the twins of table mountain-第1节

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The　Twins　of　Table　Mountain

by　Bret　Harte







CONTENTS


I。　　　　THE　TWINS　OF　TABLE　MOUNTAIN

II。　　　AN　HEIRESS　OF　RED　DOG

III。　　THE　GREAT　DEADWOOD　MYSTERY

IV。　　　A　LEGEND　OF　SAMMTSTADT

V。　　　　VIEWS　FROM　A　GERMAN　SPION




THE　TWINS　OF　TABLE　MOUNTAIN。




CHAPTER　I。


A　CLOUD　ON　THE　MOUNTAIN。


They　lived　on　the　verge　of　a　vast　stony　level；　upheaved　so　far
above　the　surrounding　country　that　its　vague　outlines；　viewed　from
the　nearest　valley；　seemed　a　mere　cloud…streak　resting　upon　the
lesser　hills。　　The　rush　and　roar　of　the　turbulent　river　that　washed
its　eastern　base　were　lost　at　that　height；　the　winds　that　strove
with　the　giant　pines　that　half　way　climbed　its　flanks　spent　their
fury　below　the　summit；　for；　at　variance　with　most　meteorological
speculation；　an　eternal　calm　seemed　to　invest　this　serene　altitude。
The　few　Alpine　flowers　seldom　thrilled　their　petals　to　a　passing
breeze；　rain　and　snow　fell　alike　perpendicularly；　heavily；　and
monotonously　over　the　granite　bowlders　scattered　along　its　brown
expanse。　　Although　by　actual　measurement　an　inconsiderable
elevation　of　the　Sierran　range；　and　a　mere　shoulder　of　the　nearest
white…faced　peak　that　glimmered　in　the　west；　it　seemed　to　lie　so
near　the　quiet；　passionless　stars；　that　at　night　it　caught　something
of　their　calm　remoteness。

The　articulate　utterance　of　such　a　locality　should　have　been　a
whisper；　a　laugh　or　exclamation　was　discordant；　and　the　ordinary
tones　of　the　human　voice　on　the　night　of　the　15th　of　May；　1868；　had
a　grotesque　incongruity。

In　the　thick　darkness　that　clothed　the　mountain　that　night；　the
human　figure　would　have　been　lost；　or　confounded　with　the　outlines
of　outlying　bowlders；　which　at　such　times　took　upon　themselves　the
vague　semblance　of　men　and　animals。　　Hence　the　voices　in　the
following　colloquy　seemed　the　more　grotesque　and　incongruous　from
being　the　apparent　expression　of　an　upright　monolith；　ten　feet
high；　on　the　right；　and　another　mass　of　granite；　that；　reclining；
peeped　over　the　verge。

〃Hello！〃

〃Hello　yourself！〃

〃You're　late。〃

〃I　lost　the　trail；　and　climbed　up　the　slide。〃

Here　followed　a　stumble；　the　clatter　of　stones　down　the　mountain…
side；　and　an　oath　so　very　human　and　undignified　that　it　at　once
relieved　the　bowlders　of　any　complicity　of　expression。　　The　voices；
too；　were　close　together　now；　and　unexpectedly　in　quite　another
locality。

〃Anything　up？〃

〃Looey　Napoleon's　declared　war　agin　Germany。〃

〃Sho…o…o！〃

Notwithstanding　this　exclamation；　the　interest　of　the　latter
speaker　was　evidently　only　polite　and　perfunctory。　　What；　indeed；
were　the　political　convulsions　of　the　Old　World　to　the　dwellers　on
this　serene；　isolated　eminence　of　the　New？

〃I　reckon　it's　so；〃　continued　the　first　voice。　　〃French　Pete　and
that　thar　feller　that　keeps　the　Dutch　grocery　hev　hed　a　row　over
it；　emptied　their　six…shooters　into　each　other。　　The　Dutchman's　got
two　balls　in　his　leg；　and　the　Frenchman's　got　an　onnessary
buttonhole　in　his　shirt…buzzum；　and　hez　caved　in。〃

This　concise；　local　corroboration　of　the　conflict　of　remote
nations；　however　confirmatory；　did　not　appear　to　excite　any　further
interest。　　Even　the　last　speaker；　now　that　he　was　in　this　calm；
dispassionate　atmosphere；　seemed　to　lose　his　own　concern　in　his
tidings；　and　to　have　abandoned　every　thing　of　a　sensational　and
lower…worldly　character　in　the　pines　below。　　There　were　a　few
moments　of　absolute　silence；　and　then　another　stumble。　　But　now　the
voices　of　both　speakers　were　quite　patient　and　philosophical。

〃Hold　on；　and　I'll　strike　a　light；〃　said　the　second　speaker。　　〃I
brought　a　lantern　along；　but　I　didn't　light　up。　　I　kem　out　afore
sundown；　and　you　know　how　it　allers　is　up　yer。　　I　didn't　want　it；
and　didn't　keer　to　light　up。　　I　forgot　you're　always　a　little　dazed
and　strange…like　when　you　first　come　up。〃

There　was　a　crackle；　a　flash；　and　presently　a　steady　glow；　which
the　surrounding　darkness　seemed　to　resent。　　The　faces　of　the　two
men　thus　revealed　were　singularly　alike。　　The　same　thin；　narrow
outline　of　jaw　and　temple；　the　same　dark；　grave　eyes；　the　same
brown　growth　of　curly　beard　and　mustache；　which　concealed　the
mouth；　and　hid　what　might　have　been　any　individual　idiosyncrasy　of
thought　or　expression；showed　them　to　be　brothers；　or　better　known
as　the　〃Twins　of　Table　Mountain。〃　　A　certain　animation　in　the　face
of　the　second　speaker；the　first…comer；a　certain　light　in　his
eye；　might　have　at　first　distinguished　him；　but　even　this　faded　out
in　the　steady　glow　of　the　lantern；　and　had　no　value　as　a　permanent
distinction；　for；　by　the　time　they　had　reached　the　western　verge　of
the　mountain；　the　two　faces　had　settled　into　a　homogeneous　calmness
and　melancholy。

The　vague　horizon　of　darkness；　that　a　few　feet　from　the　lantern
still　encompassed　them；　gave　no　indication　of　their　progress；　until
their　feet　actually　trod　the　rude　planks　and　thatch　that　formed　the
roof　of　their　habitation；　for　their　cabin　half　burrowed　in　the
mountain；　and　half　clung；　like　a　swallow's　nest；　to　the　side　of　the
deep　declivity　that　terminated　the　northern　limit　of　the　summit。
Had　it　not　been　for　the　windlass　of　a　shaft；　a　coil　of　rope；　and　a
few　heaps　of　stone　and　gravel；　which　were　the　only　indications　of
human　labor　in　that　stony　field；　there　was　nothing　to　interrupt　its
monotonous　dead　level。　　And；　when　they　descended　a　dozen　well…worn
steps　to　the　door　of　their　cabin；　they　left　the　summit；　as　before；
lonely；　silent；　motionless；　its　long　level　uninterrupted；　basking
in　the　cold　light　of　the　stars。

The　simile　of　a　〃nest〃　as　applied　to　the　cabin　of　the　brothers　was
no　mere　figure　of　speech　as　the　light　of　the　lantern　first　flashed
upon　it。　　The　narrow　ledge　before　the　door　was　strewn　with
feathers。　　A　suggestion　that　it　might　be　the　home　and　haunt　of
predatory　birds　was　promptly　checked　by　the　spectacle　of　the
nailed…up　carcasses　of　a　dozen　hawks　against　the　walls；　and　the
outspread　wings　of　an　extended　eagle　emblazoning　the　gable　above
the　door；　like　an　armorial　bearing。　　Within　the　cabin　the　walls　and
chimney…piece　were　dazzlingly　bedecked　with　the　party…colored　wings
of　jays；　yellow…birds；　woodpeckers；　kingfishers；　and　the　poly…
tinted　wood…duck。　　Yet　in　that　dry；　highly…rarefied　atmosphere；
there　was　not　the　slightest　suggestion　of　odor　or　decay。

The　first　speaker　hung　the　lantern　upon　a　hook　that　dangled　from
the　rafters；　and；　going　to　the　broad　chimney；　kicked　the　half…dead
embers　into　a　sudden　resentful　blaze。　　He　then　opened　a　rude
cupboard；　and；　without　looking　around；　called；　〃Ruth！〃

The　second　speaker　turned　his　head　from　the　open　doorway　where　he
was　leaning；　as　if　listening　to　something　in　the　darkness；　and
answered　abstractedly；

〃Rand！〃

〃I　don't　believe　you　have　touched　grub　to…day！〃

Ruth　grunted　out　some　indifferent　reply。

〃Thar　hezen't　been　a　slice　cut　off　that　bacon　since　I　left；〃
continued　Rand；　bringing　a　side　of　bacon　and　some　biscuits　from　the
cupboard；　and　applying　himself　to　the　discussion　of　them　at　the
table。　　〃You're　gettin'　off　yer　feet；　Ruth。　　What's　up？〃

Ruth　replied　by　taking　an　uninvited　seat　beside　him；　and　resting
his　chin　on　the　palms　of　his　hands。　　He　did　not　eat；　but　simply
transferred　his　inattention　from　the　door　to　the　table。

〃You're　workin'　too　many　hours　in　the　shaft；〃　continued　Rand。
〃You're　always　up　to　some　such　dn　fool　business　when　I'm　not
yer。〃

〃I　dipped　a　little　west　to…day；〃　Ruth　went　on；　without　heeding　the
brotherly　remonstrance；　〃and　struck　quartz　and　pyrites。〃

〃Thet's　you！allers　dippin'　west　or　east　for　quartz　and　the　color；
instead　of　keeping　on　plumb　down　to　the　'cement'！〃*


*　The　local　name　for　gold…bearing　alluvial　drift；the　bed　of　a
prehistoric　river。


〃We've　been　three　years　digging　for　cement；〃　said　Ruth；　more　in
abstraction　than　in　reproach；〃three　years！〃

〃And　we　may　be　three　years　more；may　be　only　three　days。　　Why；　you
couldn't　be　more　impatient　ififif　you　lived　in　a　valley。〃

Delivering　this　tremendous　comparison　as　an　unanswerable　climax；
Rand　applied　himself　once　more　to　his　repast。　　Ruth；　after　a
moment's　pause；　without　speaking　or　looking　up；　disengaged　his　hand
from　under　his　chin；　and　slid　it　along；　palm　uppermost；　on　the
table　beside　his　brother。　　Thereupon　Rand　slowly　reached　forward
his　left　hand；　the　right　being　engaged　in　conveying　victual　to　his
mouth；　and　laid　it　on　his　brother's　palm。　　The　act　was　evidently　an
habitual；　half　mechanical　one；　for　in　a　few　moments　the　hands　were
as　gently　disengaged；　without　comment　or　expression。　　At　last　Rand
leaned　back　in　his　chair；　laid　down　his　knife　and　fork；　and；
complacently　loosening　the　belt　that　held　his　revolver；　threw　it
and　the　weapon　on　his　bed。　　Taking　out　his　pipe；　and　chipping　some
tobacco　on　the　table；　he　said　carelessly；　〃I　came　a　piece　through
the　woods　with　Mornie　just　now。〃

The　face　that　Ruth　turned　upon　his　brother　was　very　distinct　in　its
expression　at　that　moment；　and　quite　belied　the　popular　theory　that
the　twins　could　not　be　told　apart。　　〃Thet　gal；〃　continued　Rand；
without　looking　up；　〃is　either　flighty；　oror　suthin'；〃　he　added
in　vague　disgust；　pushing　the　tab