瓶入り魔物。The Bottle-Imp.その8
サイは投げられた！
勝負の結果は、いつものように波瀾万丈。勝ったと思うと、今度は負ける、それを夜遅くまで続けてしまう。その頃にはもう出る目の全てがツイてないリヒャルトは、有り金残らず巻き上げられて、誰も信用貸しなどしてくれもせず。もはや他に出せるものもなく、手持ちの薬莢を賭けることを申し出た。その提案は受け入れられ、賽が投げられようとしたそのときになって初めてリヒャルトは、明らかに勝ちを確信して賭けに応じた兵士が、瓶の悪魔を購入したその当人であることを察知した。が、「待った！」と叫ぶ間もなく、サイコロは既に相手側の目を出していた。自分の不運を呪いつつ、お開きとして、暗闇の中、自分のテントへと帰っていった。同じようにツイてなかったけれど、酒が頭に回るまではいっていない仲間が、今度は彼の腕を取り、一緒に歩きながら、テントにまだ薬莢はあるのかと尋ねた。
His success at play was as chequered as usual, now winning, now losing and so did it continue, until late at night, when all the dice turned up against Richard, whose cash was now quite gone, nor would any one give him credit for a doit. He now offered to stake his cartridges, having nothing else to offer; the proposal was accepted; and, as the throw was about to be made, Richard perceived that the soldier, who had accepted
the stake, was the very same who had purchased the bottle-devil, by the assistance of which he would, doubtless, be certain of winning. He would fain have cried " Hold ! " but the dice had already decided in favour of his opponent. Uttering curses at his ill fate, he quitted the company, and retired in the dark to his own tent. A comrade who had been equally unfortunate at play, but whose brain was less heated by wine, now took him by the arm, and, as they were proceeding together, enquired whether he had any more cartridges in his tent ?
「あるものか、」リヒャルトは乱暴に返した。「もし持っていたら、それも同じように使ってやるところだ。」
" No, " returned Richard, furiously, “ did I possess any, they too should serve me for the same purpose."
「では、新しいものを用意しておけ。兵站将校が検査に来て、持っていないのを見つかったら、銃殺刑になるぞ」と仲間は言った。
" Then, " said his companion, " you would do well to provide yourself with fresh ones, for should the commissary come to examine you, and find you without them, he will order you to be shot. "
「酷え！どうしてこう洒落にならない事ばかり！……しかし薬莢も調達手段もありゃしねえ。」
" Zounds ! that were plaguy work indeed ! --but I have neither cartridges nor wherewithal to procure them. "
「そいつはお気の毒なこって、」と相手は教えて、「明朝には兵站将校がこっちに来るからな。」
" Thine is a sorry case indeed then, ” replied the other, " for the commissary comes hither on the morrow. "
この情報は、リヒャルトをすっかり落ち着かせるには至らないまでも、酔い醒まし程度には効いた。そこで仲間に、誰か薬莢を貸してくれないかと尋ねに行った。しかし全員、乱暴な怠け者めと嘲り、どうでもいい話で邪魔をするなと。翌日には銃殺刑に処されるかもしれないという不安の中、小銭を見つけようとあちこち探し回ったけれど、5ヘラーしか手に入れることができなかった。夜も更け、彼はテントからテントへと急ぎ、薬莢を支給してくれる者を探した。ある者は笑い、ある者は罵倒し、求めに応じる者は一人もいなかった。やがてたどり着いたテントの住人は、先程の賭け事で薬莢を剥奪した兵士その人だった。
This intelligence, although it did not tend greatly to tranquillize Richard, served in some degree to sober him: he went therefore to enquire of his comrades, if any one would lend him some cartridges. All, however, flouted him as a wild, idle fellow, and bade him not interrupt them with unseasonable stuff. In the utmost apprehension, lest he should be ordered to be shot the very next day, he rummaged every where, in the hope of finding some loose coin, but could meet with no more than five hellers. Late as it now was, he hurried from tent to tent in order to find some one who would supply him with the cartridges. Some laughed at, others abused him, but not one made any reply to his demand. At length, he came to a tent, the occupant of which he discovered to be the very soldier who had so lately stripped him of his cartridges at play.
「同志よ、」 と激しく身体を揺するリヒャルトが、 「この土壇場に頼りにできるのは、よりによって貴兄くらいだ。しかし先ほど、薬莢すべて持って行かれて、僕は生まれて初めて、不運の原因が知れたようなものだ。明朝、兵站将校が来て薬莢を渡さないと銃殺されるんだ、だから薬莢を売ってくれ」
" Comrade, " cried Richard, with great agitation, " if any one, it is yourself who must assist me in this extremity. But just now you plundered me of all my cartridges, nor is it the first time in my life, that you have proved the cause of my misfortunes. On the morrow the commissary comes, and he, unless I can produce my cartridges, will certainly give orders for me to be shot: you must therefore either give or lend, at least sell me some. "
「寄附も貸与もやっとらん、ずっと前からな。とはいえ、お前の焦りも解らないでもない、少々売ってやっても良い。金はあるのか？」
" As to either giving or lending, that I have long ago forsworn: yet, to ease your distress, I will agree to sell you some. What money therefore have you ? "
「5ヘラーしかないけど」と、鬱ぎ込んで答えるリヒャルト。
" But five hellers, " replied Richard in a melancholy tone.
「そうか、」と兵士は言った、「そういう事なら同志のよしみだ、お前の5ヘラーに薬莢5つだ。…さて、それではお休みなさい。これ以上、俺や隣人の邪魔をするな。」この要求には、求めたものを受け取り次第、即座に従うことにした。
" Well, ” said the soldier, " to shew thee that I am willing to do thee a comrade's turn, there are five cartridges for thy five hellers.— Now then, betake thyself to thy rest, and disturb neither me nor my neighbours any longer ; " which request, as soon as he had received what he sought, Richard instantly has tened to comply with.
翌日、部隊の検査が行われ、リヒャルトは薬莢5つを持って招集に合格した。これで彼はしばらく、今まで受けたすべての不幸から転じて、最高の幸せを感じた。しかし、その幸せも束の間、テントに戻ると、自分のやらかしから、味付けもない粗末なパンしか食べるものもないことに気がついたのである。ため息ついて「愚かな日々の徒然に、無計画に浪費してしまったドゥカートを、今ここで手放すわけにはいかないだろう」と洩らした途端、何と！その手にピカピカのドゥカート金貨が。しかし残念！瞬時に彼の脳裏をよぎった瓶の悪魔の記憶が、これほど素晴らしい金貨を手に入れた満足感を、すべて薄めてしまった。
On the following day, the troops were examined, and Richard passed muster with his five cartridges, at which he, for a while, considered himself supremely happy, in spite of all the misfortunes he had undergone. His felicity was, however, but of very short duration: the joy he at first felt, at finding himself out of actual danger, soon subsided, when, on retiring to his tent, he found himself obliged to dine off coarse bread, without any better sauce to it than his own reflections. " What would I not now give, " sighed he, " had I but one of all the ducats which in the days of my folly I so wantonly squandered away. "-Hardly had he formed the wish, when lo ! a beautiful bright golden ducat was in his hand. But, alas ! the thought of the bottle-devil, which instantly flashed across his mind, damped all the satisfaction he had otherwise felt, at finding himself possessor of so acceptable a piece of gold.
cartridges: 先込め式のマスケットを使っていた当時は、薬莢といってもそのまま装填できる金属薬莢ではない。所要量の火薬と弾丸を一纏めにして紙巻きにした紙製薬莢というもので、食い破って開封し、中味の火薬を銃口から詰め、弾丸を込め、槊杖という棒で奥まで押し込んで装填する。火薬を湿気から守りつつ、一々量る必要がない分だけ、これでも装填速度は向上した。我が国の早合に相当する
弾丸は押し込む必要上、球形で ball と呼ばれ、腔内に施条も考えられず、命中率は低かった。このような背景があったので、的を狙い撃ちできると『魔弾の射手』などと呼ばれた訳である。
he will order you to be shot: 弾薬の横流しは、当然ながら重罪。死刑。
予想通りの結果を招いた迂闊な勇者リヒャルト、さあどうする？銃殺は回避できたがまた一歩、地獄落ちに近づいたぞ？
