the complete writings-3-第19节

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　them　to　play　with。　　The　guide　distinctly　remembers　playing　with　them；　one　of　them　he　kept　for　a　long　time；　and　he　didn't　know　but　he　could　find　it　now；　but　he　guessed　it　had　disappeared。　　I　regretted　that　he　had　not　treasured　this　slender　verification　of　an　interesting　romance；　but　he　said　in　those　days　he　never　paid　much　attention　to　such　things。　　Lately　he　has　turned　the　subject　over；　and　is　sorry　that　his　father　wore　out　the　vest　and　did　not　bring　away　the　chair。　　It　is　his　steady　purpose　to　find　the　cave　some　time　when　he　has　leisure；　and　capture　the　chair；　if　it　has　not　tumbled　to　pieces。　But　about　the　crowbar？　　Oh　I　that　is　all　right。　　The　guide　has　the　bar　at　his　house　in　Keene　Valley；　and　has　always　used　it。　　　　　　I　am　happy　to　be　able　to　confirm　this　story　by　saying　that　next　day　I　saw　the　crowbar；　and　had　it　in　my　hand。　　It　is　short　and　thick；　and　the　most　interesting　kind　of　crowbar。　　This　evidence　is　enough　for　me。　　I　intend　in　the　course　of　this　vacation　to　search　for　the　cave；　and；　if　I　find　it；　my　readers　shall　know　the　truth　about　it；　if　it　destroys　the　only　bit　of　romance　connected　with　these　mountains。




VIII

WHAT　SOME　PEOPLE　CALL　PLEASURE

My　readers　were　promised　an　account　of　Spaniard's　Cave　on　Nipple…Top　Mountain　in　the　Adirondacks；　if　such　a　cave　exists；　and　could　be　found。　　There　is　none　but　negative　evidence　that　this　is　a　mere　cave　of　the　imagination；　the　void　fancy　of　a　vacant　hour；　but　it　is　the　duty　of　the　historian　to　present　the　negative　testimony　of　a　fruitless　expedition　in　search　of　it；　made　last　summer。　　I　beg　leave　to　offer　this　in　the　simple　language　befitting　all　sincere　exploits　of　a　geographical　character。

The　summit　of　Nipple…Top　Mountain　has　been　trodden　by　few　white　men　of　good　character：　it　is　in　the　heart　of　a　hirsute　wilderness；　it　is　itself　a　rough　and　unsocial　pile　of　granite　nearly　five　thousand　feet　high；　bristling　with　a　stunted　and　unpleasant　growth　of　firs　and　balsams；　and　there　is　no　earthly　reason　why　a　person　should　go　there。　Therefore　we　went。　　In　the　party　of　three　there　was；　of　course；　a　chaplain。　　The　guide　was　Old　Mountain　Phelps；　who　had　made　the　ascent　once　before；　but　not　from　the　northwest　side；　the　direction　from　which　we　approached　it。　　The　enthusiasm　of　this　philosopher　has　grown　with　his　years；　and　outlived　his　endurance：　we　carried　our　own　knapsacks　and　supplies；　therefore；　and　drew　upon　him　for　nothing　but　moral　reflections　and　a　general　knowledge　of　the　wilderness。　　Our　first　day's　route　was　through　the　Gill…brook　woods　and　up　one　of　its　branches　to　the　head　of　Caribou　Pass；　which　separates　Nipple　Top　from　Colvin。

It　was　about　the　first　of　September；　no　rain　had　fallen　for　several　weeks；　and　this　heart　of　the　forest　was　as　dry　as　tinder；　a　lighted　match　dropped　anywhere　would　start　a　conflagration。　　This　dryness　has　its　advantages：　the　walking　is　improved；　the　long　heat　has　expressed　all　the　spicy　odors　of　the　cedars　and　balsams；　and　the　woods　are　filled　with　a　soothing　fragrance；　the　waters　of　the　streams；　though　scant　and　clear；　are　cold　as　ice；　the　common　forest　chill　is　gone　from　the　air。　　The　afternoon　was　bright；　there　was　a　feeling　of　exultation　and　adventure　in　stepping　off　into　the　open　but　pathless　forest；　the　great　stems　of　deciduous　trees　were　mottled　with　patches　of　sunlight；　which　brought　out　upon　the　variegated　barks　and　mosses　of　the　old　trunks　a　thousand　shifting　hues。　　There　is　nothing　like　a　primeval　wood　for　color　on　a　sunny　day。　　The　shades　of　green　and　brown　are　infinite；　the　dull　red　of　the　hemlock　bark　glows　in　the　sun；　the　russet　of　the　changing　moose…bush　becomes　brilliant；　there　are　silvery　openings　here　and　there；　and　everywhere　the　columns　rise　up　to　the　canopy　of　tender　green　which　supports　the　intense　blue　sky　and　holds　up　a　part　of　it　from　falling　through　in　fragments　to　the　floor　of　the　forest。　　Decorators　can　learn　here　how　Nature　dares　to　put　blue　and　green　in　juxtaposition：　she　has　evidently　the　secret　of　harmonizing　all　the　colors。

The　way；　as　we　ascended；　was　not　all　through　open　woods；　dense　masses　of　firs　were　encountered；　jagged　spurs　were　to　be　crossed；　and　the　going　became　at　length　so　slow　and　toilsome　that　we　took　to　the　rocky　bed　of　a　stream；　where　bowlders　and　flumes　and　cascades　offered　us　sufficient　variety。　　The　deeper　we　penetrated；　the　greater　the　sense　of　savageness　and　solitude；　in　the　silence　of　these　hidden　places　one　seems　to　approach　the　beginning　of　things。　　We　emerged　from　the　defile　into　an　open　basin；　formed　by　the　curved　side　of　the　mountain；　and　stood　silent　before　a　waterfall　coming　down　out　of　the　sky　in　the　centre　of　the　curve。　　I　do　not　know　anything　exactly　like　this　fall；　which　some　poetical　explorer　has　named　the　Fairy…Ladder　Falls。　　It　appears　to　have　a　height　of　something　like　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet；　and　the　water　falls　obliquely　across　the　face　of　the　cliff　from　left　to　right　in　short　steps；　which　in　the　moonlight　might　seem　like　a　veritable　ladder　for　fairies。　　Our　impression　of　its　height　was　confirmed　by　climbing　the　very　steep　slope　at　its　side　some　three　or　four　hundred　feet。　　At　the　top　we　found　the　stream　flowing　over　a　broad　bed　of　rock；　like　a　street　in　the　wilderness；　slanting　up　still　towards　the　sky；　and　bordered　by　low　firs　and　balsams；　and　bowlders　completely　covered　with　moss。　　It　was　above　the　world　and　open　to　the　sky。

On　account　of　the　tindery　condition　of　the　woods　we　made　our　fire　on　the　natural　pavement；　and　selected　a　smooth　place　for　our　bed　near　by　on　the　flat　rock；　with　a　pool　of　limpid　water　at　the　foot。　　This　granite　couch　we　covered　with　the　dry　and　springy　moss；　which　we　stripped　off　in　heavy　fleeces　a　foot　thick　from　the　bowlders。　　First；　however；　we　fed　upon　the　fruit　that　was　offered　us。　　Over　these　hills　of　moss　ran　an　exquisite　vine　with　a　tiny；　ovate；　green　leaf；　bearing　small；　delicate　berries；　oblong　and　white　as　wax；　having　a　faint　flavor　of　wintergreen　and　the　slightest　acid　taste；　the　very　essence　of　the　wilderness；　fairy　food；　no　doubt；　and　too　refined　for　palates　accustomed　to　coarser　viands。　　There　must　exist　somewhere　sinless　women　who　could　eat　these　berries　without　being　reminded　of　the　lost　purity　and　delicacy　of　the　primeval　senses。　　Every　year　I　doubt　not　this　stainless　berry　ripens　here；　and　is　unplucked　by　any　knight　of　the　Holy　Grail　who　is　worthy　to　eat　it；　and　keeps　alive；　in　the　prodigality　of　nature；　the　tradition　of　the　unperverted　conditions　of　taste　before　the　fall。　　We　ate　these　berries；　I　am　bound　to　say；　with　a　sense　of　guilty　enjoyment；　as　if　they　had　been　a　sort　of　shew…bread　of　the　wilderness；　though　I　cannot　answer　for　the　chaplain；　who　is　by　virtue　of　his　office　a　little　nearer　to　these　mysteries　of　nature　than　I。　　This　plant　belongs　to　the　heath　family；　and　is　first　cousin　to　the　blueberry　and　cranberry。　　It　is　commonly　called　the　creeping　snowberry；　but　I　like　better　its　official　title　of　chiogenes；the　snow…born。

Our　mossy　resting…place　was　named　the　Bridal　Chamber　Camp；　in　the　enthusiasm　of　the　hour；　after　darkness　fell　upon　the　woods　and　the　stars　came　out。　　We　were　two　thousand　five　hundred　feet　above　the　common　world。　　We　lay；　as　it　were；　on　a　shelf　in　the　sky；　with　a　basin　of　illimitable　forests　below　us　and　dim　mountain…passes…in　the　far　horizon。

And　as　we　lay　there　courting　sleep　which　the　blinking　stars　refused　to　shower　down；　our　philosopher　discoursed　to　us　of　the　principle　of　fire；　which　he　holds；　with　the　ancients；　to　be　an　independent　element　that　comes　and　goes　in　a　mysterious　manner；　as　we　see　flame　spring　up　and　vanish；　and　is　in　some　way　vital　and　indestructible；　and　has　a　mysterious　relation　to　the　source　of　all　things。　　〃That　flame；〃　he　says；　〃you　have　put　out；　but　where　has　it　gone？〃　We　could　not　say；　nor　whether　it　is　anything　like　the　spirit　of　a　man　which　is　here　for　a　little　hour；　and　then　vanishes　away。　　Our　own　philosophy　of　the　correlation　of　forces　found　no　sort　of　favor　at　that　elevation；　and　we　went　to　sleep　leaving　the　principle　of　fire　in　the　apostolic　category　of　〃　any　other　creature。〃

At　daylight　we　were　astir；　and；　having　pressed　the　principle　of　fire　into　our　service　to　make　a　pot　of　tea；　we　carefully　extinguished　it　or　sent　it　into　another　place；　and　addressed　ourselves　to　the　climb　of　some　thing　over　two　thousand　feet。　　The　arduous　labor　of　scaling　an　Alpine　peak　has　a　compensating　glory；　but　the　dead　lift　of　our　bodies　up　Nipple　Top　had　no　stimulus　of　this　sort。　　It　is　simply　hard　work；　for　which　the　strained　muscles　only　get　the　approbation　of　the　individual　conscience　that　drives　them　to　the　task。　　The　pleasure　of　such　an　ascent　is　difficult　to　explain　on　the　spot；　and　I　suspect　consists　not　so　much　in　positive　enjoyment　as　in　the　delight　the　mind　experiences　in　tyrannizing　over　the　body。　　I　do　not　object　to　the　elevation　of　this　mountain；　nor　to　the　uncommonly　steep　grade　by　which　it　attains　it；　but　only　to　the　other　obstacles　thrown　in　the　way　of　the　climber。　　All　the　slopes　of　Nipple　Top　are　hirsute　and　jagged　to　the　last　degree。　　Granite　ledges　interpose；　granite　bowlders　seem　to　have　been　dumped　over　the　sides　with　no　more　attempt　at　arrangement　than　in　a　rip…rap　wall；　the　slashes　and　windfalls　of　a　century　present　here　and　there　an　almost　impenetr