the silverado squatters-第12节

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business；　patching　up　doors　and　windows；　making　beds　and　

seats；　and　getting　our　rough　lodging　into　shape；　Irvine　and　

his　sister　made　their　appearance　together；　she　for　

neighbourliness　and　general　curiosity；　he；　because　he　was　

working　for　me；　to　my　sorrow；　cutting　firewood　at　I　forget　

how　much　a　day。　　The　way　that　he　set　about　cutting　wood　was　

characteristic。　　We　were　at　that　moment　patching　up　and　

unpacking　in　the　kitchen。　　Down　he　sat　on　one　side；　and　down　

sat　his　sister　on　the　other。　　Both　were　chewing　pine…tree　

gum；　and　he；　to　my　annoyance；　accompanied　that　simple　

pleasure　with　profuse　expectoration。　　She　rattled　away；　

talking　up　hill　and　down　dale；　laughing；　tossing　her　head；　

showing　her　brilliant　teeth。　　He　looked　on　in　silence；　now　

spitting　heavily　on　the　floor；　now　putting　his　head　back　and　

uttering　a　loud；　discordant；　joyless　laugh。　　He　had　a　tangle　

of　shock　hair；　the　colour　of　wool；　his　mouth　was　a　grin；　

although　as　strong　as　a　horse；　he　looked　neither　heavy　nor　

yet　adroit；　only　leggy；　coltish；　and　in　the　road。　　But　it　was　

plain　he　was　in　high　spirits；　thoroughly　enjoying　his　visit；　

and　he　laughed　frankly　whenever　we　failed　to　accomplish　what　

we　were　about。　　This　was　scarcely　helpful：　　it　was　even；　to　

amateur　carpenters；　embarrassing；　but　it　lasted　until　we　

knocked　off　work　and　began　to　get　dinner。　　Then　Mrs。　Hanson　

remembered　she　should　have　been　gone　an　hour　ago；　and　the　

pair　retired；　and　the　lady's　laughter　died　away　among　the　

nutmegs　down　the　path。　　That　was　Irvine's　first　day's　work　in　

my　employment　…　the　devil　take　him！



The　next　morning　he　returned　and；　as　he　was　this　time　alone；　

he　bestowed　his　conversation　upon　us　with　great　liberality。　　

He　prided　himself　on　his　intelligence；　asked　us　if　we　knew　

the　school　ma'am。　　HE　didn't　think　much　of　her；　anyway。　　He　

had　tried　her；　he　had。　　He　had　put　a　question　to　her。　　If　a　

tree　a　hundred　feet　high　were　to　fall　a　foot　a　day；　how　long　

would　it　take　to　fall　right　down？　　She　had　not　been　able　to　

solve　the　problem。　　〃She　don't　know　nothing；〃　he　opined。　　He　

told　us　how　a　friend　of　his　kept　a　school　with　a　revolver；　

and　chuckled　mightily　over　that；　his　friend　could　teach　

school；　he　could。　　All　the　time　he　kept　chewing　gum　and　

spitting。　　He　would　stand　a　while　looking　down；　and　then　he　

would　toss　back　his　shock　of　hair；　and　laugh　hoarsely；　and　

spit；　and　bring　forward　a　new　subject。　　A　man；　he　told　us；　

who　bore　a　grudge　against　him；　had　poisoned　his　dog。　　〃That　

was　a　low　thing　for　a　man　to　do　now；　wasn't　it？　　It　wasn't　

like　a　man；　that；　nohow。　　But　I　got　even　with　him：　　I　pisoned　

HIS　dog。〃　　His　clumsy　utterance；　his　rude　embarrassed　manner；　

set　a　fresh　value　on　the　stupidity　of　his　remarks。　　I　do　not　

think　I　ever　appreciated　the　meaning　of　two　words　until　I　

knew　Irvine　…　the　verb；　loaf；　and　the　noun；　oaf；　between　

them；　they　complete　his　portrait。　　He　could　lounge；　and　

wriggle；　and　rub　himself　against　the　wall；　and　grin；　and　be　

more　in　everybody's　way　than　any　other　two　people　that　I　ever　

set　my　eyes　on。　　Nothing　that　he　did　became　him；　and　yet　you　

were　conscious　that　he　was　one　of　your　own　race；　that　his　

mind　was　cumbrously　at　work；　revolving　the　problem　of　

existence　like　a　quid　of　gum；　and　in　his　own　cloudy　manner　

enjoying　life；　and　passing　judgment　on　his　fellows。　　Above　

all　things；　he　was　delighted　with　himself。　　You　would　not　

have　thought　it；　from　his　uneasy　manners　and　troubled；　

struggling　utterance；　but　he　loved　himself　to　the　marrow；　and　

was　happy　and　proud　like　a　peacock　on　a　rail。



His　self…esteem　was；　indeed；　the　one　joint　in　his　harness。　　

He　could　be　got　to　work；　and　even　kept　at　work；　by　flattery。　　

As　long　as　my　wife　stood　over　him；　crying　out　how　strong　he　

was；　so　long　exactly　he　would　stick　to　the　matter　in　hand；　

and　the　moment　she　turned　her　back；　or　ceased　to　praise　him；　

he　would　stop。　　His　physical　strength　was　wonderful；　and　to　

have　a　woman　stand　by　and　admire　his　achievements；　warmed　his　

heart　like　sunshine。　　Yet　he　was　as　cowardly　as　he　was　

powerful；　and　felt　no　shame　in　owning　to　the　weakness。　　

Something　was　once　wanted　from　the　crazy　platform　over　the　

shaft；　and　he　at　once　refused　to　venture　there　…　〃did　not　

like；〃　as　he　said；　〃foolen'　round　them　kind　o'　places；〃　and　

let　my　wife　go　instead　of　him；　looking　on　with　a　grin。　　

Vanity；　where　it　rules；　is　usually　more　heroic：　　but　Irvine　

steadily　approved　himself；　and　expected　others　to　approve　

him；　rather　looked　down　upon　my　wife；　and　decidedly　expected　

her　to　look　up　to　him；　on　the　strength　of　his　superior　

prudence。



Yet　the　strangest　part　of　the　whole　matter　was　perhaps　this；　

that　Irvine　was　as　beautiful　as　a　statue。　　His　features　were；　

in　themselves；　perfect；　it　was　only　his　cloudy；　uncouth；　and　

coarse　expression　that　disfigured　them。　　So　much　strength　

residing　in　so　spare　a　frame　was　proof　sufficient　of　the　

accuracy　of　his　shape。　　He　must　have　been　built　somewhat　

after　the　pattern　of　Jack　Sheppard；　but　the　famous　

housebreaker；　we　may　be　certain；　was　no　lout。　　It　was　by　the　

extraordinary　powers　of　his　mind　no　less　than　by　the　vigour　

of　his　body；　that　he　broke　his　strong　prison　with　such　

imperfect　implements；　turning　the　very　obstacles　to　service。　　

Irvine；　in　the　same　case；　would　have　sat　down　and　spat；　and　

grumbled　curses。　　He　had　the　soul　of　a　fat　sheep；　but；　

regarded　as　an　artist's　model；　the　exterior　of　a　Greek　God。　　

It　was　a　cruel　thought　to　persons　less　favoured　in　their　

birth；　that　this　creature；　endowed　…　to　use　the　language　of　

theatres　…　with　extraordinary　〃means；〃　should　so　manage　to　

misemploy　them　that　he　looked　ugly　and　almost　deformed。　　It　

was　only　by　an　effort　of　abstraction；　and　after　many　days；　

that　you　discovered　what　he　was。



By　playing　on　the　oaf's　conceit；　and　standing　closely　over　

him；　we　got　a　path　made　round　the　corner　of　the　dump　to　our　

door；　so　that　we　could　come　and　go　with　decent　ease；　and　he　

even　enjoyed　the　work；　for　in　that　there　were　boulders　to　be　

plucked　up　bodily；　bushes　to　be　uprooted；　and　other　occasions　

for　athletic　display：　　but　cutting　wood　was　a　different　

matter。　　Anybody　could　cut　wood；　and；　besides；　my　wife　was　

tired　of　supervising　him；　and　had　other　things　to　attend　to。　　

And；　in　short；　days　went　by；　and　Irvine　came　daily；　and　

talked　and　lounged　and　spat；　but　the　firewood　remained　intact　

as　sleepers　on　the　platform　or　growing　trees　upon　the　

mountainside。　　Irvine；　as　a　woodcutter；　we　could　tolerate；　

but　Irvine　as　a　friend　of　the　family；　at　so　much　a　day；　was　

too　bald　an　imposition；　and　at　length；　on　the　afternoon　of　

the　fourth　or　fifth　day　of　our　connection；　I　explained　to　

him；　as　clearly　as　I　could；　the　light　in　which　I　had　grown　to　

regard　his　presence。　　I　pointed　out　to　him　that　I　could　not　

continue　to　give　him　a　salary　for　spitting　on　the　floor；　and　

this　expression；　which　came　after　a　good　many　others；　at　last　

penetrated　his　obdurate　wits。　　He　rose　at　once；　and　said　if　

that　was　the　way　he　was　going　to　be　spoke　to；　he　reckoned　he　

would　quit。　　And；　no　one　interposing；　he　departed。



So　far；　so　good。　　But　we　had　no　firewood。　　The　next　

afternoon；　I　strolled　down　to　Rufe's　and　consulted　him　on　the　

subject。　　It　was　a　very　droll　interview；　in　the　large；　bare　

north　room　of　the　Silverado　Hotel；　Mrs。　Hanson's　patchwork　on　

a　frame；　and　Rufe；　and　his　wife；　and　I；　and　the　oaf　himself；　

all　more　or　less　embarrassed。　　Rufe　announced　there　was　

nobody　in　the　neighbourhood　but　Irvine　who　could　do　a　day's　

work　for　anybody。　　Irvine；　thereupon；　refused　to　have　any　

more　to　do　with　my　service；　he　〃wouldn't　work　no　more　for　a　

man　as　had　spoke　to　him's　I　had　done。〃　　I　found　myself　on　the　

point　of　the　last　humiliation　…　driven　to　beseech　the　

creature　whom　I　had　just　dismissed　with　insult：　　but　I　took　

the　high　hand　in　despair；　said　there　must　be　no　talk　of　

Irvine　coming　back　unless　matters　were　to　be　differently　

managed；　that　I　would　rather　chop　firewood　for　myself　than　be　

fooled；　and；　in　short；　the　Hansons　being　eager　for　the　lad's　

hire；　I　so　imposed　upon　them　with　merely　affected　resolution；　

that　they　ended　by　begging　me　to　re…employ　him　again；　on　a　

solemn　promise　that　he　should　be　more　industrious。　　The　

promise；　I　am　bound　to　say；　was　kept。　　We　soon　had　a　fine　

pile　of　firewood　at　our　door；　and　if　Caliban　gave　me　the　cold　

shoulder　and　spared　me　his　conversation；　I　thought　none　the　

worse　of　him　for　that；　nor　did　I　find　my　days　much　longer　for　

the　deprivation。



The　leading　spirit　of　the　family　was；　I　am　inclined　to　fancy；　

Mrs。　Hanson。　　Her　social　brilliancy　somewhat　dazzled　the　

others；　and　she　had　more　of　the　small　change　of　sense。　　It　

was　she　who　faced　Kelmar；　for　instance；　and　perhaps；　if　she　

had　been　alone；　Kelmar　would　have　had　no　rule　within　her　

doors。　　Rufe；　to　be　sure；　had　a　fine；　sober；　open…air　

a