arizona nights-第23节

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cubbyhole　up　in　the　front　of　her；　had　one　mast；　and　was　pointed

at　both　ends。　　However；　Schwartz　said　she　was　all　right。　　He

claimed　he　knew　the　kind；　that　she　was　the　sort　used　by　French

fishermen；　and　could　stand　all　sorts　of　trouble。　　She　didn't　look

it。

　　　

We　worked　her　up　to　Yuma；　partly　with　oars　and　partly　by　sails。　

Then　we　loaded　her　with　grub　for　a　month。　　Each　of　us　had　his　own

weapons；　of　course。　　In　addition　we　put　in　picks　and　shovels；　and

a　small　cask　of　water。　　Handy　Solomon　said　that　would　be　enough；

as　there　was　water　marked　down　on　his　chart。　　We　told　the　gang

that　we　were　going　trading。

　　　

At　the　end　of　the　week　we　started；　and　were　out　four　days。　　There

wasn't　much　room；　what　with　the　supplies　and　the　baggage；　for　the

five　of　us。　　We　had　to　curl　up　'most　anywheres　to　sleep。　　And　it

certainly　seemed　to　me　that　we　were　in　lots　of　danger。　　The　waves

were　much　bigger　than　she　was；　and　splashed　on　us　considerable；

but　Schwartz　and　Anderson　didn't　seem　to　mind。　　They　laughed　at

us。　　Anderson　sang　that　song　of　his；　and　Schwartz　told　us　of　the

placers　he　had　worked。　　He　and　Simpson　had　made　a　pretty　good

clean…up；　just　enough　to　make　them　want　to　get　rich。　　The　first

day　out　Simpson　showed　us　a　belt　with　about　an　hundred　ounces　of

dust。　　This　he　got　tired　of　wearing；　so　he　kept　it　in　a　

compass…box；　which　was　empty。

　　　

At　the　end　of　the　four　days　we　turned　in　at　a　deep　bay　and　came

to　anchor。　　The　country　was　the　usual　propositionvery

light…brown；　brittle…looking　mountains；　about　two　thousand　feet

high；　lots　of　sage　and　cactus；　a　pebbly　beach；　and　not　a　sign　of

anything　fresh　and　green。

　　　　

But　Denton　and　I　were　mighty　glad　to　see　any　sort　of　land。　

Besides；　our　keg　of　water　was　pretty　low；　and　it　was　getting

about　time　to　discover　the　spring　the　chart　spoke　of。　　So　we

piled　our　camp　stuff　in　the　small　boat　and　rowed　ashore。



Anderson　led　the　way　confidently　enough　up　a　dry　arroyo；　whose

sides　were　clay　and　conglomerate。　　But；　though　we　followed　it　to

the　end；　we　could　find　no　indications　that　it　was　anything　more

than　a　wash　for　rain　floods。

　　

〃That's　main　queer；〃　muttered　Anderson；　and　returned　to　the

beach。

　　　

There　he　spread　out　the　chartthe　first　look　at　it　we'd　hadand

set　to　studying　it。



It　was　a　careful　piece　of　work　done　in　India　ink；　pretty　old；　to

judge　by　the　look　of　it；　and　with　all　sorts　of　pictures　of

mountains　and　dolphins　and　ships　and　anchors　around　the　edge。　

There　was　our　bay；　all　right。　　Two　crosses　were　marked　on　the

land　partone　labelled　〃oro〃　and　the　other　〃agua。〃

　　

〃Now　there's　the　high　cliff；〃　says　Anderson；　following　it　out；

〃and　there's　the　round　hill　with　the　boulderand　if　them

bearings　don't　point　due　for　that　ravine；　the　devil's　a

preacher。〃

　　　

We　tried　it　again；　with　the　same　result。　　A　second　inspection　of

the　map　brought　us　no　light　on　the　question。　　We　talked　it　over；

and　looked　at　it　from　all　points；　but　we　couldn't　dodge　the

truth：　　the　chart　was　wrong。



Then　we　explored　several　of　the　nearest　gullies；　but　without

finding　anything　but　loose　stones　baked　hot　in　the　sun。

　　　

By　now　it　was　getting　towards　sundown；　so　we　built　us　a　fire　of

mesquite　on　the　beach；　made　us　supper；　and　boiled　a　pot　of　beans。

　　　

We　talked　it　over。　　The　water　was　about　gone。

　　

〃That's　what　we've　got　to　find　first；〃　said　Simpson；　〃no　question

of　it。　　It's　God　knows　how　far　to　the　next　water；　and　we　don't

know　how　long　it　will　take　us　to　get　there　in　that　little　boat。　

If　we　run　our　water　entirely　out　before　we　start；　we're　going　to

be　in　trouble。　　We'll　have　a　good　look　to…morrow；　and　if　we　don't

find　her；　we'll　run　down　to　Mollyhay＇4＇　and　get　a　few　extra

casks。〃



＇4＇　Mulege　…　I　retain　the　Old　Timer's　pronunciation。





〃Perhaps　that　map　is　wrong　about　the　treasure；　too；〃　suggested

Denton。

　　　　　

〃I　thought　of　that；〃　said　Handy　Solomon；　〃but　then；　thinks　I　to

myself；　this　old　rip　probably　don't　make　no　long　stay　herejust

dodges　in　and　out　like；　between　tides；　to　bury　his　loot。　　He

would　need　no　water　at　the　time；　but　he　might　when　he　came　back；

so　he　marked　the　water　on　his　map。　　But　he　wasn't　noways

particular　AND　exact；　being　in　a　hurry。　　But　you　can　kiss　the

Book　to　it　that　he　didn't　make　no　such　mistakes　about　the　swag。〃

　　

〃I　believe　you're　right；〃　said　I。

　　　

When　we　came　to　turn　in；　Anderson　suggested　that　he　should　sleep

aboard　the　boat。　　But　Billy　Simpson；　in　mind　perhaps　of　the

hundred　ounces　in　the　compass…box；　insisted　that　he'd　just　as

soon　as　not。　　After　a　little　objection　Handy　Solomon　gave　in；　but

I　thought　he　seemed　sour　about　it。　　We　built　a　good　fire；　and　in

about　ten　seconds　were　asleep。

　　　　

Now；　usually　I　sleep　like　a　log；　and　did　this　time　until　about

midnight。　　Then　all　at　once　I　came　broad　awake　and　sitting　up　in

my　blankets。　　Nothing　had　happenedI　wasn't　even　dreamingbut

there　I　was　as　alert　and　clear　as　though　it　were　broad　noon。

　　　　

By　the　light　of　the　fire　I　saw　Handy　Solomon　sitting；　and　at　his

side　our　five　rifles　gathered。

　　　　

I　must　have　made　some　noise；　for　he　turned　quietly　toward　me；　saw

I　was　awake；　and　nodded。　　The　moonlight　was　sparkling　on　the　hard

stony　landscape；　and　a　thin　dampness　came　out　from　the　sea。

　　　　　

After　a　minute　Anderson　threw　on　another　stick　of　wood；　yawned；

and　stood　up。



〃It's　wet；〃　said　he；　〃I've　been　fixing　the　guns。〃

　　　

He　showed　me　how　he　was　inserting　a　little　patch　of　felt　between

the　hammer　and　the　nipple；　a　scheme　of　his　own　for　keeping　damp

from　the　powder。　　Then　he　rolled　up　in　his　blanket。　　At　the　time

it　all　seemed　quite　naturalI　suppose　my　mind　wasn't　fully

awake；　for　all　my　head　felt　so　clear。　　Afterwards　I　realised　what

a　ridiculous　bluff　he　was　making：　for　of　course　the　cap　already

on　the　nipple　was　plenty　to　keep　out　the　damp。　　I　fully　believe

he　intended　to　kill　us　as　we　lay。　　Only　my　sudden　awakening

spoiled　his　plan。

　　　

I　had　absolutely　no　idea　of　this　at　the　time；　however。　　Not　the

slightest　suspicion　entered　my　head。　　In　view　of　that　fact；　I

have　since　believed　in　guardian　angels。　　For　my　next　move；　which

at　the　time　seemed　to　me　absolutely　aimless；　was　to　change　my

blankets　from　one　side　of　the　fire　to　the　other。　　And　that

brought　me　alongside　the　five　rifles。

　　　

Owing　to　this　fact；　I　am　now　convinced；　we　awoke　safe　at

daylight；　cooked　breakfast；　and　laid　the　plan　for　the　day。　

Anderson　directed　us。　　I　was　to　climb　over　the　ridge　before　us

and　search　in　the　ravine　on　the　other　side。　　Schwartz　was　to

explore　up　the　beach　to　the　left；　and　Denton　to　the　right。　

Anderson　said　he　would　wait　for　Billy　Simpson；　who　had　overslept

in　the　darkness　of　the　cubbyhole；　and　who　was　now　paddling

ashore。　　The　two　of　them　would　push　inland　to　the　west　until　a

high　hill　would　give　them　a　chance　to　look　around　for　greenery。

　　　

We　started　at　once；　before　the　sun　would　be　hot。　　The　hill　I　had

to　climb　was　steep　and　covered　with　chollas；　so　I　didn't　get

along　very　fast。　　When　I　was　about　half　way　to　the　top　I　heard　a

shot　from　the　beach。　　I　looked　back。　　Anderson　was　in　the　small

boat；　rowing　rapidly　out　to　the　vessel。　　Denton　was　running　up

the　beach　from　one　direction　and　Schwartz　from　the　other。　　I　slid

and　slipped　down　the　bluff；　getting　pretty　well　stuck　up　with　the

cholla　spines。　　



At　the　beach　we　found　Billy　Simpson　lying　on　his　ace；　shot

through　the　back。　　We　turned　him　over；　but　he　was　apparently

dead。　　Anderson　had　hoisted　the　sail；　had　cut　loose　from　the

anchor；　and　was　sailing　away。

　　　

Denton　stood　up　straight　and　tall；　looking。　　Then　he　pulled　his

belt　in　a　hole；　grabbed　my　arm；　and　started　to　run　up　the　long

curve　of　the　beach。　　Behind　us　came　Schwartz。　　We　ran　near　a

mile；　and　then　fell　among　some　tules　in　an　inlet　at　the　farther

point。

　　

〃What　is　it？〃　I　gasped。

　　

〃Our　only　chanceto　get　him　said　Denton。　　〃He's　got　to　go

around　this　pointbig　windperhaps　his　mast　will　bustthen

he'll　come　ashore〃　　He　opened　and　shut　his　big　brown　hands。

　　　

So　there　we　two　fools　lay；　like　panthers　in　the　tules；　taking　our

only　one…in…a…million　chance　to　lay　hands　on　Anderson。　　Any

sailor　could　have　told　us　that　the　mast　wouldn't　break；　but　we

had　winded　Schwartz　a　quarter　of　a　mile　back。　　And　so　we　waited；

our　eyes　fixed　on　the　boat's　sail；　grudging　her　every　inch；　just

burning　to　fix　things　to　suit　us　a　little　better。　　And　naturally

she　made　the　point　in　what　I　now　know　was　only　a　fresh　breeze；

squared　away；　and　dropped　down　before　the　wind　toward　Guaymas。

　　　

We　walked　back　slowly　to　our　camp；　swallowing　the　copper　taste　of

too　hard　a　run。　　Schwartz　we　picked　up　from　a　boulder；　just

recovering。　　We　were　all　of　us　crazy　mad。　　Schwartz　half　wept；

and　blamed　and　cussed。　　Denton　glowered　away　in　silence。　　I

ground　my　feet　into　the　sand　in　a　help　less　sort　of　anger；　not

only　at　the　man　himself；　bu