　mans　point；　at　the　rosses；　where　the　disused　pilot？house　looks　out　to　sea　through　two　round　windows　like　eyes；　a　mud　cottage　stood　in　the　last　century。　it　also　was　a　watchhouse；　for　a　certain　old　michael　bruen；　who　had　been　a　smuggler　in　his　day；　and　was　still　the　father　and　grandfather　of　smugglers；　lived　there；　and　when；　after　nightfall；　a　tall　schooner　crept　over　the　bay　from　roughley；　it　was　his　business　to　hang　a　horn　lanthorn　in　the　southern　window；　that　the　news　might　travel　to　dorrens　island；　and　from　thence；　by　another　horn　lanthorn；　to　the　village　of　the　rosses。　but　for　this　glimmering　of　messages；　he　had　little　munion　with　mankind；　for　he　was　very　old；　and　had　no　thought　for　anything　but　for　the　making　of　his　soul；　at　the　foot　of　the　spanish　crucifix　of　carved　oak　that　hung　by　his　chimney；　or　bent　double　over　the　rosary　of　stone　beads　brought　to　him　a　cargo　of　silks　and　laces　out　of　france。　one　night　he　had　watched　hour　after　hour；　because　a　gentle　and　favourable　wind　was　blowing；　and　la　mere　de　misericorde　was　much　overdue；　and　he　was　about　to　lie　down　upon　his　heap　of　straw；　seeing　that　the　dawn　was　whitening　the　east；　and　that　the　schooner　would　not　dare　to　round　roughley　and　e　to　an　anchor　after　daybreak；　when　he　saw　a　long　line　of　herons　flying　slowly　from　dorrens　island　and　towards　the　pools　which　lie；　half　choked　with　reeds；　behind　what　is　called　the　second　rosses。　he　had　never　before　seen　herons　flying　over　the　sea；　for　they　are　shore？keeping　birds；　and　partly　because　this　had　startled　him　out　of　his　drowsiness；　and　more　because　the　long　delay　of　the　schooner　kept　his　cupboard　empty；　he　took