the red one-第12节
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to where the afternoon sun was beginning to glow into sunset。 I
gazed for a moment at her face； white； plump； tiny； and implacable；
and gave her up。
〃How do you account for such a mass of gold being there？〃 I queried
of Julian Jones。 〃A solid…gold meteor that fell out of the sky？〃
〃Not for a moment。〃 He shook his head。 〃 It was carried there by
the Indians。〃
〃Up a mountain like that … and such enormous weight and size！〃 I
objected。
〃Just as easy；〃 he smiled。 〃I used to be stumped by that
proposition myself； after I got my memory back。 Now how in Sam
Hill … ' I used to begin； and then spend hours figuring at it。 And
then when I got the answer I felt downright idiotic； it was that
easy。〃 He paused； then announced： 〃They didn't。〃
〃But you just … said they did。〃
〃They did and they didn't；〃 was his enigmatic reply。 〃Of course
they never carried that monster nugget up there。 What they did was
to carry up its contents。〃
He waited until he saw enlightenment dawn in my face。
〃And then of course melted all the gold； or welded it； or smelted
it； all into one piece。 You know the first Spaniards down there；
under a leader named Pizarro； were a gang of robbers and cut…
throats。 They went through the country like the hoof…and…mouth
disease； and killed the Indians off like cattle。 You see； the
Indians had lots of gold。 Well； what the Spaniards didn't get； the
surviving Indians hid away in that one big chunk on top the
mountain； and it's been waiting there ever since for me … and for
you； if you want to go in on it。〃
And here； by the Lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts； ended my
acquaintance with Julian Jones。 On my agreeing to finance the
adventure； he promised to call on me at my hotel next morning with
the letters of Seth Manners and the railroad； and conclude
arrangements。 But he did not call。 That evening I telephoned his
hotel and was informed by the clerk that Mr。 Julian Jones and wife
had departed in the early afternoon； with their baggage。
Can Mrs。 Jones have rushed him back and hidden him away in
Nebraska？ I remember that as we said good…bye； there was that in
her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa； the
Wise。
Kohala； Hawaii；
MAY 5； 1916。
STORY： LIKE ARGUS OF THE ANCIENT TIMES
IT was the summer of 1897； and there was trouble in the Tarwater
family。 Grandfather Tarwater； after remaining properly subdued and
crushed for a quiet decade； had broken out again。 This time it was
the Klondike fever。 His first and one unvarying symptom of such
attacks was song。 One chant only he raised； though he remembered
no more than the first stanza and but three lines of that。 And the
family knew his feet were itching and his brain was tingling with
the old madness； when he lifted his hoarse…cracked voice； now
falsetto…cracked； in：
Like Argus of the ancient times；
We leave this modern Greece；
Tum…tum； tum…tum； tum； tum； tum…tum；
To shear the Golden Fleece。
Ten years earlier he had lifted the chant； sung to the air of the
〃Doxology；〃 when afflicted with the fever to go gold…mining in
Patagonia。 The multitudinous family had sat upon him； but had had
a hard time doing it。 When all else had failed to shake his
resolution； they had applied lawyers to him； with the threat of
getting out guardianship papers and of confining him in the state
asylum for the insane … which was reasonable for a man who had； a
quarter of a century before； speculated away all but ten meagre
acres of a California principality； and who had displayed no better
business acumen ever since。
The application of lawyers to John Tarwater was like the
application of a mustard plaster。 For； in his judgment； they were
the gentry； more than any other； who had skinned him out of the
broad Tarwater acres。 So； at the time of his Patagonian fever； the
very thought of so drastic a remedy was sufficient to cure him。 He
quickly demonstrated he was not crazy by shaking the fever from him
and agreeing not to go to Patagonia。
Next； he demonstrated how crazy he really was； by deeding over to
his family； unsolicited； the ten acres on Tarwater Flat； the house；
barn； outbuildings； and water…rights。 Also did he turn over the
eight hundred dollars in bank that was the long…saved salvage of
his wrecked fortune。 But for this the family found no cause for
committal to the asylum； since such committal would necessarily
invalidate what he had done。
〃Grandfather is sure peeved；〃 said Mary； his oldest daughter；
herself a grandmother； when her father quit smoking。
All he had retained for himself was a span of old horses； a
mountain buckboard； and his one room in the crowded house。
Further； having affirmed that he would be beholden to none of them；
he got the contract to carry the United States mail； twice a week；
from Kelterville up over Tarwater Mountain to Old Almaden … which
was a sporadically worked quick…silver mine in the upland cattle
country。 With his old horses it took all his time to make the two
weekly round trips。 And for ten years； rain or shine； he had never
missed a trip。 Nor had he failed once to pay his week's board into
Mary's hand。 This board he had insisted on； in the convalescence
from his Patagonian fever； and he had paid it strictly； though he
had given up tobacco in order to be able to do it。
〃Huh！〃 he confided to the ruined water wheel of the old Tarwater
Mill； which he had built from the standing timber and which had
ground wheat for the first settlers。 〃Huh！ They'll never put me
in the poor farm so long as I support myself。 And without a penny
to my name it ain't likely any lawyer fellows'll come snoopin'
around after me。〃
And yet； precisely because of these highly rational acts； it was
held that John Tarwater was mildly crazy！
The first time he had lifted the chant of 〃Like Argus of the
Ancient Times；〃 had been in 1849； when； twenty…two years' of age；
violently attacked by the Californian fever； he had sold two
hundred and forty Michigan acres； forty of it cleared； for the
price of four yoke of oxen； and a wagon； and had started across the
Plains。
〃And we turned off at Fort Hall； where the Oregon emigration went
north'ard； and swung south for Californy；〃 was his way of
concluding the narrative of that arduous journey。 And Bill Ping
and me used to rope grizzlies out of the underbrush of Cache Slough
in the Sacramento Valley。〃
Years of freighting and mining had followed； and； with a stake
gleaned from the Merced placers； he satisfied the land…hunger of
his race and time by settling in Sonoma County。
During the ten years of carrying the mail across Tarwater Township；
up Tarwater Valley； and over Tarwater Mountain； most all of which
land had once been his； he had spent his time dreaming of winning
back that land before he died。 And now； his huge gaunt form more
erect than it had been for years； with a glinting of blue fires in
his small and close…set eyes； he was lifting his ancient chant
again。
〃There he goes now … listen to him；〃 said William Tarwater。
〃Nobody at home；〃 laughed Harris Topping； day labourer； husband of
Annie Tarwater； and father of her nine children。
The kitchen door opened to admit the old man； returning from
feeding his horses。 The song had ceased from his lips； but Mary
was irritable from a burnt hand and a grandchild whose stomach
refused to digest properly diluted cows' milk。
〃Now there ain't no use you carryin' on that way； father；〃 she
tackled him。 〃The time's past for you to cut and run for a place
like the Klondike； and singing won't buy you nothing。〃
〃Just the same；〃 he answered quietly。 〃I bet I could go to that
Klondike place and pick up enough gold to buy back the Tarwater
lands。〃
〃Old fool！〃 Annie contributed。
〃You couldn't buy them back for less'n three hundred thousand and
then some；〃 was William's effort at squelching him。
〃Then I could pick up three hundred thousand； and then some； if I
was only there；〃 the old man retorted placidly。
〃Thank God you can't walk there； or you'd be startin'； I know；〃
Mary cried。 〃Ocean travel costs money。〃
〃I used to have money；〃 her father said humbly。
〃Well； you ain't got any now … so forget it；〃 William advised。
〃Them times is past； like roping bear with Bill Ping。 There ain't
no more bear。〃
〃Just the same … 〃
But Mary cut him off。 Seizing the day's paper from the kitchen
table； she flourished it savagely under her aged progenitor's
nose。
〃What do those Klondikers say？ There it is in cold print。 Only
the young and robust can stand the Klondike。 It's worse than the
north pole。 And they've left their dead a…plenty there themselves。
Look at their pictures。 You're forty years older 'n the oldest of
them。〃
John Tarwater did look； b
