the crusade of the excelsior-第31节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　fourth　in　two　weeks。　　Leaves　about　two　clear　working　days　in

each　week；　counting　for　the　days　off；　when　they're　getting　over　the

effects　of　the　others。　　I　tell　you　what；　sir；　the　Catholic　religion

is　not　suited　to　a　working　civilization；　or　else　the　calendar　ought

to　be　overhauled　and　a　lot　of　these　saints　put　on　the　retired　list。

It's　hard　enough　to　have　all　the　Apostles　on　your　pay…roll；　so　to

speak；　but　to　have　a　lot　of　fellows　run　in　on　you　as　saints；　and

some　of　them　not　even　men　or　women；　but　IDEAS；　is　piling　up　the

agony！　　I　don't　wonder　they　call　the　place　'All　Saints。'　　The　only

thing　to　do；〃　continued　Banks　severely；　〃is　to　open　communication

with　the　desert；　and　run　in　some　of　the　heathen　tribes　outside。

I've　made　a　proposition　to　the　Council　offering　to　take　five

hundred　of　them　in　the　raw；　unregenerate　state；　and　turn　'em　over

after　a　year　to　the　Church。　　If　I　could　get　Hurlstone　to　do　some

log…rolling　with　that　Padre；　his　friend；　I　might　get　the　bill

through。　　But　I'm　always　put　off　till　to…morrow。　　Everything　here

is　'Hasta　manana；　hasta　manana；'　always。　　I　believe　when　the　last

trump　is　sounded；　they'll　say；　'Hasta　manana。'　　What　are　YOU

doing？〃　he　said；　after　a　pause。



〃Waiting　for　your　ship；〃　answered　Crosby　sarcastically。



〃Well；　you　can　laugh；　gentlemenbut　you　won't　have　to　wait　long。

According　to　my　calculations　that　Mexican　ship　is　about　due　now。

And　I　ain't　basing　my　figures　on　anything　the　Mexican　Government　is

going　to　do；　or　any　commercial　speculation。　　I'm　reckoning　on　the

Catholic　Church。〃



The　two　men　languidly　looked　towards　him。　　Banks　continued

gravely；



〃I　made　the　proper　inquiries；　and　I　find　that　the　stock　of

rosaries；　scapularies；　blessed　candles；　and　other　ecclesiastical

goods；　is　running　low。　　I　find　that　just　at　the　nick　of　time　a

fresh　supply　always　comes　from　the　Bishop　of　Guadalajara；　with

instructions　from　the　Church。　　Now；　gentlemen；　my　opinion　is　that

the　Church；　and　the　Church　only；　knows　the　secret　of　the　passage

through　the　foggy　channel；　and　keeps　it　to　itself。　　I　look　at　this

commercially；　as　a　question　of　demand　and　supply。　　Well；　sir；　the

only　real　trader　here　at　Todos　Santos　is　the　Church。〃



〃Then　you　don't　take　in　account　the　interests　of　Brimmer；　Markham；

and　Keene；〃　said　Brace。　　〃Do　you　suppose　they're　doing　nothing？〃



〃I　don't　say　they're　not；　but　you're　confounding　interests　with

INSTINCTS。　　They　haven't　got　the　instinct　to　find　this　place；　and

all　that　they've　done　and　are　doing　is　blind　calculation。　　Just

look　at　the　facts。　　As　the　filibuster　who　captured　the　Excelsior　of

course　changed　her　name；　her　rig…out；　and　her　flag；　and　even　got　up

a　false　register　for　her；　she's　as　good　as　lost；　as　far　as　the

world　knows；　until　she　lands　at　Quinquinambo。　　Then　supposing　she's

found　out；　and　the　whole　story　is　knownalthough　everything's

against　such　a　propositionthe　news　has　got　to　go　back　to　San

Francisco　before　the　real　search　will　be　begun。　　As　to　any　clue

that　might　come　from　Captain　Bunker；　that's　still　more　remote。

Allowing　he　crossed　the　bar　and　got　out　of　the　channel；　he　wasn't

at　the　right　time　for　meeting　a　passing　steamer；　and　the　only

coasters　are　Mexican。　　If　he　didn't　die　of　delirium　tremens　or

exposure；　and　was　really　picked　up　in　his　senses　by　some　other

means；　he　would　have　been　back　with　succor　before　this；　if　only　to

get　our　evidence　to　prove　the　loss　of　the　vessel。　　No；　sir　sooner

or　later；　of　course；　the　San　Francisco　crowd　are　bound　to　find　us

here。　　And　if　it　wasn't　for　my　crops　and　our　mine；　I　wouldn't　be　in

a　hurry　for　them；　but　our　FIRST　hold　is　the　Church。〃



He　stopped。　　Crosby　was　asleep。　　Brace　arose　lazily；　lounged　into

his　office；　and　closed　his　desk。



〃Going　to　shut　for　the　day？〃　said　Banks；　yawning。



〃I　reckon；〃　said　Brace　dubiously；　〃I　don't　know　but　I'd　take　a

little　pasear　into　the　town　if　I　had　my　horse　ready。〃



〃Take　mine；　and　I'll　trapse　over　on　foot　to　the　Ranche　with　Crosby

after　a　spell。　　You'll　find　him　under　that　big　madrono；　if　he　has

not　already　wound　himself　up　with　his　lariat　by　walking　round　it。

Those　Mexican　horses　can't　go　straight　even　when　they　grazethey

must　feed　in　a　circle。　　He's　a　little　fresh；　so　look　out　for　him！〃



〃All　the　better。　　I'd　like　to　get　into　town　just　after　the　siesta。〃



〃Siesta！〃　echoed　Banks；　lying　comfortably　down　in　the　shade　just

vacated　by　Brace；　〃that's　another　of　their　shiftless　practices。

Two　hours　out　of　every　daythat's　a　day　out　of　the　weekspent　in

a　hammock；　and　during　business　hours　too！　　It's　disgraceful；　sir；

simply　disgraceful。〃



He　turned　over　and　closed　his　eyes；　as　if　to　reflect　on　its

enormity。



Brace　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　mare；　although　some　trouble

in　mounting　her。　　But；　like　his　companions；　having　quickly　adopted

the　habits　of　the　country；　he　had　become　a　skillful　and　experienced

horseman；　and　the　mustang；　after　a　few　springless　jumps；　which

failed　to　unseat　him；　submitted　to　his　rider。　　The　young　man

galloped　rapidly　towards　Todos　Santos；　but　when　within　a　few　miles

of　the　pueblo　he　slackened　his　pace。　　From　the　smiles　and　greetings

of　wayfarersamong　whom　were　some　pretty　Indian　girls　and

mestizasit　was　evident　that　the　handsome　young　foreigner；　who　had

paid　them　the　compliment　of　extravagantly　adopting　their　national

costume；　was　neither　an　unfamiliar　nor　an　unpleasing　spectacle。

When　he　reached　the　posada　at　the　top　of　the　hilly　street；　he　even

carried　his　simulation　of　the　local　customs　to　the　point　of

charging　the　veranda　at　full　speed；　and　pulling　up　suddenly　at　the

threshold；　after　the　usual　fashion　of　vaqueros。　　The　impetuous

apparition　brought　a　short　stout　man　to　the　door；　who；　welcoming

him　with　effusive　politeness；　conducted　him　to　an　inner　room　that

gave　upon　a　green　grass　courtyard。　　Seated　before　a　rude　table；

sipping　aguardiente；　was　his　countryman　Winslow　and　two　traders　of

the　pueblo。　　They　were　evidently　of　the　number　already　indicated

who　had　adopted　the　American　fashions。　　Senor　Ruiz　wore　a　linen

〃duster〃　in　place　of　his　embroidered　jacket；　and　Senor　Martinez　had

an　American　beard；　or　〃goatee；〃　in　imitation　of　Mr。　Banks。　　The　air

was　yellow　with　the　fumes　of　tobacco；　through　which　the　shrewd　eyes

of　Winslow　gleamed　murkily。



〃This；〃　he　said　to　his　countryman；　in　fluent　if　not　elegant

Spanish；　indicating　the　gentleman　who　had　imitated　Banks；　〃is　a　man

of　ideas；　and　a　power　in　Todos　Santos。　　He　would　control　all　the

votes　in　his　district　if　there　were　anything　like　popular　suffrage

here；　and　he　understands　the　American　policy。〃



Senor　Martinez　here　hastened　to　inform　Mr。　Brace　that　he　had　long

cherished　a　secret　and　enthusiastic　admiration　for　that　grand　and

magnanimous　nation　of　which　his　friend　was　such　a　noble

representative；　that；　indeed；　he　might　say　it　was　an　inherited

taste；　for　had　not　his　grandfather　once　talked　with　the　American

whaling　Capitano　Coffino　and　partaken　of　a　subtle　spirit　known　as

〃er…r…rum〃　on　his　ship　at　Acapulco？



〃There's　nothing　mean　about　Martinez；〃　said　Winslow　to　Brace

confidentially；　in　English。　　〃He's　up　to　anything；　and　ready　from

the　word　'Go。'　　Don't　you　think　he's　a　little　like　Banks；　you　know

a　sort　of　Mexican　edition。　　And　there　is　Ruiz；　he's　a　cattle

dealer；　he'd　be　a　good　friend　of　Banks　if　Banks　wasn't　so

infernally　self…opinionated。　　But　Ruiz　ain't　a　fool；　either。　　He's

picked　up　a　little　Englishgood　American；　I　meanfrom　me　already。〃



Senor　Ruiz　here　smiled　affably；　to　show　his　comprehension；　and

added　slowly；　with　great　gravity；



〃It　is　of　twenty…four　year　I　have　first　time　the　Amencano　of　your

beautiful　country　known。　　He　have　buy　the　hides　and　horns　of　the

cattlefor　his　shiphere。〃



〃Here？〃　echoed　Brace。　　〃I　thought　no　American　shipno　ship　at　all

had　been　in　here　for　fifty　years。〃



Ruiz　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　cast　a　glance　at　his　friend

Martinez；　lowered　his　voice　and　lifted　his　eyelashes　at　the　same

moment；　and；　jerking　his　yellow；　tobacco…stained　thumb　over　his

arm；　said；



〃Ahof　a　verityon　the　beachtwo　leagues　away。〃



〃Do　you　hear　that？〃　said　Winslow；　turning　complacently　to　Brace　and

rising　to　his　feet。　　〃Don't　you　see　now　what　hogwash　the　Commander；

Alcalde；　and　the　priest　have　been　cramming　down　our　throats　about

this　place　being　sealed　up　for　fifty　years。　　What　he　says　is　all

Gospel　truth。　　That's　what　I　wanted　you　fellows　to　hear；　and　you

might　have　heard　before；　only　you　were　afraid　of　compromising

yourselves　by　talking　with　the　people。　　You　get　it　into　your　heads

and　the　Comandante　helped　you　to　get　it　therethat　Todos　Santos

was　a　sort　of　Sleepy　Hollow；　and　that　no　one　knew　anything　of　the

political　changes　for　the　last　fifty　years。　　Well；　what's　the　fact？

Ask　Ruiz　there；　and　Martinez；　and　they'll　both　tell　you　they　know

that　Mexico　got　her　independence　in　1826；　and　that　the　Council　keep

it　dark　that　they　may　per