a first family of tasajara-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



for　him　had　always　been　shown　in　excessive　and　depressing

commiseration　of　him　in　even　his　lightest　moments；　that　afternoon

seemed　to　add　a　prophetic　and　Cassandra…like　sympathy　for　some

vague　future　of　his　that　would　require　all　her　ministration。　　〃You

won't　need　them　new　boots；　Milty　dear；　in　the　changes　that　may　be

comin'　to　ye；　so　don't　be　bothering　your　poor　father　in　his

worriments　over　his　new　plans。〃



〃What　new　plans；　mommer？〃　asked　the　boy　abruptly。　　〃Are　we　goin'

away　from　here？〃



〃Hush；　dear；　and　don't　ask　questions　that's　enough　for　grown　folks

to　worry　over；　let　alone　a　boy　like　you。　　Now　be　good；〃a　quality

in　Mrs。　Harkutt's　mind　synonymous　with　ceasing　from　troubling；

〃and　after　supper；　while　I'm　in　the　parlor　with　your　father　and

sisters；　you　kin　sit　up　here　by　the　fire　with　your　book。〃



〃But；〃　persisted　the　boy　in　a　flash　of　inspiration；　〃is　popper

goin'　to　join　in　business　with　those　surveyors；a　surveyin'？〃



〃No；　child；　what　an　idea！　　Run　away　there；and　mind！don't　bother

your　father。〃



Nevertheless　John　Milton's　inspiration　had　taken　a　new　and

characteristic　shape。　　All　this；　he　reflected；　had　happened　since

the　surveyors　camesince　they　had　weakly　displayed　such　a

shameless　and　unmanly　interest　in　his　sisters！　　It　could　have　but

one　meaning。　　He　hung　around　the　sitting…room　and　passages　until　he

eventually　encountered　Clementina；　taller　than　ever；　evidently

wearing　a　guilty　satisfaction　in　her　face；　engrafted　upon　that

habitual　bearing　of　hers　which　he　had　always　recognized　as

belonging　to　a　vague　but　objectionable　race　whose　members　were

individually　known　to　him　as　〃a　proudy。〃



〃Which　of　those　two　surveyor　fellows　is　it；　Clemmy？〃　he　said　with

an　engaging　smile；　yet　halting　at　a　strategic　distance。



〃Is　what？〃



〃Wot　you're　goin'　to　marry。〃



〃Idiot！〃



〃That　ain't　tellin'　which；〃　responded　the　boy　darkly。



Clementina　swept　by　him　into　the　sitting…room；　where　he　heard　her

declare　that　〃really　that　boy　was　getting　too　low　and　vulgar　for

anything。〃　　Yet　it　struck　him；　that　being　pressed　for　further

explanation；　she　did　NOT　specify　why。　　This　was　〃girls'　meanness！〃



Howbeit　he　lingered　late　in　the　road　that　evening；　hearing　his

father　discuss　with　the　search…party　that　had　followed　the　banks　of

the　creek；　vainly　looking　for　further　traces　of　the　missing　'Lige；

the　possibility　of　his　being　living　or　dead；　of　the　body　having

been　carried　away　by　the　current　to　the　bay　or　turning　up　later　in

some　distant　marsh　when　the　spring　came　with　low　water。　　One　who

had　been　to　his　cabin　beside　the　embarcadero　reported　that　it　was；

as　had　been　long　suspected；　barely　habitable；　and　contained　neither

books；　papers；　nor　records　which　would　indicate　his　family　or

friends。　　It　was　a　God…forsaken；　dreary；　worthless　place；　he

wondered　how　a　white　man　could　ever　expect　to　make　a　living　there。

If　Elijah　never　turned　up　again　it　certainly　would　be　a　long　time

before　any　squatter　would　think　of　taking　possession　of　it。　　John

Milton　knew　instinctively；　without　looking　up；　that　his　father's

eyes　were　fixed　upon　him；　and　he　felt　himself　constrained　to　appear

to　be　abstracted　in　gazing　down　the　darkening　road。　　Then　he　heard

his　father　say；　with　what　he　felt　was　an　equal　assumption　of

carelessness：　〃Yes；　I　reckon　I've　got　somewhere　a　bill　of　sale　of

that　land　that　I　had　to　take　from　'Lige　for　an　old　bill；　but　I

kalkilate　that's　all　I'll　ever　see　of　it。〃



Rain　fell　again　as　the　darkness　gathered；　but　he　still　loitered　on

the　road　and　the　sloping　path　of　the　garden；　filled　with　a　half

resentful　sense　of　wrong；　and　hugging　with　gloomy　pride　an

increasing　sense　of　loneliness　and　of　getting　dangerously　wet。　　The

swollen　creek　still　whispered；　murmured　and　swirled　beside　the

bank。　　At　another　time　he　might　have　had　wild　ideas　of　emulating

the　surveyors　on　some　extempore　raft　and　so　escaping　his　present

dreary　home　existence；　but　since　the　disappearance　of　'Lige；　who

had　always　excited　an　odd　boyish　antipathy　in　his　heart；　although

he　had　never　seen　him；　he　shunned　the　stream　contaminated　with　the

missing　man's　unheroic　fate。　　Presently　the　light　from　the　open

window　of　the　sitting…room　glittered　on　the　wet　leaves　and　sprays

where　he　stood；　and　the　voices　of　the　family　conclave　came　fitfully

to　his　ear。　　They　didn't　want　him　there。　　They　had　never　thought　of

asking　him　to　come　in。　　Well！who　cared？　　And　he　wasn't　going　to

be　bought　off　with　a　candle　and　a　seat　by　the　kitchen　fire。　　No！



Nevertheless　he　was　getting　wet　to　no　purpose。　　There　was　the　tool…

house　and　carpenter's　shed　near　the　bank；　its　floor　was　thickly

covered　with　sawdust　and　pine…wood　shavings；　and　there　was　a　mouldy

buffalo　skin　which　he　had　once　transported　thither　from　the　old

wagon…bed。　　There；　too；　was　his　secret　cache　of　a　candle　in　a

bottle；　buried　with　other　piratical　treasures　in　the　presence　of

the　youthful　Peters；　who　consented　to　be　sacrificed　on　the　spot　in

buccaneering　fashion　to　complete　the　unhallowed　rites。　　He

unearthed　the　candle；　lit　it；　and　clearing　away　a　part　of　the

shavings　stood　it　up　on　the　floor。　　He　then　brought　a　prized；

battered；　and　coverless　volume　from　a　hidden　recess　in　the　rafters；

and　lying　down　with　the　buffalo　robe　over　him；　and　his　cap　in　his

hand　ready　to　extinguish　the　light　at　the　first　footstep　of　a

trespasser；　gave　himself　upas　he　had　given　himself　up；　I　fear；

many　other　timesto　the　enchantment　of　the　page　before　him。



The　current　whispered；　murmured；　and　sang；　unheeded　at　his　side。

The　voices　of　his　mother　and　sisters；　raised　at　times　in　eagerness

or　expectation　of　the　future；　fell　upon　his　unlistening　ears。　　For

with　the　spell　that　had　come　upon　him；　the　mean　walls　of　his

hiding…place　melted　away；　the　vulgar　stream　beside　him　might　have

been　that　dim；　subterraneous　river　down　which　Sindbad　and　his　bale

of　riches　were　swept　out　of　the　Cave　of　Death　to　the　sunlight　of

life　and　fortune；　so　surely　and　so　simply　had　it　transported　him

beyond　the　cramped　and　darkened　limits　of　his　present　life。　　He　was

in　the　better　world　of　boyish　romance；of　gallant　deeds　and　high

emprises；　of　miraculous　atonement　and　devoted　sacrifice；　of　brave

men；　and　those　rarer；　impossible　women；the　immaculate　conception

of　a　boy's　virgin　heart。　　What　mattered　it　that　behind　that

glittering　window　his　mother　and　sisters　grew　feverish　and　excited

over　the　vulgar　details　of　their　real　but　baser　fortune？　　From　the

dark　tool…shed　by　the　muddy　current；　John　Milton；　with　a　battered

dogs'…eared　chronicle；　soared　on　the　wings　of　fancy　far　beyond

their　wildest　ken！





CHAPTER　V。





Prosperity　had　settled　upon　the　plains　of　Tasajara。　　Not　only　had

the　embarcadero　emerged　from　the　tules　of　Tasajara　Creek　as　a

thriving　town　of　steamboat　wharves；　warehouses；　and　outlying　mills

and　factories；　but　in　five　years　the　transforming　railroad　had

penetrated　the　great　plain　itself　and　revealed　its　undeveloped

fertility。　　The　low…lying　lands　that　had　been　yearly　overflowed　by

the　creek；　now　drained　and　cultivated；　yielded　treasures　of　wheat

and　barley　that　were　apparently　inexhaustible。　　Even　the　helpless

indolence　of　Sidon　had　been　surprised　into　activity　and　change。

There　was　nothing　left　of　the　straggling　settlement　to　recall　its

former　aspect。　　The　site　of　Harkutt's　old　store　and　dwelling　was

lost　and　forgotten　in　the　new　mill　and　granary　that　rose　along　the

banks　of　the　creek。　　Decay　leaves　ruin　and　traces　for　the　memory　to

linger　over；　prosperity　is　unrelenting　in　its　complete　and　smiling

obliteration　of　the　past。



But　Tasajara　City；　as　the　embarcadero　was　now　called；　had　no

previous　record；　and　even　the　former　existence　of　an　actual　settler

like　the　forgotten　Elijah　Curtis　was　unknown　to　the　present

inhabitants。　　It　was　Daniel　Harkutt's　idea　carried　out　in　Daniel

Harkutt's　land；　with　Daniel　Harkutt's　capital　and　energy。　　But

Daniel　Harkutt　had　become　Daniel　Harcourt；　and　Harcourt　Avenue；

Harcourt　Square；　and　Harcourt　House；　ostentatiously　proclaimed　the

new　spelling　of　his　patronymic。　　When　the　change　was　made　and　for

what　reason；　who　suggested　it　and　under　what　authority；　were　not

easy　to　determine；　as　the　sign　on　his　former　store　had　borne

nothing　but　the　legend；　Goods　and　Provisions；　and　his　name　did　not

appear　on　written　record　until　after　the　occupation　of　Tasajara；

but　it　is　presumed　that　it　was　at　the　instigation　of　his　daughters；

and　there　was　no　one　to　oppose　it。　　Harcourt　was　a　pretty　name　for

a　street；　a　square；　or　a　hotel；　even　the　few　in　Sidon　who　had

called　it　Harkutt　admitted　that　it　was　an　improvement　quite

consistent　with　the　change　from　the　fever…haunted　tules　and　sedges

of　the　creek　to　the　broad；　level；　and　handsome　squares　of　Tasajara

City。



This　might　have　been　the　opinion　of　a　visitor　at　the　Harcourt

House；　who　arrived　one　summer　afternoon　from　the　Stockton　boat；　but

whose　shrewd；　half…critical