a summer in a canyon-第5节

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'Nothing；　aunty；'　laughed　Polly。　　'But　we　have　formed　a　society　for
suppressing　Jack's　conundrums；　and　this　is　our　first　public　meeting。
How　do　you　like　the　watchword？'

Aunt　Truth　smiled。　　'It　was　very　audible；'　she　said。　　'Yours　is
evidently　not　a　secret　society。'

'I　wish　I　could　find　out　who　originated　this　plan；'　quoth　Jack；
murderously。　　'But　I　suppose　it's　one　of　you　girls；　and　I　can't
revenge　myself。　　Oh；　when　will　this　barrier　between　the　sexes　be
removed！'

'I　trust　not　in　your　lifetime；'　shuddered　Polly；　'or　we　might　as　well
begin　to　〃stand　round　our　dying　beds〃　at　once。'



CHAPTER　II：　　THE　JOURNEY



'Away；　away；　from　men　and　towns；
To　the　wild　wood　and　the　downs；
To　the　silent　wilderness。'


Whatever　the　distance　was　in　reality；　the　steamer　had　consumed　more
time　than　usual；　and　it　was　quite　two　o'clock；　instead　of　half…past
twelve；　as　they　had　expected；　before　they　were　landed　on　the　old　and
almost　forgotten　pier；　and　saw　the　smoke　of　the　Orizaba　as　she
steamed　away。

After　counting　over　their　bags　and　packages　to　see　if　anything　had
been　forgotten；　they　looked　about　them。

There　was　a　dirty　little　settlement；　a　mile　or　two　to　the　south；
consisting　of　a　collection　of　tumble…down　adobe　houses　which　looked
like　a　blotch　on　the　brown　hillside；　a　few　cattle　were　browsing　near
by；　and　the　locality　seemed　to　be　well　supplied　with　lizards；　which
darted　over　the　dusty　ground　in　all　directions。　　But　the　startling
point　of　the　landscape　was　that　it　showed　no　sign　of　human　life；　and
Pancho's　orders　had　been　to　have　Senor　Don　Manuel　Felipe　Hilario
Noriega　and　his　wood…cart　on　hand　promptly　at　half…past　twelve。

'Can　Pancho　have　forgotten？'

'Can　he　have　lost　his　way　and　never　arrived　here　at　all？'

'Can　Senor　Don　Manuel　Felipe　Hilario　Noriega　have　grown　tired　of
waiting　and　gone　off？'

'Has　Senor　Don　Manuel　Felipe　Hilario　Noriega　been　drinking　too　much
aguardiente　and　so　forgotten　to　come？'

'Has　Pancho　been　murdered　by　highway　robbers；　and　served　up　into　stew
for　their　evening　meal？'

'With　Hop　Yet　for　dessert！　　Oh；　horrible！'　　These　were　some　of　the
questions　and　exclamations　that　greeted　the　ears　of　the　lizards；　and
caused　them　to　fly　over　the　ground　in　a　more　excited　fashion　than
ever。

'One　thing　is　certain。　　If　Pancho　has　been　stupid　enough　to　lose　his
way　coming　fifty　miles　down　the　coast；　I'll　discharge　him；'　said　Dr。
Winship；　with　decision。

'When　you　find　him；'　added　Aunt　Truth；　prudently。

'Of　course。　　But　really；　mamma；　this　looks　discouraging；　I　am　afraid
we　can't　get　into　camp　this　evening。　　Shall　we　go　up　to　the　nearest
ranch　house　for　the　night；　and　see　what　can　be　done　to…morrow？'

'Never！'　exclaimed　the　young　people；　with　one　deafening　shout。

'Never；'　echoed　Philip　separately。　　'I　have　vowed　that　a　bed　shall
not　know　me　for　three　months；　and　I'll　keep　my　vow。'

'What　do　you　say　to　this；　Uncle　Doc？'　said　Geoffrey。　　'Suppose　you　go
up　to　the　storehouse　and　office；it's　about　a　mile；and　see　if　the
goods　are　there　all　right；　and　whether　the　men　saw　Pancho　on　his　way
up　to　the　canyon。　　Meanwhile；　Phil　and　I　will　ride　over　here
somewhere　to　get　a　team；　or　look　up　Senor　Don　Manuel　Felipe　Hilario
Noriega。　　Jack　can　stay　with　Aunt　Truth　and　the　girls；　to　watch
developments。'

'But；　papa；　can't　we　pitch　the　camp　to…night；　somehow？'　asked　Bell；
piteously。

'I　don't　see　how。　　We　are　behindhand　already；　and　if　we　get　started
within　an　hour　we　can't　reach　the　ground　I　selected　before　dark　and
we　can't　choose　any　nearer　one；　because　if　Pancho　is　anywhere　in
creation　he　is　on　the　identical　spot　I　sent　him　to。'

'But；　Dr。　Paul；　I'll　tell　you　what　we　could　do；'　suggested　Jack。　　'If
we　get　any　kind　of　a　start；　we　can't　fail　to　reach　camp　by　seven　or
eight　o'clock　at　latest。　　Now　it's　bright　moonlight；　and　if　we　find
Pancho；　he'll　have　the　baggage　unloaded；　and　Hop　Yet　will　have　a　fire
lighted。　　What's　to　prevent　our　swinging　the　hammocks　for　the　ladies？
And　we'll　just　roll　up　in　our　blankets　by　the　fire；　for　to…night。
Then　we'll　get　to　housekeeping　in　the　morning。'

This　plan　received　a　most　enthusiastic　reception。

'Very　well；'　replied　the　Doctor。　　'If　you　are　all　agreed；　I　suppose
we　may　as　well　begin　roughing　it　now　as　at　any　time。'

You　may　have　noticed　sometimes；　after　having　fortified　yourself
against　a　terrible　misfortune　which　seemed　in　store　for　you；　that　it
didn't　come；　after　all。　　Well；　it　was　so　in　this　case；　for　just　as
Dr。　Winship　and　the　boys　started　out　over　the　hillside　at　a　brisk
pace；　an　immense　cloud　of　dust；　some　distance　up　the　road；　attracted
their　attention；　and　they　came　to　a　sudden　standstill。

The　girls　held　their　breath　in　anxious　expectation；　and　at　length
gave　an　irrepressible　shout　of　joy　and　relief　when　there　issued　from
the　dense　grey　cloud　the　familiar　four…horse　team；　with　Daisy；　Tule
Molly；　Villikins；　and　Dinah；　looking　as　fresh　as　if　they　had　not　been
driven　a　mile；　tough　little　mustangs　that　they　were。

A　long　conversation　in　Spanish　ensued；　which；　being　translated　by　Dr。
Winship；　furnished　all　necessary　information　concerning　the　delay。

S。　D。　M。　F。　H。　N。　stated　that　Pancho　was　neither　faithless　nor
stupid；　but　was　waiting　for　them　on　the　camping…ground；　and　that　as
the　goods　were　already　packed　in　his　wood…cart　he　would　follow　them
immediately。　　So　the　whole　party　started　without　more　delay；　Dr。　and
Mrs。　Winship；　Master　Paul；　Jack　Howard；　and　the　three　girls　riding　in
the　wagon；　while　Geoffrey　and　Philip　galloped　ahead　on　horseback。

It　was　a　long；　dusty；　tiresome　ride；　and　Dicky；　who　had　been　as　good
all　day　as　any　saint　ever　carved　in　marble　and　set　in　a　niche；　grew
rather　warm；　cross；　and　hungry；　although　he　had　been　consuming
ginger…snaps　and　apricots　since　early　morning。　　After　asking
plaintively　for　the　fiftieth　time　how　long　it　would　be　before　dinner；
he　finally　succumbed　to　his　weariness；　and　dropping　his　yellow　head；
that　was　like　a　cowslip　ball；　in　his　mother's　lap；　he　fell　asleep。

But　the　young　people；　whose　eyes　were　not　blinded　by　hunger　and
sleep；　found　more　than　enough　to　interest　them　on　this　dusty
California　road；　winding　as　it　did　through　grand　old　growths　of
trees；　acres　and　acres　of　waving　grain；　and　endless　stretches　of
gorgeous　yellow　mustard；　the　stalks　of　which　were　five　or　six　feet
high；　almost　hiding　from　view　the　boys　who　dashed　into　the　golden
forest　from　time　to　time。

At　the　foot　of　the　hill　they　passed　an　old　adobe　hut；　with　a　crowd　of
pretty；　swarthy；　frowzy　Mexican　children　playing　in　the　sunshine；
while　their　mother；　black…haired　and　ample　of　figure；　occupied
herself　in　hanging　great　quantities　of　jerked　beef　on　a　sort　of
clothes…line　running　between　the　eucalyptus…trees。

The　father；　a　wild…looking　individual　in　a　red　shirt　and　enormous
hat；　came　from　behind　the　hut；　unhitched　the　stout　little　broncho
tied　to　the　fence；　gave　the　poor　animal　a　desperately　tight　'cinch；'
threw　himself　into　the　saddle　without　touching　his　foot　to　the
lumbering　wooden　stirrups；　and；　digging　his　spurs　well　into　the
horse's　sides；　was　out　of　sight　in　an　instant；　leaving　only　a　huge
cloud　of　dust　to　cover　his　disappearance。

'How　those　fellows　do　ride！'　exclaimed　Dr。　Winship；　savagely。　　'I
wish　they　were　all　obliged　to　walk　until　they　knew　how　to　treat　a
horse。'

'Then　they'd　walk　straight　into　the　millennium；'　said　Jack；　sagely；
'for　their　cruelty　seems　to　be　an　instinct。'

'But　how　beautifully　they　ride；　too！'　said　Polly。　　'Mamma　and　I　were
sitting　on　the　hotel　piazza　the　other　day；　watching　two　young
Spaniards　who　were　performing　feats　of　horsemanship。　　They　dropped
four…bit　pieces　on　the　dusty　road；　and　riding　up　to　them　at　full
speed　clutched　them　from　the　ground　in　some　mysterious　way　that　was
perfectly　wonderful。　　Then　Nick　Gutierrez　mounted　a　bucking　horse；
and　actually　rolled　and　lighted　a　cigarette　while　the　animal　bucked
with　all　his　might。'

'See　that　cunning；　cunning　muchachita；　mamma！'　cried　Bell；　for；　as
they　stopped　at　the　top　of　the　hill　to　let　the　horses　breathe；　one　of
the　little　Mexican　children　ran　after　them；　holding　out　a　handful　of
glowing　yellow　poppies。

She　was　distractingly　pretty；　with　a　beauty　that　is　short…lived　with
the　people　of　her　race。　　The　afternoon　sun　shone　down　fiercely　on　her
waving　coal…black　locks；　and　brought　a　rich　colour　to　her　nut…brown
cheek；　she　had　one　little　flimsy；　ragged　garment；　neither　long；
broad；　nor　thick；　which　hung　about　her　picturesquely；　and；　with　her
soft；　dark；　sleepy　eyes；　the　rows　of　little　white　teeth　behind　her
laughing　red　mouth；　and　the　vivid　yellow　blossoms　in　her　tiny
outstretched　hand；　she　was　a　very　charming　vision。

'Como　te　llamas；　muchachita？'　　（What　is　your　name；　little　one？）　asked
Bell；　airing　her　Spanish；　which　was　rather　good。

'Teresita；'　she　answered；　with　a　pretty　accent；　as　she　scratched　a
set　of　five　grimy　little　toes　to　and　fro　in　the　dusty　ground。

'Throw　her　a　bit；　papa；'　whispered　Bell；　and；　as　he　did　so；　Teresita
caught　the　piece　of　silver　very　deftly；　and　ran　excitedly　back　to　the
centre　of　the　chattering　group　in　front　of　the　house。

'How　intense　everything　is　in　California！　　Do　you　know　what　I　me