the most dangerous game.docx
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the most dangerous game.docx
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TheMostDangerousGame
byRichardConnell
"OFFTHEREtotheright—somewhere—isalargeisland,"saidWhitney."It'sratheramystery—"
"Whatislandisit?
"Rainsfordasked.
"Theoldchartscallit'Ship-TrapIsland,'"Whitneyreplied."Asuggestivename,isn'tit?
Sailorshaveacuriousdreadoftheplace.Idon'tknowwhy.Somesuperstition—"
"Can'tseeit,"remarkedRainsford,tryingtopeerthroughthedanktropicalnightthatwaspalpableasitpresseditsthickwarmblacknessinupontheyacht.
"You'vegoodeyes,"saidWhitney,withalaugh,"andI'veseenyoupickoffamoosemovinginthebrownfallbushatfourhundredyards,butevenyoucan'tseefourmilesorsothroughamoonlessCaribbeannight."
"Norfouryards,"admittedRainsford."Ugh!
It'slikemoistblackvelvet."
"ItwillbelightenoughinRio,"promisedWhitney."Weshouldmakeitinafewdays.IhopethejaguargunshavecomefromPurdey's.WeshouldhavesomegoodhuntinguptheAmazon.Greatsport,hunting."
"Thebestsportintheworld,"agreedRainsford.
"Forthehunter,"amendedWhitney."Notforthejaguar."
"Don'ttalkrot,Whitney,"saidRainsford."You'reabig-gamehunter,notaphilosopher.Whocareshowajaguarfeels?
"
"Perhapsthejaguardoes,"observedWhitney.
"Bah!
They'venounderstanding."
"Evenso,Iratherthinktheyunderstandonething—fear.Thefearofpainandthefearofdeath."
"Nonsense,"laughedRainsford."Thishotweatherismakingyousoft,Whitney.Bearealist.Theworldismadeupoftwoclasses—thehuntersandthehuntees.Luckily,youandIarehunters.Doyouthinkwe'vepassedthatislandyet?
"
"Ican'ttellinthedark.Ihopeso."
"Why?
"askedRainsford.
"Theplacehasareputation—abadone.""Cannibals?
"suggestedRainsford.
"Hardly.Evencannibalswouldn'tliveinsuchaGod-forsakenplace.Butit'sgottenintosailorlore,somehow.Didn'tyounoticethatthecrew'snervesseemedabitjumpytoday?
"
"Theywereabitstrange,nowyoumentionit.EvenCaptainNielsen—"
"Yes,eventhattough-mindedoldSwede,who'dgouptothedevilhimselfandaskhimforalight.ThosefishyblueeyesheldalookIneversawtherebefore.AllIcouldgetoutofhimwas'Thisplacehasanevilnameamongseafaringmen,sir.'Thenhesaidtome,verygravely,'Don'tyoufeelanything?
'—asiftheairaboutuswasactuallypoisonous.Now,youmustn'tlaughwhenItellyouthis—Ididfeelsomethinglikeasuddenchill.
"Therewasnobreeze.Theseawasasflatasaplate-glasswindow.Weweredrawingneartheislandthen.WhatIfeltwasa—amentalchill;asortofsuddendread."
"Pureimagination,"saidRainsford.
"Onesuperstitioussailorcantaintthewholeship'scompanywithhisfear."
"Maybe.ButsometimesIthinksailorshaveanextrasensethattellsthemwhentheyareindanger.SometimesIthinkevilisatangiblething—withwavelengths,justassoundandlighthave.Anevilplacecan,sotospeak,broadcastvibrationsofevil.Anyhow,I'mgladwe'regettingoutofthiszone.Well,IthinkI'llturninnow,Rainsford."
"I'mnotsleepy,"saidRainsford."I'mgoingtosmokeanotherpipeupontheafterdeck."
"Goodnight,then,Rainsford.Seeyouatbreakfast."
"Right.Goodnight,Whitney."
TherewasnosoundinthenightasRainsfordsattherebutthemuffledthroboftheenginethatdrovetheyachtswiftlythroughthedarkness,andtheswishandrippleofthewashofthepropeller.
Rainsford,reclininginasteamerchair,indolentlypuffedonhisfavoritebrier.Thesensuousdrowsinessofthenightwasonhim."It'ssodark,"hethought,"thatIcouldsleepwithoutclosingmyeyes;thenightwouldbemyeyelids—"
Anabruptsoundstartledhim.Offtotherightheheardit,andhisears,expertinsuchmatters,couldnotbemistaken.Againheheardthesound,andagain.Somewhere,offintheblackness,someonehadfiredagunthreetimes.
Rainsfordsprangupandmovedquicklytotherail,mystified.Hestrainedhiseyesinthedirectionfromwhichthereportshadcome,butitwasliketryingtoseethroughablanket.Heleapedupontherailandbalancedhimselfthere,togetgreaterelevation;hispipe,strikingarope,wasknockedfromhismouth.Helungedforit;ashort,hoarsecrycamefromhislipsasherealizedhehadreachedtoofarandhadlosthisbalance.Thecrywaspinchedoffshortastheblood-warmwatersoftheCaribbeanSeadosedoverhishead.
Hestruggleduptothesurfaceandtriedtocryout,butthewashfromthespeedingyachtslappedhiminthefaceandthesaltwaterinhisopenmouthmadehimgagandstrangle.Desperatelyhestruckoutwithstrongstrokesaftertherecedinglightsoftheyacht,buthestoppedbeforehehadswumfiftyfeet.Acertaincoolheadednesshadcometohim;itwasnotthefirsttimehehadbeeninatightplace.Therewasachancethathiscriescouldbeheardbysomeoneaboardtheyacht,butthatchancewasslenderandgrewmoreslenderastheyachtracedon.Hewrestledhimselfoutofhisclothesandshoutedwithallhispower.Thelightsoftheyachtbecamefaintandevervanishingfireflies;thentheywereblottedoutentirelybythenight.
Rainsfordrememberedtheshots.Theyhadcomefromtheright,anddoggedlyheswaminthatdirection,swimmingwithslow,deliberatestrokes,conservinghisstrength.Foraseeminglyendlesstimehefoughtthesea.Hebegantocounthisstrokes;hecoulddopossiblyahundredmoreandthen—
Rainsfordheardasound.Itcameoutofthedarkness,ahighscreamingsound,thesoundofananimalinanextremityofanguishandterror.
Hedidnotrecognizetheanimalthatmadethesound;hedidnottryto;withfreshvitalityheswamtowardthesound.Hehearditagain;thenitwascutshortbyanothernoise,crisp,staccato.
"Pistolshot,"mutteredRainsford,swimmingon.
Tenminutesofdeterminedeffortbroughtanothersoundtohisears—themostwelcomehehadeverheard—themutteringandgrowlingoftheseabreakingonarockyshore.Hewasalmostontherocksbeforehesawthem;onanightlesscalmhewouldhavebeenshatteredagainstthem.Withhisremainingstrengthhedraggedhimselffromtheswirlingwaters.Jaggedcragsappearedtojutupintotheopaqueness;heforcedhimselfupward,handoverhand.Gasping,hishandsraw,hereachedaflatplaceatthetop.Densejunglecamedowntotheveryedgeofthecliffs.WhatperilsthattangleoftreesandunderbrushmightholdforhimdidnotconcernRainsfordjustthen.Allheknewwasthathewassafefromhisenemy,thesea,andthatutterwearinesswasonhim.Heflunghimselfdownatthejungleedgeandtumbledheadlongintothedeepestsleepofhislife.
Whenheopenedhiseyesheknewfromthepositionofthesunthatitwaslateintheafternoon.Sleephadgivenhimnewvigor;asharphungerwaspickingathim.Helookedabouthim,almostcheerfully.
"Wheretherearepistolshots,therearemen.Wheretherearemen,thereisfood,"hethought.Butwhatkindofmen,hewondered,insoforbiddingaplace?
Anunbrokenfrontofsnarledandraggedjunglefringedtheshore.
Hesawnosignofatrailthroughthecloselyknitwebofweedsandtrees;itwaseasiertogoalongtheshore,andRainsfordflounderedalongbythewater.Notfarfromwherehelanded,hestopped.
Somewoundedthing—bytheevidence,alargeanimal—hadthrashedaboutintheunderbrush;thejungleweedswerecrusheddownandthemosswaslacerated;onepatchofweedswasstainedcrimson.Asmall,glitteringobjectnotfarawaycaughtRainsford'seyeandhepickeditup.Itwasanemptycartridge.
"Atwenty-two,"heremarked."That'sodd.Itmusthavebeenafairlylargeanimaltoo.Thehunterhadhisnervewithhimtotackleitwithalightgun.It'sclearthatthebruteputupafight.IsupposethefirstthreeshotsIheardwaswhenthehunterflushedhisquarryandwoundedit.Thelastshotwaswhenhetrailedithereandfinishedit."
Heexaminedthegroundcloselyandfoundwhathehadhopedtofind—theprintofhuntingboots.Theypointedalongthecliffinthedirectionhehadbeengoing.Eagerlyhehurriedalong,nowslippingonarottenlogoraloosestone,butmakingheadway;nightwasbeginningtosettledownontheisland.
BleakdarknesswasblackingouttheseaandjunglewhenRainsfordsightedthelights.Hecameuponthemasheturnedacrookinthecoastline;andhisfirstthoughtwasthatbehadcomeuponavillage,forthereweremanylights.Butasheforgedalonghesawtohisgreatastonishmentthatallthelightswereinoneenormousbuilding—aloftystructurewithpointedtowersplungingupwardintothegloom.Hiseyesmadeouttheshadowyoutlinesofapalatialchateau;itwassetonahighbluff,andonthreesidesofitcliffsdiveddowntowherethesealickedgreedylipsintheshadows.
"Mirage,"thoughtRainsford.Butitwasnomirage,hefound,whenheopenedthetallspikedirongate.Thestonestepswererealenough;themassivedoorwithaleeringgargoyleforaknockerwasrealenough;yetaboveitallhunganairofunreality.
Heliftedtheknocker,anditcreakedupstiffly,asifithadneverbeforebeenused.Heletitfall,anditstartledhimwithitsboomingloudness.Hethoughtheheardstepswithin;thedoorremainedclosed.AgainRainsfordliftedtheheavyknocker,andletitfall.Thedooropenedthen--openedassuddenlyasifitwereonaspring—andRainsfordstoodblinkingintheriverofglaringgoldlightthatpouredout.ThefirstthingRainsford'seyesdiscernedwasthelargestmanRainsfordhadeverseen—agiganticcreature,solidlymadeandblackbeardedtothewaist.Inhishandthemanheldalong-barreledrevolver,andhewaspointingitstraightatRainsford'sheart.
OutofthesnarlofbeardtwosmalleyesregardedRainsford.
"Don'tbealarmed,"saidRainsford,withasmilewhichhehoped
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