tales of trail and town-第38节

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fine　river　goldeach　of　the　value　of　half　a　dollar；　or　perhaps

sixty…two　and　one　half　cents。　　On　being　questioned　where　he　got

them　he　refused　to　say；　although　subsequently　he　alleged　that　he

had　'found'　them。　　It　being　a　single　instance；　he　was　given　the

benefit　of　the　doubt；　and　nothing　more　was　said　about　it。　　But　a

few　days　after　he　was　found　trying　to　pass　off；　at　Mr。　Smith's

store；　two　other　flakes　of　a　different　size；　and　a　small　nugget　of

the　value　of　four　or　five　dollars。　　At　this　point　I　was　called　in；

he　repeated　to　me；　I　grieve　to　say；　the　same　untruthfulness；　and

when　I　suggested　to　him　the　obvious　fact　that　he　had　taken　it　from

one　of　the　miner's　sluice　boxes　and　committed　the　grievous　sin　of

theft；　he　wickedly　denied　itso　that　we　are　prevented　from

carrying　out　the　Christian　command　of　restoring　it　even　ONE　fold；

instead　of　four　or　five　fold　as　the　Mosaic　Law　might　have　required。

We　were；　alas！　unable　to　ascertain　anything　from　the　miners

themselves；　though　I　grieve　to　say　they　one　and　all　agreed　that

their　'take'　that　week　was　not　at　all　what　they　had　expected。　　I

even　went　so　far　as　to　admit　the　possibility　of　his　own　statement；

and　besought　him　at　least　to　show　me　where　he　had　found　it。　　He　at

first　refused　with　great　stubbornness　of　temper；　but　later

consented　to　accompany　me　privately　this　afternoon　to　the　spot。〃

Mr。　Staples　paused；　and　sinking　his　voice　gloomily；　and　with　his

eyes　fixed　upon　Johnny；　continued　slowly：　〃When　I　state　that；　after

several　times　trying　to　evade　me　on　the　way；　he　finally　led　me　to

the　top　of　Bald　Hill；　where　there　is　not　a　scrap　of　soil；　and　not

the　slightest　indication；　and　still　persisted　that　he　found　it

THERE；　you　will　understand；　Sister　Medliker；　the　incorrigibility　of

his　conduct；　and　how　he　has　added　the　sin　of　'false　witness'　to　his

breaking　the　Eighth　Commandment。　　But　I　leave　him　to　your　Christian

discipline！　　Let　us　hope　that　if；　through　his　stiff…necked

obduracy；　he　has　haply　escaped　the　vengeance　of　man's　law；　he　will

not　escape　the　rod　of　the　domestic　tabernacle。〃



〃Ye　kin　leave　him　to　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Medliker；　in　her　anxiety　to　get

rid　of　the　parson；　assuming　a　confidence　she　was　far　from　feeling。



〃So　be　it；　Sister　Medliker；〃　said　Staples；　drawing　a　long；

satisfactory　breath；　〃and　let　us　trust　that　when　you　have　rastled

with　his　flesh　and　spirit；　you　will　bring　us　joyful　tidings　to

Wednesday's　Mother's　Meeting。〃



He　clapped　his　soft　hat　on　his　head；　cast　another　glance　at　the

wicked　Johnny；　opened　the　door　with　his　hand　behind　him；　and　backed

himself　into　the　road。



〃Now；　Johnny；〃　said　Mrs。　Medliker；　setting　her　lips　together　as　the

door　closed；　〃look　me　right　in　the　face；　and　say　where　you　stole

that　gold。〃



But　Johnny　evidently　did　not　think　that　his　mother's　face　at　that

moment　offered　any　moral　support；　for　he　did　not　look　at　her；　but；

after　gazing　at　the　kettle；　said　slowly；　〃I　didn't　steal　no　gold。〃



〃Then；〃　said　Mrs。　Medliker　triumphantly；　〃if　ye　didn't　steal　it；

you'd　say　right　off　HOW　ye　got　it。〃



Children　are　often　better　logicians　than　their　elders。　　To　John

Bunyan　the　stealing　of　gold　and　the　mere　refusal　to　say　where　he

got　it　were　two　distinct　and　separate　things；　that　the　negation　of

the　second　proposition　meant　the　affirmation　of　the　first　he　could

not　accept。　　But　then　children　are　also　imitative；　and　fearful　of

the　older　intellect。　　It　struck　Johnny　that　his　mother　might　be

right；　and　that　to　her　it　really　meant　the　same　thing。　　So；　after　a

moment's　silence　he　replied　more　confidently；　〃I　suppose　I　stoled

it。〃



But　he　was　utterly　unprepared　for　the　darkening　change　in　his

mother's　face；　and　her　furious　accents。　　〃You　stole　it？you　STOLE

it；　you　limb！　　And　you　sit　there　and　brazenly　tell　me！　　Who　did　you

steal　it　from？　　Tell　me　quick；　afore　I　wring　it　out　of　you！〃



Completely　astounded　and　bewildered　at　this　new　turn　of　affairs；

Johnny　again　fell　back　upon　the　dreadful　truth；　and　gasped；　〃I

don't　know。〃



〃You　don't　know；　you　devil！　　Did　you　take　it　from　Frazer's？〃



〃No。〃



〃From　the　Simmons　Brothers？〃



〃No。〃



〃From　the　Blazing　Star　Company？〃



〃No。〃



〃From　a　store？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then；　in　created　goodness！WHERE　did　you　get　it？〃



Johnny　raised　his　brown…gooseberry　eyes　for　a　single　instant　to　his

mother's　and　said；　〃I　found　it。〃



Mrs。　Medliker　gasped　again　and　stared　hopelessly　at　the　ceiling。

Yet　she　was　conscious　of　a　certain　relief。　　After　all；　it　was

POSSIBLE　that　he　had　found　itliar　as　he　undoubtedly　was。



〃Then　why　don't　you　say　where；　you　awful　child？〃



〃Don't　want　to！〃



Johnny　would　have　liked　to　add　that　he　saw　no　reason　why　he　should

tell。　　Other　people　who　found　gold　were　not　obliged　to　tell。　　There

was　Jim　Brody；　who　had　struck　a　lead　and　kept　the　locality　secret。

Nobody　forced　him　to　tell。　　Nobody　called　him　a　thief；　nobody　had

dragged　him　about　by　the　arm　until　he　showed　it。　　Why　was　it　wrong

that　a　little　boy　should　find　gold？　　It　wasn't　agin　the

Commandments。　　Mr。　Staples　had　never　got　up　and　said；　〃Thou　shalt

not　find　gold！〃　　His　mother　had　never　made　him　pray　not　to　find　it！

The　schoolmaster　had　never　read　him　awful　stories　of　boys　who　found

gold　and　never　said　anything　about　it；　and　so　came　to　a　horrid　end。

All　this　crowded　his　small　boy's　mind；　and；　crowding；　choked　his

small　boy's　utterance。



〃You　jest　wait　till　your　father　comes　home；〃　said　Mrs。　Medliker；

〃and　he'll　see　whether　you　'want　to'　or　not。　　And　now　get　yourself

off　to　bed　and　stay　there。〃



Johnny　knew　that　his　fatherwhose　teams　had　increased　to　five

wagons；　and　whose　route　extended　forty　miles　furtherwas　not　due

for　a　week；　and　that　the　catastrophe　was　yet　remote。　　His　present

punishment　he　had　expected。　　He　went　into　the　adjoining　bedroom；

which　he　occupied　with　his　sister；　and　began　to　undress。　　He

lingered　for　some　time　over　one　stocking；　and　finally　cautiously

removed　from　it　a　small　piece　of　flake　gold　which　he　had　kept

concealed　all　day　under　his　big　toe；　to　the　great　discomfort　of

that　member。　　But　this　was　only　a　small；　ordinary　self…martyrdom　of

boyhood。　　He　scratched　a　boyish　hieroglyphic　on　the　metal；　and　when

his　mother's　back　was　turned　scraped　a　small　hole　in　the　adobe

wall；　inserted　the　gold　in　it；　and　covered　it　up　with　a　plaster

made　of　the　moistened　debris。　　It　was　safeso　was　his　secretfor

it　need　not；　perhaps；　be　stated　here　that　Johnny　HAD　told　the　truth

and　HAD　honestly　found　the　gold！　　But　where？yes；　that　was　his　own

secret！　　And　now；　Johnny；　with　the　instinct　of　all　young　animals；

dismissed　the　whole　subject　from　his　mind；　and；　reclining

comfortably　upon　his　arm；　fell　into　an　interesting　study　of　the

habits　of　the　red　ant　as　exemplified　in　a　crack　of　the　adobe　wall；

and　with　the　aid　of　a　burnt　match　succeeded　in　diverting　for　the

rest　of　the　afternoon　the　attention　of　a　whole　laborious　colony。



The　next　morning；　however；　brought　trouble　to　him　in　the　curiosity

of　his　sisters；　heightened　by　their　belief　that　he　could　at　any

moment　be　taken　off　to　prisonwhich　was　their　understanding　of

their　mother's　story。　　I　grieve　to　say　that　to　them　this　invested

him　with　a　certain　romantic　heroism；　from　the　gratification　of

which　the　hero　himself　was　not　exempt。　　Nevertheless；　he

successfully　evaded　their　questioning；　and　on　broader　impersonal

grounds。　　As　girls；　it　was　none　of　their　business！　　He　wasn't　a…

going　to　tell　them　HIS　secrets！　　And　what　did　they　know　about　gold；

anyway？　　They　couldn't　tell　it　from　brass！　　The　attitude　of　his

mother　was；　however；　still　perplexing。　　She　was　no　longer　actively

indignant；　but　treated　him　with　a　mysterious　reserve　that　was　the

more　appalling。　　The　fact　was　that　she　no　longer　believed　in　his

theft；indeed；　she　had　never　seriously　accepted　it；but　his

strange　reticence　and　secretiveness　piqued　her　curiosity；　and　even

made　her　a　little　afraid　of　him。　　The　capacity　for　keeping　a　secret

she　believed　was　manlike；　and　reminded　herfor　no　reason　in　the

worldof　Jim　Medliker；　her　husband；　whom　she　feared。　　Well；　she

would　let　them　fight　it　out　between　them。　　More　than　that；　she　was

finally　obliged　to　sink　her　reserve　in　employing　him　in　the

necessary　〃chores〃　for　the　house；　and　he　was　sent　on　an　errand　to

the　country　store　at　the　cross…roads。　　But　he　first　extracted　his

gold…flake　from　the　wall；　and　put　it　in　his　pocket。



On　arriving　at　the　store；　it　was　plain　even　to　his　boyish

perceptions　that　the　minister　had　circulated　his　miserable　story。

Two　or　three　of　the　customers　spoke　to　each　other　in　a　whisper；　and

looked　at　him。　　More　than　that；　when　he　began　his　homeward　journey

he　saw　that　two　of　the　loungers　were　evidently　following　him。　　Half

in　timidity　and　half　in　boyish　mischief　he　once　or　twice　strayed

from　the　direct　road；　and　snatched　a　fearful　joy　in　observing　their

equal　divergence。　　As　he　passed　Mr。　Staples's　house　he　saw　that