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CHAPTER II

TRANSLATION AND ITS SOURCE TEXT

A. TARGET TEXT

Permainan Paling Berbahaya

(1) “Dari sana ke sebelah kanan—di suatu tempat—ada sebuah pulau yang luas” kata

Whitney. “Itu agak misterius—“

(2) “Pulau apa itu?” Tanya Rainsford.

(3) “Peta tua ini menyebutnya ‘Pulau Ship-Trap (perangkap kapal)’ balas Whitney.

“Nama yang aneh, bukankah begitu? Para pelaut merasa penasaran dan takut akan tempat

itu. Aku tidak tahu kenapa. Beberapa takhayul—“

(4) “Aku tak bisa melihatnya,” kata Rainsford yang mencoba mengintip di tengah

lembabnya cuaca tropis di atas kapal pesiar yang gelap dan berkabut.

(5) “Kau mempunyai mata yang jeli” ucap Whitney, sembari tertawa,” dan aku telah

melihatmu membidik rusa besar yang bergerak di balik semak-semak belukar kering dalam

empat ratus yard, tapi kau bahkan tak sanggup melihat empat mil pada malam tak berbulan

di Karibia.”

(6) “Jangankan empat yard,” sahut Rainsford. “Ah! Itu seperti beludru hitam yang

lembab.”

(7) “Ini akan cukup mudah di Rio.” Janji Whitney. “Kita harus menyelesaikannya

dalam beberapa hari. Aku harap senapan jaguar dari Purdey sudah datang. Kita harus bisa

berburu sampai Amazon. Olahraga yang bagus, berburu.”

(8) “Olahraga yang paling bagus di dunia,” kata Rainsford.

(9) “Bagi para pemburu,” tambah Whitney. “Bukan untuk jaguar.”

(10) “Jangan membual, Whitney,” kata Rainsford. “Kau adalah pemburu yang handal,

bukan seorang filsuf. Siapa yang peduli dengan apa yang jaguar rasakan?”

(11) “Mungkin jaguar merasakannya,” tebak Whitney.

(12) “Bah! Mereka tidak mengerti.”

(13) “Meskipun begitu, aku kira mereka mengerti satu hal—rasa takut. Rasa takut akan

kesakitan dan rasa takut akan kematian.”

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(14) “Tidak masuk akal,” Rainsford tertawa. “Cuaca panas ini membuatmu menjadi

lembut, Whitney. Jadilah seorang yang realis. Dunia terdiri dari dua kelompok—pemburu

dan yang diburu. Untungnya, kau dan aku adalah pemburu. Apakah menurutmu kita sudah

melewati pulau itu?”

(15) “Aku tidak bisa melihat saat gelap. Aku harap begitu.”

(16) “Mengapa?” tanya Rainsford.

(17) “Tempatnya mempunyai reputasi yang buruk.”

(18) “Kanibal?” tebak Rainsford.

(19) “Bukan. Bahkan kanibal tidak akan tinggal di tempat yang ditinggalkan oleh Tuhan.

Tapi itu terdengar seperti dongeng pelaut, entah bagaimana. Tidakkah kau menyadari

bahwa para kru terlihat gelisah hari ini?”

(20) “Mereka sedikit aneh, sekarang kau menyebutnya. Bahkan Kapten Nielsen—“

(21) “Ya, bahkan orang Swedia itu keras hati dan kolot, yang akan menemui iblis dan

meminta sebuah pencerahan. Tatapan bagai ikan bermata biru mereka belum pernah aku

lihat sebelumnya. Semua yang aku tahu darinya adalah ‘Tempat ini terkenal mengerikan

dikalangan para pelaut, Tuan.’ Lalu dengan seriusnya dia berkata padaku, ‘Memangnya

kau tidak merasakan apa-apa ya?’—seolah-olah suasana di sekeliling kita sebenarnya

beracun. Sekarang kau tidak harus tertawa ketika aku menceritakan padamu soal ini—tiba-

tiba aku seperti merasakan sesuatu yang membuatku merinding.

(22) “Tak tertiup angin sepoi-sepoi. Lautnya tak berombak, datar bagaikan kaca jendela.

Saat kita nyaris sampai di pulau itu, aku merinding; tiba-tiba seperti ketakutan.

(23) “Itu hanya imajinasi semata,” kata Rainsford.

(24) “Seorang pelaut berkemampuan mistis bisa menodai seluruh awak kapal dengan

ketakutannya.”

(25) “Mungkin saja. Namun, kadang-kadang aku berfikir para pelaut memiliki kepekaan

yang memberitahu mereka ketika mereka dalam bahaya. Kadang-kadang aku berpikir roh

jahat itu benar-benar nyata—dengan gelombang yang panjang, layaknya suara dan cahaya.

Suatu tempat yang jahat bisa menyalurkan getaran kejahatan. Bagaimanapun, aku senang

kita keluar dari zona ini. Yah, aku pikir aku akan masuk ke dalam sekarang, Rainsford.”

(26) “Aku tidak mengantuk,” kata Rainsford. “Aku mau merokok di geladak itu.”

(27) “Kalau begitu selamat malam Rainsford. Sampai jumpa saat sarapan besok.”

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(28) “Oke. Selamat malam, Whitney.”

(29) Tidak ada suara di malam hari ketika Rainsford duduk di sana kecuali suara mesin

kapal pesiar yang meggerakan kapal meredam di kegelapan, dan suara desiran riak air dari

baling-baling.

(30) Rainsford, bersandar di kursi kapal, dengan malasnya ia menguap ke arah tanaman

berduri favoritnya. Dia merasa ngantuk. “Gelap sekali,” pikirnya, “andai aku bisa tertidur

tanpa menutup mataku; malam yang sangat gelap—“

(31) “Ia tiba-tiba dikagetkan oleh suara dari sebelah kanan, telinganya sudah terlatih,

tidak salah lagi. Dia mendengar suara itu berulang-ulang Di suatu tempat, di kegelapan,

terdengar suara seseorang menembakkan senapan tiga kali.

(32) “Rainsford meloncat dan bergerak cepat menuju dek kapal, kebingungan. Dia

menatap ke arah datangnya letusan dengan tegang, tapi seperti mencoba untuk melihatnya

melalui kegelapan. Dia melompat ke atas dek kapal dan menyeimbangkan dirinya disana

untuk mendapatkan pandangan yang lebih luas; cerutunya tersenggol tali dan terjatuh dari

mulutnya. Memantik api, dan diketupkan dari mulut. Dia berteriak dengan parau saat ia

menyadari dirinya sudah terlalu jauh kehilangan keseimbangannya. Teriakannya terhenti

seakan ditelan air laut Karibia yang hangat laksana darah dan meluap hingga ke atas

kepalanya.

(33) “Dia berusaha naik ke permukaan dan mencoba untuk berteriak, tetapi cipratan air

dari kapal pesiar yang melampaui batas kecepatannya seolah menampar mukanya dan air

asin yang masuk menyumbat mulutnya membuat ia tercekik. Dengan rasa putus asa, dia

menyerang dengan pukulan yang kuat setelah lampu kapal pesiar mundur, tapi dia berhenti

sebelum dia bisa berenang lima puluh kaki. Sebuah pemikiran dingin merasukinya; itu

bukan pertama kalinya dia berada di tempat yang kedap udara. Ada kemungkinan bahwa

teriakannya bisa didengar oleh seseorang di atas kapal pesiar, tapi kesempatan itu tipis dan

semakin menipis saat kapal pesiarnya berjalan. Dia menjatuhkan dirinya sendiri, melepas

bajunya dan berteriak sekeras mungkin. Lampu dari kapal pesiar meredup dan lenyap

bagaikan kunang-kunang; lalu mereka sepenuhnya menghilang oleh malam.

(34) Rainsford terngiang tembakan itu. Mereka terdengar dari arah sebelah kanan, dan

dengan nekat dia berenang ke arah tembakan itu, berenang perlahan, bergerak hati-hati

untuk menghemat tenaganya. Untuk waktu yang tampaknya tak berujung dia menantang

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laut. Dia mulai menghitung gerakannya; mungkin dia bisa melakukannya lebih dari seratus

kali dan kemudian—

(35) Rainsford kembali mendengar sebuah suara dari kegelapan, suara yang berteriak

kencang dari seekor binatang yang tersiksa, terdengar mengerikan.

(36) Dia tidak mengenali suara binatang itu; dia pun tidak mencari tahu; dengan sekuat

tenaga dia berenang menuju sumber suara itu. Dia mendengarnya lagi; lalu ada suara

kebisingan yang lain, garing, staccato.

(37) “Tembakan senapan,” gumam Rainsford, sambil terus berenang.

(38) Sepuluh menit dari upaya kerasnya membuat dia mendengar suara lain di

telinganya—yang paling ramah dari yang pernah dia dengar—desiran ombak yang

memecah karang. Dia hampir menabrak karang sebelum dia melihat mereka; di keheningan

malam dia akan hancur melawan mereka. Dengan kekuatan yang tersisa dia menyeret

dirinya sendiri dari air yang berputar-putar. Tebing bergerigi tampaknya menonjol dalam

kekaburan itu, dia memaksa dirinya untuk memanjat, tangan demi tangan. Terengah-engah,

tangannya terluka, dia telah sampai di tempat yang datar di atas. Hutan yang lebat

membujur hingga tepi tebing. Bahaya apapun yang menunggunya di balik semak-semak

tidak mengkhawatirkan Rainsford. Semua yang dia tahu bahwa dia selamat dari musuhnya,

laut, dan itu sama sekali melelahkan untuknya. Dia meloloskan dirinya sendiri dengan

turun ke tepi hutan dan jatuh terguling hingga tak sadarkan diri.

(39) Ketika dia membuka matanya, dia tahu dari posisi matahari bahwa hari sudah siang.

Tidur membuat tenaganya pulih kembali; rasa laparpun menghampirinya. Dia melihat

sekelilingnya dengan gembira.

(40) “Dimanapun ada suara tembakan, disana pasti ada orang. Dimana ada orang, pasti

ada makanan,” pikirnya. Tetapi orang macam apa, ia heran, di daerah terlarang? Sebuah

hutan yang tidak terputus, kasar dan tidak rata menyusuri tepian pantai.

(41) Dia tidak melihat adanya tanda-tanda jejak yang melekat dari rerumputan dan

pepohonan; itu lebih mudah untuk pergi di sepanjang pantai, dan Rainsford menggelapar

di sepanjang tepi pantai. Tak jauh dari tempat dia mendarat, dia berhenti.

(42) “Beberapa hal terluka—oleh bukti. Hewan yang besar—telah membabat di sekitar

semak-semak; rumput-rumput liar hutan telah hancur dan lumut yang terkoyak; sepotong

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rumput yang bernoda merah muda. Sebuah benda kecil bercahaya yang tak jauh

menangkap perhatian Rainsford dan dia mengambilnya. Itu adalah peluru kosong.

(43) “Dua puluh dua,” dia berkata. “Itu aneh. Itu pasti hewan yang cukup besar juga.

Pemburu memiliki keberanian dengannya untuk bisa mengatasi itu dengan senapan ringan.

Sudah jelas itu pertarungan anjing besar. Aku mengira tiga kali tembakan yang pertama

kali kudengar adalah ketika pemburu bersemangat mengejar buruannya dan menembaknya.

Tembakan yang terakhir adalah ketika dia menggiringnya kesini dan menyelesaikannya.”

(44) Dia memeriksa permukaan tanah dengan hati-hati dan menemukan apa yang ia

harapkan untuk ketemu—jejak sepatu bot pemburu. Mereka menuju ke arah sepanjang

tebing dimana ia telah pergi. Dengan penuh semangat ia bergegas bersama, sekarang

tergelincir pada gelondongan kayu busuk atau sebuah batu yang goyah, namun membuat

kemajuan; malam pun telah datang dan mulai untuk menetap di pulau.

(45) Kegelapan yang suram mengheningkan laut dan hutan ketika Riansford melihat

cahaya. Dia mendatangi mereka saat ia berbalik berliku-liku di garis pantai; dan pikiran

pertamanya yang akan datang adalah sebuah desa, karena ada banyak lampu disana. Tetapi

saat dia menempa, ia melihat dengan heran bahwa semua lampu berada di satu bangunan

besar—sebuah bangunan tinggi dengan menara runcing ke atas ke dalam kegelapan.

Matanya terbuat garis bayangan dari bangunan megah; itu diatur di tebing yang tinggi, dan

di tiga sisi dari tebing itu terjun ke bawah dimana laut yang menjilat tepian pantai dengan

rakusnya di kegelapan.

(46) “Khayalan belaka,” pikir Rainsford. Tapi tidak ada khayalan belaka, dia

menemukan, ketika ia membuka pintu gerbang besi yang tinggi berduri. Tangga batu yang

cukup nyata; pintu yang besar dengan penyemprot air untuk pengetuk sudah cukup nyata;

belum di atas semua itu terdapat udara yang tak nyata.

(47) Dia mengangakat pengetuk, dan itu berbunyi dengan kaku, seperti itu tidak pernah

digunakan sebelumnya. Dia membiarkannya jatuh, dan itu mengejutkannya dengan suara

yang nyaring. Dia berpikir dia mendengar suara langkah; pintu tetap tertutup. Rainsford

mengangkat pengetuk berat itu lagi, dan membiarkannya jatuh. Lalu pintu terbuka—

terbuka dan tiba-tiba seperti berarada di musim semi—dan Rainsford berhenti berkedip di

sungai mengalir yang bercahaya emas menyilaukan. Hal pertama yang mata Rainsford lihat

ini adalah hal orang terbesar yang pernah ia lihat—sebuah makhluk raksasa, dibuat dengan

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tangguh dan berjenggot hitam sepinggang. Pria itu memegang revolver laras panjang di

tangannya, dan dia langsung menunjuk tepat di jantung Rainsford.

(48) Dari kekusutan jenggot itu terlihat dua mata kecil menatap Rainsford.

(49) “Jangan khawatir,” kata Rainsford, dengan tersenyum dengan harapan ia melucuti

senjatanya. “Aku bukan perampok. Aku jatuh dari kapal. Namaku Sanger Rainsford dari

kota New York.”

(50) Kesan mengancam dari matanya tidak berubah. Senapan yang menunjuk setegas

patung raksasa. Dia tidak memeperlihatkan seolah ia menegrti apa yang Rainsford katakan,

atau bahwa ia mendengarkannyaa. Dia berpakaian seragam—sebuah seragam hitam

dengan hiasan astrakhan abu-abu.

(51) “Aku Sanger Rainsford dari New York,” Rainsford memulainya lagi. “Aku jatuh

dari kapal. Aku lapar.”

(52) Jawaban dari pria itu hanyalah dengan menaikkan ibu jarinya dari pelatuk

senapannya. Kemudian Rainsford melihat tangan kosong pria itu bergerak ke arah dahinya

dan memberikan hormat militer, dan ia melihatnya membunyikan tumitnya bersamaan dan

berdiri dengan penuh perhatian. Seorang pria lain yang turun dari tangga marmer yang

lebar, dia tegak, pria ramping dengan pakaian gelapnya. Dia mendatangi Raiansford dan

mengulurkan tangannya.

(53) Dengan suara yang sopan dan ditandai dengan sedikit aksen yang memberikan

kesan cermat dan tenang, dia berkata, “Ini sangat menyenangkan dan seuatu kehormatan

untuk menyambut Tuan Sanger Rainsford, pemburu terkenal, ke rumah saya.”

(54) Rainsford langsung berjabat tangan dengannya.

(55) “Aku sudah membaca buku Anda tentang memburu macan tutul salju di Tibet, kau

tahu,” terang pria itu. “Aku Jenderal Zaroff.”

(56) Kesan pertama Rainsford adalah bahwa orang itu luar biasa tampan; yang kedua

adalah asli tapi agak aneh tentang wajah sang Jenderal. Dia seorang pria yang tinggi dengan

usia menengah keatas, rambutnya putih; tetapi alisnya tipis dan kumis militernya yang

hitam terlihat bagai malam darimana Rainsford datang. Matanya juga hitam dan sangat

terang. Dia memiliki tulang pipi yang besar, hidung mancung, kurus, muka gelap—wajah

seorang pria yang digunakan untuk memberikan perintah, wajah bangsawan. Beralih ke

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raksasa berseragam, sang Jenderal memberi tanda. Lalu si raksasa menyingkirkan

pistolnya, memberi hormat, dan mundur.

(57) “Ivan adalah orang yang sangat kuat,” kata Jenderal, “tetapi sialnya dia tuli dan

bisu. Seorang kawan yang sederhana, tapi, aku takut, seperti semua pertarungannya, sedikit

kejam.”

(58) “Apakah dia orang Rusia?”

(59) “Dia adalah 1Cossack,” kata Jenderal, dan senyumnya menunjukkan bibir

merahnya dan gigi yang tajam. “Begitu juga denganku.”

(60) “Mari,” katanya, “kita tidak seharusnya berbicara disini. Kita bisa bicara nanti.

Sekarang yang kau butuhkan adalah pakaian, makanan, dan istirahat. Kau akan

memilikinya. Ini adalah tempat yang paling tenang.”

(61) Ivan muncul kembali, dan sang Jenderal berbicara padanya dengan bibir yang

bergerak tapi tanpa suara.

(62) “Ikuti Ivan jika kau mau Tuan Rainsford,” kata Jenderal. “Aku baru saja akan

makan malam ketika kau datang. Aku akan menunggumu. Kau akan tahu kalau baju ku

pasti pas untukmu, aku pikir.”

(63) Ini sangat besar, kamar tidur yang beratapkan balok dengan tempat tidur yang

cukup besar untuk enam orang yang Rainsford diikuti raksasa bisu. Ivan memberikan baju

tidur, dan Rainsford, seperti yang ia katakan, dia melihat bahwa baju itu berasal dari

seorang penjahit dari London yang biasanya memotong dan menjahit tidak untuk siapapun

yang berada di bawah pangkat adipati.

(64) Di dalam ruang makan tempat Ivan menyambutnya ada banyak hal yang luar biasa.

Tampak kemegahan dari abad pertengahan; itu dapat di lihat dari aula baron jaman feudal

dengan panel kayunya, langit-langitnya yang tinggi, ruang meja makan luas yang dapat

menampung tempat duduk untuk empat puluh orang. Aula yang dipasangi banyak kepala

binatang—singa, harimau, gajah, rusa, beruang; spesies lebih besar atau yang lebih

sempurna yang Rainsford belum pernah lihat sebelumnya. Jenderal sedang duduk di meja

yang besar sendirian.

(65) “Minumlah koktail Tuan Rainsford,” sarannya. Koktailnya enak; dan; Rainsford

melihat, meja pertemuan yang terbaik—lenan, kristal, perak, dan piring-piring porselin.

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(66) Mereka memakan borsch2, makanan yang padat (kaya akan nutrisi), sup merah

dengan wip krim selaras dengan selera orang Rusia. Dengan agak meminta maaf sang

Jenderal berkata, “Kita mencoba untuk melakukan yang terbaik untuk mempertahankan

keramahan terhadap peradaban di sini. Tolong maafkan segala kekurangannya. Kau tahu,

kita semua terpencil. Apakah kau pikir sampanye telah menderita oleh perjalanan lautnya

yang panjang?”

(67) “Tidak sedikit,” kata Rainsford. Dia tahu sang Jenderal adalah tuan rumah yang

bijaksana dan ramah, benar-benar seorang kosmopolitan. Tapi ada satu sifat kecil dari Sang

Jenderal yang membuat Rainsford tidak nyaman. Setiap kali dia mengalihkan pandangan

dari piringnya, ia tahu bahwa sang Jenderal sedang mengamatinya, dan menilainya dengan

seksama.

(68) “Mungkin,” kata Jenderal Zaroff, “Kau terkejut kalau aku mengenal namamu.

Lihatlah, Aku membaca semua buku tentang berburu yang diterbitkan dalam Bahasa

Inggris, Prancis dan Rusia. Aku memiliki satu gairah dalam hidupku Tuan Rainsford, dan

itu adalah perburuan.”

(69) “Kau memiliki beberapa kepala buruan yang indah disini,” kata Rainsford sambil

makan filet mignon yang matang. “Kerbau Afrika itu adalah yang terbesar yang pernah aku

lihat.”

(70) “Oh, itu. Ya, dia adalah monster.”

(71) “Apakah dia menyerangmu?”

(72) “Melemparkanku ke pohon,” kata Jenderal. “Mematahkan tulangku. Tetapi aku

merasakan kekejamannya.”

(73) “Aku selalu berpikir,” kata Rainsford, “kalau tanduk kerbau itu adalah yang paling

berbahaya dari semua binatang buruan yang besar.”

(74) Dalam beberapa saat Jenderal tidak menjawab; dia tersenyum heran dengan bibir

merahnya. Lalu dia berkata dengan pelan, “Tidak. Anda salah, Tuan. Tanduk kerbau

bukanlah binatang buruan yang paling besar dan berbahaya.” Dia minum anggurnya sedikit

demi sedikit. “Inilah yang aku pertahankan di pulau ini,” katanya dengan nada rendah yang

sama, “Aku memburu binatang buruan yang lebih berbahaya.”

(75) Rainsford terkejut. “Apakah ada binatang buruan yang besar di pulau ini?”

(76) Jenderal mengangguk. “Yang terbesar.”

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(77) “Benarkah?”

(78) “Oh, sebenarnya itu tidak disini, tentu saja. Aku harus menjaga pulau itu.”

(79) “Apa yang sudah Anda impor Jenderal?” tanya Rainsford. “Harimau?”

(80) Jenderal tersenyum. “Bukan,” katanya. “Berburu harimau menarik bagiku beberapa

tahun yang lalu. Kau tahu, aku memanfaatkan semua kemungkinan yang ada. Tidak ada

lagi sensasi untuk harimau, tidak ada bahaya yang nyata. Aku hidup untuk bahaya, tuan

Rainsford.”

(81) Sang Jenderal mengambil sebuah kotak rokok emas dari kantongnya dan

menawarkan kepada tamunya sebatang rokok hitam panjang dengan ujungnya yang

keperakan; wangi dan menebarkan bau seperti dupa.

(82) “Kita akan memiliki beberapa modal untuk berburu, kau dan aku,” kata Jenderal.

“Aku akan sangat senang jika komunitasmu juga ikut.”

(83) “Tapi binatang buruan apa—“tanya Rainsford.

(84) “Aku akan memberitahumu,” kata Jenderal. “Kau akan geli, aku tahu. Aku pikir

aku mungkin mengatakan, dengan segala kerendahan hati, bahwa aku telah melakukan hal

yang langka. Aku telah menemukan sensasi yang baru. Bolehkah aku menuangkan segelas

anggur?”

(85) “Terimakasih, Jenderal.”

(86) Sang Jenderal mengisi kedua gelasnya, dan berkata, “Tuhan menciptakan beberapa

penyair. Beberapa Ia jadikan raja, sebagian jadi orang miskin. Padaku, Dia menjadikanku

seorang pemburu. Tanganku dibuat untuk menembak, kata ayahku. Dia adalah orang yang

sangat kaya dengan tanah berukuran seperempat juta hektar luasnya di Krimea, dan dia

adalah seorang olahragawan. Ketika aku berumur lima tahun dia memberiku pistol kecil,

khusus dibuat di Moskow untukku, untuk menembak burung pipit. Ketika aku menembak

beberapa ekor kalkunnya yang berharga, dia tidak menghukumku; dia berterimakasih

padaku atas keahlianku menembak. Aku membunuh beruang pertamaku di Caucasus ketika

aku berumur sepuluh tahun. Seluruh hidupku telah menjadi suatu perburuan yang panjang.

Aku menjadi tantara yang diharapkan dari anak bangsawan—dan untuk sementara waktu

memimpin divisi kavaleri Cossack, tetapi minatku yang sesungguhnya selalu berburu. Aku

telah memburu setiap jenis binatang buruan di setiap pulau. Tidak mungkin bagiku untuk

memberitahumu berapa banyak binatang yang telah aku bunuh.”

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(87) Sang Jenderal menghembuskan asap rokoknya.

(88) “Aku meninggalkan Rusia setelah bencana menimpa negara itu, karena tidaklah

bijak bagi seorang petugas dari Czar untuk tetap tinggal di sana. Banyak bangsawan Rusia

yang kehilangan segalanya. Untungnya, aku sudah banyak berinvestasi saham dalam

(perusahaan) sekuritas di Amerika, jadi aku tidak harus membuka kedai teh di Monte Carlo

atau menjadi supir taksi di Paris. Tentunya aku terus berburu—beruang yang besar dan

buas di pegunungan Rocky, buaya-buaya di sungai Gangga, dan badak di Afrika Timur. Di

Afrika-lah seekor kerbau Afrika menyerangku dan membuatku terbaring selama enam

bulan. Begitu sembuh aku mulai untuk memburu jaguar di Amazon, karena aku dengar

mereka licik. Tapi tidak,” keluhnya. “Mereka sama sekali tidak cocok bagi seorang

pemburu dengan yang pintar/berakal sehat, dan dengan senapan bertenaga tinggi. Aku

sangat kecewa. Aku sedang berbaring di tenda dengan sakit di kepala suatu malam ketika

pikiran buruk merasuki pikiranku. Berburu mulai membuatku bosan! Dan ingat! Berburu

sudah menjadi hidupku. Aku dengar bahwa pengusaha di Amerika sering bangkrut ketika

mereka menyerah dengan bisnis yang sudah menjadi hidup mereka.

(89) “Ya begitulah,” kata Rainsford.

(90) Sang jendral tersenyum. “Aku tidak berharap untuk hancur lebur,” katanya. “Aku

harus melakukan sesuatu. Sekarang, pikiranku adalah pemikiran analitik, Tuan Rainsford.

Tak diragukan lagi, itulah mengapa aku menikamati masalah pemburuan.”

(91) “Jangan ragu, Jenderal Zaroff.”

(92) “Jadi,” lanjut sang Jenderal, “Aku bertanya pada diriku sendiri mengapa berburu

tak lagi menarik untukku. Kau jauh lebih muda dariku, Tuan Rainsford, dan belum terlalu

banyak berburu, tapi mungkin kau bisa menebak jawabannya.”

(93) “Apa itu?”

(94) “Sederhananya begini: berburu bukan lagi suatu hal yang bisa kamu sebut olahraga.

Itu terlalu gampang. Aku selalu mendapatkan buruanku. Selalu. Tidak ada yang lebih

membosankan daripada kesempurnaan.”

(95) Sang Jenderal menyalakan rokok baru.

(96) “Tak ada binatang yang memiliki kesempatan denganku lagi. Bukan sombong; ini

adalah kepastian matematis. Binatang tidak memiliki apa-apa tapi kaki dan firasat. Firasat

19

itu bukan alasan. Memikirkan hal ini adalah sebuah kejadian yang menyedihkan untukku,

aku bisa memberitahumu.”

(97) Rainsford bersandar di atas meja, ia tertarik dengan apa yang tuan rumah katakan.

(98) “Itu menginspirasiku mengenai apa yang harus aku lakukan,” lanjut Jenderal.

(99) “Dan apa itu?”

(100) Sang jenderal tersenyum dengan tenang layaknya seorang yang telah mengahadapi

rintangan dan melewatinya dengan sukses. “Aku harus menemukan buruan yang baru,”

katanya.

(101) “Buruan baru? Kau bercanda.” “Tidak sama sekali,” kata Jenderal. “Aku tidak

pernah bercanda soal berburu. Aku membutuhkan binatang baru. Aku telah menemukan

satu. Itulah mengapa aku membeli pulau ini dan mendirikan rumah ini, dan di sinilah aku

berburu. Pulau ini sangat sempurna untuk tujuanku—di sana ada hutan dengan jalan yang

membingungkan, perbukitan, rawa-rawa—“

(102) “Tapi binatangnya Jenderal Zaroff?”

(103) “Oh,” kata sang Jenderal, “itu memberiku pengalaman berburu yang paling

menyenangkan di dunia. Tidak ada perburuan yang bisa dibandingkan dengannya secara

langsung. Setiap hari aku berburu dan aku tidak pernah merasa bosan sekarang, aku

mempunyai binatang buruan yang sesuai dengan kekuatanku (kecerdasanku).”

(104) Wajah Rainsford menunjukkan kebingungan.

(105) “Aku ingin binatang buruan yang ideal,” jelas sang jenderal. “Jadi aku berkata,

‘binatang buruan seperti apa yang ideal?’ Dan jawabannya adalah, tentu saja ‘dia harus

memiliki keberanian, cerdik, dan dari semua itu, dia harus bisa berpikir.’”

(106) “Tapi tidak ada binatang yang bisa berpikir,” kata Rainsford.

(107) “Kawanku tersayang,” kata sang jenderal, “ada satu yang bisa.”

(108) “Tapi kau tidak sungguh-sungguh kan—“ kata Rainsford.

(109) “Mengapa tidak?”

(110) “Aku tidak percaya kau serius, Jenderal Zaroff. Ini lelucon yang mengerikan.”

(111) “Mengapa aku harus main-main? Aku berbicara tentang perburuan”

(112) “Berburu? Senapan yang bagus, Jenderal Zaroff, yang kau bicarakan adalah

pembunuhan.”

20

(113) Sang jenderal tertawa bahagia. Dia menganggap Rainsford kebingungan. “Aku

tidak percaya kalu seorang pemuda yang modern dan beradab tampaknya

menyembunyikan ide romantik tentang nilai kehidupan manusia. Tentunya pengalamanmu

dalam perang—“

(114) “Tidak membuatku memaafkan pembunuh berdarah dingin,” kata Rainsford

dengan kaku.

(115) Sang jenderal tertawa terbahak-bahak. “Betapa sangat lucunya Anda!” kata sang

jenderal. “Bahkan di Amerika sekarang, tidak satupun yang mengharapkan untuk

menemukan seorang pria muda yang berpendidikan, dan senaif itu. Dan kalau boleh aku

bilang dengan sudut pandang jaman Victoria pertengahan. Ini seperti menemukan kotak

tembakau di mobil limosin. Ah, oke. kau pasti keturunan Puritan. Banyak orang Amerika

yang sepertimu. Aku jamin kau akan melupakan idemu ketika kau pergi berburu denganku.

Kau memiliki sensasi sejati baru yang belum terungkapkan dalam dirimu tuan Rainsford.”

(116) “Terima kasih, Aku seorang pemburu, bukan seorang pembunuh.”

(117) “Astaga!” kata sang jenderal cukup tenang, “kata yang menyenangkan itu lagi”

Tapi aku pikir aku bisa menunjukkanmu bahwa keberatanmu itu tidak cukup beralasan.”

(118) “Iya?”

(119) “Hidup itu untuk orang kuat, untuk dijalani oleh yang kuat, dan jika di butuhkan

akan diambil oleh yang kuat. Yang lemah dari dunia yang ditempatkan disini adalah untuk

memberikan kesenangan bagi yang kuat. Aku kuat. Mengapa aku tidak menggunakan

kelebihanku? Jika aku ingin berburu, mengapa tidak? Aku berburu sampah masyarakat:

pelaut dari kapal gelandangan—lassars, orang berkulit hitam, Cina, kulit putih, blasteran—

seekor kuda atau anjing yang berdarah murni lebih berharga daripada mereka.”

(120) “Tetapi mereka adalah manusia,” kata Rainsford dengan semangat.

(121) “Tepatnya,” kata Jenderal. “Itu kenapa aku menggunakan mereka. Itu

memberikanku kesenangan. Mereka itu logis, mengikuti mode. Jadi mereka berbahaya.”

(122) “Tapi dimana kau mendapatkan mereka?”

(123) Kelopak mata kiri sang jenderal agak bergetar saat mengedipkan mata. “Pulau ini

di sebut Perangkap Kapal,” jawabnya. “Terkadang Tuhan yang marah di tengah lautan

mengirimkan mereka padaku. Terkadang ketika Tuhan tidak begitu baik, aku sedikit

menolong Tuhan. Ayo ke jendela denganku.”

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(124) Rainsford pergi ke jendela dan melihat keluar kearah lautan.

(125) “Sang Jenderal tertawa. “Mereka menunjukkan sebuah terowongan,” katanya, “tak

ada siapapun; bebatuan raksasa dengan pinggiran pisau cukur membungkuk seperti raksasa

laut dengan mulut yang terbuka lebar. Mereka bisa menghancurkan sebuah kapal semudah

aku menghancurkan kacang ini.” Dia menjatuhkan kenari di atas lantai kayu yang keras

dan menginjaknya dengan tumitnya. “Oh, ya,” katanya, dengan santainya seperti sedang

menjawab pertanyaan, “Aku punya listrik. Kita coba untuk tinggal disini.”

(126) “Para penduduk? Dan kau menembak manusia?

(127) Jejak kemarahan sang Jenderal terlihat dalam mata gelapnya, tapi itu hanya

sebentar; dan dengan sopannya dia berkata, “Astaga, betapa budimannya Anda! Aku jamin

aku tidak akan melakukan hal yang Anda sarankan. Itu sangat biadab. Aku menjamu para

pengunjung ini dengan setiap pertimbangan masing-masing. Mereka mendapatkan banyak

makanan dan olahraga. Mereka akan memiliki kondisi fisik yang bagus. Anda lihat sendiri

besok.”

(128) “Apa maksudmu?”

(129) “Kita akan mengunjungi sekolah pelatihanku,” sang jenderal tersenyum. “Ada di

ruang bawah tanah. Sekarang aku mempunyai sekitar selusin murid di bawah sana. Mereka

dari keturunan Spanyol San Lucar yang memiliki nasib buruk untuk pergi ke bebatuan di

luar sana. Dengan menyesal aku katakan, banyak kaum terbelakang disana. Bahan

percobaan yang jelek dan lebih terbiasa di geladak (kapal) daripada di hutan.” Dia

mengangkat tangannya dan Ivan yang melayani sebagai pelayan membawa kopi Turki

yang kental. Rainsford berusaha untuk menahan sikapnya yang tidak serius.

(130) “Ini adalah sebuah permainan, paham,” kata Jenderal dengan lemah lembut, “Aku

sarankan untuk salah satu dari mereka ikut kita berburu. Aku memberinya persediaan

makanan dan pisau berburu yang sangat bagus. Aku memberinya tiga jam lebih awal. Aku

menyusulnya dan hanya dengan senjata pistol caliber berjarak tembak paling kecil. Jika

buruanku menghindariku selama tiga hari penuh, dia memenangkan permainan. Tetapi jika

aku menemukannya”—sang Jenderal tersenyum—“Dia kalah.”

(131) “Seandainya dia menolak untuk diburu?”

(132) “Oh,” kata Jenderal, “Tentu saja aku memberinya pilihan. Dia tidak perlu bermain

jika dia tidak mau. Jika dia tidak ingin berburu, aku akan menyerahkannya pada Ivan. Ivan

22

pernah mendapatkan kehormatan untuk melayani sebagai knouter resmi ke Great White

Czar, dan dia memiliki ide olahraga sendiri. Tanpa terkecuali Tuan Rainsford, mereka

selalu memilih berburu.”

(133) “Dan jika mereka menang?”

(134) Senyum di wajah sang jenderal melebar. “Untuk saat ini aku tidak kalah,” katanya.

Kemudian dia menambahkan dengan tergesa-gesa: “Aku tidak berharap kau berpikir aku

seorang pembual, Rainsford. Banyak dari mereka hanya mampu menyortir masalah dasar.

Adakalanya aku memukul suatu karang gigi. Satu orang hampir menang. Akhirnya aku

harus menggunakan anjing.”

(135) “Anjing?”

(136) “Silahkan lewat sini. Aku akan menunjukkanmu.”

(137) Sang jenderal mengajak Rainsford ke jendela. Cahaya dari jendela-jendela terlihat

berkelip-kelip membentuk pola aneh di halaman bawah, dan Rainsford bisa melihat sesuatu

yang bergerak di sana sekitar selusin atau bentuk hitam yang begitu besar; saat mereka

berbalik ke arahnya, mata mereka hijau bercahaya.

(138) “Cukup banyak, ku pikir,” sang jenderal mengamati. “Mereka dibiarkan keluar jam

tujuh setiap malam. Jika ada orang yang mencoba masuk ke rumahku—atau keluar dari

rumahku—sesuatu yang sangat disayangkan akan terjadi padanya.” Dia menyenandungkan

sebagian lagu dari Folies Bergere.

(139) “Dan sekarang,” kata sang jenderal, “Aku ingin menunjukkanmu koleksi kepala

terbaruku. Maukah ke perpustakaan denganku?”

(140) “Aku harap,” kata Rainsford, “bisakah kalau tidak malam ini Jenderal Zaroff. Aku

merasa tidak enak badan.”

(141) “Ah, sungguh?” sang jenderal bertanya dengan khawatir. “Baik, aku rasa itu wajar

setelah berenangmu yang lama. Kau butuh istirahat yang baik dan tidur yang nyenyak. Aku

bertaruh, besok kau akan berasa seperti seorang pria yang baru. Kemudian kita akan

berburu, kan? Aku punya satu prospek yang menjanjikan—“Rainsford bergegas keluar

ruangan.

(142) “Maaf kau tidak bisa pergi denganku malam ini,” kata sang Jenderal. “Aku

berharap olahraga yang lebih adil—sesuatu yang besar, kuat dan hitam. Dia terlihat banyak

akal—oke, selamat malam Rainsford; Aku harap kau istirahat dengan nyenyak.

23

(143) Tempat tidurnya enak, dan baju tidur dengan sutra paling lembut dan dia lelah di

setiap bagian badannya, namun demikian otak Rainsford tidak bisa tenang dengan candu

tidur. Dia berbaring dengan mata yang terbuka lebar. Tiba-tiba dia merasa mendengar suara

langkah-langkah mengendap-endap di koridor luar kamarnya. Dia berusaha untuk

membuka pintu; tidak terbuka. Dia pergi ke jendela dan melihat keluar. Kamarnya berada

di salah satu Menara yang tinggi. Lampu chateau terlihat sekarang dan itu sangat gelap dan

sunyi; tetapi disana ada sebuah belahan bulan yang pucat, dan dengan cahayanya yang

pudar dia dapat melihat ke halaman dengan samar-samar. Disana, ada bayangan hitam yang

keluar masuk tanpa suara; anjing-anjing mendengarnya di jendela dan melihat keatas

dengan mata hijau mereka. Rainsford kembali ke tempat tidur dan berbaring. Dia mencoba

banyak cara untuk tidur. Dia baru bisa tidur ketika pagi mulai datang. Jauh dari dalam hutan

dia samar-samar mendengar letusan sebuah senapan.

(144) Jenderal Zaroff tidak muncul sampai jam makan siang. Dia berpakaian sangat rapi

dengan jaket wol khas kotanya. Dia khawatir dengan kondisi kesehatan Rainsford.

(145) “Bagiku,” keluh Jenderal, “Aku merasa kurang sehat. Aku khawatir, Tuan

Rainsford. Aku merasakan jejak dari keluhanku yang sudah lama semalam.”

(146) Dengan tatapan penuh tanya Tuan Rainsford berkata, “bosan.”

(147) Setelah sejenak menikmati crêpes Suzette, sang jenderal menjelaskan: “Perburuan

semalam tidaklah baik. Pekerja meninggal. Dia meninggalkan jejak yang sama sekali tidak

menimbulkan masalah. Itu merupakan persoalan para pekerja: yang memiliki otak tumpul,

dan tidak tahu harus melakukan apa di hutan. Mereka sangat bodoh dan itu jelas sekali. Ini

sangat menjengkelkan. Apakah anda menginginkan satu gelas Chablis lagi, Tuan

Rainsford?

(148) “Jenderal,” Rainsford berkata dengan sungguh-sungguh, “Aku harap bisa segera

meninggalkan pulau ini dalam sekejap.”

(149) Sang jenderal mengangkat alis tebalnya; dia tampak terluka. “Tapi, kawanku,”

protes Jenderal, “Kau baru saja datang. Belum pernah berburu--”

(150) “Aku ingin pergi hari ini,” kata Rainsford. Mengamati sang jendral, dia melihat

mata hitam yang kosong. Tiba-tiba wajah Jenderal Zaroff terlihat gembira.

(151) Dia menuangkan Chablis dari botol yang berdebu ke dalam gelas Rainsford.

(152) “Malam ini,” kata Jenderal, “Kau dan aku akan berburu.”

24

(153) Rainsford menggelengkankepalanya dan berkata, “Tidak Jenderal, aku tidak mau

berburu.”

(154) Jenderal mengangkat bahunya dan dengan nyaman memakan anggur yang berasal

dari rumah kaca. “Seperti yang kau inginkan, temanku,” kata Jenderal. “Keputusan

sepenuhnya ada padamu. Tapi aku berspekulasi bahwa kau akan menganggap ideku ini

lebih menyenangkan dari pada ide Ivan.”

(155) Dia mengangguk ke sudut tempat si raksasa (Ivan) berdiri, mengerutkan dahi,

lengannya yang besar menyilang di dada besarnya.

(156) “Kau tidak bermaksud--” teriak Rainsford.

(157) “Temanku tersayang,” kata Jenderal, “bukankah aku sudah memberi tahumu bahwa

aku selalu bersungguh-sungguh saat membicarakan tentang berburu? Sebuah inspirasi

yang nyata. Akhirnya, aku bersulang untuk seorang musuh yang sepantas dengan baju

bajaku.” Sang jenderal mengangkat gelasnya, tapi Rainsford hanya duduk dan

memandanginya.

(158) “Kau akan tahu bahwa permainan ini cukup berharga untuk dimainkan,” sang

jenderal berkata dengan antusiasnya. “Otakmu berlawanan/menantang dengan otakku,

begitu juga dengan pionmu. Kekuatan dan staminamu juga melawan milikku. Bagaikan

permainan catur yang nyata. Dan taruhannya bukan tanpa nilai, kan?”

(159) “Dan jika aku menang--” Rainsford menjawab berbisik-bisik.

(160) “Aku akan merasa senang mengakui kekalahanku jika aku tidak menemukanmu di

malam ketiga nanti,” kata jenderal Zaroff.” “Sekociku akan mengantarkanmu ke daratan

dekat kota.” Sang Jenderal membaca apa yang sedang dipikirkan Rainsford.

(161) “Oh, kau bisa mempercayaiku,” kata Cossack. “Aku akan memberimu kata-kataku

sebagai seorang pria dan seorang olahragawan. Pastinya, sebagai gantinya kau harus setuju

untuk tak mengatakan apapun tentang kunjunganmu kesini.”

(162) “Aku setuju untuk hal semacam itu,” kata Rainsford.

(163) “Oh,” kata Jenderal, “dalam hal itu—Tapi kenapa kita membicarakannya sekarang?

Tiga hari maka kita bisa membicarakannya dengan sebotol Veuve Cliquot, kecuali jika--“

(164) Sang Jenderal meminum anggurnya sedikit-sedikit.

(165) Kemudian dengan segera dia berkata pada Rainsford, “Ivan akan menyediakanmu

pakaian berburu, makanan, dan pisau. Aku sarankan kau memakai sepatu sandal; mereka

25

meninggalkan lebih sedikit jejak. Aku juga sarankan supaya kau menjauhi rawa besar yang

ada di sudut tenggara pulau. Kami menyebutnya Rawa Kematian. Ada pasir hisap disana.

Temanku yang bodoh pernah mencobanya. Bagian yang menyedihkan dari itu bahwa

Lazarus mengikutinya. Kau dapat membayangkan perasaanku Tuan Rainsford. Aku

menyanyangi Lazarus; dia adalah salah satu anjing terbaikku. Yah aku harus memohon

padamu untuk memaafkanku. Aku selalu tidur siang setelah makan siang. Aku takut kau

akan susah punya waktu untuk tidur siang. Kalau kau mau mulai, jangan ragu-ragu. Aku

tidak akan mengikutimu sampai senja. Berburu saat malam hari jauh lebih menarik

daripada siang hari, bukankah begitu? Sampai ketemu lagi, Tuan Rainsford, sampai ketemu

lagi.” Dengan membungkuk sopan dan, Jenderal Zaroff pergi meninggalkan ruangan.

(166) Dari pintu lain datanglah Ivan. Salah satu tangannya ia membawa pakaian berburu

khaki/pakaian coklat kekuning-kuningan, sebuah kantung makanan, sarung kulit berisi

pisau berburu berbilah panjang dan tangan kanannya memegang senapan di sabuk merah

tua yang melingkar di pinggangnya.

(167) Rainsford telah berjuang melewati semak-semak selama dua jam. “Aku harus

bertahan. Aku harus bertahan,” katanya dengan gigi geram.

(168) Dia belum sepenuhnya sadar ketika gerbang chateau dibelakangnya menutup. Pada

awalnya, idenya untuk menjaga jarak dengan Jenderal Zaroff; dan akhirnya dia terjatuh dan

kemudian dia ditopang oleh sesuatu yang tajam yang terlihat menggelisahkan. Sekarang ia

dapat mengendalikan dirinya sendiri, dia berhenti, menyiapkan dirinya sendiri dan juga

dengan keadaan. Dia pikir kalau pelariannya sia-sia, mau tak mau itu akan membawanya

berhadapan dengan laut. Dia berada di sebuah gambar dengan bingkai laut dan pastinya

apapun yang dia rencanakan, tak akan jauh-jauh dari laut.

(169) “Aku akan memberinya jejak untuk diikuti,” gumam Rainsford. Dan dia keluar

jalur dari jalan kecil yang sudah dilaluinya ke dalam hutan belantara tanpa jalan. Dia

mengeksekusi serangkaian jalan yang berbelit-belit; dia melewati jalan yang sudah di

laluinya lagi dan lagi, mengingat semua cerita rakyat dari pemburu rubah dan semua

muslihat dari si rubah. Dia merasa lelah saat malam hari, dengan tangan dan muka yang

tergores cabang pepohonan yang lebat di punggung bukit. Dia tau itu sangat bodoh dan

suatu kesalahan besar melewati kegelapan, meskipun dia memiliki kekuatan.

Kebutuhannya untuk istirahat itu penting sekali dan dia berpikir, “Aku telah bermain

26

dengan rubah, dan sekarang aku harus bermain dengan kucing dari dongeng.” Di dekat

sebuah pohon besar dengan batang yang besar dan cabang yang terhampar dan berhati-hati

untuk tidak meninggalkan bekas sekecil apapun, dia memanjat ke atas cabang pohon dan

berbaring di salah satu dahan pohon yang lebar/besar, beristirahat dalam batas tertentu.

Istirahat memberikannya kepercayaan diri yang baru dan hampir rasa kewaspadaan.

Bahkan Jendral Zaroff seorang pemburu yang sangat rajin tidak bisa melacaknya disana,

katanya pada dirinya sendiri; hanya setanlah yang bisa mengikuti jejaknya yang rumit itu

melewati hutan saat malam hari. Tapi mungkin sang Jenderal adalah setan--

(170) Malam yang menakutkan berjalan lambat seperti ular yang terluka dan rasa kantuk

tidak menghampiri Rainsford, meskipun keheningan akan dunia yang mati ada di hutan.

Menjelang pagi ketika abu-abu suram menghiasi langit, suara kicauan beberapa ekor

burung yang mengagetkan mengalihkan perhatian Rainsford ke arah suara tersebut.

Sesuatu datang melalui semak-semak, perlahan-lahan dan hati-hati datang dengan cara

berliku sama seperti Rainsford. Dia menempelkan dirinya pada dahan pohon dan dedaunan

yang hampir setebal permadani, dia melihat…. Yang mendekat itu adalah seorang pria.

(171) Itu adalah Jenderal Zaroff. Dia berjalan dengan matanya yang tetap berkonsetrasi

penuh pada jalan didepannya. Dia berhenti sejenak, di bawah pohon dia berlutut dan

mencermati tanahnya. Urat nadi/denyut Rainsford adalah untuk melemparkannya ke bawah

seperti macan kumbang, tetapi dia melihat tangan kanan sang Jenderal memegang sesuatu

yang metalik—sebuah pistol.

(172) Sang pemburu menggelengkan kepalanya beberapa kali, seolah-olah dia

kebingungan. Kemudian dia berdiri dan mengambil salah satu rokok hitamnya dari

kotaknya; aroma dupa ini menyengat seperti asap yang mengambang di lubang hidung

Rainsford.

(173) Rainsford menahan napasnya. Mata sang Jenderal telah beralih dari tanah dan

mengarah perlahan-lahan ke atas pohon. Rainsford membeku di atas, setiap ototnya tegang.

Tetapi mata tajam si pemburu berhenti sebelum mereka sampai ke dahan pohon dimana

Rainsford sedang berbaring; senyuman terlihat dari wajahnya yang kecoklatan. Dengan

sengaja dia meniup asap rokok ke udara; lalu dia membalikkan punggungnya ke pohon dan

dengan cerobohnya berjalan pergi, kembali ke jalan dimana dia datang. Bunyi mendesir

dari semak-semak berlawanan dengan sepatu berburunya yang semakin redam dan redam.

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(174) Udara yang tertahan menyeruak dengan panasnya dari paru-paru Rainsford.

Pikirnya membuatnya merasa sakit dan mati rasa. Sang Jenderal bisa mengikuti jejak di

hutan pada malam hari; dia bisa mengikuti jejak yang sangat rumit; dia pasti memiliki

kekuatan yang luar biasa. Hanya dengan sedikit kesempatan saja Cossack gagal untuk

melihat buruannya.

(175) Pikiran Rainsford selanjutnya bahkan lebih mengerikan. Itu membuat badannya

merinding. Mengapa Jenderal tersenyum? Mengapa dia kembali?

(176) Rainsford tidak ingin percaya dengan kebenaran yang dikatakan oleh akalnya. Sang

Jenderal sedang bermain dengannya! Sang Jenderal menyelamatkan dia untuk olahraga di

lain hari! Si Cossack adalah pemburu; dan dia (Rainsford) adalah buruannya. Maka itulah

yang Rainsford tahu tentang arti dari terror sebenarnya.

(177) “Aku tidak akan takut. Tidak akan.”

(178) Dia meluncur turun dari pohon dan kembali kedalam hutan. Wajahnya sudah siap

dan dia memaksa pikirannya untuk bekerja. Dia berhenti di tiga ratus yard dari tempat

persembunyiannya dimana sebuah pohon besar yang mati dan berbahaya bersandar pada

pohon lebih kecil yang masih hidup. Rainsford melemparkan kantung makanannya dan

mengambil pisau dari sarungnya dan mulai bekerja dengan semua kekuatannya.

(179) Akhirnya pekerjaannya selesai dan ia melemparkan dirinya sendiri ke balik pohon

tumbang sejauh seratus kaki. Dia tidak harus menunggu lama. Si kucing sudah datang lagi

untuk bermain dengan si tikus.

(180) Jenderal Zaroff datang mengikuti jejak dengan anjing pelacaknya. Tidak ada yang

lolos dari tatapannya, Tidak ada rumput yang hancur, tidak ada ranting yang patah, tidak

ada bekas, tidak peduli seberapa samarnya di dalam lumut. Begitu niat Cossack ketika dia

sedang mengikutinya bahwa dia berada diatas sesuatu yang telah dibuat Rainsford sebelum

dia melihatnya. Kakinya menyentuh dahan pohon yang menonjol yang menjadi pemicu.

Bahkan saat ia menyentuhnya, sang Jenderal merasakan bahaya dan melompat mundur

dengan kegesitan seekor kera. Tapi dia tidak cukup cepat; pohon yang mati, dengan hati-

hati menyesuaikan diri untuk beristirahat di bekas tebangan pohon lain, jatuh kebawah dan

menghantam sang Jenderal dengan suatu pukulan yang luput di bahunya saat terjatuh, tapi

untuk kewaspadaannya, dia pasti telah di serang di bawahnya. Ia jalan sempoyongan, tetapi

dia tidak jatuh dan ia juga tidak menjatuhkan senapannya. Dia berdiri di sana menggosok

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bahunya yang cedera dan Rainsford dengan rasa takutnya yang menguasai dirinya,

mendengar tertawa ejekan sang Jenderal dari dalam hutan.

(181) “Rainsford,” panggil sang Jenderal, “jika kau mendengar suaraku; aku rasa kau

mendengarnya, biarkan aku mengucapkan selamat padamu. Tidak banyak pria tahu

bagaimana membuat perangkap melayu untuk menangkap orang. Sungguh beruntung

bagiku, aku, aku juga pernah diburu di Malacca. Kau terbukti menarik, Tuan Rainsford.

Aku pergi sekarang untuk membalut lukaku; Ini cuma luka kecil. Tapi aku akan kembali.

Aku akan kembali.”

(182) Ketika sang Jenderal mengobati bahunya yang memar, Rainsford kembali

meneruskan perjalanannya. Perjalanan yang tidak menyenangkan dan tanpa harapan

membawanya selama berjam-jam. Senja datang kemudian kegelapan dan dia masih

tertekan. Tanah di bawah sepatu sandalnya tumbuh lebih lembut; tumbuh-tumbuhan

tumbuh lebih padat dan serangga menggigitnya dengan kejam.

(183) Kemudian, saat dia melangkah maju, kakinya tenggelam kedalam lumpur. Dia

mencoba untuk menariknya kembali, tetapi kotoran itu menghisap kakinya dengan kejam

seolah-olah itu adalah lintah raksasa. Dengan usaha keras dia menarik kakinya. Dia tahu

dimana dia sekarang. Rawa Kematian dan pasir apung.

(184) Tangannya tertutup rapat seolah keberaniannya adalah sesuatu yang nyata bahwa

seseorang di kegelapan sedang mencoba untuk menariknya dari genggamannya.

Kelembutan bumi telah memberinya sebuah ide. Dia mundur dari pasirnya beberapa

langkah atau lebih dan seperti beberapa berang-berang prasejarah yang besar, dia mulai

menggali.

(185) Rainsford telah menggali dirinya sendiri di Perancis ketika berniat menunda

kematian kedua. Itu adalah hobi yang menenangkan dibandingkan dengan penggaliannya

sekarang. Lubangnya semakin dalam; saat itu di atas bahunya, dia memanjat keluar dan

dari beberapa potongan anakan pohon yang keras dan mempertajamnya menjadi lebih

halus. Anakan pohon ini ia tanam di bawah lubang dengan ujung menjulur. Dengan jari-

jari yang cekatan, dia menenun karpet rumput-rumputan yang kasar dan cabang-cabangnya

serta dengan itu ia menutupi mulut lubang. Kemudian, basah dengan keringat dan sakit

dengan kelelahan, dia berjongkok di belakang tunggul arang pohon yang menyala.

29

(186) Dia tahu pemburunya datang; dia mendengar suara hentakkan kaki di permukaan

tanah lembut, dan angin malam membawanya pada bau wangi rokok sang Jenderal. Bagi

Rainsford tampaknya sang Jenderal datang dengan kecepatan yang tidak biasa; dia tidak

merasa jalan bersama, langkah demi langkah. Rainsford yang berjongkok di sana tidak bisa

melihat sang Jenderal, dia juga tidak bisa melihat lubangnya. Dia sangat cepat. Kemudian

dia serasa ingin menangis keras dengan sukacita, karena dia mendengar ketajaman bunyi

dari patahan cabang dengan jelas sebagai penutup jalan lubang; dia mendengar tajamnya

teriakan kesakitan saat ujung runcing anak pohon melukainya. Dia melompat dari tempat

persembunyiannya. Lalu dia gemetar ketakutan lagi. Seorang pria berdiri tiga langkah dari

lubang, dengan obor listrik di tangannya.

(187) “Kau sudah menyelesaikannya dengan baik Rainsford,” kata sang Jenderal.

“Lubang harimau Burmamu telah di akui salah satu anjing terbaikku. Sekali lagi Anda

mencetak poin. Tuan Rainsford, aku pikir aku akan melihat apa yang bisa kau lakukan

terhadap seluruh paketku. Aku akan pulang untuk beristirahat sekarang. Terima kasih

untuk malam yang paling menghibur.”

(188) Saat fajar, Rainsford berbaring di dekat rawa dan dibangunkan oleh suara yang

membuatnya tahu kalau dia memiliki hal-hal baru untuk belajar tentang rasa takut. Itu

adalah suara yang jauh, samar dan bimbang, tetapi dia mengetahuinya. Itu adalah

gonggongan dari sekumpulan anjing.

(189) Rainsford tahu dia bisa melakukan salah satu dari dua hal. Dia bisa tinggal

dimanapun dan menunggu. Itu bunuh diri. Dia bisa melarikan diri. Itu adalah menunda

yang tak terelakkan. Sesaat dia berdiri disana dan berpikir. Sebuah ide yang membiarkan

kesempatan gila datang padanya dan sambil mengencangkan ikat pinggangnya, dia

melangkah jauh dari rawa.

(190) Gonggongan anjing mendekat, masih dekat, dekat, semakin dekat. Di punggung

bukit Rainsford memanjat sebuah pohon. Dibawah aliran air, tidak ada seperempat mil

jauhnya, dia dapat melihat semak-semak bergerak. Ketegangan matanya, dia melihat sosok

kurus Jenderal Zaroff; tepat didepannya, Rainsford dibuat dari sosok lain yang berbahu

lebar bergerak melewati rerumputan hutan yang tinggi; itu adalah si raksasa Ivan dan dia

tampaknya ditarik kedepan oleh beberapa kekuatan yang tak terlihat. Rainsford tahu bahwa

Ivan sedang memegang bungkusan dengan pak di tali.

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(191) Sebentar lagi mereka akan mendekat. Pikirannya panik. Dia memikirkan trik alam

yang telah ia pelajari di Uganda. Dia meluncur turun dari pohon. Dia menangkap anak

pohon elastis dan dia mengikat pisau berburunya, dengan mata pisau menunjuk ke bawah

jalan; dengan sedikit tanaman anggur liar dia mengikatnya ke belakang pohon muda itu.

Kemudian dia berlari untuk keselamatannya. Anjing-anjing menggonggong saat mereka

mencium aroma segar. Rainsford sekarang tahu bagaimana perasaan seekor binatang saat

menggonggong.

(192) Dia harus berhenti untuk bernafas. Gonggongan anjing-anjing tiba-tiba berhenti,

dan jantung Rainsford berhenti berdetak juga. Mereka harusnya sudah terkena pisau.

(193) Dia terlihat penuh semangat memanjat pohon dan melihat kebelakang. Pemburunya

sudah berhenti. Tapi harapan di dalam otak Rainsford itu mati ketika dia memanjat, karena

ia melihat di lembah (tempat dangkal) bahwa Jenderal Zaroff masih berdiri. Tetapi Ivan

tidak. Pisaunya didorong mundur oleh pohon semak, tidak sepenuhnya gagal.

(194) Rainsford hampir jatuh terguling ketika kawanan anjing itu mulai menggonggong

lagi.

(195) “Berani, berani, berani!” dia terengah-engah sambil berlari. Terlihat sebuah celah

biru di antara pohon mati di depan yang justru mengundang kawanan anjing itu semakin

dekat. Rainsford memaksa dirinya sendiri ke arah celah itu. Dia mencapainya. Itu adalah

tepi laut. Diseberang teluk kecil dia bisa melihat batu chateau abu-abu suram. Dua puluh

kaki dibawahnya laut bergemuruh dan mendesis. Rainsford ragu-ragu. Kemudian dia

melompat jauh ke laut…

(196) Ketika sang Jenderal dan kumpulannya mencapai tempatnya dekat laut, Cossack

berhenti. Untuk beberapa menit dia berdiri mengenai permukaan air biru kehijauan. Dia

mengangkat bahunya. Kemudian duduk, mengambil minum brendi (minuman keras) dari

botol peraknya, menyalakan rokok, dan sedikit bersenandung/bergumam dari Madame

Butterfly.

(197) Jenderal Zaroff menikmati makan malam yang sangat enak di ruang makan di

ruangan berpapan besar yang bagus malam itu. Dia memiliki sebotol bir Pol Roger dan

setengah botol Chambertin. Dua sedikit gangguan menahannya dari kenikmatan yang

sempurna. Salah satunya adalah pikiran bahwa akan sulit untuk menggantikan Ivan; Yang

lainnya adalah bahwa buruannya telah lolos darinya; tentu saja, orang Amerika tidak

31

bermain permainan—jadi pikir sang Jenderal saat ia mencicipi sopi manis setelah makan

malam. Di perpustakaan dia membaca, untuk menenangkan dirinya, dari karya-karya

Marcus Aurelius. Pada jam sepuluh dia pergi ke kamar tidurnya. Dia lelah, dia berkata pada

dirinya sendiri saat dia mengunci dirinya di dalam. Ada sedikit cahaya bulan, jadi, sebelum

menyalakan lampu, dia berjalan ke jendela dan melihat ke halaman di bawah. Dia bisa

melihat anjing-anjing besar, dan dia berkata “Semoga beruntung di lain waktu,” kepada

mereka. Kemudian dia menyalakan lampunya.

(198) Seorang laki-laki, yang bersembunyi dalam tirai tempat tidur sedang berdiri di

sebelah sana.

(199) “Rainsford!” teriak Jenderal. “Bagaimana bisa kamu sampai disini?”

(200) “Berenang,” kata Rainsford. “Aku merasa itu lebih cepat daripada jalan menyusuri

hutan.”

(201) Jenderal menghela nafas dan tersenyum. “Selamat!” katanya. “Kamu

memenangkan permainan ini.”

(202) Rainsford tidak tersenyum. “Aku tetap binatang buas dalam jebakan,” katanya

merendah, dengan suara yang serak. “Bersiaplah, Jenderal Zaroff.”

(203) Sang jendral membungkuk memberikan sebuah penghormatan yang terdalam.

“Aku tahu,” katanya. “Baik sekali! Salah satu dari kita akan menyiapkan jamuan makan

untuk anjing-anjing. Yang lainnya akan beristirahat di Kasur yang sangat bagus ini.

Berjaga-jaga, Rainsford.”. . .

(204) Rainsford memutuskan dia tidak (akan) pernah tidur di kasur yang bagus.

32

B. SOURCE TEXT

The Most Dangerous Game

(1) "OFF THERE to the right--somewhere--is a large island," said Whitney." It's rather

a mystery--"

(2) "What island is it?" Rainsford asked.

(3) "The old charts call it `Ship-Trap Island,"' Whitney replied." A suggestive name,

isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition--"

(4) "Can't see it," remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dank tropical night

that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht.

(5) "You've good eyes," said Whitney, with a laugh," and I've seen you pick off a

moose moving in the brown fall bush at four hundred yards, but even you can't see four

miles or so through a moonless Caribbean night."

(6) "Nor four yards," admitted Rainsford. "Ugh! It's like moist black velvet."

(7) "It will be light enough in Rio," promised Whitney. "We should make it in a few

days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's. We should have some good hunting

up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting."

(8) "The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford.

(9) "For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar."

(10) "Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a

philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"

(11) "Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.

(12) "Bah! They've no understanding."

(13) "Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the

fear of death."

(14) "Nonsense," laughed Rainsford. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be

a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you

and I are hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?"

(15) "I can't tell in the dark. I hope so."

(16) "Why?" asked Rainsford.

(17) "The place has a reputation--a bad one."

(18) "Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford.

33

(19) "Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten

into sailor lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy

today?"

(20) "They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even Captain Nielsen--"

(21) "Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask

him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get

out of him was `This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me,

very gravely, ̀ Don't you feel anything?'--as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now,

you mustn't laugh when I tell you this--I did feel something like a sudden chill.

(22) "There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were

drawing near the island then. What I felt was a--a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread."

(23) "Pure imagination," said Rainsford.

(24) "One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear."

(25) "Maybe. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when

they are in danger. Sometimes I think evil is a tangible thing--with wave lengths, just as

sound and light have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil. Anyhow,

I'm glad we're getting out of this zone. Well, I think I'll turn in now, Rainsford."

(26) "I'm not sleepy," said Rainsford. "I'm going to smoke another pipe up on the

afterdeck."

(27) "Good night, then, Rainsford. See you at breakfast."

(28) "Right. Good night, Whitney."

(29) There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there but the muffled throb of the

engine that drove the yacht swiftly through the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the

wash of the propeller.

(30) Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently puffed on his favorite brier. The

sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him." It's so dark," he thought, "that I could sleep

without closing my eyes; the night would be my eyelids--"

(31) An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it, and his ears, expert in

such matters, could not be mistaken. Again, he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere,

off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times.

34

(32) Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes

in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a

blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his

pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry

came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry

was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea dosed over his head.

(33) He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding

yacht slapped him in the face and the salt water in his open mouth made him gag and

strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht,

but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him;

it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could

be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender

as the yacht raced on. He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his power.

The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted

out entirely by the night.

(34) Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he

swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength.

For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes; he could do

possibly a hundred more and then—

(35) Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the

sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror.

(36) He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to; with fresh

vitality he swam toward the sound. He heard it again; then it was cut short by another noise,

crisp, staccato.

(37) "Pistol shot," muttered Rainsford, swimming on.

(38) Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears--the most

welcome he had ever heard--the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky

shore. He was almost on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would have

been shattered against them. With his remaining strength he dragged himself from the

swirling waters. Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness; he forced himself

upward, hand over hand. Gasping, his hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top. Dense

35

jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs. What perils that tangle of trees and

underbrush might hold for him did not concern Rainsford just then. All he knew was that

he was safe from his enemy, the sea, and that utter weariness was on him. He flung himself

down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of his life.

(39) When he opened his eyes he knew from the position of the sun that it was late in

the afternoon. Sleep had given him new vigor; a sharp hunger was picking at him. He

looked about him, almost cheerfully.

(40) "Where there are pistol shots, there are men. Where there are men, there is food,"

he thought. But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken

front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.

(41) He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web of weeds and trees; it was

easier to go along the shore, and Rainsford floundered along by the water. Not far from

where he landed, he stopped.

(42) Some wounded thing--by the evidence, a large animal--had thrashed about in the

underbrush; the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of

weeds was stained crimson. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye

and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge.

(43) "A twenty-two," he remarked. "That's odd. It must have been a fairly large animal

too. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun. It's clear that the brute

put up a fight. I suppose the first three shots I heard was when the hunter flushed his quarry

and wounded it. The last shot was when he trailed it here and finished it."

(44) He examined the ground closely and found what he had hoped to find--the print of

hunting boots. They pointed along the cliff in the direction he had been going. Eagerly he

hurried along, now slipping on a rotten log or a loose stone, but making headway; night

was beginning to settle down on the island.

(45) Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the

lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line; and his first thought was

that be had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw

to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building--a lofty structure

with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy

36

outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived

down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows.

(46) "Mirage," thought Rainsford. But it was no mirage, he found, when he opened the

tall spiked iron gate. The stone steps were real enough; the massive door with a leering

gargoyle for a knocker was real enough; yet above it all hung an air of unreality.

(47) He lifted the knocker, and it creaked up stiffly, as if it had never before been used.

He let it fall, and it startled him with its booming loudness. He thought he heard steps

within; the door remained closed. Again Rainsford lifted the heavy knocker, and let it fall.

The door opened then--opened as suddenly as if it were on a spring--and Rainsford stood

blinking in the river of glaring gold light that poured out. The first thing Rainsford's eyes

discerned was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen--a gigantic creature, solidly made

and black bearded to the waist. In his hand the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he

was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart.

(48) Out of the snarl of beard two small eyes regarded Rainsford.

(49) "Don't be alarmed," said Rainsford, with a smile which he hoped was disarming.

"I'm no robber. I fell off a yacht. My name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City."

(50) The menacing look in the eyes did not change. The revolver pointing as rigidly as

if the giant were a statue. He gave no sign that he understood Rainsford's words, or that he

had even heard them. He was dressed in uniform--a black uniform trimmed with gray

astrakhan.

(51) "I'm Sanger Rainsford of New York," Rainsford began again. "I fell off a yacht. I

am hungry."

(52) The man's only answer was to raise with his thumb the hammer of his revolver.

Then Rainsford saw the man's free hand go to his forehead in a military salute, and he saw

him click his heels together and stand at attention. Another man was coming down the

broad marble steps, an erect, slender man in evening clothes. He advanced to Rainsford

and held out his hand.

(53) In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and

deliberateness, he said, "It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger

Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home."

(54) Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand.

37

(55) "I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you see," explained the

man. "I am General Zaroff."

(56) Rainsford's first impression was that the man was singularly handsome; his second

was that there was an original, almost bizarre quality about the general's face. He was a tall

man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed

military mustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come. His eyes,

too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharpcut nose, a spare, dark

face--the face of a man used to give orders, the face of an aristocrat. Turning to the giant

in uniform, the general made a sign. The giant put away his pistol, saluted, withdrew.

(57) "Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow," remarked the general, "but he has the

misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple fellow, but, I'm afraid, like all his race, a bit of

a savage."

(58) "Is he Russian?"

(59) "He is a Cossack," said the general, and his smile showed red lips and pointed teeth.

"So am I."

(60) "Come," he said, "we shouldn't be chatting here. We can talk later. Now you want

clothes, food, rest. You shall have them. This is a most-restful spot."

(61) Ivan had reappeared, and the general spoke to him with lips that moved but gave

forth no sound.

(62) "Follow Ivan, if you please, Mr. Rainsford," said the general. "I was about to have

my dinner when you came. I'll wait for you. You'll find that my clothes will fit you, I think."

(63) It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopied bed big enough for six

men that Rainsford followed the silent giant. Ivan laid out an evening suit, and Rainsford,

as he put it on, noticed that it came from a London tailor who ordinarily cut and sewed for

none below the rank of duke.

(64) The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in many ways remarkable.

There was a medieval magnificence about it; it suggested a baronial hall of feudal times

with its oaken panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where twoscore men could

sit down to eat. About the hall were mounted heads of many animals--lions, tigers,

elephants, moose, bears; larger or more perfect specimens Rainsford had never seen. At the

great table the general was sitting, alone.

38

(65) "You'll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford," he suggested. The cocktail was

surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table appointments were of the finest--the

linen, the crystal, the silver, the china.

(66) They were eating borsch, the rich, red soup with whipped cream so dear to Russian

palates. Half apologetically General Zaroff said, "We do our best to preserve the amenities

of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know.

Do you think the champagne has suffered from its long ocean trip?"

(67) "Not in the least," declared Rainsford. He was finding the general a most thoughtful

and affable host, a true cosmopolite. But there was one small trait of the general's that made

Rainsford uncomfortable. Whenever he looked up from his plate he found the general

studying him, appraising him narrowly.

(68) "Perhaps," said General Zaroff, "you were surprised that I recognized your name.

You see, I read all books on hunting published in English, French, and Russian. I have but

one passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt."

(69) "You have some wonderful heads here," said Rainsford as he ate a particularly well-

cooked filet mignon. " That Cape buffalo is the largest I ever saw."

(70) "Oh, that fellow. Yes, he was a monster."

(71) "Did he charge you?"

(72) "Hurled me against a tree," said the general. "Fractured my skull. But I got the

brute."

(73) "I've always thought," said Rainsford, "that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous

of all big game."

(74) For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile.

Then he said slowly, "No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous

big game." He sipped his wine. "Here in my preserve on this island," he said in the same

slow tone, "I hunt more dangerous game."

(75) Rainsford expressed his surprise. "Is there big game on this island?"

(76) The general nodded. "The biggest."

(77) “Really?"

(78) "Oh, it isn't here naturally, of course. I have to stock the island."

(79) "What have you imported, general?" Rainsford asked. "Tigers?"

39

(80) The general smiled. "No," he said. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years

ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for

danger, Mr. Rainsford."

(81) The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and offered his guest a long

black cigarette with a silver tip; it was perfumed and gave off a smell like incense.

(82) "We will have some capital hunting, you and I," said the general. "I shall be most

glad to have your society."

(83) "But what game--" began Rainsford.

(84) "I'll tell you," said the general. "You will be amused, I know. I think I may say, in

all modesty, that I have done a rare thing. I have invented a new sensation. May I pour you

another glass of port?"

(85) "Thank you, general."

(86) The general filled both glasses, and said, "God makes some men poets. Some He

makes kings, some beggars. Me He made a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger, my

father said. He was a very rich man with a quarter of a million acres in the Crimea, and he

was an ardent sportsman. When I was only five years old he gave me a little gun, specially

made in Moscow for me, to shoot sparrows with. When I shot some of his prize turkeys

with it, he did not punish me; he complimented me on my marksmanship. I killed my first

bear in the Caucasus when I was ten. My whole life has been one prolonged hunt. I went

into the army--it was expected of noblemen's sons--and for a time commanded a division

of Cossack cavalry, but my real interest was always the hunt. I have hunted every kind of

game in every land. It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have

killed."

(87) The general puffed at his cigarette.

(88) "After the debacle in Russia I left the country, for it was imprudent for an officer

of the Czar to stay there. Many noble Russians lost everything. I, luckily, had invested

heavily in American securities, so I shall never have to open a tearoom in Monte Carlo or

drive a taxi in Paris. Naturally, I continued to hunt--grizzliest in your Rockies, crocodiles

in the Ganges, rhinoceroses in East Africa. It was in Africa that the Cape buffalo hit me

and laid me up for six months. As soon as I recovered I started for the Amazon to hunt

jaguars, for I had heard they were unusually cunning. They weren't." The Cossack sighed.

40

"They were no match at all for a hunter with his wits about him, and a high-powered rifle.

I was bitterly disappointed. I was lying in my tent with a splitting headache one night when

a terrible thought pushed its way into my mind. Hunting was beginning to bore me! And

hunting, remember, had been my life. I have heard that in America businessmen often go

to pieces when they give up the business that has been their life."

(89) "Yes, that's so," said Rainsford.

(90) The general smiled. "I had no wish to go to pieces," he said. "I must do something.

Now, mine is an analytical mind, Mr. Rainsford. Doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems

of the chase."

(91) "No doubt, General Zaroff."

(92) "So," continued the general, "I asked myself why the hunt no longer fascinated me.

You are much younger than I am, Mr. Rainsford, and have not hunted as much, but you

perhaps can guess the answer."

(93) "What was it?"

(94) "Simply this: hunting had ceased to be what you call `a sporting proposition.' It had

become too easy. I always got my quarry. Always. There is no greater bore than perfection."

(95) The general lit a fresh cigarette.

(96) "No animal had a chance with me any more. That is no boast; it is a mathematical

certainty. The animal had nothing but his legs and his instinct. Instinct is no match for

reason. When I thought of this it was a tragic moment for me, I can tell you."

(97) Rainsford leaned across the table, absorbed in what his host was saying.

(98) "It came to me as an inspiration what I must do," the general went on.

(99) "And that was?"

(100) The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an obstacle and

surmounted it with success. "I had to invent a new animal to hunt," he said.

(101) "A new animal? You're joking." "Not at all," said the general. "I never joke about

hunting. I needed a new animal. I found one. So I bought this island built this house, and

here I do my hunting. The island is perfect for my purposes--there are jungles with a maze

of traits in them, hills, swamps--"

(102) "But the animal, General Zaroff?"

41

(103) "Oh," said the general, "it supplies me with the most exciting hunting in the world.

No other hunting compares with it for an instant. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored

now, for I have a quarry with which I can match my wits."

(104) Rainsford's bewilderment showed in his face.

(105) "I wanted the ideal animal to hunt," explained the general. "So I said, `What are

the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was, of course, `It must have courage,

cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason."

(106) "But no animal can reason," objected Rainsford.

(107) "My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can."

(108) "But you can't mean--" gasped Rainsford.

(109) "And why not?"

(110) "I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke."

(111) "Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting."

(112) "Hunting? Great Guns, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder."

(113) The general laughed with entire good nature. He regarded Rainsford quizzically.

"I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors

romantic ideas about the value of human life. Surely your experiences in the war--"

(114) "Did not make me condone cold-blooded murder," finished Rainsford stiffly.

(115) Laughter shook the general. "How extraordinarily droll you are!" he said. "One

does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with

such a naive, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It's like finding a snuffbox

in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear

to have had. I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You've a

genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford."

(116) "Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer."

(117) "Dear me," said the general, quite unruffled, "again that unpleasant word. But I

think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded."

(118) "Yes?"

(119) "Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the

strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why

should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth:

42

sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels--a thoroughbred horse

or hound is worth more than a score of them."

(120) "But they are men," said Rainsford hotly.

(121) "Precisely," said the general. "That is why I use them. It gives me pleasure. They

can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous."

(122) "But where do you get them?"

(123) The general's left eyelid fluttered down in a wink. "This island is called Ship Trap,"

he answered. "Sometimes an angry god of the high seas sends them to me. Sometimes,

when Providence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. Come to the window with me."

(124) Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea.

(125) The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none;

giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush

a ship as easily as I crush this nut." He dropped a walnut on the hardwood floor and brought

his heel grinding down on it. "Oh, yes," he said, casually, as if in answer to a question, "I

have electricity. We try to be civilized here."

(126) "Civilized? And you shoot down men?"

(127) A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it was there for but a second;

and he said, in his most pleasant manner, "Dear me, what a righteous young man you are!

I assure you I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous. I treat these visitors

with every consideration. They get plenty of good food and exercise. They get into splendid

physical condition. You shall see for yourself tomorrow."

(128) "What do you mean?"

(129) "We'll visit my training school," smiled the general. "It's in the cellar. I have about

a dozen pupils down there now. They're from the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad

luck to go on the rocks out there. A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor specimens and

more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle." He raised his hand, and Ivan, who served

as waiter, brought thick Turkish coffee. Rainsford, with an effort, held his tongue in check.

(130) "It's a game, you see," pursued the general blandly. "I suggest to one of them that

we go hunting. I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three

hours' start. I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range. If

43

my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him "--the general

smiled--" he loses."

(131) "Suppose he refuses to be hunted?"

(132) "Oh," said the general, "I give him his option, of course. He need not play that

game if he doesn't wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once

had the honor of serving as official knouter to the Great White Czar, and he has his own

ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt."

(133) "And if they win?"

(134) The smile on the general's face widened. "To date I have not lost," he said. Then

he added, hastily: "I don't wish you to think me a braggart, Mr. Rainsford. Many of them

afford only the most elementary sort of problem. Occasionally I strike a tartar. One almost

did win. I eventually had to use the dogs."

(135) "The dogs?”

(136) "This way, please. I'll show you.”

(137) The general steered Rainsford to a window. The lights from the windows sent a

flickering illumination that made grotesque patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford

could see moving about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as they turned toward him,

their eyes glittered greenly.

(138) "A rather good lot, I think," observed the general. "They are let out at seven every

night. If anyone should try to get into my house--or out of it--something extremely

regrettable would occur to him." He hummed a snatch of song from the Folies Bergere.

(139) "And now," said the general, "I want to show you my new collection of heads. Will

you come with me to the library?"

(140) "I hope," said Rainsford, "that you will excuse me tonight, General Zaroff. I'm

really not feeling well."

(141) "Ah, indeed?" the general inquired solicitously. "Well, I suppose that's only

natural, after your long swim. You need a good, restful night's sleep. Tomorrow you'll feel

like a new man, I'll wager. Then we'll hunt, eh? I've one rather promising prospect--"

Rainsford was hurrying from the room.

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(142) "Sorry you can't go with me tonight," called the general. "I expect rather fair sport-

-a big, strong, black. He looks resourceful--Well, good night, Mr. Rainsford; I hope you

have a good night's rest."

(143) The bed was good, and the pajamas of the softest silk, and he was tired in every

fiber of his being, but nevertheless Rainsford could not quiet his brain with the opiate of

sleep. He lay, eyes wide open. Once he thought he heard stealthy steps in the corridor

outside his room. He sought to throw open the door; it would not open. He went to the

window and looked out. His room was high up in one of the towers. The lights of the

chateau were out now, and it was dark and silent; but there was a fragment of sallow moon,

and by its wan light he could see, dimly, the courtyard. There, weaving in and out in the

pattern of shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard him at the window and

looked up, expectantly, with their green eyes. Rainsford went back to the bed and lay down.

By many methods he tried to put himself to sleep. He had achieved a doze when, just as

morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol.

(144) General Zaroff did not appear until luncheon. He was dressed faultlessly in the

tweeds of a country squire. He was solicitous about the state of Rainsford's health.

(145) "As for me," sighed the general, "I do not feel so well. I am worried, Mr. Rainsford.

Last night I detected traces of my old complaint."

(146) To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Boredom."

(147) Then, taking a second helping of crêpes Suzette, the general explained: "The

hunting was not good last night. The fellow lost his head. He made a straight trail that

offered no problems at all. That's the trouble with these sailors; they have dull brains to

begin with, and they do not know how to get about in the woods. They do excessively

stupid and obvious things. It's most annoying. Will you have another glass of Chablis, Mr.

Rainsford?"

(148) "General," said Rainsford firmly, "I wish to leave this island at once."

(149) The general raised his thickets of eyebrows; he seemed hurt. "But, my dear fellow,"

the general protested, "you've only just come. You've had no hunting--"

(150) "I wish to go today," said Rainsford. He saw the dead black eyes of the general on

him, studying him. General Zaroff's face suddenly brightened.

(151) He filled Rainsford's glass with venerable Chablis from a dusty bottle.

45

(152) "Tonight," said the general, "we will hunt--you and I."

(153) Rainsford shook his head. "No, general," he said. "I will not hunt."

(154) The general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a hothouse grape. "As you

wish, my friend," he said. "The choice rests entirely with you. But may I not venture to

suggest that you will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan's?"

(155) He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, scowling, his thick arms

crossed on his hogshead of chest.

(156) "You don't mean--" cried Rainsford.

(157) "My dear fellow," said the general, "have I not told you I always mean what I say

about hunting? This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel--at last."

The general raised his glass, but Rainsford sat staring at him.

(158) "You'll find this game worth playing," the general said enthusiastically." Your

brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine.

Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?"

(159) "And if I win--" began Rainsford huskily.

(160) "I'll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeat if I do not find you by midnight of the

third day," said General Zaroff. "My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town."

The general read what Rainsford was thinking.

(161) "Oh, you can trust me," said the Cossack. "I will give you my word as a gentleman

and a sportsman. Of course you, in turn, must agree to say nothing of your visit here."

(162) "I'll agree to nothing of the kind," said Rainsford.

(163) "Oh," said the general, "in that case--But why discuss that now? Three days hence

we can discuss it over a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, unless--"

(164) The general sipped his wine.

(165) Then a businesslike air animated him. "Ivan," he said to Rainsford, "will supply you

with hunting clothes, food, a knife. I suggest you wear moccasins; they leave a poorer trail.

I suggest, too, that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island. We call

it Death Swamp. There's quicksand there. One foolish fellow tried it. The deplorable part

of it was that Lazarus followed him. You can imagine my feelings, Mr. Rainsford. I loved

Lazarus; he was the finest hound in my pack. Well, I must beg you to excuse me now. I

always' take a siesta after lunch. You'll hardly have time for a nap, I fear. You'll want to

46

start, no doubt. I shall not follow till dusk. Hunting at night is so much more exciting than

by day, don't you think? Au revoir, Mr. Rainsford, au revoir." General Zaroff, with a deep,

courtly bow, strolled from the room.

(166) From another door came Ivan. Under one arm he carried khaki hunting clothes, a

haversack of food, a leather sheath containing a long-bladed hunting knife; his right hand

rested on a cocked revolver thrust in the crimson sash about his waist.

(167) Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. "I must keep my

nerve. I must keep my nerve," he said through tight teeth.

(168) He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chateau gates snapped shut behind

him. His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and General Zaroff; and,

to this end, he had plunged along, spurred on by the sharp rowers of something very like

panic. Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and

the situation. He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to

face with the sea. He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly,

must take place within that frame.

(169) "I'll give him a trail to follow," muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude

path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate

loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore of the fox hunt, and all

the dodges of the fox. Night found him leg-weary, with hands and face lashed by the

branches, on a thickly wooded ridge. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the

dark, even if he had the strength. His need for rest was imperative and he thought, "I have

played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable." A big tree with a thick trunk and

outspread branches was near by, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed

up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested.

Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter

as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could

follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But perhaps the general was a

devil—

(170) An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded snake and sleep did not

visit Rainsford, although the silence of a dead world was on the jungle. Toward morning

when a dingy gray was varnishing the sky, the cry of some startled bird focused Rainsford's

47

attention in that direction. Something was coming through the bush, coming slowly,

carefully, coming by the same winding way Rainsford had come. He flattened himself

down on the limb and, through a screen of leaves almost as thick as tapestry, he watched. .

. . That which was approaching was a man.

(171) It was General Zaroff. He made his way along with his eyes fixed in utmost

concentration on the ground before him. He paused, almost beneath the tree, dropped to his

knees and studied the ground. Rainsford's impulse was to hurl himself down like a panther,

but he saw that the general's right hand held something metallic--a small automatic pistol.

(172) The hunter shook his head several times, as if he were puzzled. Then he straightened

up and took from his case one of his black cigarettes; its pungent incense like smoke floated

up to Rainsford's nostrils.

(173) Rainsford held his breath. The general's eyes had left the ground and were traveling

inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the

sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where Rainsford lay; a smile

spread over his brown face. Very deliberately he blew a smoke ring into the air; then he

turned his back on the tree and walked carelessly away, back along the trail he had come.

The swish of the underbrush against his hunting boots grew fainter and fainter.

(174) The pent-up air burst hotly from Rainsford's lungs. His first thought made him

feel sick and numb. The general could follow a trail through the woods at night; he could

follow an extremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only by the merest

chance had the Cossack failed to see his quarry.

(175) Rainsford's second thought was even more terrible. It sent a shudder of cold horror

through his whole being. Why had the general smiled? Why had he turned back?

(176) Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth

was as evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the morning mists. The general

was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day's sport! The Cossack

was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror.

(177) "I will not lose my nerve. I will not."

(178) He slid down from the tree, and struck off again into the woods. His face was set

and he forced the machinery of his mind to function. Three hundred yards from his hiding

place he stopped where a huge dead tree leaned precariously on a smaller, living one.

48

Throwing off his sack of food, Rainsford took his knife from its sheath and began to work

with all his energy.

(179) The job was finished at last, and he threw himself down behind a fallen log a

hundred feet away. He did not have to wait long. The cat was coming again to play with

the mouse.

(180) Following the trail with the sureness of a bloodhound came General Zaroff. Nothing

escaped those searching black eyes, no crushed blade of grass, no bent twig, no mark, no

matter how faint, in the moss. So intent was the Cossack on his stalking that he was upon

the thing Rainsford had made before he saw it. His foot touched the protruding bough that

was the trigger. Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger and leaped back with

the agility of an ape. But he was not quite quick enough; the dead tree, delicately adjusted

to rest on the cut living one, crashed down and struck the general a glancing blow on the

shoulder as it fell; but for his alertness, he must have been smashed beneath it. He

staggered, but he did not fall; nor did he drop his revolver. He stood there, rubbing his

injured shoulder, and Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general's

mocking laugh ring through the jungle.

(181) "Rainsford," called the general, "if you are within sound of my voice, as I suppose

you are, let me congratulate you. Not many men know how to make a Malay mancatcher.

Luckily for me I, too, have hunted in Malacca. You are proving interesting, Mr. Rainsford.

I am going now to have my wound dressed; it's only a slight one. But I shall be back. I shall

be back."

(182) When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone, Rainsford took up his

flight again. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some

hours. Dusk came, then darkness, and still he pressed on. The ground grew softer under his

moccasins; the vegetation grew ranker, denser; insects bit him savagely.

(183) Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into the ooze. He tried to wrench it back,

but the muck sucked viciously at his foot as if it were a giant leech. With a violent effort,

he tore his feet loose. He knew where he was now. Death Swamp and its quicksand.

(184) His hands were tight closed as if his nerve were something tangible that someone

in the darkness was trying to tear from his grip. The softness of the earth had given him an

49

idea. He stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so and, like some huge prehistoric

beaver, he began to dig.

(185) Rainsford had dug himself in in France when a second's delay meant death. That

had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now. The pit grew deeper; when it was

above his shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened

them to a fine point. These stakes he planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking

up. With flying fingers, he wove a rough carpet of weeds and branches and with it he

covered the mouth of the pit. Then, wet with sweat and aching with tiredness, he crouched

behind the stump of a lightning-charred tree.

(186) He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on the soft

earth, and the night breeze brought him the perfume of the general's cigarette. It seemed to

Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness; he was not feeling his way

along, foot by foot. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see

the pit. He lived a year in a minute. Then he felt an impulse to cry aloud with joy, for he

heard the sharp crackle of the breaking branches as the cover of the pit gave way; he heard

the sharp scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leaped up from his

place of concealment. Then he cowered back. Three feet from the pit a man was standing,

with an electric torch in his hand.

(187) "You've done well, Rainsford," the voice of the general called. "Your Burmese tiger

pit has claimed one of my best dogs. Again you score. I think, Mr. Rainsford, I’ll see what

you can do against my whole pack. I'm going home for a rest now. Thank you for a most

amusing evening."

(188) At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by a sound that made

him know that he had new things to learn about fear. It was a distant sound, faint and

wavering, but he knew it. It was the baying of a pack of hounds.

(189) Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could stay where he was and

wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment

he stood there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his

belt, he headed away from the swamp.

(190) The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer, nearer, ever nearer. On a

ridge Rainsford climbed a tree. Down a watercourse, not a quarter of a mile away, he could

50

see the bush moving. Straining his eyes, he saw the lean figure of General Zaroff; just ahead

of him Rainsford made out another figure whose wide shoulders surged through the tall

jungle weeds; it was the giant Ivan, and he seemed pulled forward by some unseen force;

Rainsford knew that Ivan must be holding the pack in leash.

(191) They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked frantically. He thought

of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a

springy young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down

the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The

hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how an animal

at bay feels.

(192) He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and

Rainsford's heart stopped too. They must have reached the knife.

(193) He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pursuers had stopped. But the

hope that was in Rainsford's brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley

that General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not. The knife, driven by the recoil

of the springing tree, had not wholly failed.

(194) Rainsford had hardly tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again.

(195) "Nerve, nerve, nerve!" he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between

the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that

gap. He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across a cove he could see the gloomy gray

stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford

hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea. . . .

(196) When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea, the Cossack stopped.

For some minutes he stood regarding the blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his

shoulders. Then be sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a cigarette, and

hummed a bit from Madame Butterfly.

(197) General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great paneled dining hall that

evening. With it he had a bottle of Pol Roger and half a bottle of Chambertin. Two slight

annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment. One was the thought that it would be difficult

to replace Ivan; the other was that his quarry had escaped him; of course, the American

hadn't played the game--so thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner liqueur. In his

51

library he read, to soothe himself, from the works of Marcus Aurelius. At ten he went up

to his bedroom. He was deliciously tired, he said to himself, as he locked himself in. There

was a little moonlight, so, before turning on his light, he went to the window and looked

down at the courtyard. He could see the great hounds, and he called, "Better luck another

time," to them. Then he switched on the light.

(198) A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, was standing there.

(199) "Rainsford!" screamed the general. "How in God's name did you get here?"

(200) "Swam," said Rainsford. "I found it quicker than walking through the jungle."

(201) The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I congratulate you," he said. "You

have won the game."

(202) Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice.

"Get ready, General Zaroff."

(203) The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is

to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard,

Rainsford." . . .

(204) He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.