The Fire Plume

Wassamo was living with his parents on the shores of a large bay on the east coast of Lake Michigan. It was at a period when nature spontaneously furnished everything that was wanted, when the Indians used skins for clothing, and flints for arrow heads. It was long before the time that the flag of the white man had first been seen in these lakes, or the sound of an iron axe had been heard. The skill of our people supplied them with weapons to kill game, with instruments to procure bark for their canoes, and they knew to dress and cook their victuals.

ワッサモは、ミシガン湖の東岸の大きな湾の岸で両親と暮らしていた。それは自然がひとりでに必要なものをすべて与えてくれた時代で、インディアンは皮を衣にし、火打ち石を矢じりにしていた。白人の旗がこの湖で初めて見られるより、鉄の斧の音が聞こえるより、ずっと前のことだった。わたしたちの民は、その腕前で獲物を殺す武器や、カヌーの樹皮を取る道具をこしらえ、食べ物の下ごしらえも煮炊きも心得ていた。

One day, when the season had commenced for fish to be plentiful near the shore of the lake, Wassamo's mother said to him--

ある日、湖の岸近くに魚がたくさん寄ってくる季節がはじまると、ワッサモの母が言った——

"My son, I wish you would go to yonder point, and see if you cannot procure me some fish. You may ask your cousin to accompany you."

「息子や、あの岬へ行って、魚をとってきてくれないかい。いとこに一緒に行ってもらうといいよ。」

He did so. They set out, and, in the course of the afternoon, arrived at the fishing-ground. His cousin attended to the nets, for he was grown up to manhood, but Wassamo had not yet reached that age. They put their nets in the water, and encamped near them, using only a few pieces of birch-bark for a lodge to shelter them at night. They lit a fire, and, while they were conversing together, the moon arose. Not a breath of wind disturbed the smooth and bright surface of the lake. Not a cloud was seen. Wassamo looked out on the water towards their nets, and saw that almost all the floats had disappeared.

ワッサモはそうした。二人は出発し、午後のうちに漁場に着いた。いとこが網の世話をした。いとこはもう大人になっていたが、ワッサモはまだその年になっていなかったからである。二人は網を水に入れ、その近くに野営し、樺の皮を何枚か使っただけの小屋で夜露をしのいだ。二人は火をおこし、話し合っていると月が昇った。そよとの風も湖の滑らかに輝く水面を乱さなかった。雲ひとつ見えなかった。ワッサモが網のほうの水の上を見やると、浮きがほとんどみな見えなくなっていた。

"Cousin," he said, "let us visit our nets. Perhaps we are fortunate."

「いとこよ」とワッサモは言った。「網を見に行こう。運がいいかもしれない。」

They did so, and were rejoiced, as they drew them up, to see the meshes white here and there with fish. They landed in good spirits, and put away their canoe in safety from the winds.

二人がそうして網を引き上げると、網の目のあちこちが魚で白くなっているのを見て喜んだ。二人は上機嫌で陸に上がり、風に飛ばされないようカヌーをしまった。

"Wassamo," said his cousin, "you cook that we may eat."

「ワッサモ」といとこは言った。「食べられるように料理してくれ。」

Wassamo set about it immediately, and soon got his kettle on the flames, while his cousin was lying at his ease on the opposite side of the fire.

ワッサモはすぐに取りかかり、まもなく鍋を火にかけた。そのあいだいとこは火の向こう側でのんびり寝そべっていた。

"Cousin," said Wassamo, "tell me stories, or sing me some love-songs."

「いとこよ」とワッサモは言った。「話をしてくれよ。それとも恋の歌を歌ってくれ。」

The other obeyed, and sang his plaintive songs. He would frequently break off, and tell parts of stories, and would then sing again, as suited his feelings or fancy. While thus employed, he unconsciously fell asleep. Wassamo had scarcely noticed it in his care to watch the kettle, and, when the fish were done, he took the kettle off. He spoke to his cousin, but received no answer. He took the wooden ladle to skim off the oil, for the fish were very fat. He had a flambeau of twisted bark in one hand to give light; but, when he came to take out the fish, he did not know how to manage to hold the light, so he took off his garters, and tied them tight round his head, and then placed the lighted flambeau above his forehead, so that it was firmly held by the bandage, and threw its light brilliantly about him. Having both hands thus at liberty, he began to take out the fish. Suddenly he heard a laugh.

いとこは言われたとおりに哀しい歌を歌った。ときどき歌をやめて話の切れ端を語り、それからまた、気分や思いつきのままに歌った。そうしているうちに、いとこはいつのまにか眠りこんでしまった。ワッサモは鍋の番に気を取られてほとんど気づかず、魚が煮えると鍋を火から下ろした。いとこに話しかけたが返事がなかった。魚がたいそう脂っこかったので、ワッサモは木の柄杓を取って脂をすくい取ろうとした。明かりにするため、ねじった樹皮の松明を片手に持っていたが、魚を取り出す段になると、明かりをどう持てばよいかわからなかった。そこで脚絆の紐をほどいて頭にきつく巻き、火のついた松明を額の上に据えた。松明は鉢巻きにしっかり支えられ、まわりをあかあかと照らした。こうして両手が空いたので、ワッサモは魚を取り出しはじめた。突然、笑い声が聞こえた。

"Cousin," said he, "some one is near us. Awake, and let us look out."

「いとこよ」とワッサモは言った。「誰かが近くにいる。起きて、見てみよう。」

His cousin, however, continued asleep. Again Wassamo heard the laughter, and, looking, he beheld two beautiful girls.

けれどもいとこは眠り続けた。またワッサモは笑い声を聞き、見ると、二人の美しい娘がいた。

"Awake, awake," said he to his cousin. "Here are two young women;" but he received no answer, for his cousin was locked in his deepest slumbers.

「起きろ、起きろ」とワッサモはいとこに言った。「若い女が二人いるぞ。」けれども返事はなかった。いとこはいちばん深い眠りに閉じ込められていたのである。

Wassamo started up and advanced to the strange women. He was about to speak to them, when he fell senseless to the earth.

ワッサモは飛び起きて見知らぬ女たちのほうへ進み出た。話しかけようとしたとき、ワッサモは気を失って地面に倒れた。

A short while after his cousin awoke. He looked around and called Wassamo, but could not find him.

しばらくしていとこが目を覚ました。あたりを見まわしてワッサモを呼んだが、見つからなかった。

"Netawis, Netawis (Cousin, cousin)!" he cried; but there was no answer. He searched the woods and all the shores around, but could not find him. He did not know what to do.

「ネタウィス、ネタウィス(いとこよ、いとこよ)!」といとこは叫んだが、返事はなかった。いとこは森やまわりの岸をくまなく探したが、見つからなかった。いとこはどうすればよいかわからなかった。

"Although," he reasoned, "his parents are my relations, and they know he and I were great friends, they will not believe me if I go home and say that he is lost. They will say that I killed him, and will require blood for blood."

「たとえ」といとこは考えた。「あいつの両親はわたしの身内で、あいつとわたしが大の仲よしだったことを知っていても、家に帰ってあいつがいなくなったと言えば信じないだろう。わたしが殺したと言って、血には血を求めるだろう。」

However, he resolved to return home, and, arriving there, he told them what had occurred. Some said, "He has killed him treacherously," others said, "It is impossible. They were like brothers."

それでもいとこは家に帰ることに決め、帰り着くと、起こったことを話した。「あいつが裏切って殺したのだ」と言う者もいれば、「ありえない。二人は兄弟のようだった」と言う者もいた。

Search was made on every side, and when at length it became certain that Wassamo was not to be found, his parents demanded the life of Netawis.

あらゆる方面が探され、とうとうワッサモが見つからないことが確かになると、両親はネタウィスの命を求めた。

Meanwhile, what had happened to Wassamo? When he recovered his senses, he found himself stretched on a bed in a spacious lodge.

その一方、ワッサモには何が起こったのだろう。われに返ると、ワッサモは広い小屋のなかの寝床に横たわっていた。

"Stranger," said some one, "awake, and take something to eat."

「よそ者よ」と誰かが言った。「起きて何か食べなさい。」

Looking around him he saw many people, and an old spirit man, addressing him, said--

あたりを見まわすとたくさんの人がいて、一人の年老いた霊の男がワッサモに話しかけて言った——

"My daughters saw you at the fishing-ground, and brought you here. I am the guardian spirit of Nagow Wudjoo (the sand mountains). We will make your visit here agreeable, and if you will remain I will give you one of my daughters in marriage."

「わしの娘たちが漁場でお前を見かけて、ここへ連れてきたのだ。わしはナゴウ・ウジョー(砂の山々)の守護の霊だ。お前がここにいるのを楽しくしてやろう。とどまるなら、娘の一人をお前の嫁にやろう。」

The young man consented to the match, and remained for some time with the spirit of the sand-hills in his lodge at the bottom of the lake, for there was it situated. At last, however, approached the season of sleep, when the spirit and his relations lay down for their long rest.

若者はその縁組を承知し、しばらくのあいだ砂丘の霊とともにその小屋にとどまった。その小屋は湖の底にあったのである。けれどもとうとう眠りの季節が近づき、霊とその身内は長い休みのために横たわることになった。

"Son-in-law," said the old spirit, "you can now, in a few days, start with your wife to visit your relations. You can be absent one year, but after that you must return."

「婿よ」と老いた霊は言った。「あと数日したら、嫁と一緒に身内を訪ねに出かけてよい。一年は留守にしてよいが、そのあとは戻ってこなければならぬ。」

Wassamo promised to obey, and set out with his wife. When he was near his village, he left her in a thicket and advanced alone. As he did so, who should he meet but his cousin.

ワッサモは従うと約束して、妻と一緒に出発した。村の近くまで来ると、妻を茂みに残して一人で進んだ。すると、ほかならぬいとこに出会った。

"Netawis, Netawis," cried his cousin, "you have come just in time to save me!"

「ネタウィス、ネタウィス」といとこは叫んだ。「ちょうどいいときに来て、わたしを救ってくれた!」

Then he ran off to the lodge of Wassamo's parents.

それからいとこはワッサモの両親の小屋へ駆けていった。

"I have seen him," said he, "whom you accuse me of having killed. He will be here in a few minutes."

「わたしが殺したとあなたがたが責めている者に会いました」といとこは言った。「もうすぐここへ来ます。」

All the village was soon in a bustle, and Wassamo and his wife excited universal attention, and the people strove who should entertain them best. So the time passed happily till the season came that Wassamo and his wife should return to the spirits. Netawis accompanied them to the shores of the lake, and would have gone with them to their strange abode, but Wassamo sent him back. With him Wassamo took offerings from the Indians to his father-in-law.

たちまち村じゅうが大騒ぎになり、ワッサモとその妻はみなの注目を集め、人々は誰がいちばんよくもてなすかを競い合った。こうして楽しく時が過ぎ、とうとうワッサモと妻が霊たちのもとへ戻る季節が来た。ネタウィスは二人に付き添って湖の岸まで行き、二人の不思議な住まいまで一緒に行きたがったが、ワッサモはいとこを帰らせた。ワッサモはインディアンたちから義父への贈り物を持っていった。

The old spirit was delighted to see the two return, and he was also much pleased with the presents Wassamo brought. He told his son-in-law that he and his wife should go once more to visit his people.

老いた霊は二人が戻ってきたのを見て大喜びし、ワッサモが持ってきた贈り物にもたいそう満足した。霊は婿に、嫁と一緒にもう一度お前の一族を訪ねに行くがよいと言った。

"It is merely," said he, "to assure them of my friendship, and to bid them farewell for ever."

「それはただ」と霊は言った。「わしの友情を伝えて、永遠の別れを告げるためだ。」

Some time afterwards Wassamo and his wife made this visit. Having delivered his message, he said--

しばらくしてワッサモと妻はこの訪問をした。言づけを伝えると、ワッサモは言った——

"I must now bid you all farewell for ever."

「もうみなさんに永遠の別れを告げなければなりません。」

His parents and friends raised their voices in loud lamentation, and they accompanied him and his wife to the sand-banks to see them take their departure.

両親と友人たちは声をあげて大いに嘆き、二人が去っていくのを見送りに砂州までついていった。

The day was mild, the sky clear, not a cloud appeared, nor was there a breath of wind to disturb the bright surface of the water. The most perfect silence reigned throughout the company. They gazed intently upon Wassamo and his wife as they waded out into the water, waving their hands. They saw them go into deeper and deeper water. They saw the wave close over their heads. All at once they raised a loud and piercing wail. They looked again. A red flame, as if the sun had glanced on a billow, marked the spot for an instant; but the Feather-of-Flames and his wife had disappeared for ever.

その日は穏やかで空は澄み、雲ひとつなく、輝く水面を乱すそよとの風もなかった。一同はしんと静まりかえっていた。みなは、手を振りながら水のなかへ歩いていくワッサモとその妻をじっと見つめた。二人がどんどん深いほうへ入っていくのが見えた。波が二人の頭の上に閉じるのが見えた。とたんにみなは大きく鋭い泣き声をあげた。もう一度見ると、日の光が波に照り返したような赤い炎が一瞬その場所をしるした。けれども炎の羽根とその妻は永遠に姿を消していた。