cabin fever-第14节

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e　sand　of　the　creek　they　found　〃colors〃　strong　enough　to　make　it　seem　worth　while　to　stop　herefor　awhile；　at　least。

They　cleaned　out　the　cabin　and　took　possession　of　it；　and　the　next　time　they　went　to　town　Cash　made　cautious　inquiries　about　the　place。　It　was；　he　learned；　an　old　abandoned　claim。　Abandoned　chiefly　because　the　old　miner　who　had　lived　there　died　one　day；　and　left　behind　him　all　the　marks　of　having　died　from　starvation；　mostly。　A　cursory　examination　of　his　few　belongings　had　revealed　much　want；　but　no　gold　save　a　little　coarse　dust　in　a　small　bottle。

〃About　enough　to　fill　a　rifle　ca'tridge；〃　detailed　the　teller　of　the　tale。　〃He'd　pecked　around　that　draw　for　two；　three　year　mebby。　Never　showed　no　gold　much；　for　all　the　time　he　spent　there。　Trapped　some　in　wintercoyotes　and　bobcats　and　skunks；　mostly。　Kinda　off　in　the　upper　story；　old　Nelson　was。　I　guess　he　just　stayed　there　because　he　happened　to　light　there　and　didn't　have　gumption　enough　to　git　out。　Hills　is　full　of　old　fellers　like　him。　They　live　off　to　the'rselves；　and　peck　around　and　git　a　pocket　now　and　then　that　keeps　'm　in　grub　and　tobacco。　If　you　want　to　use　the　cabin；　I　guess　nobody's　goin'　to　care。　Nelson　never　had　any　folks；　that　anybody　knows　of。　Nobody　ever　bothered　about　takin'　up　the　claim　after　he　cashed　in；　either。　Didn't　seem　worth　nothin'　much。　Went　back　to　the　gov'ment。〃

〃Trapped；　you　say。　Any　game　around　there　now？〃

〃Oh；　shore！　Game　everywhere　in　these　hills；　from　weasels　up　to　bear　and　mountain　lion。　If　you　want　to　trap；　that's　as　good　a　place　as　any；　I　guess。〃

So　Cash　and　Bud　sold　the　burros　and　bought　traps　and　more　supplies；　and　two　window　sashes　and　a　crosscut　saw　and　some　wedges　and　a　double…bitted　axe；　and　settled　down　in　Nelson　Flat　to　find　what　old　Dame　Fortune　had　tucked　away　in　this　little　side　pocket　and　forgotten。



CHAPTER　NINE。　THE　BITE　OF　MEMORY

The　heavy　boom　of　a　dynamite　blast　rolled　across　the　fiat　to　the　hills　that　flung　it　back　in　a　tardy　echo　like　a　spent　ball　of　sound。　A　blob　of　blue　smoke　curled　out　of　a　hole　the　size　of　a　hogshead　in　a　steep　bank　overhung　with　alders。　Outside；　the　wind　caught　the　smoke　and　carried　streamers　of　it　away　to　play　with。　A　startled　bluejay；　on　a　limb　high　up　on　the　bank；　lifted　his　slaty　crest　and　teetered　forward；　clinging　with　his　toe　nails　to　the　branch　while　he　scolded　down　at　the　men　who　had　scared　him　so。　A　rattle　of　clods　and　small　rocks　fell　from　their　high　flight　into　the　sweet　air　of　a　mountain　sunset。

〃Good　execution；　that　was；〃　Cash　remarked；　craning　his　neck　toward　the　hole。　〃If　you're　a　mind　to　go　on　ahead　and　cook　supper；　I'll　stay　and　see　if　we　opened　up　anything。　Or　you　can　stay；　just　as　you　please。〃

Dynamite　smoke　invariably　made　Bud's　head　ache　splittingly。　Cash　was　not　so　susceptible。　Bud　chose　the　cooking；　and　went　away　down　the　flat；　the　bluejay　screaming　insults　after　him。　He　was　frying　bacon　when　Cash　came　in；　a　hatful　of　broken　rock　riding　in　the　hollow　of　his　arm。

〃Got　something　pretty　good　here；　Budif　she　don't　turn　out　like　that　dang　Burro　Lode　ledge。　Look　here。　Best　looking　quartz　we've　struck　yet。　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

He　dumped　the　rock　out　on　the　oilcloth　behind　the　sugar　can　and　directly　under　the　little　square　window　through　which　the　sun　was　pouring　a　lavish　yellow　flood　of　light　before　it　dropped　behind　the　peak。　Bud　set　the　bacon　back　where　it　would　not　burn；　and　bent　over　the　table　to　look。

〃Gee；　but　it's　heavy！〃　he　cried；　picking　up　a　fragment　the　size　of　an　egg；　and　balancing　it　in　his　hands。　〃I　don't　know　a　lot　about　gold…bearing　quartz；　but　she　looks　good　to　me；　all　right。〃

〃Yeah。　It　is　good；　unless　I'm　badly　mistaken。　I'll　test　some　after　supper。　Old　Nelson　couldn't　have　used　powder　at　all；　or　he'd　have　uncovered　enough　of　this；　I　should　think；　to　show　the　rest　what　he　had。　Or　maybe　he　died　just　when　he　had　started　that　hole。　Seems　queer　he　never　struck　pay　dirt　in　this　flat。　Well；　let's　eat　if　it's　ready；　Bud。　Then　we'll　see。〃

〃Seems　kinda　queer；　don't　it；　Cash；　that　nobody　stepped　in　and　filed　on　any　claims　here？〃　Bud　dumped　half　a　kettle　of　boiled　beans　into　a　basin　and　set　it　on　the　table。　〃Want　any　prunes　to…　night；　Cash？〃

Cash　did　not　want　prunes；　which　was　just　as　well；　seeing　there　were　none　cooked。　He　sat　down　and　ate；　with　his　mind　and　his　eyes　clinging　to　the　grayish；　veined　fragments　of　rock　lying　on　the　table　beside　his　plate。

〃We'll　send　some　of　that　down　to　Sacramento　right　away；〃　he　observed；　〃and　have　it　assayed。　And　we　won't　let　out　anything　about　it；　Budgood　or　bad。　I　like　this　flat。　I　don't　want　it　mucked　over　with　a　lot　of　gold…crazy　lunatics。〃

Bud　laughed　and　reached　for　the　bacon。　〃We　ain't　been　followed　up　with　stampedes　so　far；〃　he　pointed　out。　〃Burro　Lode　never　caused　a　ripple　in　the　Bend；　you　recollect。　And　I'll　tell　a　sinful　world　it　looked　awful　good；　too。〃

〃Yeah。　Well；　Arizona's　hard　to　excite。　They've　had　so　dang　much　strenuosity　all　their　lives；　and　then　the　climate's　against　violent　effort；　either　mental　or　physical。　I　was　calm；　perfectly　calm　when　I　discovered　that　big　ledge。　It　is　just　as　well　seeing　how　it　petered　out。〃

〃What'll　you　bet　this　pans　out　the　same？〃　　　〃I　never　bet。　No　one　but　a　fool　will　gamble。〃　Cash　pressed　his　lips　together　in　a　way　that　drove　the　color　from　there。

〃Oh；　yuh　don't！　Say；　you're　the　king　bee　of　all　gamblers。　Been　prospecting　for　fifteen　years；　according　to　youand　then　you've　got　the　nerve　to　say　you　don't　gamble！〃

Cash　ignored　the　charge。　He　picked　up　a　piece　of　rock　and　held　it　to　the　fading　light。　〃It　looks　good；〃　he　said　again。　〃Better　than　that　placer　ground　down　by　the　creek。　That's　all　right；　too。　We　can　wash　enough　gold　there　to　keep　us　going　while　we　develop　this。　That　is；　if　this　proves　as　good　as　it　looks。〃

Bud　looked　across　at　him　enigmatically。　〃Well；　here's　hoping　she's　worth　a　million。　You　go　ahead　with　your　tests；　Cash。　I'll　wash　the　dishes。〃

〃Of　course；〃　Cash　began　to　conserve　his　enthusiasm；　〃there's　nothing　so　sure　as　an　assay。　And　it　was　too　dark　in　the　hole　to　see　how　much　was　uncovered。　This　may　be　just　a　freak　deposit。　There　may　not　be　any　real　vein　of　it。　You　can't　tell　until　it's　developed　further。　But　it　looks　good。　Awful　good。〃

His　makeshift　tests　confirmed　his　opinion。　Bud　started　out　next　day　with　three　different　samples　for　the　assayer；　and　an　air　castle　or　two　to　keep　him　company。　He　would　like　to　find　himself　half　owner　of　a　mine　worth　about　a　million；　he　mused。　Maybe　Marie　would　wish　then　that　she　had　thought　twice　about　quitting　him　just　on　her　mother's　say…so。　He'd　like　to　go　buzzing　into　San　Jose　behind　the　wheel　of　a　car　like　the　one　Foster　had　fooled　him　into　stealing。　And　meet　Marie；　and　her　mother　too；　and　let　them　get　an　eyeful。　He　guessed　the　old　lady　would　have　to　swallow　what　she　had　said　about　him　being　lazyjust　because　he　couldn't　run　an　auto…stage　in　the　winter　to　Big　Basin！　What　was　the　matter　with　the　old　woman；　anyway？　Didn't　he　keep　Maria　in　comfort。　Well；　he'd　like　to　see　her　face　when　he　drove　along　the　street　in　a　big　new　Sussex。　She'd　wish　she　had　let　him　and　Marie　alone。　They　would　have　made　out　all　right　if　they　had　been　let　alone。　He　ought　to　have　taken　Marie　to　some　other　town；　where　her　mother　couldn't　nag　at　her　every　day　about　him。　Marie　wasn't　such　a　bad　kid；　if　she　were　left　alone。　They　might　have　been　happy

He　tried　then　to　shake　himself　free　of　thoughts　of　her。　That　was　the　trouble　with　him；　he　brooded　morosely。　He　couldn't　let　his　thoughts　ride　free；　any　more。　They　kept　heading　straight　for　Marie。　He　could　not　see　why　she　should　cling　so　to　his　memory；　he　had　not　wronged　herunless　it　was　by　letting　her　go　without　making　a　bigger　fight　for　their　home。　Still；　she　had　gone　of　her　own　free　will。　He　was　the　one　that　had　been　wrongedwhy；　hadn't　they　lied　about　him　in　court　and　to　the　gossipy　neighbors？　Hadn't　they　broke　him？　No。　If　the　mine　panned　out　big　as　Cash　seemed　to　think　was　likely；　the　best　thing　he　could　do　was　steer　clear　of　San　Jose。　And　whether　it　panned　out　or　not；　the　best　thing　he　could　do　was　forget　that　such　girl　as　Marie　had　ever　existed。。

Which　was　all　very　well；　as　far　as　it　went。　The　trouble　was　that　resolving　not　to　think　of　Marie；　calling　up　all　the　bitterness　he　could　muster　against　her　memory；　did　no　more　toward　blotting　her　image　from　his　mind　than　did　the　miles　and　the　months　he　had　put　between　them。

He　reached　the　town　in　a　dour　mood　of　unrest；　spite　of　the　promise　of　wealth　he　carried　in　his　pocket。　He　mailed　the　package　and　the　letter；　and　went　to　a　saloon　and　had　a　highball。　He　was　not　a　drinking　manat　least；　he　never　had　been　one；　beyond　a　convivial　glass　or　two　with　his　fellowsbut　he　felt　that　day　the　need　of　a　little　push　toward　optimism。　In　the　back　part　of　the　room　three　men　were　playing　freeze…out。　Bud　went　over　and　stood　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　watched　them；　because　there　was　nothing　else　to　do；　and　because　he　was　still　having　some　trouble　with　his　thoughts。　He　was　lonely；　without　quite　knowing　what　ailed　him。　He　hungered　for　friends　to　hail　him　with　that　cordial；　〃Hello；　Bud！〃　when　they　saw　him　coming。

No　one　in　Alpine　had　said　hello；　Bud；　when　he　came　walking　in　that　day。　The　postmaster　bad　given　him