XVIII. — A BIT OF PAPER ／
訳：小川温
WHEN morning broke, Nkima, had he been a man, would have said that he had not slept a wink all night; but that was because when he was awake he was so worried and frightened that the time had dragged interminably. During the night, he regretted that he had not stayed with Tarzan and determined to return to the camp the first thing in the morning; but when morning came, dispelling the gloom with brilliant sunshine, his little monkey mind forgot its good resolution and concerned itself only with the moment and his new playmate.
Off they went, racing through the jungle, swinging from limb to limb, scampering high aloft, dropping again to lower levels.
Nkima was very happy. The sun was shining. It would always shine. He could not envision that another night of cold and dread was coming quickly.
Farther and farther toward the west they scampered, farther and farther away from camp; and in one hand Nkima clutched the little stick with the split end, topped by the soiled and crumpled envelope. Through all the playing and the love-making and the long night, little Nkima had clung to his sole treasure.
The little she, who was Nkima's playmate, was mischievous. She was also covetous. For long had she looked upon the stick and the envelope with envy, but she had been cuffed once for trying to take them; so she was wary, yet the more she saw them, the more she wished them.
Nkima was running along a branch holding the envelope on high. The little she was following in his wake when she saw her chance—just ahead, a limb beneath which Nkima would have to pass. Quickly she sprang upward and raced ahead along this limb; and, as Nkima passed beneath her, she reached down and seized the envelope. She was disappointed because she did not get the stick, too; but even a part of this wonderful thing was better than nothing.
Having achieved her design, she scampered on ahead as fast as she could go. Nkima witnessed the theft, and his heart was filled with righteous anger and indignation. He pursued her, but fear lent her a new speed.
On they raced; but the little she always seemed to have the advantage, for she steadily outdistanced Nkima until she was lost to his sight; and then his indignation and sorrow at the loss of his treasure was submerged in a fear that he had lost the little she also.
But he had not. He came upon her perched innocently in a high-flung crotch, contentedly eating a piece of fruit. As Nkima approached her, he looked for the envelope. It was gone. He wanted to pound her, but he also wanted to hug her; so he compromised by hugging her.
He asked for his bit of paper. Of course, he had no name for it; but he made her understand. It seemed that she had become frightened and thrown it away.
Nkima went back a little way to look for it, but he became interested in some fuzzy caterpillars that he passed on the way; and when he had eaten all that he could find, he had temporarily forgotten the paper.
A little river flowed beneath them. Rivers always intrigued Nkima. He liked to follow them; so he followed this one.
Presently he espied something that brought him to a sudden stop. In a small, natural clearing on the bank of the river was a flimsy man-made hut.
Nkima thought that there must be gomangani around; and he was wary, but he was also very curious. He watched and listened. The place seemed deserted. Finally he mustered sufficient courage to drop to the ground and investigate.
Followed by the little she, he crept toward the entrance to the hut. Cautiously he peeked around a corner of the door frame and peered within. There was no one there. Nkima entered. Luggage and clothing were strewn about the floor. He looked things over, seeking what he might appropriate. Then his eyes fell upon a piece of paper fastened to the wall with a sliver of wood. With a yelp of delight, Nkima leaped for it. Then he scampered out of the hut with his prize, raced across the clearing, and swarmed up to the topmost branches of a giant tree. Behind him came the little she.
By the time Nkima had succeeded in inserting the piece of paper in the notch at the end of the stick, his interest in the other things that he had seen in the hut had, monkey-like, waned.
Now he recalled the tall warrior who had brought the piece of paper in the end of the stick to Tarzan. Nkima decided that he would do likewise. He felt very important and was only sorry that he did not have a white plume to wave above his head.
Holding to this single idea for an unusually long time, Nkima raced back in the direction of the camp where he had left Tarzan and the Waziri.
It was late in the afternoon when he got there, and his little heart leaped into his throat when he discovered that his friends were gone.
He was very sad and a little frightened, although it was not yet dark; but when his lady friend came and sat close beside him, he felt better.
Unfortunately, this respite from despair was all too brief. The little band of monkeys to which his playmate belonged came trooping through the trees. They saw Nkima and the shameless young creature who had run away with him.
Jabbering, chattering, scolding, several of the males of the clan came swinging through the trees toward Nkima and his light-of-love. For a moment, just a fleeting moment, Nkima had visions of standing his ground and doing battle; but the leading male was an old fellow, very large and strong. His fangs were bared in a most disconcerting manner; and he voiced terrifying threats that made Nkima's heart quail, so that on second thought he determined to go elsewhere and go quickly; but his lady friend clung to him tightly, hampering his movements, for she, too, was frightened. Perhaps she did not want to lose Nkima who, after all, had a way with him.
The terrifying old monkey was approaching rapidly, and then Nkima did a most ungallant thing; he struggled to free himself from the lady's embrace, and when she only clung more tightly he tore at her arms to disengage himself, and then struck her in the face until she finally released him.
By now, Nkima was screaming in terror. The little she was screaming, and so were all the other monkeys. Bedlam reigned in the jungle; and to the accompaniment of this din of rage and terror, little Nkima broke away and fled; but through it all he had clung to his stick with its fluttering bit of paper, and now toward the north he bore it away like a banner, but scarcely triumphantly.
Some of the males pursued him for a short distance; but when terror impelled little Nkima only a bird on the wing might hope to overtake him; and so his pursuers soon gave up the chase.
For some time thereafter, Nkima did not reduce his speed; he continued to flee, screaming at the top of his voice.
It was only after he had almost reached the point of exhaustion that he slowed down and looked back, listening. In his mind's eye was the picture of the snarling visage of the old male; but he was nowhere to be seen, nor was there any sound of pursuit; so little Nkima took heart and his courage commenced to return. He even swaggered a little as though he were returning triumphant from a well-earned victory. Had he had a wife, he would have gone home to her and bragged of his exploits; there are men like that; so who may censure little Nkima who was only a monkey.
Presently he found the trail of Tarzan and the Waziri. He knew that they had been traveling north, and so he came down and sniffed the earth in the game trail that they had been following. Clear in his nostrils was the scent spoor of his friends. This heartened him, and he hurried on again.
Little Nkima moved through the trees many times faster than a man on foot. His fear of the coming jungle night held him to his purpose, so that he did not stop along the way to chase butterflies and birds.
That night he perched high among the smaller branches where Sheeta, the panther, cannot go.朝になった時、ンキマは、もし人間だったら夜一睡もできなかったと言っただろう。しかしそれは彼が目覚めた時不安で怖がっていたので神経が高ぶっていたせいだった。夜の間、彼はターザンと一緒に居なかったことを悔やんでいて朝になったら一番にキャンプに戻ろうと決心していた。しかし朝が来て、輝く太陽で暗闇が消え去ると、そのちっぽけな猿の理性はせっかくの良い決心を忘れ今の瞬間と自分の新しい恋人の事だけに関心をもっていた。
ふたりは飛び出し、ジャングルを走り回り、枝から枝に揺れ動き、高みを敏捷に飛び跳ね、また低い所に降りたりした。
ンキマは幸せ一杯だった。太陽は輝いていた。ずっと輝き続けるはずだ。すぐに寒くて恐ろしい次の夜が来ることなど思いつかなかった。
どんどん西の方に飛び跳ねて行き、どんどんキャンプから離れて行った。そしてンキマは片手に端の裂けた小さな枝をしっかり握っていた、汚れてくしゃくしゃになった封筒を先に付けたまま。遊んでいる間中も愛し合っている時も長い夜も、小さなンキマは自分の唯一の宝物に執着していた。
ンキマの恋人の、その小さな彼女はかわいい小悪魔だった。また欲張りだった。長い間彼女はその枝と封筒をうらやましがって眺めていたが一度それを手にしようとしてピシャリとやられていた。それで慎重にはなっていたが、見れば見るほど欲しくなっていった。
ンキマはその封筒つきの枝を高く掲げて走っていた。小さな彼女は後ろについていてチャンスをうかがっていた---丁度頭上に、ンキマが下を通らなければならない大枝があった。すばやく彼女は飛び上がりその大枝伝いに走った。そして、ンキマが自分の下を通った時、彼女は下に手を伸ばし封筒を掴んだ。枝を取れなかったので彼女はがっかりした。だがあのすばらしいモノの一部を手にしたことは無いよりずっとましだった。
自分の策略を達成して、彼女はできる限りのすばやさで頭上に逃げた。ンキマはその窃盗を眼にして、心は正義の怒りと義憤で燃えていた。彼女を追ったが、恐怖が彼女に新たなスピードを貸し与えた。
ふたりは競争を続けたが、小さな彼女は常にリードをとり、ついにはンキマの姿が見えなくなるほど引き離した。そして宝物を失ったンキマの憤慨と悲しみは自分が彼女も無くしたんじゃないかという恐怖にとってかわった。
しかしそうではなかった。ンキマは、高く伸びた樹の又に無邪気に座り込んで、果物を美味しそうに食べている彼女の所にやってきた。ンキマは近づくと、封筒を探した。無かった。ンキマは彼女を捕まえようと思ったが、同時に抱きしめたくもあった。それで抱きしめることで妥協した。
ンキマは自分の紙切れについて訊（き）いた。もちろんそれの呼び名は無かったが、彼女に理解させることはできた。彼女は怖くなってそれを投げ捨てたようだった。
ンキマはそれを探すために少しばかり戻ったが、通りすがりにいたけばけばの芋虫に心を惹かれてしまった。そして眼にした芋虫を全部食べ終わった時、紙切れのことは一時的に忘れてしまった。
ふたりの下に小さな川が流れていた。川はいつもンキマの興味を引いた。川を見ると流れを辿（たど）ってみたいと思った。それで彼はそうした。
やがてンキマは思わず動きが止まるようなものを眼にした。川の土手にある狭い自然の空き地に粗末な人間の手による小屋があった。
ンキマは近くにきっとゴマンガニ（黒人）が居ると思った。そして慎重になったが、また興味駸々でもあった。彼は眼を凝らし聞き耳をたてた。近くに人は居ないようだった。ついに彼は勇気を奮い起こし地面に下りて調べることにした。
小さな彼女を従えて、小屋の入り口に這（は）い寄った。用心深くドア枠を回り込み中を覗（のぞ）き込んだ。誰も居なかった。ンキマは入った。床に荷物や衣類が散乱していた。彼は何か良いものがないかと、物色した。そして彼の眼は壁に木切れで固定してある一枚の紙に止 まった。喜びの声を上げて、ンキマはそれに飛びついた。その後彼はその賞品を持って小屋から走り出て、空き地を大急ぎで渡り、巨木の天辺までよじ登った。彼の後ろから小さな彼女が付いてきた。
枝の端の隙間にその紙を挟むのに成功するまで、小屋の中で眼にして他の物に対するンキマの興味は、猿にありがちだが、失せていた。
今ンキマは枝の先に紙を付けてターザンに持ってきた背の高い戦士のことを思い出した。ンキマは自分も同じようにしようと決心した。そのことは非常に大事なことに思ったがただ残念なことはあの背の高い男の頭の上でなびいていた白い羽根を持っていない事だった。
この一つの思いをいつになく長い時間持ち続けたまま、ンキマはターザンとワジリに別れたキャンプの方に大急ぎで戻った。
キャンプ地に着いたのは午後遅くだった、そして友達がいなくなっているのを見つけて小さな心が痛んだ。
ンキマは悲しかったし、暗くはなっていなかったけど少し怖くなった。しかし彼の淑女がやって来てそばに座った時、やっとほっとした。
不幸にも、この絶望の一時休戦は瞬間で終った。ンキマの彼女の種族の小集団が樹を抜けて集まってきた。連中はンキマと彼について行った恥知らずの若い娘を見つけた。
喚（わめ）いたり、騒いだり、怒ったりしながらその一族の雄達がンキマとその情婦の方に樹を飛び交いながらやって来た。一寸の間、ンキマは踏みとどまって闘おうかと思った。しかしリーダーの雄は古参で、大きくて強かった。その牙は恐ろしい様子で剥（む）くれた。そいつはンキマの心をくじけさせるのに充分な恐ろしい威嚇の声を上げたのでンキマはすぐにどこかに逃げ出す決心をした。しかし女友達がンキマにしっかりしがみついていて、動くのを邪魔していたのは、彼女もまた、恐ろしがっていたのだった。多分彼女は、結局、自分の生きかたを守っているンキマを失いたくなかったのだろう。
その恐ろしい古参の猿はすぐに近づいて来て、その時ンキマは最も勇敢でない行動をしてしまった。彼はその女性の抱擁からのがれようともがき、彼女はさらにしっかりとしがみついただけだったが、ンキマは彼女の顔を打ち彼女はついに手を離した。
今や、ンキマは恐ろしさで悲鳴を上げていた。小さな彼女も悲鳴を上げていて、他の猿達もみんな悲鳴を上げていた。ジャングルのそこは大混乱に陥っていた。激情と恐怖の喧騒に乗じて、小さなンキマはそこから消え遁走（とんそう）した。そしてその間もずっと彼ははためく紙の付いた枝を離さずにいて、今彼は伝令のように北に向かってそれを運んでいた、ただ得意気ではなく。
何匹かの雄がンキマの跡を少しばかり追ったが、恐怖が小さなンキマを駆り立てたので彼に追い付けるのは翼のある鳥くらいしか居なかった。それで追跡者はすぐに諦（あきら）めた。
その後もしばらく、ンキマはスピードをゆるめることは無かった。彼は逃げ続けた、出せるかぎりの悲鳴を上げながら。
ンキマが振り返って耳を澄ませたのは疲れ果てそれ以上進めなくなったからだった。彼の心にはあの古参の猿の歯を剥き出した形相が見えていた。しかしあたりを見回してもどこにも居ないし、追跡の音も聞えなかった。それで小さなンキマは平静になり気分も落ち着いた。勝ち取っていた勝利を払い戻しはしたものの少しばかりどうどうと歩きさえした。妻が居たら妻の元に戻り自分の手柄を自慢しただろう。そんなものは人間の話である。だから小さな猿に過ぎないンキマをとがめる者など居はしない。
やがてンキマはターザンとワジリの跡を見つけた。北に向かって旅した事が分かり、樹から降り一行が辿（たど）っている獣道の地面を嗅いだ。彼の鼻孔にはっきりと入ってきたのは彼の友人達の臭跡だった。このことは彼を元気づけ、彼は再び先を急いだ。
小さなンキマは何度も樹の中を通って地上を行く人間よりも速く進んだ。来たるべきジャングルの夜に対する恐怖は目的のために押さえ込まれ、そのため彼は蝶や鳥を捕まえるために寄り道をすることもなかった。
その夜彼はシータ（豹）が上って来られない細い枝のある高い場所にとまった。