tales of trail and town- 第37部分

stopped；　walked　to　the　fire；　leaned　against　the　chimney　under　the

shallow　pretext　of　kicking　the　dull　embers　into　a　blaze；　which；

however；　had　only　the　effect　of　revealing　his　two　glistening　eyes

as　he　turned　back　again　and　came　towards　her。　　〃Well；〃　he　said；

with　an　ineffectual　laugh；　〃it's　all　over　now；　it's　all　in　the

day's　work；　I　reckon；and　now；　Miss；　if　you're　ready；　and　will

just　fix　yourself　your　own　way　so　as　to　ride　easy；　I'll　carry　you

down。〃　　And　slightly　bending　his　strong　figure；　he　dropped　on　one

knee　beside　her　with　extended　arms。



Now　it　is　one　thing　to　be　carried　up　a　hill　in　temperate；

unconscious　blood　and　practical　business　fashion　by　a　tall；

powerful　man　with　steadfast；　glowering　eyes；　but　quite　another

thing　to　be　carried　down　again　by　the　same　man；　who　has　been

crying；　and　when　you　are　conscious　that　you　are　going　to　cry　too；

and　your　tears　may　be　apt　to　mingle。　　So　Miss　Amy　Forester　said：

〃Oh；　wait；　please！　　Sit　down　a　moment。　　Oh；　Mr。　Tenbrook；　I　am　so

very；　very　sorry；〃　and；　clapping　her　hand　to　her　eyes；　burst　into

tears。



〃Oh；　please；　please　don't；　Miss　Forester；〃　said　Jack；　sitting　down

on　the　end　of　the　bunk　with　frightened　eyes；　〃please　don't　do　that！

It　ain't　worth　it。　　I'm　only　a　brute　to　have　said　anything。〃



〃No；　no！　　You　are　SO　noble；　SO　forgiving！〃　sobbed　Miss　Forester；

〃and　I　have　made　you　go　and　kill　the　only　thing　you　cared　for；　that

was　all　your　own。〃



〃No；　Miss；not　all　my　own；　either；and　that　makes　it　so　rough。

For　it　was　only　left　in　trust　with　me　by　a　friend。　　It　was　her　only

companion。〃



〃HER　only　companion？〃　echoed　Miss　Forester；　sharply　lifting　her

bowed　head。



〃Except；〃　said　Jack　hurriedly；　miscomprehending　the　emphasis　with

masculine　fatuity；〃except　the　dying　man　for　whom　she　lived　and

sacrificed　her　whole　life。　　She　gave　me　this　ring；　to　always　remind

me　of　my　trust。　　I　suppose；〃　he　added　ruefully；　looking　down　upon

it；　〃it's　no　use　now。　　I'd　better　take　it　off。〃



Then　Amy　eyed　the　monstrous　object　with　angelic　simplicity。　　〃I

certainly　should；〃　she　said　with　infinite　sweetness；　〃it　would　only

remind　you　of　your　loss。　　But；〃　she　added；　with　a　sudden；　swift；

imploring　look　of　her　blue　eyes；　〃if　you　could　part　with　it　to　me；

it　would　be　such　a　reminder　and　token　ofof　your　forgiveness。〃



Jack　instantly　handed　it　to　her。　　〃And　now；〃　he　said；　〃let　me　carry

you　down。〃



〃I　think；〃　she　said　hesitatingly；　〃thatI　had　better　try　to　walk；〃

and　she　rose　to　her　feet。



〃Then　I　shall　know　that　you　have　not　forgiven　me；〃　said　Jack　sadly。



〃But　I　have　no　right　to　trouble〃



Alas！　she　had　no　time　to　finish　her　polite　objection；　for　the　next

moment　she　felt　herself　lifted　in　the　air；　smelled　the　bark　thatch

within　an　inch　of　her　nose；　saw　the　firelight　vanish　behind　her；

and　subsiding　into　his　curved　arms　as　in　a　hammock；　the　two　passed

forth　into　the　night　together。



〃I　can't　find；　your　bracelet　anywhere；　Amy；〃　said　her　father；　when

they　reached　the　wagon。



〃It　was　on　the　floor　in　the　lint；〃　said　Amy　reproachfully。　　〃But；

of　course；　you　never　thought　of　that！〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



My　pen　halts　with　some　diffidence　between　two　conclusions　to　this

veracious　chronicle。　　As　they　agree　in　result；　though　not　in　theory

or　intention；　I　may　venture　to　give　them　both。　　To　one　coming　from

the　lips　of　the　charming　heroine　herself　I　naturally　yield　the

precedence。　　〃Oh；　the　bear　story！　　I　don't　really　remember　whether

that　was　before　I　was　engaged　to　John　or　after。　　But　I　had　known

him　for　some　time；　father　introduced　him　at　the　Governor's　ball　at

Sacramento。　　Let　me　see！I　think　it　was　in　the　winter　of　'56。

Yes！　it　was　very　amusing；　I　always　used　to　charge　John　with　having

trained　that　bear　to　attack　our　carriage　so　that　he　might　come　in

as　a　hero！　　Oh；　of　course；　there　are　a　hundred　absurd　stories　about

him；they　used　to　say　that　he　lived　all　alone　in　a　cabin　like　a

savage；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing；　and　was　a　friend　of　a　dubious

woman　in　the　locality；　whom　the　common　people　made　a　heroine　of；

Miggles；　or　Wiggles；　or　some　such　preposterous　name。　　But　look　at

John　there；　can　you　conceive　it？〃　　The　listener；　glancing　at　a　very

handsome；　clean…shaven　fellow；　faultlessly　attired；　could　not

conceive　such　an　absurdity。　　So　I　therefore　simply　give　the　opinion

of　Joshua　Bixley；　Superintendent　of　the　Long　Divide　Tunnel　Company；

for　what　it　is　worth：　〃I　never　took　much　stock　in　that　bear　story；

and　its　captivating　old　Forester's　daughter。　　Old　Forester　knew　a

thing　or　two；　and　when　he　was　out　here　consolidating　tunnels；　he

found　out　that　Jack　Tenbrook　was　about　headed　for　the　big　lead；　and

brought　him　out　and　introduced　him　to　Amy。　　You　see；　Jack；　clear

grit　as　he　was；　was　mighty　rough　style；　and　about　as　simple　as　they

make　'em；　and　they　had　to　get　up　something　to　account　for　that

girl's　taking　a　shine　to　him。　　But　they　seem　to　be　happy　enough

and　what　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃



And　I　transfer　this　philosophic　query　to　the　reader。







THE　YOUNGEST　PROSPECTOR　IN　CALAVERAS





He　was　scarcely　eight　when　it　was　believed　that　he　could　have

reasonably　laid　claim　to　the　above　title。　　But　he　never　did。　　He

was　a　small　boy；　intensely　freckled　to　the　roots　of　his　tawny　hair；

with　even　a　suspicion　of　it　in　his　almond…shaped　but　somewhat　full

eyes；　which　were　the　greenish　hue　of　a　ripe　gooseberry。　　All　this

was　very　unlike　his　parents；　from　whom　he　diverged　in　resemblance

in　that　fashion　so　often　seen　in　the　Southwest　of　America；　as　if

the　youth　of　the　boundless　West　had　struck　a　new　note　of

independence　and　originality；　overriding　all　conservative　and

established　rules　of　heredity。　　Something　of　this　was　also　shown　in

a　singular　and　remarkable　reticence　and　firmness　of　purpose；　quite

unlike　his　family　or　schoolfellows。　　His　mother　was　the　wife　of　a

teamster；　who　had　apparently　once　〃dumped〃　his　family；　consisting

of　a　boy　and　two　girls；　on　the　roadside　at　Burnt　Spring；　with　the

canvas　roof　of　his　wagon　to　cover　them；　while　he　proceeded　to

deliver　other　freight；　not　so　exclusively　his　own；　at　other

stations　along　the　road；　returning　to　them　on　distant　and　separate

occasions　with　slight　additions　to　their　stock；　habitation；　and

furniture。　　In　this　way　the　canvas　roof　was　finally　shingled　and

the　hut　enlarged；　and；　under　the　quickening　of　a　smiling　California

sky　and　the　forcing　of　a　teeming　California　soil；　the　chance…sown

seed　took　root　and　became　known　as　Medliker's　Ranch；　or　〃Medliker's；〃

with　its　bursting　garden　patch　and　its　three　sheds　or　〃lean…to's。〃



The　girls　helped　their　mother　in　a　childish；　imitative　way；　the

boy；　John　Bunyan；　after　a　more　desultory　and　original　fashionwhen

he　was　not　〃going　to〃　or　ostensibly　〃coming　from〃　school；　for　he

was　seldom　actually　there。　　Something　of　this　fear　was　in　the　mind

of　Mrs。　Medliker　one　morning　as　she　looked　up　from　the　kettle　she

was　scrubbing；　with　premonition　of　〃more　worriting；〃　to　behold　the

Reverend　Mr。　Staples；　the　local　minister；　hale　John　Bunyan　Medliker

into　the　shanty　with　one　hand。　　Letting　Johnny　go；　he　placed　his

back　against　the　door　and　wiped　his　face　with　a　red　handkerchief。

Johnny　dropped　into　a　chair；　furtively　glancing　at　the　arm　by　which

Mr。　Staples　had　dragged　him；　and　feeling　it　with　the　other　hand　to

see　if　it　was　really　longer。



〃I've　been　requested　by　the　schoolmaster；〃　said　the　Rev。　Mr。

Staples；　putting　his　handkerchief　back　into　his　broad　felt　hat　with

a　gasping　smile；　〃to　bring　our　young　friend　before　you　for　a　matter

of　counsel　and　discipline。　　I　have　done　so；　Sister　Medliker；　with

some　difficulty；〃he　looked　down　at　John　Bunyan；　who　again　felt

his　arm　and　was　satisfied　that　it　WAS　longer〃but　we　must　do　our

dooty；　even　with　difficulty　to　ourselves；　and；　perhaps；　to　others。

Our　young　friend；　John　Bunyan；　stands　on　a　giddy　heighton

slippery　places；　and；〃　continued　Mr。　Staples；　with　a　lofty

disregard　to　consecutive　metaphor；　〃his　feet　are　taking　fast　hold

of　destruction。〃　　Here　the　child　drew　a　breath　of　relief；　possibly

at　the　prospect　of　being　on　firm　ground　of　any　kind　at　last；　but

Sister　Medliker；　to　whom　the　Staples　style　of　exordium　had　only　a

Sabbath　significance；　turned　to　her　offspring　abruptly：



〃And　what's　these　yer　doin's　now；　John？　and　me　a　slavin'　to　send　ye

to　school？〃



Thus　appealed　to；　Johnny　looked　for　a　reply　at　his　feet；　at　his

arm；　and　at　the　kettle。　　Then　he　said：　〃I　ain't　done　nothin'；　but

he〃indicating　Staples〃hez　been　nigh　onter　pullin'　off　my　arm。〃



〃It's　now　almost　a　week　ago；〃　continued　Mr。　Staples；　waving　aside

the　interruption　with　a　smile　of　painful　Christian　tolerance；　〃or

perhaps　ten　daysI　won't　be　too　surethat　the　schoolmaster

discovered　that　Johnny　had　in　his　possession　two　or　three　flakes　of

fine　river　goldeach　of　the　value　of　half　a　dollar；　or　perhaps

sixty…two　and　one　half　cents。　　On　be