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Way Station, Chapter Two (2)

Chapter Two (2)

“Then Enoch came home from the war and they farmed the place together for a year or so. The old man bought a mower—one of those horse-drawn contraptions with a sickle bar to cut hay or grain. It was the progressive thing to do. It beat a scythe all hollow.

“Then one afternoon the old man went out to mow a hayfield. The horses ran away. Something must have scared them. Enoch's father was thrown off the seat and forward, in front of the sickle bar. It was not a pretty way to die.”

Hardwicke made a grimace of distaste. “Horrible,” he said.

“Enoch went out and gathered up his father and got the body to the house. Then he took a gun and went hunting for the horses. He found them down in the corner of the pasture and he shot the two of them and he left them. I mean exactly that. For years their skeletons lay there in the pasture, where he'd killed them, still hitched to the mower until the harness rotted.

“Then he went back to the house and laid his father out. He washed him and he dressed him in the good black suit and laid him on a board, then went out to the barn and carpentered a coffin. And after that, he dug a grave beside his mother's grave. He finished it by lantern light, then went back to the house and sat up with his father. When morning came, he went to tell the nearest neighbor and that neighbor notified the others and someone went to get a preacher. Late in the afternoon they had the funeral, and Enoch went back to the house. He has lived there ever since, but he never farmed the land. Except the garden, that is.”

“You told me these people wouldn't talk to strangers. You seem to have learned a lot.”

“It took two years to do it. I infiltrated them. I bought a beat-up car and drifted into Millville and I let it out that I was a ginseng hunter.”

“A what?”

“A ginseng hunter. Ginseng is a plant.”

“Yes, I know. But there's been no market for it for years.”

“A small market and an occasional one. Exporters will take on some of it. But I hunted other medicinal plants as well and pretended an extensive knowledge of them and their use. ‘Pretended' isn't actually the word; I boned up plenty on them.”

“The kind of simple soul,” said Hardwicke, “those folks could understand. A sort of cultural throwback. And inoffensive, too. Perhaps not quite right in the head.”

Lewis nodded. “It worked even better than I thought. I just wandered around and people talked to me. I even found some ginseng. There was one family in particular—the Fisher family. They live down in the river bottoms below the Wallace farm, which sits on the ridge above the bluffs. They've lived there almost as long as the Wallace family, but a different stripe entirely. The Fishers are a coon-hunting, catfishing, moonshine-cooking tribe. They found a kindred spirit in me. I was just as shiftless and no-account as they were. I helped them with their moonshine, both in the making and the drinking and once in a while the peddling. I went fishing with them and hunting with them and I sat around and talked and they showed me a place or two where I might find some ginseng—‘sang' is what they call it. I imagine a social scientist might find a gold mine in the Fishers. There is one girl—a deaf-mute, but a pretty thing, and she can charm off warts …”

“I recognize the type,” said Hardwicke. “I was born and raised in the southern mountains.”

“They were the ones who told me about the team and mower. So one day I went up in that corner of the Wallace pasture and did some digging. I found a horse's skull and some other bones.”

“But no way of knowing if it was one of the Wallace horses.”

“Perhaps not,” said Lewis. “But I found part of the mower as well. Not much left of it, but enough to identify.”

“Let's get back to the history,” suggested Hardwicke. “After the father's death, Enoch stayed on at the farm. He never left it?”

Lewis shook his head. “He lives in the same house. Not a thing's been changed. And the house apparently has aged no more than the man.”

“You've been in the house?”

“Not in it. At it. I will tell you how it was.”

Chapter Two (2) Глава вторая (2)

“Then Enoch came home from the war and they farmed the place together for a year or so. «Ensuite, Enoch est rentré de la guerre et ils ont cultivé l'endroit ensemble pendant environ un an. The old man bought a mower—one of those horse-drawn contraptions with a sickle bar to cut hay or grain. Le vieil homme acheta une faucheuse, un de ces engins tirés par des chevaux avec une barre faucille pour couper le foin ou le grain. It was the progressive thing to do. C'était la chose progressive à faire. It beat a scythe all hollow. Il a battu une faux tout creux.

“Then one afternoon the old man went out to mow a hayfield. « Puis un après-midi, le vieil homme est sorti pour tondre un champ de fauche. The horses ran away. Something must have scared them. Quelque chose a dû les effrayer. Enoch's father was thrown off the seat and forward, in front of the sickle bar. Le père d'Enoch a été éjecté du siège et en avant, devant la barre de faucille. It was not a pretty way to die.” Ce n'était pas une jolie façon de mourir.

Hardwicke made a grimace of distaste. Hardwicke fit une grimace de dégoût. “Horrible,” he said. « Horrible », dit-il.

“Enoch went out and gathered up his father and got the body to the house. « Enoch sortit, ramassa son père et emmena le corps à la maison. Then he took a gun and went hunting for the horses. Puis il prit un fusil et partit à la chasse aux chevaux. He found them down in the corner of the pasture and he shot the two of them and he left them. Il les a trouvés dans le coin du pâturage et il les a abattus tous les deux et il les a laissés. I mean exactly that. Je veux dire exactement ça. For years their skeletons lay there in the pasture, where he'd killed them, still hitched to the mower until the harness rotted. Pendant des années, leurs squelettes sont restés là dans le pâturage, là où il les avait tués, toujours attelés à la faucheuse jusqu'à ce que le harnais pourrisse.

“Then he went back to the house and laid his father out. « Puis il est retourné à la maison et a couché son père. He washed him and he dressed him in the good black suit and laid him on a board, then went out to the barn and carpentered a coffin. Il le lava et l'habilla du bon costume noir et le coucha sur une planche, puis sortit à la grange et charpenta un cercueil. And after that, he dug a grave beside his mother's grave. Et après cela, il a creusé une tombe à côté de la tombe de sa mère. He finished it by lantern light, then went back to the house and sat up with his father. Il l'acheva à la lueur d'une lanterne, puis retourna à la maison et s'assit avec son père. When morning came, he went to tell the nearest neighbor and that neighbor notified the others and someone went to get a preacher. Le matin venu, il est allé le dire au voisin le plus proche et ce voisin a averti les autres et quelqu'un est allé chercher un prédicateur. Late in the afternoon they had the funeral, and Enoch went back to the house. He has lived there ever since, but he never farmed the land. Except the garden, that is.”

“You told me these people wouldn't talk to strangers. « Vous m'aviez dit que ces gens ne parleraient pas à des étrangers. You seem to have learned a lot.” Vous semblez avoir beaucoup appris.

“It took two years to do it. « Il a fallu deux ans pour le faire. I infiltrated them. Je les ai infiltrés. I bought a beat-up car and drifted into Millville and I let it out that I was a ginseng hunter.” J'ai acheté une voiture cabossée et j'ai dérivé jusqu'à Millville et j'ai laissé entendre que j'étais un chasseur de ginseng.

“A what?”

“A ginseng hunter. Ginseng is a plant.”

“Yes, I know. But there's been no market for it for years.”

“A small market and an occasional one. Exporters will take on some of it. But I hunted other medicinal plants as well and pretended an extensive knowledge of them and their use. Mais je chassais aussi d'autres plantes médicinales et prétendais en avoir une connaissance approfondie et leur utilisation. ‘Pretended' isn't actually the word; I boned up plenty on them.” "Faire semblant" n'est pas vraiment le mot ; J'en ai beaucoup bavé. 「ふり」は実際には言葉ではありません。私は彼らにたくさん骨を折った。」

“The kind of simple soul,” said Hardwicke, “those folks could understand. "Le genre d'âme simple", a déclaré Hardwicke, "ces gens pourraient comprendre. A sort of cultural throwback. Une sorte de retour culturel. And inoffensive, too. Perhaps not quite right in the head.” Peut-être pas tout à fait dans la tête.

Lewis nodded. Lewis hocha la tête. “It worked even better than I thought. « Cela a fonctionné encore mieux que je ne le pensais. I just wandered around and people talked to me. Je me suis promené et les gens m'ont parlé. I even found some ginseng. There was one family in particular—the Fisher family. They live down in the river bottoms below the Wallace farm, which sits on the ridge above the bluffs. Ils vivent au fond des rivières sous la ferme Wallace, qui se trouve sur la crête au-dessus des falaises. They've lived there almost as long as the Wallace family, but a different stripe entirely. Ils y vivent depuis presque aussi longtemps que la famille Wallace, mais dans un tout autre genre. The Fishers are a coon-hunting, catfishing, moonshine-cooking tribe. Les pêcheurs sont une tribu de chasseurs de coon, de pêche au chat et de cuisine au clair de lune. They found a kindred spirit in me. Ils ont trouvé en moi une âme sœur. I was just as shiftless and no-account as they were. J'étais tout aussi indifférent et sans compte qu'eux. I helped them with their moonshine, both in the making and the drinking and once in a while the peddling. Je les ai aidés avec leur clair de lune, à la fois dans la fabrication et la consommation et de temps en temps le colportage. I went fishing with them and hunting with them and I sat around and talked and they showed me a place or two where I might find some ginseng—‘sang' is what they call it. Je suis allé pêcher et chasser avec eux et je me suis assis et j'ai parlé et ils m'ont montré un endroit ou deux où je pourrais trouver du ginseng – «sang», c'est comme ça qu'ils l'appellent. I imagine a social scientist might find a gold mine in the Fishers. J'imagine qu'un sociologue pourrait trouver une mine d'or dans les Fishers. There is one girl—a deaf-mute, but a pretty thing, and she can charm off warts …” Il y a une fille - une sourde-muette, mais une jolie chose, et elle peut charmer les verrues... " 一人の女の子がいます。耳が聞こえないのですが、かわいらしいもので、いぼを魅了することができます…」

“I recognize the type,” said Hardwicke. “I was born and raised in the southern mountains.” "Je suis né et j'ai grandi dans les montagnes du sud."

“They were the ones who told me about the team and mower. « Ce sont eux qui m'ont parlé de l'équipe et de la tondeuse. So one day I went up in that corner of the Wallace pasture and did some digging. Alors un jour, je suis monté dans ce coin du pâturage Wallace et j'ai creusé. I found a horse's skull and some other bones.” J'ai trouvé le crâne d'un cheval et quelques autres os.

“But no way of knowing if it was one of the Wallace horses.” "Mais aucun moyen de savoir si c'était l'un des chevaux Wallace."

“Perhaps not,” said Lewis. “But I found part of the mower as well. Not much left of it, but enough to identify.” Il n'en reste pas grand-chose, mais assez pour l'identifier.

“Let's get back to the history,” suggested Hardwicke. "Revenons à l'histoire", a suggéré Hardwicke. “After the father's death, Enoch stayed on at the farm. He never left it?” Il ne l'a jamais quitté ?

Lewis shook his head. Lewis secoua la tête. “He lives in the same house. Not a thing's been changed. Rien n'a été changé. And the house apparently has aged no more than the man.” Et la maison n'a apparemment pas plus vieilli que l'homme. そして、その家は明らかに男に過ぎない。」

“You've been in the house?” "Vous avez été dans la maison?"

“Not in it. At it. I will tell you how it was.”