the silverado squatters-第8节

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Jerusalem。　　Here；　mountain　and　house　and　the　old　tools　of　

industry　were　all　alike　rusty　and　downfalling。　　The　hill　was　

here　wedged　up；　and　there　poured　forth　its　bowels　in　a　spout　

of　broken　mineral；　man　with　his　picks　and　powder；　and　nature　

with　her　own　great　blasting　tools　of　sun　and　rain；　labouring　

together　at　the　ruin　of　that　proud　mountain。　　The　view　up　the　

canyon　was　a　glimpse　of　devastation；　dry　red　minerals　sliding　

together；　here　and　there　a　crag；　here　and　there　dwarf　thicket　

clinging　in　the　general　glissade；　and　over　all　a　broken　

outline　trenching　on　the　blue　of　heaven。　　Downwards　indeed；　

from　our　rock　eyrie；　we　behold　the　greener　side　of　nature；　

and　the　bearing　of　the　pines　and　the　sweet　smell　of　bays　and　

nutmegs　commanded　themselves　gratefully　to　our　senses。　　One　

way　and　another；　now　the　die　was　cast。　　Silverado　be　it！



After　we　had　got　back　to　the　Toll　House；　the　Jews　were　not　

long　of　striking　forward。　　But　I　observed　that　one　of　the　

Hanson　lads　came　down；　before　their　departure；　and　returned　

with　a　ship's　kettle。　　Happy　Hansons！　　Nor　was　it　until　after　

Kelmar　was　gone；　if　I　remember　rightly；　that　Rufe　put　in　an　

appearance　to　arrange　the　details　of　our　installation。



The　latter　part　of　the　day；　Fanny　and　I　sat　in　the　verandah　

of　the　Toll　House；　utterly　stunned　by　the　uproar　of　the　wind　

among　the　trees　on　the　other　side　of　the　valley。　　Sometimes；　

we　would　have　it　it　was　like　a　sea；　but　it　was　not　various　

enough　for　that；　and　again；　we　thought　it　like　the　roar　of　a　

cataract；　but　it　was　too　changeful　for　the　cataract；　and　then　

we　would　decide；　speaking　in　sleepy　voices；　that　it　could　be　

compared　with　nothing　but　itself。　　My　mind　was　entirely　

preoccupied　by　the　noise。　　I　hearkened　to　it　by　the　hour；　

gapingly　hearkened；　and　let　my　cigarette　go　out。　　Sometimes　

the　wind　would　make　a　sally　nearer　hand；　and　send　a　shrill；　

whistling　crash　among　the　foliage　on　our　side　of　the　glen；　

and　sometimes　a　back…draught　would　strike　into　the　elbow　

where　we　sat；　and　cast　the　gravel　and　torn　leaves　into　our　

faces。　　But　for　the　most　part；　this　great；　streaming　gale　

passed　unweariedly　by　us　into　Napa　Valley；　not　two　hundred　

yards　away；　visible　by　the　tossing　boughs；　stunningly　

audible；　and　yet　not　moving　a　hair　upon　our　heads。　　So　it　

blew　all　night　long　while　I　was　writing　up　my　journal；　and　

after　we　were　in　bed；　under　a　cloudless；　starset　heaven；　and　

so　it　was　blowing　still　next　morning　when　we　rose。



It　was　a　laughable　thought　to　us；　what　had　become　of　our　

cheerful；　wandering　Hebrews。　　We　could　not　suppose　they　had　

reached　a　destination。　　The　meanest　boy　could　lead　them　miles　

out　of　their　way　to　see　a　gopher…hole。　　Boys；　we　felt　to　be　

their　special　danger；　none　others　were　of　that　exact　pitch　of　

cheerful　irrelevancy　to　exercise　a　kindred　sway　upon　their　

minds：　　but　before　the　attractions　of　a　boy　their　most　

settled　resolutions　would　be　war。　　We　thought　we　could　follow　

in　fancy　these　three　aged　Hebrew　truants　wandering　in　and　out　

on　hilltop　and　in　thicket；　a　demon　boy　trotting　far　ahead；　

their　will…o'…the…wisp　conductor；　and　at　last　about　midnight；　

the　wind　still　roaring　in　the　darkness；　we　had　a　vision　of　

all　three　on　their　knees　upon　a　mountain…top　around　a　glow…

worm。







CHAPTER　III。　THE　RETURN







NEXT　morning　we　were　up　by　half…past　five；　according　to　

agreement；　and　it　was　ten　by　the　clock　before　our　Jew　boys　

returned　to　pick　us　up。　　Kelmar；　Mrs。　Kelmar；　and　Abramina；　

all　smiling　from　ear　to　ear；　and　full　of　tales　of　the　

hospitality　they　had　found　on　the　other　side。　　It　had　not　

gone　unrewarded；　for　I　observed　with　interest　that　the　ship's　

kettles；　all　but　one；　had　been　〃placed。〃　　Three　Lake　County　

families；　at　least；　endowed　for　life　with　a　ship's　kettle。　　

Come；　this　was　no　misspent　Sunday。　　The　absence　of　the　

kettles　told　its　own　story：　　our　Jews　said　nothing　about　

them；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　they　said　many　kind　and　comely　

things　about　the　people　they　had　met。　　The　two　women；　in　

particular；　had　been　charmed　out　of　themselves　by　the　sight　

of　a　young　girl　surrounded　by　her　admirers；　all　evening；　it　

appeared；　they　had　been　triumphing　together　in　the　girl's　

innocent　successes；　and　to　this　natural　and　unselfish　joy　

they　gave　expression　in　language　that　was　beautiful　by　its　

simplicity　and　truth。



Take　them　for　all　in　all；　few　people　have　done　my　heart　more　

good；　they　seemed　so　thoroughly　entitled　to　happiness；　and　to　

enjoy　it　in　so　large　a　measure　and　so　free　from　after…

thought；　almost　they　persuaded　me　to　be　a　Jew。　　There　was；　

indeed；　a　chink　of　money　in　their　talk。　　They　particularly　

commanded　people　who　were　well　to　do。　　〃HE　don't　care　…　ain't　

it？〃　was　their　highest　word　of　commendation　to　an　individual　

fate；　and　here　I　seem　to　grasp　the　root　of　their　philosophy　…　

it　was　to　be　free　from　care；　to　be　free　to　make　these　Sunday　

wanderings；　that　they　so　eagerly　pursued　after　wealth；　and　

all　this　carefulness　was　to　be　careless。　　The　fine；　good　

humour　of　all　three　seemed　to　declare　they　had　attained　their　

end。　　Yet　there　was　the　other　side　to　it；　and　the　recipients　

of　kettles　perhaps　cared　greatly。



No　sooner　had　they　returned；　than　the　scene　of　yesterday　

began　again。　　The　horses　were　not　even　tied　with　a　straw　rope　

this　time　…　it　was　not　worth　while；　and　Kelmar　disappeared　

into　the　bar；　leaving　them　under　a　tree　on　the　other　side　of　

the　road。　　I　had　to　devote　myself。　　I　stood　under　the　shadow　

of　that　tree　for；　I　suppose；　hard　upon　an　hour；　and　had　not　

the　heart　to　be　angry。　　Once　some　one　remembered　me；　and　

brought　me　out　half　a　tumblerful　of　the　playful；　innocuous　

American　cocktail。　　I　drank　it；　and　lo！　veins　of　living　fire　

ran　down　my　leg；　and　then　a　focus　of　conflagration　remained　

seated　in　my　stomach；　not　unpleasantly；　for　quarter　of　an　

hour。　　I　love　these　sweet；　fiery　pangs；　but　I　will　not　court　

them。　　The　bulk　of　the　time　I　spent　in　repeating　as　much　

French　poetry　as　I　could　remember　to　the　horses；　who　seemed　

to　enjoy　it　hugely。　　And　now　it　went　…





〃O　ma　vieille　Font…georges

Ou　volent　les　rouges…gorges：〃





and　again；　to　a　more　trampling　measure　…





〃Et　tout　tremble；　Irun；　Coimbre；

Sautander；　Almodovar；

Sitot　qu'on　entend　le　timbre

Des　cymbales　do　Bivar。〃





The　redbreasts　and　the　brooks　of　Europe；　in　that　dry　and　

songless　land；　brave　old　names　and　wars；　strong　cities；　

cymbals；　and　bright　armour；　in　that　nook　of　the　mountain；　

sacred　only　to　the　Indian　and　the　bear！　　This　is　still　the　

strangest　thing　in　all　man's　travelling；　that　he　should　carry　

about　with　him　incongruous　memories。　　There　is　no　foreign　

land；　it　is　the　traveller　only　that　is　foreign；　and　now　and　

again；　by　a　flash　of　recollection；　lights　up　the　contrasts　of　

the　earth。



But　while　I　was　thus　wandering　in　my　fancy；　great　feats　had　

been　transacted　in　the　bar。　　Corwin　the　bold　had　fallen；　

Kelmar　was　again　crowned　with　laurels；　and　the　last　of　the　

ship's　kettles　had　changed　hands。　　If　I　had　ever　doubted　the　

purity　of　Kelmar's　motives；　if　I　had　ever　suspected　him　of　a　

single　eye　to　business　in　his　eternal　dallyings；　now　at　

least；　when　the　last　kettle　was　disposed　of；　my　suspicions　

must　have　been　allayed。　　I　dare　not　guess　how　much　more　time　

was　wasted；　nor　how　often　we　drove　off；　merely　to　drive　back　

again　and　renew　interrupted　conversations　about　nothing；　

before　the　Toll　House　was　fairly　left　behind。　　Alas！　and　not　

a　mile　down　the　grade　there　stands　a　ranche　in　a　sunny　

vineyard；　and　here　we　must　all　dismount　again　and　enter。



Only　the　old　lady　was　at　home；　Mrs。　Guele；　a　brown　old　Swiss　

dame；　the　picture　of　honesty；　and　with　her　we　drank　a　bottle　

of　wine　and　had　an　age…long　conversation；　which　would　have　

been　highly　delightful　if　Fanny　and　I　had　not　been　faint　with　

hunger。　　The　ladies　each　narrated　the　story　of　her　marriage；　

our　two　Hebrews　with　the　prettiest　combination　of　sentiment　

and　financial　bathos。　　Abramina；　specially；　endeared　herself　

with　every　word。　　She　was　as　simple；　natural；　and　engaging　as　

a　kid　that　should　have　been　brought　up　to　the　business　of　a　

money…changer。　　One　touch　was　so　resplendently　Hebraic　that　I　

cannot　pass　it　over。　　When　her　〃old　man〃　wrote　home　for　her　

from　America；　her　old　man's　family　would　not　intrust　her　with　

the　money　for　the　passage；　till　she　had　bound　herself　by　an　

oath　…　on　her　knees；　I　think　she　said　…　not　to　employ　it　

otherwise。



This　had　tickled　Abramina　hugely；　but　I　think　it　tickled　me　

fully　more。



Mrs。　Guele　told　of　her　home…sickness　up　here　in　the　long　

winters；　of　her　honest；　country…woman　troubles　and　alarms　

upon　the　journey；　how　in　the　bank　at　Frankfort　she　had　feared　

lest　the　banker；　after　having　taken　her　cheque；　should　deny　

all　knowledge　of　it　…　a　fear　I　have　myself　every　time　I　go　to　

a