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！
And what clouds！
〃As soon as I felt I was caught I dropped the controls and grabbed my seat for fear of being flung out of the ship。 The jolts were so terrible that my leather harness cut my shoulders and was ready to snap。 And what with the frosting on the panes； my artificial horizon was invisible and the wind rolled me over and over like a hat in a road from eighteen thousand feet down to ten。
〃At ten thousand I caught a glimpse of a dark horizontal blot that helped me right the ship。 It was a lake； and I recognized it as what they call Laguna Diamante。 I remembered that it lay at the bottom of a funnel； and that one flank of the funnel； a volcano called Maipu； ran up to about twenty thousand feet。
〃There I was； safe out of the clouds ； but I was still blinded by the thick whirling snow and I had to hang on to my lake if I wasn't to crash into one of the sides of the funnel。 So down I went； and I flew round and round the lake； about a hundred and fifty feet above it； until I ran out of fuel。 After two hours of this； I set the ship down on the snow…and over on her nose she went。
〃When I dragged myself clear of her I stood up。 The wind knocked me down。 I stood up again。 Over I went a second time。 So I crawled under the cockpit and dug me out a shelter in the snow。 I pulled a lot of mail sacks round me； and there I lay for two days and two nights。 Then the storm blew over and I started to walk my way out。 I walked for five days and four nights。〃
But what was there left of you； Guillaumet？ We had found you again； true； but burnt to a crisp； but shriveled； but shrunken into an old woman。 That same afternoon I flew you back to Mendoza； and there the cool white sheets flowed like a balm down the length of your body。
They were not enough； though。 Your own foundered body was an encumbrance： you turned and twisted in your sleep； unable to find lodgment for it。 I stared at your face： it was splotched and swollen； like an overripe fruit that has been repeatedly dropped on the ground。
You were dreadful to see； and you were in misery； for you had lost the beautiful tools of your work： your hands were numb and useless； and when you sat up on the edge of your bed to draw a free breath； your frozen feet hung down like two dead weights。 You had not even finished your long walk back； you were still panting； and when you turned and stirred on the pillow in search of peace； a procession of images that you could not escape； a procession waiting impatiently in the wings； moved instantly into action under your skull。 Across the stage of your skull it moved； and for the twentieth time you fought once more the battle against these enemies that rose up out of their ashes。
I filled you with herb…teas。
〃Drink； old fellow。〃
〃You know 。 。 。 what amazed me 。 。 。〃
Boxer victorious； but punch…drunk and scarred with blows； you were re…living your strange adventure。 You could divest yourself of it only in scraps。 And as you told your dark tale； I could see you trudging without ice…axe； without ropes； without provisions； scaling cols fifteen thousand feet in the air； crawling on the faces of vertical walls； your hands and feet and knees bleeding in a temperature twenty degrees below zero。
Voided bit by bit of your blood； your strength； your reason； you went forward with the obstinacy of an ant； retracing your steps to go round an obstacle； picking yourself up after each fall to earth； climbing slopes that led to abysses； ceaselessly in motion and never asleep； for had you slept； from that bed of snow you would never have risen。 When your foot slipped and you went down； you were up again in an instant； else had you been turned into stone。 The cold was petrifying you by the minute； and the price you paid for taking a moment too much of rest； when you fell； was the agony of revivifying dead muscles in your struggle to rise to your feet。
〃You resisted temptation。 〃Amid snow；〃 you told me； 〃a man loses his instinct of self…preservation。 After two or three or four days of tramping； all you think about is sleep。 I would long for it； but then I would say to myself； 'If my wife still believes I am alive； she must believe that I am on my feet。 The boys all think I am on my feet。 They have faith in me。 And I am a skunk if I don't go on。' 〃
So you tramped on ； and each day you cut out a bit more of the opening of your shoes so that your swelling and freezing feet might have room in them。
You confided to me this strange thing：
〃As early as the second day； you know； the hardest job I had was to force myself not to think。 The pain was too much； and I was really up against it too hard。 I had to forget that； or I shouldn't have had the heart to go on walking。 But I didn't seem able to control my mind。 It kept working like a turbine。 Still； I could more or less choose what I was to think about。 I tried to stick to some film I'd seen； or book I'd read。 But the film and the book would go through my mind like lightning。。 And I'd be back where I was； in the snow； It never failed。 So I would think about other things。 。 。 。〃
There was one time； however； when； having slipped； and finding yourself stretched flat on your face in the snow； you threw in your hand。 You were like a boxer emptied of all passion by a single blow； lying and listening to the seconds drop one by one into a distant universe； until the tenth second fell and there was no appeal。
〃I've done my best and I can't make it。 Why go on？〃 All that you had to do in the world to find peace was to shut your eyes。 So little was needed to blot out that world of crags and ice and snow。 Let drop those miraculous eyelids and there was an end of blows； of stumbling falls； of torn muscles and burning ice； of that burden of life you were dragging along like a worn…out ox； a weight heavier than any wain or cart。
Already you were beginning to taste the relief of this snow that had now bee an insidious poison； this morphia that was filling you with beatitude。 Life crept out of your extremities and fled to collect round your heart while something gentle and precious snuggled in close at the centre of your being。 Little by little your consciousness deserted the distant regions of your body； and your body； that beast now gorged with suffering； lay ready to participate in the indifference of marble。
Your very scruples subsided。 Our cries ceased to reach you； or； more accurately； changed for you into dream…cries。 You were happy now； able to respond by long confident dream…strides that carried you effortlessly towards the enchantment of the plains below。 How smoothly you glided into this suddenly merciful world！ Guillaumet； you miser！ You had made up your mind to deny us your return； to take your pleasures selfishly without us among your white angels in the snows。 And then remorse floated up from the depths of your consciousness。 The dream was spoilt by the irruption of bothersome details。 〃I thought of my wife。 She would be penniless if she couldn't collect the insurance。 Yes； but the pany 。 。 。〃
When a man vanishes； his legal death is postponed for four years。 This awful detail was enough to blot out the other visions。 You were lying face downward on a bed of snow that covered a steep mountain slope。 With the ing of summer your body would be washed with this slush down into one of the thousand crevasses of the Andes。 You knew that。 But you also knew that some fifty yards away a rock was jutting up out of the snow。 〃I thought； if I get up I may be able to reach it。 And if I can prop myself up against the rock； they'll find me there next summer。〃
Once you were on your feet again； you tramped two nights and three days。 But you did not then imagine that you would go on much longer：
〃I could tell by different signs that the end was ing。 For instance； I had to stop every two or three hours to cut my shoes open a bit more and massage my swollen feet。 Or maybe my heart would be going too fast。 But I was beginning to lose my memory。 I had been going on a long time when suddenly I realized that every time I stopped I forgot something。 The first time it was a glove。 And it was cold！ I had put it down in front of me and had forgotten to pick it up。 The next time it was my watch。 Then my knife。 Then my pass。 Each time I stopped I stripped myself of something vitally important。 I was being my own enemy！ And I can't tell you how it hurt me when I found that out。
〃What saves a man is to take a step。 Then another step。 It is always the same step； but you have to take it。〃
〃I swear that what I went through； no animal would have gone through。〃 This sentence； the noblest ever spoken； this sentence that defines man's place in the universe； that honors him； that re…establishes the true hierarchy； floated back into my thoughts。 Finally you fell asleep。 Your consciousness was abolished； but forth from this dismantled； burnt； and shattered body it was to be born again like a flower put forth gradually by the species which itself is born of the luminous pulp of the stars。 The body； we may say； then； is but an honest tool； the body is but a servant。 And it was in these words； Guillaumet； that you expressed your pride in the honest tool：
〃With nothing to eat； after three days on my feet 。 。 。 well 。 。 。 my heart wasn't going any too well。 I was crawling along the side of a sheer wall； hanging over space； digging and kicking out pockets in the ice so that I could hold on； when all of a sudden my heart conked。 It hesitated。 Started up again。 Beat crazily。 I said to myself； 'If it hesitates a moment too long； I drop。' I stayed still and listened 'to myself。 Never； never in my life have I listened as carefully to a motor as I listened to my heart； me hanging there。 I said to it： 'e on； old boy。 Go to work。 Try beating a little。' That's good stuff my heart is made of。 It hesitated； but it went on。 You don't know how proud I was of that heart。〃
*
As I said； in that room in Mendoza where I sat with you； you fell finally into an exhausted sleep。 And I thought： If we were to talk to him about his courage； Guillaumet would shrug his shoulders。 But it would be just as false to extol his modesty。 His place is far beyond that mediocre virtue。
If he shrugs his shoulders； it is because he is no fool。 He knows that once men are caught up in an event they cease to be afraid。 Only the unknown frightens men。 But once a man has faced the unknown； that terror bees the known。
Especially if it is scrutinized with Guillaumet's lucid gravity。 Guillaumet's courage is in the main the product of his honesty。 But even this is not his fundamental quality。 His moral greatness consists in his sense of responsibility。 He knew that he was responsible for himself； for the mails； for the fulfillment of the hopes of his rades。 He was holding in his hands their sorrow and their joy。 He was responsible for that new element which the living were constructing and in which he was a participant。 Responsible； in as much as his work contributed to it； for the fate of those men。
Guillaumet was one among those bold and generous men who had taken upon themselves the task of spreading their foliage over bold and generous horizons。 To be a man is； precisely； to be responsible。 It is to feel shame at the sight of what seems to be unmerited misery。 It is to take pride in a victory won by one's rades。 It is to feel； when setting one's stone； that one is contributing to the building of the world。
There is a tendency to class such men with。 toreadors and gamblers。 People extol their contempt for death。 But I would not give a fig for anybody's contempt for death。 If its roots are not sunk deep in an acceptance of responsibility； this contempt for death is the sign either of an impoverished soul or of youthful extravagance。
I once knew a young suicide。 I cannot remember what disappointment in love it was which induced him to send a bullet carefully into his heart。 I have no notion what literary temptation he had succumbed to when he drew on a pair of white gloves before the shot。 But I remember having felt； on learning of this sorry show； an impression not of nobility but of lack of dignity。 So！ Behind that attractive face； beneath that skull which should have been a treasure chest； there had been nothing； nothing at all。 Unless it was the vision of some silly little girl indistinguishable from the rest。
And when I heard of this meagre destiny； I remembered the death of a man。 He was a gardener； and he was speaking on his deathbed： 〃You know； I used to sweat sometimes when I was digging。 My rheumatism would pull at my leg； and I would damn myself for a slave。 And now； do you know； I'd like to spade and spade。 It's beautiful work。 A man is free when he is using a spade。 And besides； who is going to prune my trees when I am gone？〃
That man was leaving behind him a fallow field； a fallow planet。 He was bound by ties of love to all cultivable land and to all the trees of the earth。 There was a generous man； a prodigal man； a nobleman！ There was a man who； battling against death in the name of his Creation； could like Guillaumet be called a man of courage！。
Wind； Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Chapter 2 … The MenTitle： Wind