tales of trail and town- 第8部分

should　have　given　him　this　singular　opportunity。



Yet　it　was　not　an　easy　task　or　an　enviable　position。　　He　was

obliged　to　divorce　himself　from　his　political　party　as　well　as　keep

clear　of　the　wild　schemes　of　impractical　enthusiasts；　too　practical

〃contractors；〃　and　the　still　more　helpless　bigotry　of　Christian

civilizers；　who　would　have　regenerated　the　Indian　with　a　text　which

he　did　not　understand　and　they　were　unable　to　illustrate　by

example。　　He　had　expected　the　opposition　of　lawless　frontiersmen

and　ignorant　settlersas　roughly　indicated　in　the　conversation

already　recorded；　indeed　he　had　felt　it　difficult　to　argue　his

humane　theories　under　the　smoking　roof　of　a　raided　settler's　cabin；

whose　owner；　however；　had　forgotten　his　own　repeated　provocations；

or　the　trespass　of　which　he　was　proud。　　But　Atherly's　unaffected

and　unobtrusive　zeal；　his　fixity　of　purpose；　his　undoubted　courage；

his　self…abnegation；　and　above　all　the　gentle　melancholy　and　half…

philosophical　wisdom　of　this　new　missionary；　won　him　the　respect

and　assistance　of　even　the　most　callous　or　the　most　skeptical　of

officials。　　The　Secretary　of　the　Interior　had　given　him　carte

blanche；　the　President　trusted　him；　and　it　was　said　had　granted　him

extraordinary　powers。　　Oddly　enough　it　was　only　his　own　Californian

constituency；　who　had　once　laughed　at　what　they　deemed　his　early

aristocratic　pretensions；　who　now　found　fault　with　his　democratic

philanthropy。　　That　a　man　who　had　been　so　well　received　in　England

the　news　of　his　visit　to　Ashley　Grange　had　been　duly　recorded

should　sink　so　low　as　〃to　take　up　with　the　Injins〃　of　his　own

country　galled　their　republican　pride。　　A　few　of　his　personal

friends　regretted　that　he　had　not　brought　back　from　England　more

conservative　and　fashionable　graces；　and　had　not　improved　his

opportunities。　　Unfortunately　there　was　no　essentially　English

policy　of　trusting　aborigines　that　they　knew　of。



In　his　gloomy　self…scrutiny　he　had　often　wondered　if　he　ought　not

to　openly　proclaim　his　kinship　with　the　despised　race；　but　he　was

always　deterred　by　the　thought　of　his　sister　and　her　husband；　as

well　as　by　the　persistent　doubt　whether　his　advocacy　of　Indian

rights　with　his　fellow　countrymen　would　be　as　well　served　by　such　a

course。　　And　here　again　he　was　perplexed　by　a　singular　incident　of

his　early　missionary　efforts　which　he　had　at　first　treated　with

cold　surprise；　but　to　which　later　reflection　had　given　a　new

significance。　　After　Gray　Eagle's　revelation　he　had　made　a

pilgrimage　to　the　Indian　country　to　verify　the　statements　regarding

his　dead　father；the　Indian　chief　Silver　Cloud。　　Despite　the

confusion　of　tribal　dialects　he　was　amazed　to　find　that　the　Indian

tongue　came　back　to　him　almost　as　a　forgotten　boyish　memory；　so

that　he　was　soon　able　to　do　without　an　interpreter；　but　not　until

that　functionary；　who　knew　his　secret；　appeared　one　day　as　a　more

significant　ambassador。　　〃Gray　Eagle　says　if　you　want　truly　to　be　a

brother　to　his　people　you　must　take　a　wife　among　them。　　He　loves

youtake　one　of　his！〃　　Peter；　through　whose　veinsalbeit　of　mixed

bloodran　that　Puritan　ice　so　often　found　throughout　the　Great

West；　was　frigidly　amazed。　　In　vain　did　the　interpreter　assure　him

that　the　wife　in　question；　Little　Daybreak；　was　a　wife　only　in

name；　a　prudent　reserve　kept　by　Gray　Eagle　in　the　orphan　daughter

of　a　brother　brave。　　But　Peter　was　adamant。　　Whatever　answer　the

interpreter　returned　to　Gray　Eagle　he　never　knew。　　But　to　his　alarm

he　presently　found　that　the　Indian　maiden　Little　Daybreak　had　been

aware　of　Gray　Eagle's　offer；　and　had　with　pathetic　simplicity

already　considered　herself　Peter's　spouse。　　During　his　stay　at　the

encampment　he　found　her　sitting　before　his　lodge　every　morning。　　A

girl　of　sixteen　in　years；　a　child　of　six　in　intellect；　she　flashed

her　little　white　teeth　upon　him　when　he　lifted　his　tent　flap；

content　to　receive　his　grave；　melancholy　bow；　or　patiently　trotted

at　his　side　carrying　things　he　did　not　want；　which　she　had　taken

from　the　lodge。　　When　he　sat　down　to　work；　she　remained　seated　at　a

distance；　looking　at　him　with　glistening　beady　eyes　like

blackberries　set　in　milk；　and　softly　scratching　the　little　bare

brown　ankle　of　one　foot　with　the　turned…in　toes　of　the　other；　after

an　infantine　fashion。　　Yet　after　he　had　lefta　still　single　man；

solely　though　his　interpreter's　diplomacy；　as　he　always　believed

he　was　very　worried　as　to　the　wisdom　of　his　course。　　Why　should　he

not　in　this　way　ally　himself　to　his　unfortunate　race　irrevocably？

Perhaps　there　was　an　answer　somewhere　in　his　consciousness　which　he

dared　not　voice　to　himself。　　Since　his　visit　to　the　English

Atherlys；　he　had　put　resolutely　aside　everything　that　related　to

that　episode；　which　he　now　considered　was　an　unhappy　imposture。

But　there　were　times　when　a　vision　of　Lady　Elfrida；　gazing　at　him

with　wondering；　fascinated　eyes；　passed　across　his　fancy；　even　the

contact　with　his　own　race　and　his　thoughts　of　their　wrongs　recalled

to　him　the　tomb　of　the　soldier　Atherly　and　the　carven　captive

savage　supporter。　　He　could　not　pass　the　upright　supported　bier　of

an　Indian　braveslowly　desiccating　in　the　desert　airwithout

seeing　in　the　dead　warrior's　paraphernalia　of　arms　and　trophies

some　resemblance　to　the　cross…legged　crusader　on　whose　marble

effigy　SHE　had　girlishly　perched　herself　as　she　told　the　story　of

her　ancestors。　　Yet　only　the　peaceful　gloom　and　repose　of　the　old

church　touched　him　now；　even　she；　too；　with　all　her　glory　of

English　girlhood；　seemed　to　belong　to　that　remote　past。　　She　was

part　of　the　restful　quiet　of　the　church；　the　yews　in　the　quaint　old

churchyard　might　have　waved　over　her　as　well。



Still；　he　was　eager　to　see　his　sister；　and　if　he　should　conclude　to

impart　to　her　his　secret；　she　might　advise　him。　　At　all　events；　he

decided　to　delay　his　departure　until　her　arrival；　a　decision　with

which　the　commanding　officer　concurred；　as　a　foraging　party　had

that　morning　discovered　traces　of　Indians　in　the　vicinity　of　the

fort；　and　the　lately　arrived　commissary　train　had　reported　the

unaccountable　but　promptly　prevented　stampede。



Unfortunately；　his　sister　Jenny　appeared　accompanied　by　her

husband；　who　seized　an　early　opportunity　to　take　Peter　aside　and

confide　to　him　his　anxiety　about　her　health；　and　the　strange　fits

of　excitement　under　which　she　occasionally　labored。　　Remembering

the　episode　of　the　Californian　woods　three　years　ago；　Peter　stared

at　this　good…natured；　good…looking　man；　whose　life　he　had　always

believed　she　once　imperiled；　and　wondered　more　than　ever　at　their

strange　union。



〃Do　you　ever　quarrel？〃　asked　Peter　bluntly。



〃No；〃　said　the　good…hearted　fellow　warmly；　〃never！　　We　have　never

had　a　harsh　word；　she's　the　dearest　girl；the　best　wife　in　the

world　to　me；　but〃he　hesitated；　〃you　know　there　are　times　when　I

think　she　confounds　me　with　somebody　else；　and　is　strange！

Sometimes　when　we　are　in　company　she　stands　alone　and　stares　at

everybody；　without　saying　a　word；　as　if　she　didn't　understand　them。

Or　else　she　gets　painfully　excited　and　dances　all　night　until　she

is　exhausted。　　I　thought；　perhaps；〃　he　added　timidly；　〃that　you

might　know；　and　would　tell　me　if　she　had　any　singular　experience　as

a　child；any　illness；　or；〃　he　went　on　still　more　gently；　〃if

perhaps　her　mother　or　father〃



〃No；〃　interrupted　Peter　almost　brusquely；　with　the　sudden　conviction

that　this　was　no　time　for　revelation　of　his　secret；　〃no；　nothing。〃



〃The　doctor　says；〃　continued　Lascelles　with　that　hesitating；　almost

mystic　delicacy　with　which　most　gentlemen　approach　a　subject　upon

which　their　wives　talk　openly；　〃that　it　may　be　owing　to　Jenny's

peculiar　state　of　health　just　now；　you　know；　and　that　ifall　went

well；　you　know；　and　there　should　bedon't　you　seea　little

child〃



Peter　interrupted　him　with　a　start。　　A　child！　　Jenny's　child！

Silver　Cloud's　grandchild！　　This　was　a　complication　he　had　not

thought　of。　　No！　　It　was　too　late　to　tell　his　secret　now。　　He　only

nodded　his　head　abstractedly　and　said　coldly；　〃I　dare　say　he　is

right。〃



Nevertheless；　Jenny　was　looking　remarkably　well。　　Perhaps　it　was

the　excitement　of　travel　and　new　surroundings；　but　her　tall；　lithe

figure；　nearly　half　a　head　taller　than　her　husband's；　was　a

striking　one　among　the　officers'　wives　in　the　commandant's　sitting…

room。　　Her　olive　cheek　glowed　with　a　faint　illuminating　color；

there　was　something　even　patrician　in　her　slightly　curved　nose　and

high　cheek　bones；　and　her　smile；　rare　even　in　her　most　excited

moments；　was；　like　her　brother's；　singularly　fascinating。　　The

officers　evidently　thought　so　too；　and　when　the　young　lieutenant　of

the　commissary　escort；　fresh　from　West　Point　and　Flirtation　Walk；

gallantly　attached　himself　to　her；　the　ladies　were　slightly

scandalized　at　the　naive　air　of　camaraderie　with　which　Mrs。

Lascelles　received　his　attentions。　　Even　Peter　was　a　little

disturbed。