the crusade of the excelsior-第3节

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never　can　SEE　myself　there。〃



〃I　wish　you　did；　for　I'M　going　there；〃　he　replied　boldly。



Without　appearing　to　notice　the　significance　of　his　speech；　she

continued　gravely：



〃I　have　been　so　strongly　impressed　with　this　feeling　at　times　that

it　makes　me　quite　superstitious。　　When　we　had　that　terrible　storm

after　we　left　Callao；　I　thought　it　meant　thatthat　we　were　all

going　down；　and　we　should　never　be　heard　of　again。〃



〃As　long　as　we　all　went　together；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　that　it

would　be　the　worst　thing　that　could　happen。　　I　remember　that　storm；

Miss　Keene。　　And　I　remember〃He　stopped　timidly。



〃What？〃　she　replied；　raising　her　smiling　eyes　for　the　first　time　to

his　earnest　face。



〃I　remember　sitting　up　all　night　near　your　state…room；　with　a　cork

jacket　and　lots　of　things　I'd　fixed　up　for　you；　and　thinking　I'd

die　before　I　trusted　you　alone　in　the　boat　to　those　rascally

Lascars　of　the　crew。〃



〃But　how　would　you　have　prevented　it？〃　asked　Miss　Keene；　with　a

compassionate　and　half…maternal　amusement。



〃I　don't　know　exactly；〃　he　said；　coloring；　〃but　I'd　have　lashed　you

to　some　spar；　or　made　a　raft；　and　got　you　ashore　on　some　island。〃



〃And　poor　Mrs。　Markham　and　Mrs。　Brimmeryou'd　have　left　them　to

the　boats　and　the　Lascars；　I　suppose？〃　smiled　Miss　Keene。



〃Oh；　somebody　would　have　looked　after　Mrs。　Markham；　and　Mrs。

Brimmer　wouldn't　have　gone　with　anybody　that　wasn't　well　connected。

But　what's　the　use　of　talking？〃　he　added　ruefully。　　〃Nothing　has

happened；　and　nothing　is　going　to　happen。　　You　will　see　yourself　in

San　Francisco；　even　if　you　don't　see　ME　there。　　You're　going　to　a

rich　brother；　Miss　Keene；　who　has　friends　of　his　own；　and　who　won't

care　to　know　a　poor　fellow　whom　you　tolerated　on　the　passage；　but

who　don't　move　in　Mrs。　Brimmer's　set；　and　whom　Mr。　Banks　wouldn't

indorse　commercially。〃



〃Ah；　you　don't　know　my　brother；　Mr。　Brace。〃



〃Nor　do　you；　very　well；　Miss　Keene。　　You　were　saying；　only　last

night；　you　hardly　remembered　him。〃



The　young　girl　sighed。



〃I　was　very　young　when　he　went　West；〃　she　said　explanatorily；　〃but

I　dare　say　I　shall　recall　him。　　What　I　meant　is；　that　he　will　be

very　glad　to　know　that　I　have　been　so　happy　here；　and　he　will　like

all　those　who　have　made　me　so。〃



〃Then　you　have　been　happy？〃



〃Yes；　very。〃　　She　had　withdrawn　her　eyes；　and　was　looking　vaguely

towards　the　companion…way。　　〃Everybody　has　been　so　kind　to　me。〃



〃And　you　are　grateful　to　all？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Equally？〃



The　ship　gave　a　sudden　forward　plunge。　　Miss　Keene　involuntarily

clutched　the　air　with　her　little　hand；　that　had　been　resting　on　the

settee　between　them；　and　the　young　man　caught　it　in　his　own。



〃Equally？〃　he　repeated；　with　an　assumed　playfulness　that　half

veiled　his　anxiety。　　〃Equallyfrom　the　beaming　Senor　Perkins；　who

smiles　on　all；　to　the　gloomy　Mr。　Hurlstone；　who　smiles　on　no　one？〃



She　quickly　withdrew　her　hand；　and　rose。　　〃I　smell　the　breakfast；〃

she　said　laughingly。　　〃Don't　be　horrified；　Mr。　Brace；　but　I'm　very

hungry。〃　　She　laid　the　hand　she　had　withdrawn　lightly　on　his　arm。

〃Now　help　me　down　to　the　cabin。〃





CHAPTER　II。



ANOTHER　PORTENT。





The　saloon　of　the　Excelsior　was　spacious　for　the　size　of　the

vessel；　and　was　furnished　in　a　style　superior　to　most　passenger…

ships　of　that　epoch。　　The　sun　was　shining　through　the　sliding

windows　upon　the　fresh　and　neatly　arranged　breakfast…table；　but　the

presence　of　the　ominous　〃storm…racks；〃　and　partitions　for　glass　and

china；　and　the　absence　of　the　more　delicate　passengers；　still

testified　to　the　potency　of　the　Gulf　of　California。　　Even　those

present　wore　an　air　of　fatigued　discontent；　and　the　conversation

had　that　jerky　interjectional　quality　which　belonged　to　people　with

a　common　grievance；　but　a　different　individual　experience。　　Mr。

Winslow　had　been　unable　to　shave。　　Mrs。　Markham；　incautiously　and

surreptitiously　opening　a　port…hole　in　her　state…room　for　a　whiff

of　fresh　air　while　dressing；　had　been　shocked　by　the　intrusion　of

the　Pacific　Ocean；　and　was　obliged　to　summon　assistance　and　change

her　dress。　　Jack　Crosby；　who　had　attired　himself　for　tropical

shore…going　in　white　ducks　and　patent　leathers；　shivered　in　the

keen　northwest　Trades；　and　bewailed　the　cheap　cigars　he　had

expected　to　buy　at　Mazatlan。　　The　entrance　of　Miss　Keene；　who

seemed　to　bring　with　her　the　freshness　and　purity　of　the　dazzling

outer　air；　stirred　the　younger　men　into　some　gallant　attention；

embarrassed；　however；　by　a　sense　of　self…reproach。



Senor　Perkins　alone　retained　his　normal　serenity。　　Already　seated

at　the　table　between　the　two　fair…headed　children　of　Mrs。　Brimmer；

he　was　benevolently　performing　parental　duties　in　her　absence；　and

gently　supervising　and　preparing　their　victuals　even　while　he

carried　on　an　ethnological　and　political　discussion　with　Mrs。

Markham。



〃Ah；　my　dear　lady；〃　continued　the　Senor；　as　he　spread　a　hot　biscuit

with　butter　and　currant　jelly　for　the　youngest　Miss　Brimmer；　〃I　am

afraid　that；　with　the　fastidiousness　of　your　sex；　you　allow　your

refined　instincts　against　a　race　who　only　mix　with　ours　in　a　menial

capacity　to　prejudice　your　views　of　their　ability　for　enlightened

self…government。　　That　may　be　true　of　the　aborigines　of　the　Old

Worldlike　our　friends　the　Lascars　among　the　crew〃



〃They're　so　snaky；　dark；　and　deceitful…looking；〃　interrupted　Mrs。

Markham。



〃I　might　differ　from　you　there；　and　say　that　the　higher　blonde

types　like　the　Anglo…Saxonto　say　nothing　of　the　wily　Greekswere

the　deceitful　races：　it　might　be　difficult　for　any　of　us　to　say

what　a　sly　and　deceitful　man　should　be　like〃



〃Oor　not　detheitfuloor　a　dood　man；〃　interpolated　the　youngest

Miss　Brimmer；　fondly　regarding　the　biscuit。



〃Thank　you；　Missie；〃　beamed　the　Senor；　〃but　to　return：　our　Lascar

friends；　Mrs。　Markham；　belong　to　an　earlier　Asiatic　type　of

civilization　already　decayed　or　relapsed　to　barbarism；　while　the

aborigines　of　the　New　World　now　existing　have　never　known　itor；

like　the　Aztecs；　have　perished　with　it。　　The　modern　North　American

aborigine　has　not　yet　got　beyond　the　tribal　condition；　mingled　with

Caucasian　blood　as　he　is　in　Mexico　and　Central　America；　he　is

perfectly　capable　of　self…government。〃



〃Then　why　has　he　never　obtained　it？〃　asked　Mrs。　Markham。



〃He　has　always　been　oppressed　and　kept　down　by　colonists　of　the

Latin　races；　he　has　been　little　better　than　a　slave　to　his

oppressor　for　the　last　two　centuries；〃　said　Senor　Perkins；　with　a

slight　darkening　of　his　soft　eyes。



〃Injins　is　pizen；〃　whispered　Mr。　Winslow　to　Miss　Keene。



〃Who　would　be　free；　you　know；　the　poet　says；　ought　themselves　to

light　out　from　the　shoulder；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing；〃　suggested

Crosby；　with　cheerful　vagueness。



〃True；　but　a　little　assistance　and　encouragement　from　mankind

generally　would　help　them；〃　continued　the　Senor。　　〃Ah！　my　dear　Mrs。

Markham；　if　they　could　even　count　on　the　intelligent　sympathy　of

women　like　yourself；　their　independence　would　be　assured。　　And

think　what　a　proud　privilege　to　have　contributed　to　such　a　result；

to　have　assisted　at　the　birth　of　the　ideal　American　Republic；　for

such　it　would　bea　Republic　of　one　blood；　one　faith；　one　history。〃



〃What　on　earth；　or　sea；　ever　set　the　old　man　off　again？〃　inquired

Crosby；　in　an　aggrieved　whisper。　　〃It's　two　weeks　since　he's　given

us　any　Central　American　independent　flapdoodlelong　enough　for

those　nigger　injins　to　have　had　half　a　dozen　revolutions。　　You　know

that　the　vessels　that　put　into　San　Juan　have　saluted　one　flag　in

the　morning；　and　have　been　fired　at　under　another　in　the

afternoon。〃



〃Hush！〃　said　Miss　Keene。　　〃He's　so　kind！　　Look　at　him　now；　taking

off　the　pinafores　of　those　children　and　tidying　them。　　He　is　kinder

to　them　than　their　nurse；　and　more　judicious　than　their　mother。

And　half　his　talk　with　Mrs。　Markham　now　is　only　to　please　her；

because　she　thinks　she　knows　politics。　　He's　always　trying　to　do

good　to　somebody。〃



〃That's　so；〃　exclaimed　Brace；　eager　to　share　Miss　Keene's

sentiments；　〃and　he's　so　good　to　those　outlandish　niggers　in　the

crew。　　I　don't　see　how　the　captain　could　get　on　with　the　crew

without　him；　he's　the　only　one　who　can　talk　their　gibberish　and

keep　them　quiet。　　I've　seen　him　myself　quietly　drop　down　among　them

when　they　were　wrangling。　　In　my　opinion；〃　continued　the　young

fellow；　lowering　his　voice　somewhat　ostentatiously；　〃you'll　find

out　when　we　get　to　port　that　he's　stopped　the　beginning　of　many　a

mutiny　among　them。〃



〃I　reckon　they'd　make　short　work　of　a　man　like　him；〃　said　Winslow；

whose　superciliousness　was　by　no　means　lessened　by　the　community　of

sentiment　between　Miss　Keene　and　Brace。　　〃I　reckon；　his　political

reforms；　and　his　poetical　high…falutin'　wouldn't　go　as　far　in　the

forecastle　among　live　men　as　it　does　in　the　cabin　with　a　lot　of

women。　　You'll　more　likely　find