the crusade of the excelsior-第21节

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dragoons　on　each　side。



At　a　sign　from　the　priest　the　subaltern　reined　in　his　mustang；

halted　the　convoy；　and　saluted　respectfully；　to　the　astonishment　of

the　prisoners。　　The　clerical　authority　of　Todos　Santos　evidently

dominated　the　military。　　Renewed　hope　sprang　up　in　the　hearts　of

the　Excelsior　party。



〃What　have　we　here？〃　asked　Padre　Esteban。



〃A　revolution；　your　Reverence；　among　the　Americanos；　with　robbery

of　the　Presidio　saluting…gun；　a　grave　affair。　　Your　Reverence　has

been　sent　for　by　the　Comandante。　　I　am　taking　these　men　to　San

Antonio　to　await　the　decision　of　the　Council。〃



〃And　the　ship？〃



〃Gone；　your　Reverence。　　One　of　the　parties　has　captured　it。〃



〃And　these？〃



〃Are　the　Legitimists；　your　Reverence：　at　least　they　have　confessed

to　have　warred　with　Mexico；　and　invaded　Californiathe　brigands。〃



The　priest　remained　lost　for　a　moment　in　blank　and　bitter

amazement。　　Banks　took　advantage　of　the　pause　to　edge　his　way　to

the　front。



〃Ask　him；　some　of　you；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Brace　and　Crosby；　〃when

this　dd　farce　will　be　over；　and　where　we　can　find　the　head　man

the　boss　idiot　of　this　foolery。〃



〃Let　him　put　it　milder；〃　whispered　Winslow。　　〃You　got　us　into

trouble　enough　with　your　tongue　already。〃



Crosby　hesitated　a　moment。



〃Quand　finira　ce　drole　representation？etetqui　est　ce　qui　est

l'entrepreneur？〃　he　said　dubiously。



The　priest　stared。　　These　Americans　were　surely　cooler　and　less

excitable　than　his　strange　guest。　　A　thought　struck　him。



〃How　many　are　still　in　the　ship？〃　he　asked　gently。



〃Nobody　but　Perkins　and　that　piratical　crew　of　niggers。〃



〃And　that　infernal　Hurlstone；〃　added　Winslow。



The　priest　pricked　up　his　ears。



〃Hurlstone？〃　he　repeated。



〃Yesa　passenger　like　ourselves；　as　we　supposed。　　But　we　are

satisfied　now　he　was　in　the　conspiracy　from　the　beginning；〃

translated　Crosby　painfully。



〃Look　at　his　strange　disappearancea　regular　put…up　job；〃　broke　in

Brace；　in　English；　without　reference　to　the　Padre's　not

comprehending　him；　〃so　that　he　and　Perkins　could　shut　themselves　up

together　without　suspicion。〃



〃Never　mind　Hurlstone　now；　he's　GONE；　and　we're　HERE；〃　said　Banks

angrily。　　〃Ask　the　parson；　as　a　gentleman　and　a　Christian；　what

sort　of　a　hole　we've　got　into；　anyhow。　　How　far　is　the　next

settlement？〃



Crosby　put　the　question。　　The　subaltern　lit　a　cigarette。



〃There　is　no　next　settlement。　　The　pueblo　ends　at　San　Antonio。〃



〃And　what's　beyond　that？〃



〃The　ocean。〃



〃And　what's　south？〃



〃The　desertone　cannot　pass　it。〃



〃And　north？〃



〃The　desert。〃



〃And　east？〃



〃The　desert　too。〃



〃Then　how　do　you　get　away　from　here？〃



〃We　do　not　get　away。〃



〃And　how　do　you　communicate　with　Mexicowith　your　Government？〃



〃When　a　ship　comes。〃



〃And　when　does　a　ship　come？〃



〃Quien　sabe？〃



The　officer　threw　away　his　cigarette。



〃I　say；　you'll　tell　the　Commander　that　all　this　is　illegal；　and

that　I'm　going　to　complain　to　our　Government；〃　continued　Banks

hurriedly。



〃I　go　to　speak　to　the　Comandante；〃　responded　the　priest　gravely。



〃And　tell　him　that　if　he　touches　a　hair　of　the　ladies'　heads　we'll

have　his　own　scalp；〃　interrupted　Brace　impetuously。



Even　Crosby's　diplomatic　modification　of　this　speech　did　not　appear

entirely　successful。



〃The　Mexican　soldier　wars　not　with　women；〃　said　the　priest　coldly。

〃Adieu；　messieurs！〃



The　cavalcade　moved　on。　　The　Excelsior　passengers　at　once　resumed

their　chorus　of　complaint；　tirade；　and　aggressive　suggestion；

heedless　of　the　soldiers　who　rode　stolidly　on　each　side。



〃To　think　we　haven't　got　a　single　revolver　among　us；〃　said　Brace

despairingly。



〃We　might　each　grab　a　carbine　from　these　nigger　fellows；〃　said

Crosby；　eying　them　contemplatively。



〃And　if　they　didn't　burst；　and　we　weren't　shot　by　the　next　patrol；

and　if　we'd　calculated　to　be　mean　enough　to　run　away　from　the

womenwhere　would　we　escape　to？〃　asked　Banks　curtly。　　〃Hold　on　at

least　until　we　get　an　ultimatum　from　that　commodious　ass　at　the

Presidio！　　Then　we'll　anticipate　the　fool…killer；　if　you　like。　　My

opinion　is；　they　aren't　in　any　great　hurry　to　try　ANYTHING　on　us

just　yet。〃



〃And　I　say；　lie　low　and　keep　dark　until　they　show　their　hand；〃

added　Winslow；　who　had　no　relish　for　an　indiscriminate　scrimmage；

and　had　his　own　ideas　of　placating　their　captors。



Nevertheless；　by　degrees　they　fell　into　a　silence；　partly　the

effect　of　the　strangely　enervating　air。　　The　fog　had　completely

risen　from　the　landscape；　and　hung　high　in　mid…air；　through　which

an　intense　sun；　shorn　of　its　fierceness；　diffused　a　lambent　warmth；

and　a　yellowish；　unctuous　light；　as　if　it　had　passed　through　amber。

The　bay　gleamed　clearly　and　distinctly；　not　a　shadow　flecked　its

surface　to　the　gray　impenetrable　rampart　of　fog　that　stretched　like

a　granite　wall　before　its　entrance。　　On　one　side　of　the　narrow　road

billows　of　monstrous　grain　undulated　to　the　crest　of　the　low　hills；

that　looked　like　larger　undulations　of　the　soil；　furrowed　by　bosky

canadas　or　shining　arroyos。　　Banks　was　startled　into　a　burst　of

professional　admiration。



〃There's　enough　grain　there　to　feed　a　thousand　Todos　Santos；　and

raised；　too；　with　tools　like　that；〃　he　continued；　pointing　to　a

primitive　plow　that　lay　on　the　wayside；　formed　by　a　single　forked

root。　　A　passing　ox…cart；　whose　creaking　wheels　were　made　of　a

solid　circle　of　wood；　apparently　sawn　from　an　ordinary　log；　again

plunged　him　into　cogitation。　　Here　and　there　little　areas　of　the

rudest　cultivation　broke　into　a　luxuriousness　of　orange；　lime；　and

fig　trees。　　The　joyous　earth　at　the　slightest　provocation　seemed　to

smile　and　dimple　with　fruit　and　flowers。　　Everywhere　the　rare

beatitudes　of　Todos　Santos　revealed　and　repeated　its　simple　story。

The　fructifying　influence　of　earth　and　sky；　the　intervention　of　a

vaporous　veil　between　a　fiery　sun　and　fiery　soil；　the　combination

of　heat　and　moisture；　purified　of　feverish　exhalations；　and　made

sweet　and　wholesome　by　the　saline　breath　of　the　mighty　sea；　had

been　the　beneficent　legacy　of　their　isolation；　the　munificent

compensation　of　their　oblivion。



A　gradual　and　gentle　ascent　at　the　end　of　two　hours　brought　the

cavalcade　to　a　halt　upon　a　rugged　upland　with　semi…tropical

shrubbery；　and　here　and　there　larger　trees　from　the　tierra　templada

in　the　evergreens　or　madrono。　　A　few　low　huts　and　corrals；　and　a

rambling　hacienda；　were　scattered　along　the　crest；　and　in　the　midst

arose　a　little　votive　chapel；　flanked　by　pear…trees。　　Near　the

roadside　were　the　crumbling　edges　of　some　long…forgotten　excavation。

Crosby　gazed　at　it　curiously。　　Touching　the　arm　of　the　officer；　he

pointed　to　it。



〃Una　mina　de　plata；〃　said　the　officer　sententiously。



〃A　mine　of　some　kindsilver；　I　bet！〃　said　Crosby；　turning　to　the

others。　　〃Is　it　goodbuenoyou　know？〃　he　continued　to　the

officer；　with　vague　gesticulations。



〃En　tiempos　pasados；〃　returned　the　officer　gravely。



〃I　wonder　what　that　means？〃　said　Winslow。



But　before　Crosby　could　question　further；　the　subaltern　signaled　to

them　to　dismount。　　They　did　so；　and　their　horses　were　led　away　to　a

little　declivity；　whence　came　the　sound　of　running　water。　　Left　to

themselves；　the　Americans　looked　around　them。　　The　cavalcade　seemed

to　have　halted　near　the　edge　of　a　precipitous　ridge；　the　evident

termination　of　the　road。　　But　the　view　that　here　met　their　eyes　was

unexpected　and　startling。



The　plateau　on　which　they　stood　seemed　to　drop　suddenly　away；

leaving　them　on　the　rocky　shore　of　a　monotonous　and　far…stretching

sea　of　waste　and　glittering　sand。　　Not　a　vestige　nor　trace　of

vegetation　could　be　seen；　except　an　occasional　ridge　of　straggling

pallid　bushes；　raised　in　hideous　simulation　of　the　broken　crest　of

a　ghostly　wave。　　On　either　side；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　the

hollow　empty　vision　extendedthe　interminable　desert　stretched　and

panted　before　them。



〃It's　the　jumping…off　place；　I　reckon；〃　said　Crosby；　〃and　they've

brought　us　here　to　show　us　how　small　is　our　chance　of　getting　away。

But；〃　he　added；　turning　towards　the　plateau　again；　〃what　are　they

doing　now？　　'Pon　my　soul！　　I　believe　they're　going　offand　leaving

us。〃



The　others　turned　as　he　spoke。　　It　was　true。　　The　dragoons　were

coolly　galloping　off　the　way　they　came；　taking　with　them　the　horses

the　Americans　had　just　ridden。



〃I　call　that　cool；〃　said　Crosby。　　〃It　looks　deuced　like　as　if　we

were　to　be　left　here　to　graze；　like　cattle。〃



〃Perhaps　that's　their　idea　of　a　prison　in　this　country；〃　said

Banks。　　〃There's　certainly　no　chance　of　our　breaking　jail　in　that

direction；〃　he　added；　pointing　to　the　desert；　〃and　we　can't　follow

them　without　horses。〃



〃And　I　dare　say　they've　guarded　the　pass　in　the　road　lower　down；〃

said　Winslow。



〃We　ought　to　be　able　to　hold　our　own　here　unt