“I can’t sleep on the bare earth,” said Thud doggedly8; “it is so hard, and I should catch my death of cold.”
“I am going to sleep on the ground,” observed Oscar. “We have plenty of rugs and wraps. I have often made my bed beneath a tree.”
“You, I daresay; but I’m different. I’ve a theory that development of brain makes the bodily frame more delicate, and that philosophers need to sleep softer and fare better than other men.”
“You were forewarned as to what you would have to meet,” was Oscar’s quiet reply.
“And then on the ground one is not safe from all sorts of reptiles—ants, caterpillars10, centipedes, scorpions11, snakes!” cried Thud, raising his voice to more emphatic12 pitch till he reached his climax13 of horrors.
“Specimens for your natural history collection,” said Oscar.
“O Thud! look at that glorious full moon rising over the plain; feel the fresh, sweet air on your cheek. There is pleasure—luxury, in this camping out!” cried Io.
The night passed peaceably with the travellers; even Thud had no cause to grumble3. Coldstream was up with the first dawn of light. A magnificent imperial pigeon, and two green ones brought down by his gun, afforded the travellers a sumptuous15 breakfast, and put even Thud into comparative good-humour. Moreover, he put some of the feathers into his bag.
The country soon changed its character as the travellers wended on their way. Instead of paddy-fields, bamboo clumps18, and occasional groups of trees, the ground rose into hills, and progression became more difficult. The elephant came at last to places where it seemed to be impossible that so heavy an animal should make its way. At one spot there was an incline so steep that Io, though a girl of spirit, became a little nervous.
“I do not think that we can get down there,” she said to her husband. “I should be frightened to see you attempt to ride down on the tat; the elephant would certainly come to grief.”
“Can he manage it?” asked Coldstream of the kahaut, who was perched on the animal’s neck.
“He manage it cleverly,” was the reply.
And the creature did manage the descent cleverly. A sudden movement, which jerked Io and Maha backward in the howdah, and made them cling to its sides, gave notice that the huge beast which they rode had knelt on his hinder legs; then, putting the thick fore9 legs together, the elephant slid down the steep incline, and perfectly20 preserving his balance, landed safely at the bottom.
“I say, that’s what I call clever!” cried Thud. “I should not like to have been on the back of the beast!”
“My brave wifie!” exclaimed Oscar; “you did not look in the least afraid.”
The descent was also cleverly managed by the active little tat and the sure-footed mules. Only Thud concluded his performance of the feat16 by a roll in the dust.
After proceeding22 for another hour the travellers came in sight of a village nestling under the shelter of a palm-crowned height.
“What a picturesque23 little place, with its bamboo huts and thatched roofs!” exclaimed Io. “I wish, Oscar, that you had brought your sketch-book as well as your gun.”
“The village would make a good subject for a picture, and is pleasing at a distance,” said Oscar. “But peaceful and fair as it looks, how much of vice24, misery25, superstition26, and idolatry are likely to be found in its dwellings27!”
“I do not like to think that,” said Io. “See the cattle grazing about, and the goats with their kids; look at the buffaloes28 enjoying themselves in the big pond, with only their snouts and horns above the surface of the water.”
“Where there are cows I have an idea that there must be milk,” observed Thud. “I’m as thirsty as a frog, and as tired as a hack29 on Holborn Hill.”
“Oh! a drink of milk would be a luxury,” cried Io.
“Might we not go to the village ourselves?” suggested Io; “it would be something so novel, so amusing.”
Io’s slightest wish was a law to Oscar. The little ladder was at hand, and he helped his wife to descend from her lofty perch19. Maha, as before, needed no assistance.
“She’s a kind of monkey,” observed Thud with contempt.
The party proceeded towards the village, Io leaning upon the arm of her husband. By the side of the path sat a very old man, wrinkled and bent31. He lifted up his head at the sound of strangers’ feet, and the Coldstreams then perceived that he was quite blind.
“Blind, poor, and so old!” exclaimed Io. “Oscar dear, have you a coin about you?”
The coin was produced and silently dropped by Io into the old man’s hand.
“The Lord reward you!” ejaculated the old native in the Karen tongue.
The Coldstreams were surprised at the expression used.
“You have had a hard life, father,” said Io gently.
“Who is your Saviour?” asked Io.
“From whom have you heard of Him?” asked Oscar with interest.
“From our brother, Ko Thah Byu,” was the slowly-uttered reply.
A little farther on, a small girl, very scantily35 dressed, was happily engaged in sucking a bit of sugar-cane. She took it out of her mouth, and looked up in innocent wonder as the Europeans approached her.
“She will be our little guide,” observed Oscar.—“My child,” he said to the girl, “will you take us to the house of your mother?”
The girl understood him, but shook her black locks. Oscar repeated his question.
“Mother up there—with the Lord,” said the child, pointing to the blue, cloudless sky.
“Who told you that your mother had gone to the Lord?” asked Io.
The same reply came from the child as had been uttered by the old man, “Brother Ko Thah Byu.”
“This is very striking—very, very interesting,” said Io. “Hark! is not that the sound of a gong? There are boys gathering36 under yon tree.”
“I daresay to worship some hideous37 idol,” suggested Thud. “It is not safe to disturb savages38 at their horrible rites39.” Thud had not understood a word of the Karen language spoken, and his ideas of savages were principally taken from “Robinson Crusoe.”
“There is no idolatry here,” observed Io. “The boys, in orderly fashion, are sitting down in a circle. This looks for all the world like a little school. The gong only summoned the pupils.”
“We will go nearer and inquire,” said Oscar.
Yes, it was a school in that secluded40 village in Siam. The master was a simple Karen peasant, and his lesson-book a portion of the Bible. The Coldstreams felt as if they had unexpectedly lighted on a jewel.
“Who started this school?” inquired Oscar of the Karen teacher, who rose from his squatting41 position in surprise, whilst all his young, half-naked pupils forgot their lessons to gaze open-mouthed on the apparition42 of a white lady wearing a hat and veil.
“Who started this school?” repeated Oscar.
“Brother Ko Thah Byu,” was the reply.
“He must be a very remarkable43 man,” observed Oscar to his wife. “I am very sorry that I did not meet him when he was actually passing through Moulmein.”
“I would give anything to see this Karen apostle,” said Io.
The visitors were hospitably44 treated in the Karen village: not only milk, but kur (coarse brown sugar) and rice were placed before them, and when Oscar offered payment it was refused. Further inquiries45 regarding Ko Thah Byu elicited46 the information that this evangelist had successfully preached the gospel in many places, both in Burmah and Siam, but that it had been most welcomed by those of his own Karen race, who were scattered47 in both countries, often greatly oppressed, except where protected by the power of the English, to whom the Karen Christians49 seemed greatly attached.2
“Our white brothers, who came by water as our great father foretold50, spread a big shield over the poor Karens,” said the village teacher; “our white brothers are welcome.”
The Coldstreams and Thud remained some time in the hospitable51 village of Mouang. Maha was delighted to find herself amongst her own people, and laughed and chatted gaily52 with the women. The party quitted Mouang with regret, and Io said that the hour spent with the Christian48 Karens had been amongst the happiest of her life.
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1
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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banyan
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| n.菩提树，榕树 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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9
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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caterpillars
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| n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带 | |
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scorpions
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| n.蝎子( scorpion的名词复数 ) | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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15
sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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17
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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18
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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24
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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28
buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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29
hack
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| n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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35
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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36
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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37
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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39
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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40
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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41
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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42
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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43
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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44
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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45
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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46
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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48
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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49
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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50
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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52
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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