Chapter 49 dead hunter

"There's a big island right there," exclaimed Whitney, "that's so mysterious." "What island is that?" asked Fodder. "It was marked 'Lost Ship Island' on the old maps," replied Whiteney. "It was such a horrible place that sailors shuddered at the mention of it. I don't know why, maybe It must be due to their superstition..." "I can't see it!" Leifd set up a high-powered telescope and tried to observe the mysterious island. "Oh, you seem to have good eyesight!" Whiteney said with a smile, "I seem to have seen the moose you knocked down lying four hundred feet away. How can there be something four yards away in this little night?" Can't you see it?"

"Haha, don't be ridiculous, it's true that you can't even see four yards. It's too dark at night, and the whole sky is like a black curtain." Reved ignored Whitney's joke. "It will be almost daybreak when we get to Rio," said Whiteney, seeming confident. "We should have all our hunting gear ready within a few days, and I think the shotguns that are specially designed for dealing with jaguars should also be in stock." Well. We shall have a very good hunt in Emerton, and hunting is a good thing." "Yeah, I think it's the best sport in the world," Redd replied.

"Oh, that's just for the hunters," Whiteney corrected, "but it's very different for the jaguars." "What nonsense, Whitney," said Redford, "you're a big hunter, but not a philosopher, and who cares how the jaguar feels?" "Maybe the Jaguars do think so," insisted Whiteney. "Well, they're mindless." "Even so, I think they at least understand fear, fear of pain, fear of death." "It's absurd," laughed Redford, "it's too hot to do anything in this damn weather. Be realistic, Whitney, the world is made up of two classes—the hunter and the prey.Fortunately, you and I are both hunters. —Hey, do you think we're past that island now? "

"It's so dark I can't guarantee it, but hopefully we're over it." "What did you say?" Redd asked. "This place has a bad reputation." "Are you saying that there are wildlings?" Raffles looked puzzled. "No, even savages can't survive in this devil's land. Maybe it's just a rumor of old sailors, but don't you think the whole crew is very nervous today?" "Thank you for mentioning, they are all a bit nervous, even the captain Nelson...," yes, even the experienced old captain, an old man who dares to tell the devil to go away in a dangerous situation The Swedish guy looked a little weird too, his bloody blue eyes were filled with something inscrutable that I'd never seen before.All I could get from him was that 'this place is a ghostly place for people who travel across the ocean', and then he asked me seriously 'Don't you feel anything strange? '—it seems that the air around us is filled with malevolent factors... Hey, you fellow, please don't laugh when I talk to you on this topic, I do feel cold. "

"But there is no wind, and the sea is as calm as glass. Oh, then we must be approaching that sinister island. The only thing I feel is a bone-chilling cold, probably caused by fear." "Pure fantasies," said Redd, "a superstitious sailor can always infect a whole ship with his fears." "Maybe, but sometimes I think sailors have a special premonition when they're in danger, and I think evil is something that can be felt. It's sending information on wavelengths, like sound and light. Anyway, I'm glad we're leaving the area.Well, I think it's time for me to go back to sleep, Redd. "I'm not sleepy," said Redford, "I'm going to have another cigarette on the quarterdeck. "

"Well, then, Redd, see you in the morning." "Good night, Whitney." Refed sat there alone, the night was deep.Everything is silent, only the sound of the yacht's rumbling motor and the splashing of the oars constantly rushing to the ears. Leaning on an air-cushioned chair, Redford leisurely sips his favorite cigar. Gradually, the drowsiness that accompanies a peaceful night creeps in. "It's so dark, I can sleep with my eyes open, and the night sky is like my eyelashes..." Lei Fude fell asleep thinking to himself. Suddenly a sound woke him up, it was on the right, it was impossible to mistake it, his ears were good at it.He heard the sound again, oh, again, somewhere in the depths of this darkness, someone fired three shots.

Redford jumped up all of a sudden, he tried his best to keep his eyes open, and followed the strange sound of the gun, but in such a dark night, he couldn't see anything, couldn't see at all. He twisted in the direction of the voice, trying to keep his balance.He weighed his feet, trying to get a better view, but the pipe in his mouth touched one of the boat's ropes and fell, and he leaned forward hastily to catch it.Suddenly there was only a scream, he lost his balance, and then there was a "bang", he only felt the warm and cool water of the Caribbean Sea submerging the top of his head.

He struggled to get to the surface and shouted for help, but the waves from the fast-moving yacht rushed into his face, sending brackish water into his open mouth. The backlight of the yacht shone brightly on the water, he swayed desperately, trying to get out of the water, he waved his arms vigorously, and chased the yacht ahead, suddenly a calm thought appeared in his mind, this kind of This is not the first time, maybe there is a chance, maybe the people on the boat will hear his call, he slowly shakes off his clothes in the water, and shouts with all his strength, but the yacht is running at full speed Moving forward, wanting to leave this weird and unpredictable place as soon as possible, the lights of the yacht became farther and farther away until they became the twinkling fireflies in the night sky, and the people on board were completely fascinated by the deep night.

The hope was shattered, and after swimming fifty feet, Leifud stopped helplessly. He was abandoned in this sinister deep sea. Is this endless darkness a sinful abyss leading to the gate of hell? ... A wave hit Lei Fude on the face, and he suddenly remembered the gunshot. With the gunshot, Lei Fude seemed to see the hope of life again.Yes, on the right, the shot came from the right, so he rolled over in the surf and turned toward the man.Swimming in the direction where the gunshot came from, he swam very slowly in order to save his energy. His outstretched arms gently hit the water surface. Time seemed to freeze in this endless darkness. He began to fight for himself. Counting the number of strokes, one, two...ten, forty...he can stroke hundreds or more...Rayford suddenly heard a sound, an animal made in extreme panic and despair The helpless roar, the stern voice faintly came from the depths of the darkness. He didn't realize what kind of beast it was that made the sound, and he didn't want to find out.It's just that the voice once again aroused his desire for life, just ahead, just ahead, he regained his spirit and swam towards the voice.Oh, he heard it again, and the previous sound was quickly interrupted by another noisy, choppy sound.

"It's the sound of gunshots." Redd thought to himself, and continued to swim forward. About ten minutes passed, and Reved's sensitive hearing told him that it was another voice.Oh, it was the howling and roaring of the waves beating against the rocks. To him, it was undoubtedly the most beautiful music he had ever heard in his life. Ah, Youyi... When he woke up from the intoxication of passion, he found that he was already on the rocks on the shore.This is such a restless night' Ah, he actually broke free from the sinful hand of the devil in the dark, and boarded Noah's Ark from the abyss of hell. Lie down in the grass far away, and soon be immersed in the sweetest dream of this life.

When he opened his eyes, the warm sunlight was shining softly on his body. Judging from the position of the sun, it seemed that it was almost dusk, and a long sleep gave him new strength, and his whole body was filled with a sense of excitement of renewed life. He got up; stretched himself, Then he began to look around, and suddenly a strong sense of hunger came over him—"Where there are gunfire, there must be people; where there are people, there must be something to satisfy the hunger." He thought, but that—— What race are they?In such a remote place, there are no harbors, no ships, only the dense jungle stretching along the coastline. Among the densely woven grass and trees, there is no trace of any road. Maybe walking along the coastline isn't too difficult, Lei Fude speculated as he walked forward. Not far from where he landed yesterday, he suddenly stopped. It seems that something was injured. The surrounding grass was lying on the ground in a disorderly manner, and the branches of the green trees beside it were also broken on the ground in twos and threes. It may be a big beast. Following the trampled grass marks, there is a faint path Stretching into the depths of the dense forest, a small shiny object suddenly came into view. He bent down to pick up Yichun, which turned out to be an empty bullet barrel. "Twenty-two," he murmured, "it's strange that the beast is so big, and the hunter must have followed that path cautiously, and obviously had a bad fight with the big one here. .oh, see, the first three shots I heard must have been the hunter who spotted the beast and shot and wounded it, and this last shot was when he chased up here and shot the beast Guy..." He inspected the ground carefully, and finally found what he wanted to find the most - the hunter's footsteps. The line of footprints was in the direction of the rocky cliff where he landed. He followed the footprints anxiously and full of enthusiasm. Running forward excitedly, there are rotten branches and leaves and loose stones under his feet, and the night is gradually covering the island... When he finally found the light, he couldn't help being so happy that he almost jumped up.Behind him is the vast and boundless darkness, swallowing the sea, the jungle, and almost swallowing him; but in front of him are the flickering lights, which are the lights of hope. The lights run.As soon as he turned a corner, he thought he had come across a village, because there were so many lights there. But when he rushed to the front, he was surprised to find that it was a majestic castle, with a magnificent tower-like structure and a towering spire. Under the shadow of the lights, the outline of the entire castle legible. This old castle is built on a high ridge, and there are cliffs on three sides outside the old castle. With the light inside the castle, you can clearly see the raging sea water below the cliff, which is like an abyss of evil, which is very impressive. Can't help but be creepy. "Is it a mirage?" Leifud couldn't believe his eyes, but when he stretched out his hand and pushed open the tall and fortified iron gate, he found that it was not a mirage, the stone steps were real, and he stomped three times on it. Stomp, the solid gate and the huge door knocker were also real. He touched and touched them, and it was indeed real, but it was still like a mirage hanging in mid-air. He pulled up the door knocker, and the door knocker creaked, as if it hadn't been used for many years. He let go of his hand and let the door knocker fall, and the door knocker made a dull sound when it was buckled on the door.He seemed to think he heard footsteps inside, but the door was still tightly shut.Refud drew the knife again.The heavy door knocker knocked on the iron door, the door opened with a creak, and a beam of light flowed out from the door, enveloping Reved in this warm golden bath. The first thing that caught Leifard's eyes was the big guy, the most muscular and muscular guy he had ever seen in his life--sturdy muscles, round arms, whiskers that stretched to the neck, and a long-barreled pistol tightly He held it in his hand—and the muzzle of the gun was facing Redd's heart.Two small eyes were hiding behind the messy long hair and staring fiercely at Redford. "Don't be nervous, my friend." Redford tried to ease the tense atmosphere with a smile on his face. "I'm not a robber. I fell overboard from a cruise ship. My name is Saint Greg Reddish, and I'm from New York." The guy was still pointing his gun at Redford like a stone statue, the menacing look in his eyes did not disappear, as if he didn't understand what Redd was saying at all, or he didn't hear anything at all, he was wearing A black uniform with silver gray trim. "I'm Saint G. Redford of New York," repeated Redford. "I fell overboard on my yacht and I'm hungry!" The only reaction of the strong man was to lift the butt of the gun with his fingers, then turned his feet sideways and stood at attention, raised his other hand to salute a military salute, and then a tall and thin man came down the steps and arrived Lei Fude stepped forward and held out his hand. He said in a soft, elegant and courteous tone: "It is a great honor and a pleasure to welcome the distinguished hunter, Mr. Sango Ryford." Naturally, Reved shook hands with him. "You know, I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet," the man explained. "I'm Lieutenant General Yalav." Redford's first impression was that the man was very handsome, and then he felt that there was a strange expression on his face. He was tall, past middle age, and his hair was a little gray, but his bushy eyebrows and He has a military-style beard but is very black and bright, his eyes are shining with deep and unpredictable gaze, high cheekbones, big nose bridge, and a dark face full of restraint and majesty.The lieutenant general turned around and made a gesture before the big guy moved his gun away, gave a military salute and retreated back. "Ivan is an unbelievably strong fellow," said the lieutenant general, "but unfortunately he is born deaf-mute, and oh, poor fellow, I'm afraid a man like him must be kept as a slave." "He is a Russian person?" "He's a Cossack," said the general, smiling, his bright red lips peeping from his bushy beard. "I'm a Cossack, too." "Come on," he said, "let's stop chatting here, we can come in and talk later, what you need most now are clothes, food, and rest, you'll have them all, it's a comfortable place The place." Ivan appeared again, and the Lieutenant General was talking silently with him with moving lips. "If you don't mind, please come with Ivan to change, Mr. Redford," said the lieutenant-general. "I was preparing supper when you came—oh, I'll wait for you, supper will be It's rich—oh, go ahead, and you'll find my clothes will fit you well." Reved followed the silent guy to a spacious bedroom with bright lights and a large bed big enough to sleep six people.At this time, Ivan took out a pajamas from the closet, and Lei Fude took it and put it on. It was of high quality and elegant style.Lei Fude suddenly found a round letter "K" on the corner of the clothes. It was made by a famous tailor in London. This tailor specially made clothes for nobles above the earl. Ivan led Lei Fude to a restaurant, which was full of grandeur and elegance in the middle ages, with an oak checkered floor, a high and majestic ridged roof, and a large and long dining table that could accommodate twenty people. It looks like the palace of a feudal emperor. The most surprising thing is that there are many animal heads placed in sequence around the lobby, such as lions, tigers, elephants, deer, bears, and many of them were never seen by Lei Fude.The room was brightly lit, and at the top of the dining table the general was sitting there alone. "Mr. Redford, you have some cocktails," he suggested.Oh, of course, the cocktails were the best, Redd noticed how beautifully the cutlery on the table was, and all of it was fine silver and china. The meals are varied and plentiful.Lieutenant General Yaraf ate half of it and said: "Let's try our best to maintain this civilized and peaceful atmosphere, please forgive my faux pas, - of course, we are far away from those prey, - oh, you don't mind this journey across the ocean from the champagne bar." "No, not at all!" Redford replied.He felt that the lieutenant general was really a warm and hospitable host, polite, gentle and considerate.But there is one thing, or just a little bit, that makes Redford a little uncomfortable-every time he looks up after eating, he will find the lieutenant general staring at him intently , It seems to be appraising a cultural relic, and it seems to be examining a prisoner. "Maybe," said Lieutenant General Yalav, "maybe you're surprised I know your name. But you know, I've read all the books on hunting, whether they're published in England, or in France, or in Russia.I have only one passion in my life and that is hunting. " "No wonder there are so many wonderful game here," Redford went on, swallowing a piece of tender and tender steak, "that big bison is the biggest I have ever seen." "Oh, you mean that one? That's a big guy." Lieutenant General Yalav pointed to the stuffed bison head and said proudly. "Did it horn you?" "It knocked me down under a big tree," said the lieutenant-general, "and stabbed my skull with its horns, but—I killed him." "I've always felt—" Reved said with admiration, "that the big buffalo are the most dangerous of all hunts." The lieutenant general did not answer for a long time. He smiled proudly and said in a drawn out tone: "No, sir, you are wrong. The big buffalo is not the most dangerous." He took a sip of his wine. On the island," he continued in a strange tone, "my hunting activities are more dangerous..." Reved asked in surprise: "Is there still hunting activities on this island?" The lieutenant general nodded meaningfully, "It is the biggest and most dangerous hunting activity." "Really?" "Oh, of course it didn't exist here, I—keep it on this island!" "Mr. Lieutenant General, what did you bring in?" Lei Fude continued to inquire, "Is it a tiger?" The lieutenant general laughed and said: "No, hunting tigers was not my interest many years ago. I am tired of it. There is no excitement and excitement in hunting tigers, and there is no real danger at all. But I exist for danger. Yes, Mr. Redford." The lieutenant general took out a gold snow box from his pocket and handed one to his guest. It was a long black cigar with a silver border, it was smoked with spices, so it gave off bursts of fragrance. "We're going to have a great hunt, and you and I will join," said the lieutenant-general. "I'm very glad to learn the art of hunting with you." "But what kind of hunt is that?" Redd asked. "Oh, let me tell you slowly," said the lieutenant general, "I know you will be intoxicated, and I think I can announce that I have indeed done a rare thing in the world. I have created a new Feeling, eh—Mr. Redford, may I pour you another glass of wine?" "Thank you very much, Mr. Lieutenant General." The lieutenant-general poured two more glasses of wine and continued: "God made some men poets, some kings, and some beggars. And me, he made me a hunter, and my father said my hands were born For pulling the trigger. Oh, my father is a rich man, he owns 250,000 acres in Kashmir, and he is a passionate athlete. He gave me a small gun when I was five years old, this The small gun was specially ordered for me in Moscow to shoot short arrows, and once I shot one of his gold medals with it, but he didn't punish me, but for a man like me. Courage honors me. I killed a bear in the Caucasus when I was ten years old, and my whole life has been an extension of the hunt. Later, I joined the army, which was considered the greatest honor for the children of nobles, but the Cossack cavalry split, but my real interest was still hunting.I have hunted in all forms in all lands, and I cannot tell you the number of animals I have killed, it is almost impossible to count. " The lieutenant general took a puff of the cigar in his hand, and fell into memory again. "After the Russian coup, I left my country - because it was a great humiliation for any Cossack officer, and many Russian nobles lost everything in a flash. Fortunately, I was safe in the United States. The Ministry invested a huge sum of money so that I would not have to open a tea shop in Cairo or drive a taxi for people in Paris. Naturally, I can continue my hunting hobby, I hunted grizzly bears in the rocks, crocodiles in the Congo, rhinos in East Africa, oh, I was injured and died while hunting big bison in Africa Because of this, I was lying in bed for more than six months.As soon as I was well enough I set off to Emerton to hunt jaguars, for I had long heard that they were hard to hunt, and I went there because of their reputation, but it was not the case. Said the legendary Cossack, "For a hunter, with his mind, with his gun, those beasts are simply incomparable.I was so disappointed that I had lost sleep over it until a wonderful idea started to pop into my head and the hunt started to excite me again.Don't forget that hunting is my life, and I've heard stories of American businessmen getting nervous when they're out of business - because it's their life. " "Yes, it is true," said Redd. The lieutenant general smiled and said: "I don't want to have a nervous breakdown yet. I have to do something. You know, my mind is very logical and very analytical. Obviously, this is the real reason why I like hunting. " "That's right, Lieutenant General Yalav." "Therefore," continued the Lieutenant General, "I asked myself why game hunting no longer appealed to me... Mr. Redford, you are younger than me and may not have hunted as much as I have, but perhaps you have guessed Answer." "what is that?" "It's very simple. Hunting can no longer be called an exciting sport. It has become too simple. I can often hunt prey, but I just hunt with fists effortlessly..." The lieutenant general lit a new cigar. "Wherever I go, game dies, and that's not bragging, that must be the inevitable result. Animals have nothing but their legs and instincts, which are things that cannot be used for thinking. Oh, whenever I Just thinking about this amazing moment makes me so excited... Take it easy and listen to me." Lei Fude leaned back on the chair, listening to his master's words, he couldn't help but fell into deep thought. "What should I do? Suddenly an inspiration came." The general continued to show off his mystery. "That is--" The lieutenant general smiled, as if he could feel endless satisfaction in the face of the miracle he created, "I must create a new animal for me to hunt." "New animal, you are kidding." "Not at all," said the lieutenant general, "I never joke about hunting. I needed a new animal, and I found it. So I bought the island and built this house here, where I I can continue my hobby of hunting. For hunting, this island is really unbeatable, with jungles, hills, mud, and mazes of trails" But what kind of animal is that?Lieutenant General Yalav. "Rayford interrupted the lieutenant general. "Oh," said the lieutenant general, "that is the most exciting hunting game in the world. There is nothing like it. I go hunting every day, but I have not been bored so far, because my prey They're very cunning, and they're very smart." Radford showed doubts on his face. "I need a very ideal animal for my hunt," explained the Lieutenant General. "So what are the characteristics of this ideal prey? The answer, of course, is that it must have guts, it must have intelligence—in a word, it must be able to think." .” "No animal can think," Refed retorted. "My dear friend," said the Lieutenant General in a very secretive tone, "there is an animal that can..." "Are you saying—" Redford asked in surprise. "Why not?" "I don't think you are serious, Lieutenant General Yalav, you must be telling a joke." "Why can't I be serious, knowing I'm talking about hunting." "Hunting, God, Lieutenant General Yaraf, everything you say is killing." The lieutenant general laughed loudly, and he looked at Redford triumphantly, "I don't believe that a knowledgeable modern youth like you still has such old-fashioned and romantic ideas about human life in this mere place, I believe you must have experienced wars! "The lieutenant general stopped talking. "I won't forgive those brutal executioners!" Raffles looked a little bit righteously indignant. "Hahaha," the lieutenant general laughed wildly, "how stubborn you are! In today's world, even in the United States, no one can expect a young man with your pure and beautiful views among the rich, then Like finding a snuff bottle on a luxury cruise ship. Oh, obviously you're a Puritan, like a lot of Americans look like. But I'm sure you'll forget about you when you're hunting with me That childish idea, Mr. Redford, then you will have a thrill that shocks your soul like never before." "Thank you very much, Mr. Lieutenant General Yalav. I am a hunter, but not a murderer." "Oh, my dear," said the lieutenant general with a displeased look on his face, "don't use that ugly word again, I think I'll let you know how wrong this idea is." "Really?" "Life is prepared for the strong, continued and sublimated for the strong, and if necessary, to be monopolized by the strong. The weak come as a gift from God to the strong in order to create joy for the strong Of the world. Since I am strong, why can't I use my god-given things? Then if I am willing to hunt, why can't I use them? What I hunt is only the dregs of this world - pleasure boats The sailors on board, the low niggers, the Chinese and the Mongols—not even a well-fed hunter horse or a hound can beat them a hundred times." "But they are people!" Raffled excitedly yelling. "Exactly," said the lieutenant general, flatly, "that's why I use them, they give me pleasure, they can think like me, so they are dangerous, but very exciting." "But where did you capture them?" The lieutenant general raised his left eyebrow triumphantly, blinked his eyes and said, "This island is called Lost Ship Island, sometimes the angry sea god sends them to me, sometimes when the sea god is not so kind, I will Do a little favor for Poseidon. Come, come to the window." Redford came to the window and looked out. "Look, it's over there." The lieutenant general pointed to the dark depths and explained.Lei Fud could only see a piece of blackness. At this time, the lieutenant general pressed a button, and Lei Fud immediately saw a beam of light on the distant sea. The lieutenant general sneered, "That means it is a channel, but in fact there is nothing there, only jagged and sharp rocky reefs, like a sea monster with its mouth wide open, it will easily smash the ship into pieces." Fragments." The lieutenant general crushed a peanut with his hands, threw it on the ground and stomped heavily on it a few times. "Oh, yes," he said casually, "we've got plenty of electricity, and we're trying to civilize the place." "Civilization? Are you attacking those people?" A look of exasperation crossed the lieutenant general's face, but it was fleeting again, and he said in a cheerful tone, "My dear, what a righteous young man you are, I assure you that I did not do anything. That's savage of the kind you're talking about. I take good care of these guests] and they'll get a lot of food and training and they'll be back in great shape. You'll see when you hunt tomorrow. " "what are you saying?" "We're going to visit my training camp," the lieutenant general said with a smile. "In the cellar, I already have about a dozen people. They came from Spain and unfortunately hit the reef. I am sorry that these poor Guys, they're used to deck life, not jungle life." He raised his hand, and as a waiter, Ivan brought a pot of rich and fragrant coffee.And Redd was trying to keep calm. "You know, it's just a game," the lieutenant general continued, "I suggest that we choose a man to hunt, and I will give him plenty of food and a sharp hunting knife, and I will give him three hours to go , and then I go hunting, with only a pistol of the smallest caliber, if my prey can hide for three days without letting me find it, then he wins the game, if I unfortunately find him—” Lieutenant General sneered Then he added, "Then he loses..." "What if he refuses to be hunted as prey?" "Oh," said the lieutenant-general, "of course I'll give him a choice. If he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to play the game. If he doesn't want to hunt, I'll give him to Ivan. Ivan is The captain of the mighty White Cossack, who has gained military exploits, will have his own game preferences, but without exception, they all choose to hunt this way, Mr. Redford." "What if they win?" The lieutenant general couldn't hide his complacency, "So far I haven't made any mistakes," he said. Then he hastily added: "I don't want you to think I'm a braggart. Many of the questions given to me by them are too simple and almost effortless. But once, I met a strong opponent. He Almost beat me until I had to use my hound." "Hound?" "Here, I'll point it out to you." The lieutenant general asked Lei Fude to come to the window, the lights in the house flew down in the mottled night, and in the shadow of the swaying vegetation in the backyard, a dozen huge black shadows swimming back and forth could be faintly seen. "What a fellow!" the lieutenant general observed, "they don't come out until seven o'clock every night, and if anyone tries to come into my room, or try to run out of my room, I can't guarantee what will happen. thing." "Now," the lieutenant general said, "I want to show you my recent new achievements. Would you like to come with me to the reference room?" "Oh no," Redd said, "I hope you'll forgive me, Lieutenant General Yalav, I really don't feel well." "Really?" the lieutenant general asked suspiciously, "Oh, I think it's just because you feel a little uncomfortable after swimming for a long time, you need a quiet and quiet night and a sweet sleep, and tomorrow you will I'm refreshed, and then we'll go hunting together, I'm sure I'll gain something new—" Lei Fude hurriedly walked to the bedroom just now. "Unfortunately, that's all we can talk about tonight, I was expecting a fair game of the hunt--a tall, well-built black guy who looked very savage--well, Good night, Mr. Redford, and I wish you sweet dreams." The big bed was very spacious, and the pajamas on her body were also very soft and comfortable.Lei Fude was exhausted, every muscle was aching, but he couldn't calm down for a long time.He lay on his back, his eyes wide open, and his mind was in a mess like a hemp.As soon as he heard the continuous footsteps back and forth in the corridor outside the room, he lost all sleepiness.He jumped up to open the door, but it was locked from the outside.He turned back and came to the window, looking out, his room was on a spire of the old castle, the shining lights in the old castle concealed the boundless darkness all around, just like the eyes of a monster.There was no sound in the surroundings, only a broken cold moon was hiding behind the dark clouds and glowing dimly. Under the light, he could see more than a dozen hounds looking up at this side through the window, their eyes flickering. With green fluorescence, it swims back and forth like a ghost. Lei Fude went back to the bed and lay down, he tried his best to force himself to fall asleep, but there always seemed to be a strange feeling tearing his heart tightly... When the day was dawning, he finally felt sleepy, he heard faintly In the jungle far away, there was a vague gunshot... Lieutenant General Yalaf didn't appear until lunch time. He was wearing a squire's tweed suit and looked tired, but he seemed to be more concerned about the health of Radford situation. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't feel very well. I'm a little worried, Mr. Redford. My old problem happened again last night." The lieutenant general stretched himself. Seeing that Lei Fude still had a puzzled expression on his face, the lieutenant general said again: "It's really boring." Then the lieutenant general sat down and explained: "Last night's hunt was no fun at all, the guy lost his head. 他直接沿着小道儿跑了，那根本就不是什么难题。 哦，这些水手可是麻烦大了，他们的脑子一点儿也不开窍，居然不懂得钻进丛林，他们的所作所为真是愚蠢之极，无聊透顶。雷夫德先生，你愿再来一杯凯利斯酒吗？ " “中将先生，”雷夫德一字一顿他说，“我希望能马上离开这个岛屿！” 中将皱起眉头，一副受了羞辱的样子，“可是，亲爱的朋友，你才刚来不久，你还没有尝试一下打猎的滋味呢……”“我希望今天就能走！”雷夫德斩钉截铁他说，他的目光与中将那深不可测的眼神相遇在一起的时候，中将的脸色为之一变。 他拿起一只尘封了许久的酒瓶又给雷夫德倒了一杯凯利斯酒。 “今天晚上，”中将以一种异常冷峻的声调说，“我们就开始狩猎——你和我。” 雷夫德坚决地摇着头说：“不，中将，我不会去狩猎的。” 中将耸了耸肩，夹了一块热火腿放在嘴里，“如你所愿，我的朋友，你当然可以自由选择，但也许我可以提醒你，你会发现我的游戏要比伊万的游戏好得多……”他朝着那个站在角落里的大家伙点了点头，那家伙凶狠狠地走了过来，双臂弯起交叉放在胸前。“你要干吗？”雷夫德惊叫着。 “我亲爱的朋友，难道我没告诉你我所说的狩猎是怎么一回事吗？这可真是个天才的创造，我终于能和一个势均力敌的对手在狩猎之前喝杯酒了。” 中将举起了酒杯向雷夫德示意，但雷夫德却坐在那里一动不动，两眼愤怒地注视着亚拉夫中将。 “你会发现这场狩猎游戏是值得你去认真对待的，”中将以一种满含着兴奋激情的口气说，“用你的头脑来对付我的头脑，用你的猎刀来对付我的猎刀，用你的力量来对付我的力量，来吧，朋友，天下是没有无价值的赌注的，对吗？” “如果我赢了……”雷夫德开始有点急促不安起来。 “如果在第三天午夜、我还没有发现你，我会很愉快地宣布我输了，”亚拉夫中将说，“我会派船把你送到一个附近的小镇上的。” 中将注视着雷夫德，似乎在揣摩对方的内心世界。 “哦，你完全可以相信我，我以一个绅士和运动家的身份来向你保证。当然，你必须同意对你的此岛之行保持缄默。” “别做梦了，我不会答应的！”雷夫德毫不犹豫地加以拒绝。 “是吗？”中将说，“如果是这样——但是为什么我们现在就讨论这个问题呢？还为时过早吧，还是三天以后我们边喝麦利酒边讨论它吧，除非——”中将呷了一口酒，似乎充满了必胜的把握。 接着他似乎突然又来了精神。“伊万，”他对雷夫德说，“伊万将会给你准备好猎装、食物和猎刀，我建议你最好穿上鹿皮鞋，那样你会少留下一丝痕迹，另外我还得提醒你要绕开这个岛屿东南角上的泥淖地，那里我们可是称之为'死亡之淖'啊，晤，一个愚蠢的家伙曾经尝试过，不幸的是，'乞丐'很快就发现了他。雷夫德先生，你要知道我非常喜欢'乞丐'，它是我那一群中最好的猎狗。 哦，请你原谅我在午饭之后总要午睡一会儿，但恐怕你没时间打盹了。毫无疑问，你就要准备出发了，到了黄昏的时候，我会去追赶你的，在晚上狩猎可是要比白天刺激得多。哦，雷夫德先生，祝你好运！ " 亚拉夫中将礼貌地一鞠躬，便上楼去了。 伊万从另一个门进来，腋下夹着一套猎装，手里拎着一袋食物和一把长刃的猎刀，但他的右手一直把在腰间的枪柄上。 雷夫德已在杂草丛生的林木中拼命地向前奔逃已近两个钟头了，“我必须振作精神，我必须振作精神，要振作！”他咬紧牙关，不断地自我勉励着。 当古堡的大门在他身后“砰”地一声关上的时候，他已经失去理智了，头脑中一片模糊，唯一的念头只是远离古堡，远离那个丧心病狂的亚拉夫中将。恐惧，发自内心深处的恐惧已深深地浸透了他，他已经没有了冷静的思维，只有一条，逃命，发疯似地逃命。 他奔跑着，一头不回一刻不停地奔跑着，当迎面吹来一股冷风的时候，他似乎醒悟过来，从恐惧的状况中醒悟过来，他停住了脚，任由心在胸腔内剧烈地跳动，他开始集中起思维。可是他猛然发现他这样一直奔逃下去是徒劳无用的，很显然那只会跑到海边。 而这个岛是个孤岛，四面环水，看来他只能在岛上寻求藏匿了，于是他就开始检查他的贮备和周围的环境。 “我不能给他留下明显的痕迹。”雷夫德暗想着，他把裸露在那条小路上的脚印一一清除掉，然后转身走进了浓密杂乱的草丛。 他竭力回想着当年猎捕狐狸时用过的各种招式以及狐狸给他所留下的种种伪装，他把他那能够回想起来的狡黠和智慧全部施展出来，他设计了一系列的天衣无缝的圈套，他反复斟酌着每一个细节，反复论证着每一个标记。当夜色落下帷幕的时候，他已是身困力乏、手上脸上被树枝多处划伤，他已经到了密林的深处，他意识到即便他有精力可以继续前行也是不妥当的了，因为在黑暗中摸索前行是极不安全的，而且他确实需要休息了，那是刻不容缓的事情。“我已经扮演了一只狐狸，这次我可是要扮演一只狸猫了。”他边想边来到近前一棵躯干粗壮、枝繁叶茂的大树之下，他回头望了望，在确信确实没有留下什么痕迹之后才小心翼翼地爬上了树，躲在一个枝叶重叠、纵横交错的枝叉上。片刻的休息使他恢复了自信，严然又增添了一种安全的力量，即便是像亚拉夫中将这样老奸巨猾的猎手也不会追踪至此的，他告慰着自己，或许只有魔鬼才能在这茫茫黑暗中跟踪至此，但也许，亚拉夫就是个万恶的魔鬼。 这阴森恐怖的夜晚就像一条受了伤的毒蛇正慢慢爬上树梢，在侍机准备着进攻。尽管丛林中已暗如地狱，但雷夫德仍不敢有半点睡意。当天空又露出鱼肚白的时候，不远处的丛林中忽然惊起一群鸟雀，好像有什么东西正穿过那条丛草杂生的小路，慢慢吞吞小心翼翼地朝着雷夫德的方向过来。雷夫德心里一紧，急忙掂起身子，透过遮挡的层层枝叶间的缝隙，他辨认出那正向这边移动的是个人影。 是亚拉夫中将！他两眼紧紧盯着地面，不停地又抬起头来向四处望望，越来越近，他正沿着雷夫德走过来的小路一点点地跟踪·2R1过来。他站住了，几乎就是在雷夫德的树下，他弯着腰蹲下身去仔细地端详着地面，苦思着这以前从未有过的复杂难辨的丝缕线索。 雷夫德的第一反应就是从天而降像杀死山豹一样杀死这个罪恶的家伙，但他突然看见亚拉夫的右手正紧握着一把小型的自动手枪，并随时准备应付突发的意外。 亚拉夫中将几次摇着头，似乎显得非常迷惑，接着他直起身子并掏出烟盒取出一支黑色的雪茄烟，很快雪茄的浓烟飘上树梢，直扑雷夫德的鼻窍，雷夫德赶紧屏住呼吸。那中将的目光已经离开地面，开始仰起头来一点一点地搜寻树上，雷夫德紧紧绷着每一根神经，生怕发出一点声响。当那狡猾的猎手的目光停留在雷夫德藏身的那片树叉时，喜悦的笑容绽开在古铜色的脸上，他故意朝空中吐了个烟圈，而后便转身沿着来时的路漫不经心地去了，那猎靴踩在草丛上的吱吱声越来越远。 一触即发的紧张的空气在雷夫德四周松弛下来，一个念头忽地涌入大脑，他是多么愚蠢无知而又自命不凡，亚拉夫那家伙竟然能在黑暗中穿过丛林，竟然能跟踪着这样扑朔迷离的线索追猎至此，这万恶的哥萨克人，居然连星点的蛛丝马迹都不放过。 忽然雷夫德想起刚才的一幕，他不禁全身一颤，为何亚拉夫会有那样的笑容？ 为何他又转身离去呢？ 也许雷夫德并不愿相信他的理智所告诉他的那样，但是事实已无可辩驳，显而易见，所有的迷惑都已如同那初升的太阳扫除了所有的雾霆而变得一清二楚。亚拉夫中将是在玩弄他，是要留他活命到第二天新的游戏，那凶残的哥萨克杂种是只贪婪无比的猫，而他只是一只听天由命的小老鼠。雷夫德终于领悟了那冷笑背后深藏的全部含义，也终于明白了这全身心的恐惧的原因。 “我不会失去信心的，我绝不会！” 他迅速爬下树，又纵身跳进丛林之中，他绞尽脑汁地思索着，以便让他那自命不凡的头脑发挥点功效。就在离他藏身之处三百码的地方，他停住了脚步。一棵巨大的枯树斜靠在旁边的一棵小树上，于是他灵机一动，扔掉他的食品袋，掏出那柄猎刀，迫不及待地卖力干了起来……艰难的工作终于完成了，他蟋缩着身子藏在百码以外的一棵圆树后边，没等多久，那只恶毒的猫便又来戏弄这只可怜的小老鼠了。 顺着先前的足迹，亚拉夫中将带着一只棕色的猎狗又赶来了。 也许是没有什么东西能够逃脱亚拉夫那锐利的双眼的，草丛没有被压弯的痕迹，苔薛也没有触碰过的迹象……这个哥萨克魔鬼观察得是那样仔细，那样认真，生怕遗漏一丝一毫的异常。忽然他的脚碰着了伸出来的一根树枝，就在这刹那之间，亚拉夫似乎意识到了某种危险，于是便急忙向后跳去，但似乎已经来不及了，那斜靠在小树身上的枯木重重地砸下来，亚拉夫闪身一躲，一根树权在肩上擦了一道。 天啊，要不是他的警觉，他一定已被压倒在树下了，他左右摇晃了一下，却并没有摔倒，他手里紧紧握着那把手枪，慢慢稳住了脚跟，用另一只手捂住了擦破的伤口。雷夫德为自己的计谋失败而又一次陷入深深的恐惧之中。身边响起了那哥萨克人恶魔般的笑声。 “雷夫德，”中将嚷道，“如果你能听见我说话，我想你肯定在附近，请允许我向你祝贺，并不是所有充当猎物的人都懂得用暗器伤人的，我非常幸运，就像我在马尼拉时也是如此幸运一样。雷夫德先生，你很有趣，我要回去把伤口包扎一下，只是一点轻伤。我会回来的，我很快就回来——”……当亚拉夫中将回去料理伤口的时候，雷夫德继续向前奔逃，绝望和沮丧再一次涌上心头。黄昏的太阳疲惫而无力地向西滑行逐渐落入大海，于是天边很快又挂上了夜幕，雷夫德仍在气喘吁吁地奔逃，脚下变得松软起来，层层叠叠的植被斑驳陆离，似隐忽现，飞虫肆无忌惮地扑在脸上手上来吮吸他的鲜血。他已经顾及不上这所有的一切了，只是一味地往前奔逃，忽然他的脚陷进了泥淖，他试图用尽全力往外拔腿，但那像胶一样的泥好似生了根一般纹丝不动，他一次又一次地努力，汗水早已湿透了全身，经过好大一番周折，他才把脚松动出来，他忽然明白了眼前的这个地方，就是亚拉夫中将提起过的那个“死亡之淖”。 他紧攥着双拳，闭上无奈的眼睛似乎在等待这黑暗中渐近的死亡将他片片撕碎……忽然这松软的泥淖给了他一个绝好的主意，他向后退了大约十二码左右，开始像一只大海狸一样，在地上拼命挖起来。 每一秒钟的拖延都意味着死亡的逼近。雷夫德曾在法国打猎时干过这活计，但和现在相比，那只是小孩儿的游戏，雷夫德的大坑挖得越来越深了，当它高过肩膀的时候，他从坑里爬出来，从附近的树上折下几枝质地坚硬的枝叉，而后用猎刀把它们削尖，然后将这些大木撅倒插在坑底，让尖头朝上，接着他又飞快地用树枝和草茎编成一个草垫子，盖在了这个大坑的口上，又检查了一下四周，做了些伪装，这才拖着又困又累的身子到不远处的一个大树桩后缩身躲下。 他倏地明白他的追猎者又在近前了，因为他听见了那踩在泥巴上的脚步声。晚风吹来，夹带着那哥萨克人雪茄的香味，这回那恶魔来得如此迅速，看起来他并没有一个脚印一个脚印地访查追踪过来。雷夫德卷缩在那里，既看不见亚拉夫中将，也看不见设置好的那个陷饼，心中似打鼓一般焦躁不安。正在雷夫德烦躁之际，他忽然听到一阵似树枝折断的咔嚓声，雷夫德差点要高兴地叫出声儿来了，而后便是几声痛苦的凄厉的惨叫声，他从树桩后探出头来，又赶紧缩进去，就在离陷饼几步远的地方站着一个人，手里正拿着一个电筒。 “干得好极了，雷夫德先生，”中将大叫着，“你布下的陷阱夺去了我最好的猎狗，你又赢了，但那只是一只，我要看看你怎样对付那一群。好了，现在我要回去睡觉了，感谢你给了我一个愉快的夜晚。” 雷夫德迷迷糊糊地躺在泥淖附近，直到被一阵喧闹的声音所吵醒，他才意识到他又有新的危险了，那声音由远而近，那是一群猎狗的狂吠。 雷夫德知道他只有两条路可走了，一条是他呆在这里——那等于自杀；另一条是赶快离开这里——那不过是垂死的挣扎。他站在那里，脑子飞快地运转着，一个主意突然冲进脑海——那或许还有一线生机。于是他系紧腰带，飞快地从泥淖之地向前奔去。 猎大的群吠近了，近了，更近了，在一个山脊上雷夫德爬上了一棵树，顺着小溪望去，就在不远处，他看到草木在晃动，当他睁大眼睛极力远望时，终于看见了那个恶棍哥萨克人，在他前边还有个熊腰虎背的家伙，那是伊万，伊万手里好像牵着什么，那一定是伊万牵着那群该死的猎狗在前边开道。 他们马上就要过来了，他在紧张地思索着，突然想起了他在乌干达学过的一招。他爬下树来，他挑了一棵很有韧性的小树，把猎刀紧紧地绑在齐人高的树梢上，然后用一些野葡萄藤一头系着被拉得弯倒在地上的小树顶端，另一头铺设在杂草丛中，而后故意在前后踏上一串脚樱做完这一切，他就又开始疯狂逃命了，忽然身后的犬吠声变得嘈杂起来，是那些猎狗闻着了生疏的气味，雷夫德便知道他的命运只在这瞬间了。 他停下来喘着粗气，犬吠声突然停止了，雷夫德的心一下子提到了嗓子眼上，他们一定是到了那猎刀附近。 他急忙爬上一棵树，透过枝叶向后面望去，他的追逐者们已经就在眼前了，但是雷夫德的希望也破灭了，因为他看见了那条浅谷里亚拉夫又在向前追赶，但伊万却不见了。雷夫德舒了一口气，看来用小树做成的弓的上面那把猎刀并没有完全失效。那群犬吠声又喧嚷起来，雷夫德跳下来的时候差点儿摔了个跟头。 “振作，振作，要振作！”他边跑边给自己打着气，忽然一道沟壑出现在眼前，猎狗的狂吠声更近了，雷夫德强迫自己去面对眼前的这个深渊，这就是海岸了，穿过这个小海湾便可以看见那个古堡的灰色的石墙，在他脚下大约有二十英尺深，海水在狂啸奔涌着，雷夫德犹豫了，但那犬吠声已在耳边了，他纵身一跃跳进了那汹涌的波涛之中。 当中将和他的猎狗来到海边的这个石崖的时候，这个残忍的哥萨克人站住了，他注视着那幽暗翻涌的海平面好久，他颇有些遗憾地耸了耸肩，然后盘腿坐下，取出一瓶白兰地，满满地倒了一银杯，接着又点燃了一支雪茄烟，哼唱起了快乐的小曲……那天晚上，亚拉夫中将在他的餐厅吃了一顿非常美妙可口的晚餐，他喝了整整一瓶保罗酒，又饮了几大杯香槟。他在获得前所未有的极大的快感之后，隐隐有两点遗憾，其一就是再没有人能替代伊万，像他那样忠诚；其二便是他竟让他的猎物从手心里逃脱了。当然那个美国佬是死定了，他品尝着饭后的果蔬，无不觉得快意无比。而后在他的资料室里，他仔细把玩着那些他猎捕而来的纪念物，一天的疲劳也似减轻了许多。十点钟的时候，他来到了卧室，他确实有些困倦了，他顺手把房门锁上，窗外淡淡的月光如银辉一般流泻进来，他走到窗边，望了望后院，他那群得意的高大的猎狗还在底下穿梭，他嚷着：“祝你们好运。”便顺势开了灯。 璀璨的灯光下，一个男子突然站在了他眼前。 “雷夫德，”亚拉夫惊叫着，“哦，上帝保佑，你是怎么到这儿来的？” “游泳，”雷夫德平静他说，“我发现那比穿过丛林到这儿来要快得多！” 亚拉夫中将深吸了一口气，脸上猛然挂上了笑容，“祝贺你！ 雷夫德先生，这场狩猎游戏，你赢了！ " 雷夫德表情肃然，以一种低沉、沙哑的声调说，“来吧，亚拉夫中将，我现在可是困兽犹斗！” 中将鞠了个九十度的躬，“我明白，今晚太精彩了，我们其中一个要去给猎狗们饱餐一顿了，而另外一个会在这张舒适的床上睡个好觉。雷夫德先生，来吧！” 雷夫德暗下决心，今晚这床是睡定了。