Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His SonButler, Samuel
Philosophy
Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His Son
Butler, Samuel
Satire; Utopian fiction; Utopias -- Fiction
Hanky and Panky again. He remembered Bridgeford as the town where the
Colleges of Unreason had been most rife; he had visited it, but he had
forgotten that it was called “The city of the people who are above
suspicion.” Its Professors were evidently going to muster in great
force on Sunday; if two of them had robbed him, he could forgive them,
for the information he had gleaned from them had furnished him with a
_pied à terre_. Moreover, he had got as much Erewhonian money as he
should want, for he had resolved to retrace his steps immediately after
seeing the temple dedicated to himself. He knew the danger he should
run in returning over the preserves without a permit, but his curiosity
was so great that he resolved to risk it.
Soon after he had passed the statues he began to descend, and it being
now broad day, he did so by leaps and bounds, for the ground was not
precipitous. He reached his old camp soon after five--this, at any
rate, was the hour at which he set his watch on finding that it had
run down during his absence. There was now no reason why he should not
take it with him, so he put it in his pocket. The parrots had attacked
his saddle-bags, saddle, and bridle, as they were sure to do, but
they had not got inside the bags. He took out his English clothes and
put them on--stowing his bags of gold in various pockets, but keeping
his Erewhonian money in the one that was most accessible. He put his
Erewhonian dress back into the saddle-bags, intending to keep it as a
curiosity; he also refreshed the dye upon his hands, face, and hair; he
lit himself a fire, made tea, cooked and ate two brace of quails, which
he had plucked while walking so as to save time, and then flung himself
on to the ground to snatch an hour’s very necessary rest. When he woke
he found he had slept two hours, not one, which was perhaps as well,
and by eight he began to reascend the pass.
He reached the statues about noon, for he allowed himself not a
moment’s rest. This time there was a stiffish wind, and they were
chanting lustily. He passed them with all speed, and had nearly reached
the place where he had caught the quails, when he saw a man in a dress
which he guessed at once to be a ranger’s, but which, strangely enough,
seeing that he was in the King’s employ, was not reversed. My father’s
heart beat fast; he got out his permit and held it open in his hand,
then with a smiling face he went towards the Ranger, who was standing
his ground.
“I believe you are the Head Ranger,” said my father, who saw that he
was still smooth-faced and had light hair. “I am Professor Panky, and
here is my permit. My brother Professor has been prevented from coming
with me, and, as you see, I am alone.”
My father had professed to pass himself off as Panky, for he had rather
gathered that Hanky was the better known man of the two.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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