roughing it-第96节

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Kamtchatkaa　tree；　sir；　not　one　inch　less　than　four　hundred　and　fifteen
feet　in　solid　diameter！and　I　wish　I　may　die　in　a　minute　if　it　isn't　so！
Oh；　you　needn't　look　so　questioning；　gentlemen；　here's　old　Cap　Saltmarsh
can　say　whether　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about　or　not。　　I　showed　him　the
tree。〃

Captain　Saltmarsh〃Come；　now；　cat　your　anchor；　ladyou're　heaving　too
taut。　　You　promised　to　show　me　that　stunner；　and　I　walked　more　than
eleven　mile　with　you　through　the　cussedest　jungle　I　ever　see；　a　hunting
for　it；　but　the　tree　you　showed　me　finally　warn't　as　big　around　as　a　beer
cask；　and　you　know　that　your　own　self；　Markiss。〃

〃Hear　the　man　talk！　　Of　course　the　tree　was　reduced　that　way；　but　didn't
I　explain　it？　　Answer　me；　didn't　I？　　Didn't　I　say　I　wished　you　could　have
seen　it　when　I　first　saw　it？　　When　you　got　up　on　your　ear　and　called　me
names；　and　said　I　had　brought　you　eleven　miles　to　look　at　a　sapling；
didn't　I　explain　to　you　that　all　the　whale…ships　in　the　North　Seas　had
been　wooding　off　of　it　for　more　than　twenty…seven　years？　　And　did　you
s'pose　the　tree　could　last　for…ever；　con…found　it？　　I　don't　see　why　you
want　to　keep　back　things　that　way；　and　try　to　injure　a　person　that's
never　done　you　any　harm。〃

Somehow　this　man's　presence　made　me　uncomfortable；　and　I　was　glad　when　a
native　arrived　at　that　moment　to　say　that　Muckawow；　the　most
companionable　and　luxurious　among　the　rude　war…chiefs　of　the　Islands；
desired　us　to　come　over　and　help　him　enjoy　a　missionary　whom　he　had　found
trespassing　on　his　grounds。

I　think　it　was　about　ten　days　afterward　that；　as　I　finished　a　statement　I
was　making　for　the　instruction　of　a　group　of　friends　and　acquaintances；
and　which　made　no　pretence　of　being　extraordinary；　a　familiar　voice
chimed　instantly　in　on　the　heels　of　my　last　word；　and　said：

〃But；　my　dear　sir；　there　was　nothing　remarkable　about　that　horse；　or　the
circumstance　eithernothing　in　the　world！　　I　mean　no　sort　of　offence
when　I　say　it；　sir；　but　you　really　do　not　know　anything　whatever　about
speed。　　Bless　your　heart；　if　you　could　only　have　seen　my　mare　Margaretta；
there　was　a　beast！there　was　lightning　for　you！　　Trot！　　Trot　is　no　name
for　itshe　flew！　　How　she　could　whirl　a　buggy　along！　　I　started　her　out
once；　sirColonel　Bilgewater；　you　recollect　that　animal　perfectly　well
I　started　her　out　about　thirty　or　thirty…five　yards　ahead　of　the
awfullest　storm　I　ever　saw　in　my　life；　and　it　chased　us　upwards　of
eighteen　miles！　　It　did；　by　the　everlasting　hills！　　And　I'm　telling　you
nothing　but　the　unvarnished　truth　when　I　say　that　not　one　single　drop　of
rain　fell　on　menot　a　single　drop；　sir！　　And　I　swear　to　it！　　But　my　dog
was　a…swimming　behind　the　wagon　all　the　way！〃

For　a　week　or　two　I　stayed　mostly　within　doors；　for　I　seemed　to　meet　this
person　everywhere；　and　he　had　become　utterly　hateful　to　me。　　But　one
evening　I　dropped　in　on　Captain　Perkins　and　his　friends；　and　we　had　a
sociable　time。　　About　ten　o'clock　I　chanced　to　be　talking　about　a
merchant　friend　of　mine；　and　without　really　intending　it；　the　remark
slipped　out　that　he　was　a　little　mean　and　parsimonious　about　paying　his
workmen。　　Instantly；　through　the　steam　of　a　hot　whiskey　punch　on　the
opposite　side　of　the　room；　a　remembered　voice　shotand　for　a　moment　I
trembled　on　the　imminent　verge　of　profanity：

〃Oh；　my　dear　sir；　really　you　expose　yourself　when　you　parade　that　as　a
surprising　circumstance。　　Bless　your　heart　and　hide；　you　are　ignorant　of
the　very　A　B　C　of　meanness！　ignorant　as　the　unborn　babe！　ignorant　as
unborn　twins！　　You　don't　know　anything　about　it！　　It　is　pitiable　to　see
you；　sir；　a　well…spoken　and　prepossessing　stranger；　making　such　an
enormous　pow…wow　here　about　a　subject　concerning　which　your　ignorance　is
perfectly　humiliating！　　Look　me　in　the　eye；　if　you　please；　look　me　in　the
eye。　　John　James　Godfrey　was　the　son　of　poor　but　honest　parents　in　the
State　of　Mississippiboyhood　friend　of　minebosom　comrade　in　later
years。　　Heaven　rest　his　noble　spirit；　he　is　gone　from　us　now。　　John　James
Godfrey　was　hired　by　the　Hayblossom　Mining　Company　in　California　to　do
some　blasting　for　themthe　〃Incorporated　Company　of　Mean　Men；〃　the　boys
used　to　call　it。

Well；　one　day　he　drilled　a　hole　about　four　feet　deep　and　put　in　an　awful
blast　of　powder；　and　was　standing　over　it　ramming　it　down　with　an　iron
crowbar　about　nine　foot　long；　when　the　cussed　thing　struck　a　spark　and
fired　the　powder；　and　scat！　away　John　Godfrey　whizzed　like　a　skyrocket；
him　and　his　crowbar！　　Well；　sir；　he　kept　on　going　up　in　the　air　higher
and　higher；　till　he　didn't　look　any　bigger　than　a　boyand　he　kept　going
on　up　higher　and　higher；　till　he　didn't　look　any　bigger　than　a　dolland
he　kept　on　going　up　higher　and　higher；　till　he　didn't　look　any　bigger
than　a　little　small　beeand　then　he　went　out　of　sight！　　Presently　he
came　in　sight　again；　looking　like　a　little　small　beeand　he　came　along
down　further　and　further；　till　he　looked　as　big　as　a　doll　againand　down
further　and　further；　till　he　was　as　big　as　a　boy　againand　further　and
further；　till　he　was　a　full…sized　man　once　more；　and　then　him　and　his
crowbar　came　a　wh…izzing　down　and　lit　right　exactly　in　the　same　old
tracks　and　went　to　r…ramming　down；　and　r…ramming　down；　and　r…ramming　down
again；　just　the　same　as　if　nothing　had　happened！　　Now　do　you　know；　that
poor　cuss　warn't　gone　only　sixteen　minutes；　and　yet　that　Incorporated
Company　of　Mean　Men　DOCKED　HIM　FOR　THE　LOST　TIME！〃

I　said　I　had　the　headache；　and　so　excused　myself　and　went　home。　　And　on
my　diary　I　entered　〃another　night　spoiled〃　by　this　offensive　loafer。
And　a　fervent　curse　was　set　down　with　it　to　keep　the　item　company。　　And
the　very　next　day　I　packed　up；　out　of　all　patience；　and　left　the　Island。

Almost　from　the　very　beginning；　I　regarded　that　man　as　a　liar。

The　line　of　points　represents　an　interval　of　years。　　At　the　end　of　which
time　the　opinion　hazarded　in　that　last　sentence　came　to　be　gratifyingly
and　remarkably　endorsed；　and　by　wholly　disinterested　persons。　　The　man
Markiss　was　found　one　morning　hanging　to　a　beam　of　his　own　bedroom　（the
doors　and　windows　securely　fastened　on　the　inside）；　dead；　and　on　his
breast　was　pinned　a　paper　in　his　own　handwriting　begging　his　friends　to
suspect　no　innocent　person　of　having　any　thing　to　do　with　his　death；　for
that　it　was　the　work　of　his　own　hands　entirely。　　Yet　the　jury　brought　in
the　astounding　verdict　that　deceased　came　to　his　death　〃by　the　hands　of
some　person　or　persons　unknown！〃　　They　explained　that　the　perfectly
undeviating　consistency　of　Markiss's　character　for　thirty　years　towered
aloft　as　colossal　and　indestructible　testimony；　that　whatever　statement
he　chose　to　make　was　entitled　to　instant　and　unquestioning　acceptance　as
a　lie。　　And　they　furthermore　stated　their　belief　that　he　was　not　dead；
and　instanced　the　strong　circumstantial　evidence　of　his　own　word　that　he
was　deadand　beseeched　the　coroner　to　delay　the　funeral　as　long　as
possible；　which　was　done。　　And　so　in　the　tropical　climate　of　Lahaina　the
coffin　stood　open　for　seven　days；　and　then　even　the　loyal　jury　gave　him
up。　　But　they　sat　on　him　again；　and　changed　their　verdict　to　〃suicide
induced　by　mental　aberration〃because；　said　they；　with　penetration；　〃he
said　he　was　dead；　and　he　was　dead；　and　would　he　have　told　the　truth　if　he
had　been　in　his　right　mind？　　No；　sir。〃




CHAPTER　LXXVIII。

After　half　a　year's　luxurious　vagrancy　in　the　islands；　I　took　shipping　in
a　sailing　vessel；　and　regretfully　returned　to　San　Franciscoa　voyage　in
every　way　delightful；　but　without　an　incident：　unless　lying　two　long
weeks　in　a　dead　calm；　eighteen　hundred　miles　from　the　nearest　land；　may
rank　as　an　incident。　　Schools　of　whales　grew　so　tame　that　day　after　day
they　played　about　the　ship　among　the　porpoises　and　the　sharks　without　the
least　apparent　fear　of　us；　and　we　pelted　them　with　empty　bottles　for　lack
of　better　sport。　　Twenty…four　hours　afterward　these　bottles　would　be
still　lying　on　the　glassy　water　under　our　noses；　showing　that　the　ship
had　not　moved　out　of　her　place　in　all　that　time。　　The　calm　was　absolutely
breathless；　and　the　surface　of　the　sea　absolutely　without　a　wrinkle。
For　a　whole　day　and　part　of　a　night　we　lay　so　close　to　another　ship　that
had　drifted　to　our　vicinity；　that　we　carried　on　conversations　with　her
passengers；　introduced　each　other　by　name；　and　became　pretty　intimately
acquainted　with　people　we　had　never　heard　of　before；　and　have　never　heard
of　since。　　This　was　the　only　vessel　we　saw　during　the　whole　lonely
voyage。　　We　had　fifteen　passengers；　and　to　show　how　hard　pressed　they
were　at　last　for　occupation　and　amusement；　I　will　mention　that　the
gentlemen　gave　a　good　part　of　their　time　every　day；　during　the　calm；　to
trying　to　sit　on　an　empty　champagne　bottle　（lying　on　its　side）；　and
thread　a　needle　without　touching　their　heels　to　the　deck；　or　falling
over；　and　the　ladies　sat　in　the　shade　of　the　mainsail；　and　watched　the
enterprise　with　absorbing　interest。　　We　were　at　sea　five　Sundays；　and
yet；　but　for　the　almanac；　we　never　would　have　known　but　that　all　the
other　days　were　Sundays　too。

I　was　home　again；　in　San　Francisco；　without　means　and　without　employment。
I　tortured　my　b