II.
「これは驚いた、このヴィルヘルムは大した奴だ！」と、狩猟仲間と共に家に戻った森番は叫んだ。「カラスの羽根ペンなんぞに、これほどの射撃の腕前があるとは、誰に想像できようか。では明日、代官殿に話してみよう、これで狩猟という高貴な職業に就かないなら悲しむべきことだ、クーノー2世と成れように。…クーノーはご存知かな？」彼はヴィルヘルムの方を向いて言った。
ヴィルヘルムは知らなかったと認めた。
「クーノーを知らんとは！何ということだ、そう言えば全く教えた事も無かったか。クーノーは我が曾祖父の父親で、この保全区を初めて拓き、住みついた人だ。この世に生を受けた当初は、貧しい供回りにすぎず、ヴィッパッハの若い騎士のもとで使用人として生活していた。騎士は彼を気に入り、戦場やトーナメント、狩場など、あらゆる場所に連れて行ったという。さて、昔々、このヴィッパッハの若い紳士が、他の多くの騎士や貴族とともに、公爵の開催する大きな狩りに参加したことがあった。この狩りで、犬が見つけた鹿に、人が座っていて、手を打ち鳴らし死にそうに泣いていた。当時、大領主の間には暴虐な習慣があり、貧しい者が少しでも森の掟に触れるようなことをすると、連れていって牡鹿の背に縛り付け、群れに傷つけられ食い殺されるようにするのである。食われるのを免れたとしても、飢えと渇きで死んだのである。おお、神よ！しかし、公爵はこれを見ると怒り、狩りを中止するよう命じた。そしてその場で、牡鹿を射止めることを引き受ける男には高い報酬を約束したが、男を傷つけた場合には厳罰に処すと脅しもした。できれば、生きたまま捕まえたかったのだ。しかし、貴族たちの中には、このような条件で仕事を引き受ける者は一人もいなかった。報酬は好きでも、危険は嫌いな連中だったから。そこで、ようやく名乗りを上げたのが、我が曾祖父の父であり、あの絵に描かれているクーノーであった。公爵の前で、彼は大胆にも提言し。
『閣下、もしお望みであれば、神のご加護のもと、僕は危険を冒してみます。失敗したら、我が命はあなたの恩寵のもとにあり、その代償を払わなければなりません。金持ちに身代金を集るでもなし、かの貧乏な人が気の毒でなりません。もし彼が敵や強盗の手中にあるのを見たなら、僕は報酬など無くても、自分の命を同じ危険にさらすでしょう。』
この演説は公爵を喜ばせた。公爵はクーノーに運試しをさせようと、命中した場合の報酬を改めて約束し、外れた場合の脅しは繰り返さなかった。徒に怖がらせて手がブレたりはしないようにと。クーノーは銃を取り、神の名において撃鉄を起こし、敬虔な祈りを込めて善良な天使の導きに身を委ね、狙いを定めるのに時間をかけず、明るい信念を持って茂みの真ん中に撃ち込んだ。と同時に、かの牡鹿が駆け出し、よろめき、倒れた。だが、その背の男は傷つけず、灌木で両手と顔少々を擦り剥いたのみ。」
「公爵は約束を守り、その報酬としてクーノーに森の農場を、彼自身とその跡継ぎに永遠に与えた。しかし、主よ、ご加護を！幸運は嫉妬を呼ぶもの、クーノーがすぐに学んだように、摂理の恩恵は人の嫉妬を招くもの。当時から、クーノーの報酬を横領しようとする者が大勢いた。ある者は自分のために、ある者は貧しい従兄弟のために、あるいはもっと近親の者であっても、毛布を間違って持ってきた者のために。彼らはどうしたかというと、クーノーの射撃が魔術や黒魔術で命中したと公爵に訴えた。『なぜか？』彼らは言った。『クーノーは全く狙いを定めず、適当に「悪魔の一撃」を放った。それは悪魔が手を貸すので、当たらないということがないのだから。』
そこで、クーノーの後裔は必ず、仮免射ちと呼ばれるものを撃って合格してからでないと、仲間入りを認めないという規則が作られ、これが慣わしとなった。ただし、仮免射ちを見る猟師頭は、自分の意向で簡単にも難しくもすることができる。儂の免許皆伝に当り、お頭は何を要求したと思う？木彫りの鳥を竿に止めた輪っか、それを嵌めてある嘴から射抜け、だと。
クーノーの後裔の中で、この試練に失敗した者は一人もいない。つまり私の婿となり、私の後継者となるべき者は……言わせてもらうが、ヴィルヘルム、その者は完璧な猟師になる必要があったのだ。」
この話を興味深げに聞いていた (と、古老の森番も満足げに語っていた）ヴィルヘルムは、話が終ると席を立ち、老人の手を握り、その指導のもと、父祖クーノーも顔負けの猟師になることを約束した。
“Upon my soul, but this William’s a fine fellow!” exclaimed the forester as he returned home with his comrade from the chace: “Who the deuce would ever have looked for such a good shot in the flourisher of a crow-quill? Well: to-morrow I shall speak with the bailiff myself: for it would be a sad pity if he were not to pursue the noble profession of hunting. Why, he’ll make a second Kuno. You know who Kuno was, I suppose?” said he turning to William.
William acknowledged that he did not.
“Not know who Kuno was! bless my soul! to think that I should never have told you that? Why Kuno, you’re to understand, was my great grand-father’s father; and was the very first man that ever occupied and cultivated this farm. He began the world no better, I’ll assure you, than a poor riding boy; and live servant with the young knight of Wippach. Ah! the knight liked him well, and took him with him to all places, battles, tournaments, hunts, and what not? Well, once upon a time it happened that this young gentleman of Wippach was present with many other knights and nobles at a great hunt held by the duke. And in this hunt the dogs turned up a stag upon which a man was seated ringing his hands and crying piteously: for, in those days, there was a tyrannical custom among the great lords that, when a poor man had committed any slight matter of trespass against the forest-laws, they would take and bind him on the back of a stag, so that he was bruised and gored to death by the herd—or, if he escaped dying that way, he perished of hunger and thirst. Well, when the duke saw this—oh lord! but he was angry; and gave command to stop the hunting; and there and then he promised a high reward to any man that would undertake to hit the stag—but threatened him with his severest displeasure in case he wounded the man; for he was resolved, if possible, to take him alive—that he might learn who it was that had been bold enough to break his law which forbade all such murderous deeds. Now, amongst all the nobility, not a man could be found that would undertake the job on these terms: they liked the reward, mind you, but not the risk. So, at last, who should step forward but Kuno, my own great grand-father’s father—the very man that you see painted in that picture. He spoke up boldly before the duke, and said:—“My noble liege, if it is your pleasure, with God’s blessing, I will run the hazard: If I miss, my life is at your grace’s disposal, and must pay the forfeit; for riches and worldly goods I have none to ransom it: but I pity the poor man; and, without fee or reward, I would have exposed my life to the same hazard if I had seen him in the hands of enemies or robbers.” This speech pleased the duke: it pleased him right well: and he bade Kuno try his luck; and again be promised him the reward in case he hit; but he did not repeat his threat in case he missed; that was, mind you, lest he should frighten him and make his hand unsteady. Well, Kuno took his gun, cocked it in God’s name; and, commending the ball with a pious prayer to the guidance of good angels, he spent no time in taking aim—but fired with a cheerful faith right into the midst of a thicket: in the same moment out rushed the hart, staggered, and fell; but the man was unwounded, except that his hands and face were somewhat scratched by the bushes.
"The noble duke kept his word, and gave Kuno, for his reward, the farm of the forest to himself and his heirs for ever. But, lord bless us! good fortune never wanted envy; and the favour of providence, as Kuno soon learned, is followed by the jealousy of man. Many a man there was, in those days, who would gladly have had Kuno’s reward; one man for himself, perhaps; another for some poor cousin or so, or may be something nearer of kin, but come of the wrong side the blanket: and what did they do but they persuaded the duke that Kuno’s shot had hit the mark through witchcraft and black arts: “For why?” said they, “Kuno never took any aim at all, but fired at random ‘a devil’s shot;’ and a devil’s shot, you’re to understand, never fails of hitting the mark, for needs must that the devil drives.” So hereupon a regulation was made, and from this the custom came, that every descendant of Kuno must undergo a trial and fire what they call his probationary shot before he is admitted tenant. However, the master of the hounds, before whom the trial takes place, can make it easy or difficult at his own pleasure. When I was admitted, guess what the master required of me: why from the bill of a wooden bird to shoot out a ring that fastened the bird to a pole. Well, well: up to this time not one of all Kuno’s descendants has failed in his trial: and he that would be my son-in-law and a worthy successor to me—let me tell you, William, that man had need to make himself a thorough huntsman.”
William, who had listened to this story with lively interest (as the old forester had not failed to remark with much satisfaction), rose from his seat when it was ended,—pressed the old man’s hand—and promised, under his tuition, to make himself a huntsman such as even old father Kuno should have had no cause to blush for.
the master of the hounds: キツネ狩り foxhounds の指揮者。
原文 jågermeister は、今ではリキュール及び狩猟の守護聖人の名とされているけれども、元は森番の統括者。『幽霊綺譚』訳注参照。
同種の制がイングランドに無いので、英訳者は近いものを当て嵌めたと思われる。
probationary shot: 直訳して「見習い撃ち」というのは、免許を取るための試験のようなものであろう。
