the golden fleece-第3节

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〃Possibly；〃　the　professor　suggested；　〃the　place　where　the　treasure　is　hidden　is　the　place　whence　the　water　is　to　flow　out；　and　the　water　is　the　treasure。〃

〃Seriously；　do　you　suppose　that　such　a　phenomenon　as　the　return　of　an　inland　sea　is　physically　practicable？〃　asked　Trednoke。

〃No　phenomenon；　in　this　part　of　the　world；　would　surprise　me；〃　returned　Meschines。　　〃The　Colorado　might　break　its　barriers；　or　it　is　conceivable　that　some　huge　stream；　taking　its　rise　in　the　heights　hundreds　of　miles　north　and　east　of　us；　may　be　flowing　through　subterranean　passages　into　the　sea；　emerging　from　the　sea…bottom　hundreds　of　miles　to　the　westward。　　Now；　if　a　rattling　good　earthquake　were　to　happen　along；　you　might　awake　in　the　morning　to　find　yourself　on　an　island；　or　even　under　water。〃

〃A　moderate　Mediterranean　would　satisfy　me；〃　the　general　said。　　〃I　wouldn't　exchange　the　certainty　of　it　for　the　treasures　of　Montezuma。〃

〃The　thirst　for　gold　and　for　water　are　synonymous　in　your　case？〃

〃Give　this　section　a　moist　climate；　and　I　needn't　tell　you　that　the　Great　American　Desert　would　literally　blossom　as　the　rose。　　Even　as　it　is；　I　expect　a　great　deal　of　it　will　be　redeemed　by　scientific　irrigation。　　The　soil　only　needs　water　to　become　inexhaustibly　productive。　　Our　desert；　as　you　know；　is　not　sand；　like　parts　of　the　Sahara；　it　has　all　the　ingredients　that　go　to　nourish　plants；　only　their　present　powdery　condition　makes　them　unavailable。　　Now；　I　can；　to…day；　buy　a　hundred　square　miles　of　desert　for　a　few　dollars。　　You　see　the　point；　don't　you？〃

〃And　all　you　want　is　expert　opinion　as　to　the　likelihood　of　finding　water？〃

〃The　man　who　solves　that　question　for　me　in　the　affirmative　is　welcome　to　half　my　share　of　the　results　that　would　ensue　from　it。〃

〃Why　don't　you　engage　some　expert　to　investigate？〃

〃One　can't　always　trust　an　expert。　　I　don't　mean　as　to　his　expertness　only；　but　as　to　his　good　faith。　　He　might　prefer　to　sell　the　idea　to　somebody　who　could　pay　cash；　which　I　cannot。〃

〃Why；　you　seem　to　have　given　this　thing　a　good　deal　of　thought；　Trednoke。〃

〃Well；　yes：　it　has　been　my　hobby　for　a　year　past；　and　I　have　made　some　investigations　myself。　　But　this　is　the　first　time　I　have　spoken　of　it　to　any　one。〃

〃I　understand。　　And　what　of　the　investigations？〃

〃I　can　say　that　I　found　enough　to　interest　me。　　I'll　tell　you　about　it　some　time。　　I　should　be　glad　to　leave　Miriam　something　to　make　her　independent。〃

〃I　should　say　that　her　Creator　had　already　done　that！〃　said　Meschines。　　〃By　the　way；　I　know　a　young　fellowif　he　were　only　herewho　is　just　the　man　you　want；　and　can　be　trusted。　　He's　a　civil　engineer；　Harvey　Freeman：　the　Lord　only　knows　in　what　part　of　the　world　he　is　at　this　speaking。　　He　has　made　a　special　study　of　these　subterranean　matters。〃

〃Don't　you　remember；　papa；　Coleridge's　poem　of　Kubla　Khan？

　　　　　〃Where　Alph；　the　sacred　river；　ran　　　　　　Through　caverns　measureless　to　man　　　　　　　　　　　Down　to　a　sunless　sea！〃


〃Our　sacred　river；　when　we　find　it；　shall　be　named　Miriam。〃

〃It　ought　to　be　Kamaiakan；〃　she　rejoined；　〃for；　if　anybody　finds　it；　it　will　be　he。〃

〃I　think　I　hear　the　wings　of　the　angel　of　whom　we　have　been　speaking；〃　said　the　general。　　〃Yes；　here　he　is；　and　he　has　got　the　letters。　　Let　us　see！　　One　for　you　Meschines。　　And　this；　I　see；　is　from　our　friend　Miss　Parsloe；　postmarked　Santa　Barbara。　　Why；　she'll　be　here　to…morrow；　at　that　rate。〃

〃Here's　a　queer　coincidence！〃　exclaimed　the　professor；　who　had　meanwhile　opened　his　envelope　and　glanced　through　the　contents。　〃The　very　man　I　was　speaking　of；　Harvey　Freeman！　　Says　he　is　in　this　neighborhood；　has　heard　I'm　here；　and　is　coming　down　to　pay　me　a　visit。　　Methinks　I　hear　the　rolling　of　the　sacred　river！〃

〃But　you　won't　mention　it　to　him；　until〃

〃Bless　me！　　Of　course　not。　　I'll　bring　him　over　here；　in　the　course　of　human　events；　and　you　can　take　a　look　at　him；　and　act　on　your　own　intuitions。　　I　won't　say　on　Princess　Miriam's；　for　Harvey　is　a　very　fine…　looking　fellow；　and　her　intuitions　might　get　confused。〃

〃A　civil　engineer！〃　said　Miriam；　with　an　intonation　worthy　of　the　daughter　of　a　West…Pointer　and　the　descendant　of　an　Aztec　prince。

Kamaiakan　（who　spoke　only　Spanish）　had　been　gathering　up　some　cushions　that　had　fallen　out　of　the　hammock。　　Having　replaced　them；　and　cast　a　quick　glance　at　Meschines；　he　withdrew。



CHAPTER　II。

The　Southern　Pacific　Railway　passes；　today；　not　far　from　the　site　of　General　Trednoke's　ranch。　　But　the　events　now　to　be　narrated　occurred　some　years　before　the　era　of　transcontinental　railroads：　they　were　in　the　air；　but　not　yet　bolted　down　to　the　earth。　　The　general；　therefore；　was　a　pioneer；　and　was　by　no　means　overrun　with　friends　from　the　East　in　search　of　an　agreeable　winter　climate。　　The　easiest　way　to　reach　himif　you　were　not　pressed　for　time　was　round　the　cape　which　forms　the　southernmost　point　of　South　America　and　sticks　its　sharp　snout　inquiringly　into　the　Antarctic　solitudes；　as　if　it　scented　something　questionable　there。　　The　speediest　route；　though　open　to　strange　discomforts；　was　by　way　of　the　Isthmus；　and　then　there　were　always　the　saddle；　the　wagon；　and　the　stage；　with　the　accompaniments　of　road…　agents；　tornadoes；　deserts；　and　starvation。

Miss　Grace　Parsloe　came　via　the　Isthmus；　and　the　latter　part　of　her　journey　had　been　alleviated　by　the　society　of　a　young　gentleman　from　New　York；　Freeman　by　name。　　There　were　other　passengers　on　the　vessel；　but　these　two　discovered　sympathies　of　origin　and　education　which　made　companionship　natural。　　They　sat　together　at　table；　leaned　side　by　side　over　the　taffrail；　discussed　their　fellow…travellers；　and　investigated　each　other。　　As　he　lolled　on　the　bench　with　folded　arms　and　straw　hat　tilted　back　from　his　forehead　she；　glancing　side…　long；　as　her　manner　was；　saw　a　sunburnt　aquiline　nose；　a　moustache　of　a　lighter　brown　than　the　visage　which　it　decorated；　a　lean；　strong　jaw；　and　a　muscular　neck。　　His　forehead；　square　and　impending；　was　as　white　as　ivory　in　comparison　with　the　face　below；　his　hair；　in　accordance　with　the　fashion　introduced　by　the　late　war；　was　cropped　close。　　But　what　especially　moved　Miss　Grace　were　those　long；　lazy　blue　eyes；　which　seemed　to　tolerate　everything；　but　to　be　interested　in　nothing；hardly　even　in　her。　　Now；　Grace　could　not　help　knowing　she　was　a　pretty　girl；　and　it　was　somewhat　of　a　novelty　to　her　that　Freeman　should　appear　so　indifferent。　　It　would　have　been　difficult　to　devise　a　better　opportunity　than　this　to　monopolize　masculine　admiration；　and　she　fell　to　speculating　as　to　what　sort　of　an　experience　Mr。　Freeman　must　have　had；　so　to　panoply　him　against　her　magic。　　On　the　other　hand；　she　was　the　recipient　of　whatever　attentions　he　could　bring　himself　to　detach　from　the　horizon…line；　or　from　his　own　thoughts　（which　appeared　to　amount；　practically；　to　about　the　same　thing）。　　She　had　no　other　rivals；　and　a　woman　will　submit　amiably　to　a　good　deal　of　indifference；　provided　she　be　assured　that　no　other　woman　is　enjoying　what　she　lacks。

Freeman；　for　his　part；　had　nothing　to　complain　of。　　Grace　Parsloe　was　a　singularly　pretty　girl。　　Singular　properly　qualifies　her。　　She　was　not　like　the　others；by　which　phrase　he　epitomized　the　numerous　comely　young　women　whom　he　had；　at　various　times　and　in　several　countries；　attended；　teased；　and　kissed。　　Both　physically　and　mentally；　she　was　very　fine…wrought。　　Her　bones　were　small；　her　body　and　limbs　were　slender；　but　beautifully　fashioned。　　She　was　supple　and　vigorous。　　Grace　is　a　product　of　brain　as　well　as　an　effect　of　bodily　symmetry：　　Grace　had　the　quality　on　both　counts。　　She　answered　to　one's　conception　of　Mahomet's　houris；　assuming　that　the　conception　is　not　of　a　fat　person。　　Her　head　was　small；　but　well　proportioned；compact　as　to　the　forehead；　rather　broad　across　the　cheek…bones；　thence　tapering　to　the　chin。　　Her　eyes　were　blue；　but　of　an　Eastern　strangeness　of　shape　and　setting；　they　were　subject　to　great　and　sudden　changes　of　expression；　depending；　apparently；　on　the　varying　state　of　her　emotions；　and　betraying　an　intensity　more　akin　to　the　Oriental　temperament　than　to　ours。　　There　was　in　her　something　subtle　and　fierce；　yet　overlaying　it；　like　a　smooth　and　silken　skin；　were　the　conventional　polish　and　bearing　of　an　American　school　graduate。　　She　was；　in　deed；　noticeably　artificial　and　self…conscious　in　manner　and　in　the　intonations　of　her　speech；　though　it　was　an　aesthetic　delight　to　see　her　move　or　pose；　and　the　quality　of　her　voice　was　music's　self。　　But　Freeman；　after　due　meditation；　came　to　the　conclusion　that　this　was　the　outcome　of　her　recognition　of　her　own　singularity：　in　trying　to　be　like　other　people；　she　fell　into　caricature。　　Freeman；　somehow；　liked　her　the　better　for　it。　　Like　most　men　of　brain　and　pith；　who　have　seen　and　thought　much；　he　was　thankful　for　a　new　thing；　because；　so　far　as　it　went；　it　renewed　him。　　It　pleased　him　to　imagine　that　he　could；　with　a　word　or　a　look；　cause　this　veil　of　artifice　to　be　thrown　aside；　and　the　primitive　passion　and　fierceness　behind　it　to　start　forth。　　He　allowed　himself　to　imagine；　with　a　certain　satisfaction；　that　were　he　to　make　this　young　woman　jealous　she　would　think　nothing　of　thrusting　a　dagger　between　his　ribs。