a summer in a canyon-第30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！


much　as　to　say；　〃Poor　Polly；　she　will　never　hold　out　at　this　rate；　do
you　notice　that　nothing　ruffles　herthat　she　is　simply　angelic？〃　　As
if　I　couldn't　be　angelic　for　a　fortnight！　　Why　I　have　often　done　it
for　four　weeks　at　a　stretch！'

Margery　was　in　the　habit　of　giving　Hop　Yet　an　English　lesson　every
other　day；　as　he　had　been　very　loath　to　leave　his　evening　school　in
Santa　Barbara　and　bury　himself　in　a　canyon；　away　from　all　educational
influences；　but　she　had　deserted　her　post　for　once　and　gone　to　ride
with　Elsie；　so　that　Polly　had　taken　her　place　and　was　evolving　an
exercise　that　Hop　Yet　would　remember　to　the　latest　day　of　his　life。
It　looked　simple　enough：…

1。　　The　grass　is　dry。
2。　　The　fruit　is　ripe。
3：　　The　chaparral　is　green。
4。　　The　new　road　is　all　right。
5。　　The　bay…'rum'　tree　is　fresh　and　pretty。

But　as　no　Chinaman　can　pronounce　the　letter　'r；'　it　was　laboriously
rendered　thus；　when　the　unhappy　time　of　the　lesson　came：

1。　　The…glass…is…dly。
2。　　The…fluit…is…lipe。
3。　　The…chap…lal…is…gleen。
4。　　The…new…load…is…all…light…ee。
5。　　The　bay…lum…tlee…is…flesh…and…plitty。

Finally；　when　she　attempted　to　introduce　the　sentence；　'Around　the
rough　and　rugged　rock　the　ragged　rascal　ran；'　Hop　Yet　rose　hurriedly；
remarking；　'All　lightee；　I　go　no　more　school　jus'　now。　　I　lun　get
lunchee。'

Bell　came　running　down　the　path　just　then；　and　linking　her　arm　in
Polly's　said；　'Papa　has　the　nicest　plan。　　You　know　the　boys　are　so
disappointed　that　Colonel　Jackson　didn't　ask　them　over　to　that　rodeo
at　his　cattle　ranchthough　a　summer　rodeo　is　only　to　sort　out　fat
cattle　to　sell；　and　it　is　not　very　exciting；　but　papa　promised　to
tell　them　all　about　the　old…fashioned　kind　some　night；　and　he　has
just　remembered　that　to…morrow　is　Admission　Day；　September　9；　so　he
proposes　a　real　celebration　round　the　camp…fire　to　amuse　Elsie。　　She
doesn't　know　anything　about　California　even　as　it　is　now；　and　none　of
us　know　what　it　was　in　the　old　days。　　Don't　you　think　it　will　be
fun？'

'Perfectly　splendid！'

'And　papa　wants　us　each　to　contribute　something。'

'A　picnic！but　I　don't　know　anything。'

'That's　just　what　I'm　coming　to。　　I　have　such　a　bright　idea。　　He　said
that　we　might　look　in　any　of　his　books；　but　Geoff　and　Jack　are　at
them　already；　and　I'd　like　a　surprise。　　Now　Juan　Capistrano；　an　old
vaquero　of　Colonel　Jackson's；　is　over　here。　　He　is　a　wonderful　rider；
papa　says　that　he　could　ride　on　a　comet；　if　he　could　get　a　chance　to
mount。　　It　was　he　who　told　the　boys　that　the　rodeo　was　over。　　Now　I
propose　that　we　go　and　interview　Pancho　and　Juan；　and　get　them　to
tell　us　some　old　California　stories。　　They　are　both　as　stupid　as　they
can　be；　but　they　must　have　had　some　adventures；　I　suppose；　somewhere；
sometime。　　I'll　translate　and　write　the　things　down；　for　my　part；　and
you　and　Margery　can　tell　them。'

'Lovely！　　Oh；　if　we　can　only　get　an　exciting　grizzly　story；　so　that


Every　one's　blood　upon　end　it　will　stand；
And　the　hair　run　cold　in　their　veins！


And　was　Dr。　Paul　out　here　when　California　was　admitted　into　the
Union1850；　wasn't　it？'

'Of　course；　why；　my　child；　he　was　one　of　the　delegates　called　by
General　Riley；　the　military　governor；　to　meet　in　convention　at
Monterey　and　make　a　State　constitution。　　That　was　September；　toothe
first　day　of　September　1849。　　He　went　back　to　the　East　some　time
afterwards；　and　stayed　ten　or　fifteen　years；　but　he　was　a　real
pioneer　and　〃forty…niner〃　all　the　same。

The　next　night；　September　9th；　was　so　cool　that　the　camp…fire　was
more　than　ordinarily　delightful；　accordingly　they　piled　on　more　wood
than　usual；　and　prepared　for　a　grand　blaze。　　It　was　always　built
directly　in　front　of　the　sitting…room　tent；　so　that　Mrs。　Howard　and
Mrs。　Winship　could　sit　there　if　they　liked；　but　the　young　people
preferred　to　lie　lazily　on　their　cushions　and　saddles　under　the　oak…
tree；　a　little　distance　from　the　blaze。　　The　clear；　red　firelight
danced　and　flickered；　and　the　sparks　rose　into　the　sombre　darkness
fantastically；　while　the　ruddy　glow　made　the　great　oak　an　enchanted
palace；　into　whose　hollow　dome　they　never　tired　of　gazing。　　When　the
light　streamed　highest；　the　bronze　green　of　the　foliage　was　turned
into　crimson；　and；　as　it　died　now　and　then；　the　stars　winked　brightly
through　the　thousand　tiny　windows　formed　by　the　interlacing　branches。

'Well；'　said　the　doctor；　bringing　his　Chinese　lounging…chair　into　the
circle；　and　lighting　his　pipe　so　as　to　be　thoroughly　happy　and
comfortable；　'will　you　banish　distinctions　of　age　and　allow　me　to　sit
among　you　this　evening？'

'Certainly；'　Margery　said；　'that's　the　very　point　of　the　celebration。
This　is　Admission　Day；　you　know；　and　why　shouldn't　we　admit　you？'

'True；　and　having　put　myself　into　a　holiday　humour　by　dining　off
Pancho's　dish　of　guisado　（I　suppose　to…night　of　all　nights　we　must
call　beef　and　onion　stew　by　its　local　name）；　I　will　proceed　to
business；　and　we　will　talk　about　California。　　By　the　way；　I　shall
only　conduct　the　exercises；　for　I　feel　rather　embarrassed　by　the　fact
that　I've　never　killed；　or　been　killed　by；　a　bear；　never　been　bitten
by　a　tarantula；　poisoned　by　a　rattlesnake；　assaulted　by　a　stage…
robber；　nor　anything　of　that　sort。　　You　have　all　read　my　story　of
crossing　the　plains。　　I　even　did　that　in　a　comparatively　easy　and
unheroic　fashion。　　I　only　wish；　my　dear　girls　and　boys；　that　we　had
with　us　some　one　of　the　brave　and　energetic　men　and　women　who　made
that　terrible　journey　at　the　risk　of　their　lives。　　The　history　of　the
California　Crusaders；　the　thirty　thousand　or　more　emigrants　who
crossed　the　plains　in　'48；　more　than　equals　the　great　military
expeditions　of　the　Middle　Ages；　in　magnitude；　peril；　and　adventure。
Some　went　by　way　of　Santa　Fe　and　along　the　hills　of　the　Gila；　others；
starting　from　Red　River；　traversed　the　Great　Stake　Desert　and　went
from　El　Paso　del　Norte　to　Sonora；　others　went　through　Mexico；　and；
after　spending　over　a　hundred　days　at　sea；　ran　into　San　Diego　and
gave　up　their　vessels；　others　landed　exhausted　with　their　seven
months'　passage　round　the　Horn；　and　some　reached　the　spot　on　foot
after　walking　the　whole　length　of　the　California　peninsula。'

'What　privations　they　must　have　suffered！'　said　Mrs。　Howard。　　'I
never　quite　realised　it。'

'Why；　the　amount　of　suffering　that　was　endured　in　those　mountain
passes　and　deserts　can　never　be　told　in　words。　　Those　who　went　by　the
Great　Desert　west　of　the　Colorado　found　a　stretch　of　burning　salt
plains；　of　shifting　hills　of　sand；　with　bones　of　animals　and　men
scattered　along　the　trails；　of　terrible　and　ghastly　odours　rising　in
the　hot　air　from　the　bodies　of　hundreds　of　mules；　and　human　creatures
too；　that　lay　half…buried　in　the　glaring　white　sand。　　A　terrible
journey　indeed；　but　if　any　State　in　the　Union　could　be　fair　enough；
fertile　enough；　and　rich　enough　to　repay　such　a　lavish　expenditure　of
energy　and　suffering；　California　certainly　was　and　is　the　one。　　Now
who　can　tell　us　something　of　the　name　〃California〃？　　You；　Geoffrey？'

'Geoffrey　has　crammed！'　exclaimed　Bell；　maliciously。　　'I　believe　he's
been　reading　up　all　day　and　told　papa　what　question　to　ask　him！'

'I'll　pass　it　on　to　you　if　you　like；'　laughed　Geoffrey。

'Noyou'd　never　get　another　that　you　could　answer！　　Go　on！'

'In　1534；　one　Hernando　de　Grijalva　was　sent　by　Hernando　Cortez　to
discover　something　or　other；　and　it　was　probably　he　who　then　saw　the
peninsula　of　California；　but　a　quarter　of　a　century　before　this　a
romance　called　Esplandian　had　appeared　in　Spain；　narrating　the
adventures　of　an　Amazonian　queen　who　brought　allies　from　〃the　right
hand　of　the　Indies〃　to　assist　the　infidels　in　their　attack　upon
Constantinopleby　the　way　I　forgot　to　say　that　she　was　a　pagan。
This　queen　of　the　Amazons　was　called　Calafia；　and　her　kingdom；　rich
in　gold　and　precious　stones；　was　named　California。　　The　writer　of　the
romance　derived　this　name；　perhaps；　from　Calif；　a　successor　of
Mohammed。　　He　says：　　〃Know　that　on　the　right　hand　of　the　Indies　there
is　an　island　named　California；　very　close　to　the　Terrestial　Paradise；
and　it　was　peopled　by　black　women　without　any　man　among　them；　for
they　lived　in　the　fashion　of　the　Amazonia。　　They　were　of　strong　and
hardy　bodies；　of　ardent　courage；　and　of　great　force。　　Their　island
was　the　strongest　in　all　the　world；　with　its　steep　cliffs　and　rocky
shore。　　Their　arms　were　all　of　gold；　and　so　was　the　harness　of　the
wild　beasts　which　they　tamed　and　rode。　　For　in　the　whole　island　there
was　no　metal　but　gold。　　They　lived　in　caves　wrought　out　of　the　rocks
with　much　labour；　and　they　had　many　ships　with　which　they　sailed　out
to　other　countries　to　obtain　booty。〃　　Cortez　and　Grijalva　believed
that　they　were　near　the　coast　of　Asia；　for　they　had　no　conception　of
the　size　of　the　world　nor　of　the　vastness　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；　and
as　the　newly…discovered　land　corresponded　with　the　country　described
in　the　romance；　they　named　the　peninsula　California。'

'My　book；'　said　Philip；　'declared　that　the　derivation　of　the　name　was
very　uncertain；　and　that　it　was　first　bestowed　on　one　of　the　coast
bays　by　Bernal　Diaz。'

'Now；　Philip！'　exclaimed　Margery；　'do　you　suppose　we　are　going　to
believe　that；　after