the silverado squatters-第13节

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

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

attitude　of　mind；　seeing　the　world　without　exaggeration　…　

perhaps；　we　may　even　say；　without　enough；　for　he　lacked；　

along　with　the　others；　that　commercial　idealism　which　puts　so　

high　a　value　on　time　and　money。　　Sanity　itself　is　a　kind　of　

convention。　　Perhaps　Rufe　was　wrong；　but；　looking　on　life　

plainly；　he　was　unable　to　perceive　that　croquet　or　poker　were　

in　any　way　less　important　than；　for　instance；　mending　his　

waggon。　　Even　his　own　profession；　hunting；　was　dear　to　him　

mainly　as　a　sort　of　play；　even　that　he　would　have　neglected；　

had　it　not　appealed　to　his　imagination。　　His　hunting…suit；　

for　instance；　had　cost　I　should　be　afraid　to　say　how　many　

bucks　…　the　currency　in　which　he　paid　his　way：　　it　was　all　

befringed；　after　the　Indian　fashion；　and　it　was　dear　to　his　

heart。　　The　pictorial　side　of　his　daily　business　was　never　

forgotten。　　He　was　even　anxious　to　stand　for　his　picture　in　

those　buckskin　hunting　clothes；　and　I　remember　how　he　once　

warmed　almost　into　enthusiasm；　his　dark　blue　eyes　growing　

perceptibly　larger；　as　he　planned　the　composition　in　which　he　

should　appear；　〃with　the　horns　of　some　real　big　bucks；　and　

dogs；　and　a　camp　on　a　crick〃　（creek；　stream）。



There　was　no　trace　in　Irvine　of　this　woodland　poetry。　　He　did　

not　care　for　hunting；　nor　yet　for　buckskin　suits。　　He　had　

never　observed　scenery。　　The　world；　as　it　appeared　to　him；　

was　almost　obliterated　by　his　own　great　grinning　figure　in　

the　foreground：　　Caliban　Malvolio。　　And　it　seems　to　me　as　if；　

in　the　persons　of　these　brothers…in…law；　we　had　the　two　sides　

of　rusticity　fairly　well　represented：　　the　hunter　living　

really　in　nature；　the　clodhopper　living　merely　out　of　

society：　　the　one　bent　up　in　every　corporal　agent　to　capacity　

in　one　pursuit；　doing　at　least　one　thing　keenly　and　

thoughtfully；　and　thoroughly　alive　to　all　that　touches　it；　

the　other　in　the　inert　and　bestial　state；　walking　in　a　faint　

dream；　and　taking　so　dim　an　impression　of　the　myriad　sides　of　

life　that　he　is　truly　conscious　of　nothing　but　himself。　　It　

is　only　in　the　fastnesses　of　nature；　forests；　mountains；　and　

the　back　of　man's　beyond；　that　a　creature　endowed　with　five　

senses　can　grow　up　into　the　perfection　of　this　crass　and　

earthy　vanity。　　In　towns　or　the　busier　country　sides；　he　is　

roughly　reminded　of　other　men's　existence；　and　if　he　learns　

no　more；　he　learns　at　least　to　fear　contempt。　　But　Irvine　had　

come　scatheless　through　life；　conscious　only　of　himself；　of　

his　great　strength　and　intelligence；　and　in　the　silence　of　

the　universe；　to　which　he　did　not　listen；　dwelling　with　

delight　on　the　sound　of　his　own　thoughts。







THE　SEA　FOGS







A　CHANGE　in　the　colour　of　the　light　usually　called　me　in　the　

morning。　　By　a　certain　hour；　the　long；　vertical　chinks　in　our　

western　gable；　where　the　boards　had　shrunk　and　separated；　

flashed　suddenly　into　my　eyes　as　stripes　of　dazzling　blue；　at　

once　so　dark　and　splendid　that　I　used　to　marvel　how　the　

qualities　could　be　combined。　　At　an　earlier　hour；　the　heavens　

in　that　quarter　were　still　quietly　coloured；　but　the　shoulder　

of　the　mountain　which　shuts　in　the　canyon　already　glowed　with　

sunlight　in　a　wonderful　compound　of　gold　and　rose　and　green；　

and　this　too　would　kindle；　although　more　mildly　and　with　

rainbow　tints；　the　fissures　of　our　crazy　gable。　　If　I　were　

sleeping　heavily；　it　was　the　bold　blue　that　struck　me　awake；　

if　more　lightly；　then　I　would　come　to　myself　in　that　earlier　

and　fairier　fight。



One　Sunday　morning；　about　five；　the　first　brightness　called　

me。　　I　rose　and　turned　to　the　east；　not　for　my　devotions；　but　

for　air。　　The　night　had　been　very　still。　　The　little　private　

gale　that　blew　every　evening　in　our　canyon；　for　ten　minutes　

or　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　had　swiftly　blown　itself　

out；　in　the　hours　that　followed　not　a　sigh　of　wind　had　shaken　

the　treetops；　and　our　barrack；　for　all　its　breaches；　was　less　

fresh　that　morning　than　of　wont。　　But　I　had　no　sooner　reached　

the　window　than　I　forgot　all　else　in　the　sight　that　met　my　

eyes；　and　I　made　but　two　bounds　into　my　clothes；　and　down　the　

crazy　plank　to　the　platform。



The　sun　was　still　concealed　below　the　opposite　hilltops；　

though　it　was　shining　already；　not　twenty　feet　above　my　head；　

on　our　own　mountain　slope。　　But　the　scene；　beyond　a　few　near　

features；　was　entirely　changed。　　Napa　valley　was　gone；　gone　

were　all　the　lower　slopes　and　woody　foothills　of　the　range；　

and　in　their　place；　not　a　thousand　feet　below　me；　rolled　a　

great　level　ocean。　　It　was　as　though　I　had　gone　to　bed　the　

night　before；　safe　in　a　nook　of　inland　mountains；　and　had　

awakened　in　a　bay　upon　the　coast。　　I　had　seen　these　

inundations　from　below；　at　Calistoga　I　had　risen　and　gone　

abroad　in　the　early　morning；　coughing　and　sneezing；　under　

fathoms　on　fathoms　of　gray　sea　vapour；　like　a　cloudy　sky　…　a　

dull　sight　for　the　artist；　and　a　painful　experience　for　the　

invalid。　　But　to　sit　aloft　one's　self　in　the　pure　air　and　

under　the　unclouded　dome　of　heaven；　and　thus　look　down　on　the　

submergence　of　the　valley；　was　strangely　different　and　even　

delightful　to　the　eyes。　　Far　away　were　hilltops　like　little　

islands。　　Nearer；　a　smoky　surf　beat　about　the　foot　of　

precipices　and　poured　into　all　the　coves　of　these　rough　

mountains。　　The　colour　of　that　fog　ocean　was　a　thing　never　to　

be　forgotten。　　For　an　instant；　among　the　Hebrides　and　just　

about　sundown；　I　have　seen　something　like　it　on　the　sea　

itself。　　But　the　white　was　not　so　opaline；　nor　was　there；　

what　surprisingly　increased　the　effect；　that　breathless；　

crystal　stillness　over　all。　　Even　in　its　gentlest　moods　the　

salt　sea　travails；　moaning　among　the　weeds　or　lisping　on　the　

sand；　but　that　vast　fog　ocean　lay　in　a　trance　of　silence；　nor　

did　the　sweet　air　of　the　morning　tremble　with　a　sound。



As　I　continued　to　sit　upon　the　dump；　I　began　to　observe　that　

this　sea　was　not　so　level　as　at　first　sight　it　appeared　to　

be。　　Away　in　the　extreme　south；　a　little　hill　of　fog　arose　

against　the　sky　above　the　general　surface；　and　as　it　had　

already　caught　the　sun；　it　shone　on　the　horizon　like　the　

topsails　of　some　giant　ship。　　There　were　huge　waves；　

stationary；　as　it　seemed；　like　waves　in　a　frozen　sea；　and　

yet；　as　I　looked　again；　I　was　not　sure　but　they　were　moving　

after　all；　with　a　slow　and　august　advance。　　And　while　I　was　

yet　doubting；　a　promontory　of　the　some　four　or　five　miles　

away；　conspicuous　by　a　bouquet　of　tall　pines；　was　in　a　single　

instant　overtaken　and　swallowed　up。　　It　reappeared　in　a　

little；　with　its　pines；　but　this　time　as　an　islet；　and　only　

to　be　swallowed　up　once　more　and　then　for　good。　　This　set　me　

looking　nearer；　and　I　saw　that　in　every　cove　along　the　line　

of　mountains　the　fog　was　being　piled　in　higher　and　higher；　as　

though　by　some　wind　that　was　inaudible　to　me。　　I　could　trace　

its　progress；　one　pine　tree　first　growing　hazy　and　then　

disappearing　after　another；　although　sometimes　there　was　none　

of　this　fore…running　haze；　but　the　whole　opaque　white　ocean　

gave　a　start　and　swallowed　a　piece　of　mountain　at　a　gulp。　　It　

was　to　flee　these　poisonous　fogs　that　I　had　left　the　

seaboard；　and　climbed　so　high　among　the　mountains。　　And　now；　

behold；　here　came　the　fog　to　besiege　me　in　my　chosen　

altitudes；　and　yet　came　so　beautifully　that　my　first　thought　

was　of　welcome。



The　sun　had　now　gotten　much　higher；　and　through　all　the　gaps　

of　the　hills　it　cast　long　bars　of　gold　across　that　white　

ocean。　　An　eagle；　or　some　other　very　great　bird　of　the　

mountain；　came　wheeling　over　the　nearer　pine…tops；　and　hung；　

poised　and　something　sideways；　as　if　to　look　abroad　on　that　

unwonted　desolation；　spying；　perhaps　with　terror；　for　the　

eyries　of　her　comrades。　　Then；　with　a　long　cry；　she　

disappeared　again　towards　Lake　County　and　the　clearer　air。　　

At　length　it　seemed　to　me　as　if　the　flood　were　beginning　to　

subside。　　The　old　landmarks；　by　whose　disappearance　I　had　

measured　its　advance；　here　a　crag；　there　a　brave　pine　tree；　

now　began；　in　the　inverse　order；　to　make　their　reappearance　

into　daylight。　　I　judged　all　danger　of　the　fog　was　over。　　

This　was　not　Noah's　flood；　it　was　but　a　morning　spring；　and　

would　now　drift　out　seaward　whence　it　came。　　So；　mightily　

relieved；　and　a　good　deal　exhilarated　by　the　sight；　I　went　

into　the　house　to　light　the　fire。



I　suppose　it　was　nearly　seven　when　I　once　more　mounted　the　

platform　to　look　abroad。　　The　fog　ocean　had　swelled　up　

enormously　since　last　I　saw　it；　and　a　few　hundred　feet　below　

me；　in　the　deep　gap　where　the　Toll　House　stands　and　the　road　

runs　through　into　Lake　County；　it　had　already　topped　the　

slope；　and　was　pouring　over　and　down　the　other　side　like　

driving　smoke。　　The　wind　had　climbed　along　with　it；　and　

though　I　was　still　i