tartarin of tarascon- 第1部分

TARTARIN　OF　TARASCON
by
ALPHONSE　DAUDET




EPISODE　THE　FIRST
IN　TARASCON



I。　The　Garden　Round　the　Giant　Trees。


My　first　visit　to　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　has　remained　a　never…to…be…　forgotten　date　in　my　life；　although　quite　ten　or　a　dozen　years　ago；　I　remember　it　better　than　yesterday。

At　that　time　the　intrepid　Tartarin　lived　in　the　third　house　on　the　left　as　the　town　begins；　on　the　Avignon　road。　　A　pretty　little　villa　in　the　local　style；　with　a　front　garden　and　a　balcony　behind；　the　walls　glaringly　white　and　the　venetians　very　green；　and　always　about　the　doorsteps　a　brood　of　little　Savoyard　shoeblackguards　playing　hopscotch；　or　dozing　in　the　broad　sunshine　with　their　heads　pillowed　on　their　boxes。

Outwardly　the　dwelling　had　no　remarkable　features；　and　none　would　ever　believe　it　the　abode　of　a　hero；　but　when　you　stepped　inside；　ye　gods　and　little　fishes　！　what　a　change！　　From　turret　to　foundation…stone　　I　mean；　from　cellar　to　garret；　　the　whole　building　wore　a　heroic　front；　even　so　the　garden！

O　that　garden　of　Tartarin's！　there's　not　its　match　in　Europe！　　Not　a　native　tree　was　there　　not　one　flower　of　France；　nothing　hut　exotic　plants；　gum…trees；　gourds；　cotton…woods；　cocoa　and　cacao；　mangoes；　bananas；　palms；　a　baobab；　nopals；　cacti；　Barbary　figs　　well；　you　would　believe　yourself　in　the　very　midst　of　Central　Africa；　ten　thousand　leagues　away。　　It　is　but　fair　to　say　that　these　were　none　of　full　growth；　indeed；　the　cocoa…palms　were　no　bigger　than　beet　root　and　the　baobab　（arbos　gigantea　　〃　giant　tree；〃　you　know）　was　easily　enough　circumscribed　by　a　window…pot；　but；　notwithstanding　this；　it　was　rather　a　sensation　for　Tarascon；　and　the　townsfolk　who　were　admitted　on　Sundays　to　the　honour　of　contemplating　Tartarin's　baobab；　went　home　chokeful　of　admiration。

Try　to　conceive　my　own　emotion；　which　I　was　bound　to　feel　on　that　day　of　days　when　I　crossed　through　this　marvellous　garden　；　and　that　was　capped　when　I　was　ushered　into　the　hero's　sanctum。

His　study；　one　of　the　lions　　I　should　say；　lions'　dens　　of　the　town；　was　at　the　end　of　the　garden；　its　glass　door　opening　right　on　to　the　baobab。

You　are　to　picture　a　capacious　apartment　adorned　with　firearms　and　steel　blades　from　top　to　bottom：　all　the　weapons　of　all　the　countries　in　the　wide　world　　carbines；　rifles；　blunderbusses；　Corsican；　Catalan；　and　dagger　knives；　Malay　kreeses；　revolvers　with　spring…bayonets；　Carib　and　flint　arrows；　knuckle…dusters；　　life…　preservers；　　Hottentot　clubs；　Mexican　lassoes　　now；　can　you　expect　me　to　name　the　rest？　　Upon　the　whole　fell　a　fierce　sunlight；　which　made　the　blades　and　the　brass　butt…plate　of　the　muskets　gleam　as　if　all　the　more　to　set　your　flesh　creeping。　Still；　the　beholder　was　soothed　a　little　by　the　tame　air　of　order　and　tidiness　reigning　over　the　arsenal。　　Everything　was　in　place；　brushed；　dusted；　labelled；　as　in　a　museum　；　from　point　to　point　the　eye　descried　some　obliging　little　card　reading：


…　I　　　　　　　　　　　　　Poisoned　Arrows！　　　　　　　　　　I　I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Do　Not　Touch！　　　　　　　　　　　I　…

Or；

…　I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Loaded！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　I　　　　　　　　　　　　　Take　care；　please！　　　　　　　　I　…

If　it　had　not　been　for　these　cautions　I　never　should　have　dared　venture　in。

In　the　middle　of　the　room　was　an　occasional　table；　on　which　stood　a　decanter　of　rum；　a　siphon　of　soda…water；　a　Turkish　tobacco…　pouch；　〃Captain　Cook's　Voyages；〃　the　Indian　tales　of　Fenimore　Cooper　and　Gustave　Aimard；　stories　of　hunting　the　bear；　eagle；　elephant；　and　so　on；　　Lastly；　beside　the　table　sat　a　man　of　between　forty　and　forty…five；　short；　stout；　thick…set；　ruddy；　with　flaming　eyes　and　a　strong　stubbly　beard　；　he　wore　flannel　tights；　and　was　in　his　shirt　sleeves；　one　hand　held　a　hook；　and　the　other　brandished　a　very　large　pipe　with　an　iron　bowl…cap。　　Whilst　reading　heaven　only　knows　what　startling　adventure　of　scalp…　hunters；　he　pouted　out　his　lower　lip　in　a　terrifying　way；　which　gave　the　honest　phiz　of　the　man　living　placidly　on　his　means　the　same　impression　of　kindly　ferocity　which　abounded　throughout　the　house。

This　man　was　Tartarin　himself　　the　Tartarin　of　Tarascon；　the　great；　dreadnought；　incomparable　Tartarin　of　Tarascon。



II。　A　general　glance　bestowed　upon　the　good　town　of　Tarascon；　and　a　particular　one　on　〃the　cap…poppers。〃


AT　the　time　I　am　telling　of；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　had　not　become　the　present…day　Tartarin；　the　great　one　so　popular　in　the　whole　South　of　France：　but　yet　he　was　even　then　the　cock　of　the　walk　at　Tarascon。

Let　us　show　whence　arose　this　sovereignty。

In　the　first　place　you　must　know　that　everybody　is　shooting　mad　in　these　parts；　from　the　greatest　to　the　least。　　The　chase　is　the　local　craze；　and　so　it　has　ever　been　since　the　mythological　times　when　the　Tarasque；　as　the　county　dragon　was　called；　flourished　himself　and　his　tail　in　the　town　marshes；　and　entertained　shooting　parties　got　up　against　him。　　So　you　see　the　passion　has　lasted　a　goodish　bit。

It　follows　that；　every　Sunday　morning；　Tarascon　flies　to　arms；　lets　loose　the　dogs　of　the　hunt；　and　rushes　out　of　its　walls；　with　game…　bag　slung　and　fowling…piece　on　the　shoulder；　together　with　a　hurly…　burly　of　hounds；　cracking　of　whips；　and　blowing　of　whistles　and　hunting…horns。　　It's　splendid　to　see！　　Unfortunately；　there's　a　lack　of　game；　an　absolute　dearth。

Stupid　as　the　brute　creation　is；　you　can　readily　understand　that；　in　time；　it　learnt　some　distrust。

For　five　leagues　around　about　Tarascon；　forms；　lairs；　and　burrows　are　empty；　and　nesting…places　abandoned。　　You'll　not　find　a　single　quail　or　blackbird；　one　little　leveret；　or　the　tiniest　tit。　　And　yet　the　pretty　hillocks　are　mightily　tempting；　sweet　smelling　as　they　are　of　myrtle；　lavender；　and　rosemary；　and　the　fine　muscatels　plumped　out　with　sweetness　even　unto　bursting；　as　they　spread　along　the　banks　of　the　Rhone；　are　deucedly　tempting　too。　　True；　true；　but　Tarascon　lies　behind　all　this；　and　Tarascon　is　down　in　the　black　hooks　of　the　world　of　fur　and　feather。　　The　very　birds　of　passage　have　ticked　it　off　on　their　guide…books；　and　when　the　wild　ducks；　coming　down　towards　the　Camargue　in　long　triangles；　spy　the　town　steeples　from　afar；　the　outermost　flyers　squawk　out　loudly：

〃Look　out！　there's　Tarascon！　give　Tarascon　the　go…by；　duckies！〃

And　the　flocks　take　a　swerve。

In　short；　as　far　as　game　goes；　there's　not　a　specimen　left　in　the　land　save　one　old　rogue　of　a　hare；　escaped　by　miracle　from　the　massacres；　who　is　stubbornly　determined　to　stick　to　it　all　his　life！　He　is　very　well　known　at　Tarascon；　and　a　name　has　been　given　him。　〃Rapid〃　is　what　they　call　him。　　It　is　known　that　he　has　his　form　on　M。　Bompard's　grounds　　which；　by　the　way；　has　doubled；　ay；　tripled；　the　value　of　the　property　　but　nobody　has　yet　managed　to　lay　him　low。　At　present；　only　two　or　three　inveterate　fellows　worry　themselves　about　him。　　The　rest　have　given　him　up　as　a　bad　job；　and　old　Rapid　has　long　ago　passed　into　the　legendary　world；　although　your　Tarasconer　is　very　slightly　superstitious　naturally；　and　would　eat　cock…robins　on　toast；　or　the　swallow；　which　is　Our　Lady's　own　bird；　for　that　matter；　if　he　could　find　any。

〃But　that　won't　do！〃　you　will　say。　　Inasmuch　as　game　is　so　scarce；　what　can　the　sportsmen　do　every　Sunday？

What　can　they　do？

Why；　goodness　gracious！　they　go　out　into　the　real　country　two　or　three　leagues　from　town。　　They　gather　in　knots　of　five　or　six；　recline　tranquilly　in　the　shade　of　some　well；　old　wall；　or　olive　tree；　extract　from　their　game…bags　a　good…sized　piece　of　boiled　beef；　raw　onions；　a　sausage；　and　anchovies；　and　commence　a　next　to　endless　snack；　washed　down　with　one　of　those　nice　Rhone　wines；　which　sets　a　toper　laughing　and　singing。　After　that；　when　thoroughly　braced　up；　they　rise；　whistle　the　dogs　to　heel；　set　the　guns　on　half　cock；　and　go　〃on　the　shoot〃　　another　way　of　saying　that　every　man　plucks　off　his　cap；　〃shies〃　it　up　with　all　his　might；　and　pops　it　on　the　fly　with　No。　5；　6；　or　2　shot；　according　to　what　he　is　loaded　for。

The　man　who　lodges　most　shot　in　his　cap　is　hailed　as　king　of　the　hunt；　and　stalks　back　triumphantly　at　dusk　into　Tarascon；　with　his　riddled　cap　on　the　end　of　his　gun…barrel；　amid　any　quantity　of　dog…　barks　and　horn…blasts。

It　is　needless　to　say　that　cap…selling　is　a　fine　business　in　the　town。　There　are　even　some　hatters　who　sell　hunting…caps　ready　shot；　torn；　and　perforated　for　the　bad　shots；　but　the　only　buyer　known　is　the　chemist　Bezuquet。　　This　is　dishonourable！

As　a　marksman　at　caps；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　never　had　his　match。

Every　Sunday　morning　out　he　would　march　in　a　new　cap；　and　back　he　would　strut　every　Sunday　evening　with　a　mere　thing　of　shreds。　The　loft　of　Baobab　Villa　was　full　of　these　glorious　trophies。　　Hence　all　Tarascon　acknowledged　him　as　master；　and　as　Tartarin　thoroughly　understood　hunting；　and　had　read　all　the　handbooks　of　all　possible　kinds　of　venery；　from　cap…popping　to　Burmese　tiger…　shooting；　the　sportsmen　constituted　him　their　great　cynegetical　judge；　and　took　him　for　referee　and　arbitrator　in　all　their　differences。

Between　three　and　four　daily；　at　Costecalde　the　gunsmith's。　a　stout　stern　pipe…smoker　might　be　seen　in　a　green　leather…covered　arm…　chair　in　the　centre　of　the　shop　crammed　with　cap…poppers；　they　all　on　foot　and　wrangling。　　This　was　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　delivering　judgement　　Nimrod　plus　Solomon。



III。　〃Naw；　naw；　naw！''　　The　general　glance　protracted　upon　the　good　town。


AFTER　the　craze　for　sporting；　the　lusty　Tarascon　race　cherishes　one　love：　ballad…singing。　　There's　no　believing　what　a　quantity　of　ballads　is　used　up　in　that　little　region。　　All　the　sentimental　stuff　turning　into　sere　and　yellow　leaves　in　the　oldest　portfolios；　are　to　be　found　in　full　pristine　lustre　in　Tarascon。　　Ay；　the　entire　collection。　Every　family　has　its　own　pet；　as　is　known　to　the　town。

For　instance；　it　is　an　established　fact　that　this　is　the　chemist　Bezuquet's　family's：

〃Thou　art　the　fair　star　that　I　adore！〃

The　gunmaker　Costecalde's　family's：

〃Would'st　thou　come　to　the　land　　Where　the　log…cabins　rise？〃

The　official　registrar's　family's　：

〃If　I　wore　a　coat　of　invisible　green；　　Do　you　think　for　a　moment　I　could　be　seen？〃

And　so　on　for　the　whole　of　Tarascon。　Two　or　three　times　a　week　there　were　parties　where　th