down the mother lode-第15章

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！



IX

〃Which　I　wish　to　remark；　And　my　language　is　plain；　That　for　ways　that　are　dark　And　for　tricks　that　are　vain；　The　heathen　Chinee　is　peculiar；　Which　the　same　I　would　rise　to　explain。〃

…　Bret　Harte。



Certain　learned　archaeologists　maintain　that　there　are　marked　racial　similarities　between　the　American　Indians　and　the　Chinese　…　physical　characteristics　dating　from　unknown　centuries；　when　the　widely　sundered　continents　were　probably　one。

However　that　may　be；　in　the　days　of　gold　in　California　the　greatest　animosity　existed　between　the　Indians　and　the　Chinamen。　The　feeling　began；　presumably；　through　intermarriage　and　flourished　like　the　celebrated　milkweed　vine　of　the　foothills；　which　has　been　known　to　grow　…　I　quote　a　'49er；　now　dead；　which　is　perhaps　taking　an　advantage　…　12　inches　in　a　day。

The　tale　is　told　of　a　Chinaman　crossing　a　suspension　footbridge；　high　over　a　winter　torrent；　from　one　part　of　a　mining　camp　to　another。　An　Indian　ran　to　meet　him。　John　Chinaman　started　back　as　quickly　as　he　could　on　the　swaying　bridge。　The　faster　Indian　caught　him；　and；　though　miners　on　both　shores　sought　to　save　the　unfortunate　〃Chink〃　by　a　rain　of　bullets；　it　was　too　long　range；　and　the　Indian　threw　him　to　certain　death　in　the　river。

But　the　Indians　did　not　always　win；　and　this；　then；　is　the　tale　of　an　encounter　between　Hop　Sing　and　Digger　Dan。

〃In　a　game　which　held　accountin'；　On　an　old　Sierra　mountain　…　〃

*　*　*　*　*

〃Whassa　malla；　to…o　much　nail…o　ketchem　clo'e　（clothes）？〃　snorted　Hop　Sing；　coming　around　to　the　side　verandah　with　two　pins　in　his　hand；　to　where　Miss　Jo　Halstead　was　embroidering　an　antimacassar　in　bright　worsteds。

〃Oh；　Sing；　did　you　hurt　your　hand？〃　she　cried。

〃'Nother　boy　heap　mad。〃

〃Another　boy？　Aren't　you　doing　the　washing？〃

〃No　do。　Me　…　〃　but　Jo　had　gone　to　the　back　yard。　She　found　the　tallest　Chinaman　she　had　ever　seen；　meekly　bending　to　the　washing；　and　quickly　obeying　the　sharp　orders　rained　upon　his　queue…circled　poll　by　Hop　Sing。

〃But　…　Sing；〃　protested　Jo；　stifling　any　sort　of　smile。

〃Him　no　good！　No　got　place！　Me　pay　one…dollar…hop　him　stop　one　month；　Chinee　house。　He　no　pay。　Me　makem　work。〃

〃Yes；　but　…　what　is　that？　Those　are　shots　on　the　stage　road　over　the　hill！　Oh；　it　must　be　another　holdup！　And　Rand　is　shotgun　messenger　on　the　stage　today。　Hark！　Hear　the　horses　running！　They're　coming　…　fast。　They're　trying　to　make　the　town！〃

〃Ketchem；　more　horse　run　behind；〃　answered　Sing；　listening　intently；　his　slanting　eyes　glittering。

〃Sing；　you　go　and　see　what　…　〃

〃Can　do！　You　get　that　boy；　make　'em　wash；　alle　same。　He　no　good！　You　look　see？〃　Joe　turned　to　spy　the　frightened　deputy　washerman　wriggling　under　the　verandah。　〃Bime…by　I　kill　'um；〃　remarked　Sing；　composedly。　〃No　got　time　now。　Missie　Jo；　wagon　come；　maybeso　better　you　stop　house…o。〃

Six　horses　topped　the　long　hill；　pulling　the　huge　rockaway　stage。　They　were　coming　at　full　speed；　and　the　near　wheeler　was　dripping　with　blood。　A　dead　man　hung　over　the　high　dashboard；　where　his　feet　had　caught　when　he　fell。

Leaning　far　out　over　the　team　was　a　young　man　holding　the　reins　in　one　hand；　while　he　lashed　the　shot…crazed　horses　to　their　last　ounce　of　speed　with　the　fifteen…foot　whip。　His　sawed…off　shotgun　lay　on　the　seat　beside　him。　It　was　Rand！

〃Oh；　thank　God！〃　moaned　Joe；　but　in　another　moment；　〃Poor　old　Salt　Peter！　They　must　have　killed　him　when　he　wouldn't　stop。　Sing　…　〃　but　Hop　Sing　had　vanished；　leaving　only　his　white　apron　across　the　wash　bench。

As　the　stage　thundered　around　the　turn　at　the　end　of　the　main　street；　the　wounded　horse　threw　up　his　head；　coughed　bloody　spume　over　the　pointers　（the　second　pair）；　and　fell。　Men　were　already　scrambling　onto　their　horses；　and　loping　in　from　all　directions。　Rand　cut　out　a　buckskin　leader；　mounted；　and　dashed　frantically　back　up　the　road　followed　by　a　dozen　horsemen。

〃Rand；　who　was　it？〃

〃I　don't　know；　exactly。　Thought　I　saw　Digger　Dan　…　〃　They　were　over　the　hill；　and　Jo　heard　no　more。

Hop　Sing　did　not　turn　up　for　supper；　but　his　tall　substitute　did　fairly　well；　and　Jo　did　not　worry。　Some　time　after　dark；　a　weary　Rand　appeared。

〃Well；　Miss　Jo；　we　got　Digger　Dan。　At　least　we　thought　it　was；　but　he　won't　say　a　word　except　that　he　wants　to　see　you。　I've　come　to　escort　you　over　to　the　jail。　Will　you　trust　yourself　to　me　that　far？〃

〃That　far；　yes；〃　archly；　〃'tis　but　a　short　space。〃　Not　for　worlds　would　she　have　him　guess　her　anxiety　of　the　afternoon。

〃I　wish　that　'twere　for　always。〃

〃What　can　Digger　Dan　want　of　me；〃　she　evaded；　thankful　for　the　darkness　which　hid　her　blushes。　〃Rand；　hear　the　wolves　howling！〃

〃They　are　only　coyotes；　dear　…　Miss　Joe；　and　afraid　to　venture　into　town　except　to　the　chicken　roosts。〃

〃Why；　it's　Hop　Sing！〃　exclaimed　Jo；　upon　first　sight　of　the　prisoner。　〃They've　cut　off　half　his　queue　and　braided　his　hair　in　two　pig　tails；　and　put　different　clothes　on　him；　and　he　does　look　like　an　Indian。　How　very　extraordinary！〃

〃Kethem　Digger　Dan　cloe；〃　blazed　Sing。

〃That's　a　likely　tale；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃betcha　he　knows　more　about　stage　robbin'　than　he'll　let　out。〃

〃I　am　sure　he　does　not　about　this　one。　He　was　with　me　every　moment。〃　Nevertheless；　she　could　not　help　remembering　the　substitute　Chinaman　whom　Sing　had　put　in　to　do　his　washing。　But；　though　the　complex　Oriental　nature　will　never　be　quite　understood　by　the　Occidental；　she　had　confidence　in　the　loyalty　of　the　Chinaman；　who　had　served　them　for　five　years；　and　whose　life　had　once　been　saved　by　her　father。

〃Ah　Sing；　will　you　tell　me　what　happened；〃　she　asked；　knowing　well　that　a　command　would　only　elicit　a　stolid　〃No　savvey。〃　Put　as　a　favor；　or　a　confidence；　he　might　respond。

〃Him　Digger　Dan；　no　good！　He　stealem　me　clo'e。　Ketchem。　Missa　Land　（Rand）　an'　plenty　man　come；　he　lun　（run）。　I　ketchem　him！　Tlee　（three）　lobber　（robber）　come。　To…o　muchee　men。　I　no　can　fight！　He　…　〃

〃They　tied　him　on　a　horse　and　drove　it　down　the　canyon　for　us　to　follow；　while　they　got　away。〃

〃I　tell　you；　he　knows　more　about　it　than　he's　telling！〃

〃I　don't　think　so；　sheriff；〃　said　Rand；　positively。　The　man　turned　to　him；　suspiciously。

〃Me　go　home；　all　same　Missie　Joe？〃　Hop　Sing　raised　an　expressionless　face　and　glared　at　the　broad　belt　of　the　sheriff。

〃Well；　you　can　go；　but　I'm　going　to　keep　an　eye　on　you　and　see　that　your　apron's　hanging　in　the　Halstead's　kitchen　every　day　of　your　heathen　life。〃

Later　that　night　when　Rand　started　home；　strange　incantations　were　going　on　in　Sing's　lean…to。　In　four　china　bowls　punk　was　burning；　and　an　old　Chinaman　was　muttering　weird　invocations　over　the　clothes　of　Digger　Dan　slowly　smouldering　in　a　coal…oil　can　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。　Hop　Sing　held　one　hand　in　the　smoke；　raised　the　other　aloft　and　made　a　blood…curdling　oath　of　some　sort　which；　by　the　expression　of　his　face；　probably　consigned　the　owner　forever　more　to　the　nethermost　depths　'of　Tophet。

〃Why；　where　is　Ali　Sing？〃　asked　Jo　the　next　morning；　when　she　found　the　tall　slave　still　in　the　kitchen。

〃He　got　heap　sick　cousin。　He　go　way。　I　stay。　He　come　back　bime…by。〃　Jo　knew　that　it　was　useless　to　question　further。

The　summer　drifted　by　and　still　Sing　did　not　return。　Rand　walked　in　one　day　with　the　first　flurry　of　snow；　from　his　claim　in　the　south。　He　caught　both　of　Jo's　hands　in　his　without　a　word；　kissed　them　tenderly　and　let　them　go。

〃Rand；〃　she　faltered；　〃it　is　so　long　since　I've　heard　from　you。　You　have　been　acting　so　strangely…for　months！〃

〃Jo；　have　you　not　heard　the　talk　that　has　been　whispered　with　my　name　ever　since　Sing　disappeared？　They　say　that　I　know　too　much　about　the　holdups；　that　I　helped　the　Chinaman　to　escape；　that　Digger　Dan　and　Hop　Sing　are　one；　that　…　〃

〃I　would　not　listen　to　such　falsehoods；〃　cried　the　girl；　her　grey　eyes　flashing。

〃You　blessed　little　woman！　But　considering　this；　how　can　I　say　to　you　what　…　tell　you　that　which　glorifies　the　very　life　in　my　frame。　How　can　I　offer　you　a　name　tarnished　by　the　suspicions　of　my　fellow　men？〃

〃Rand；　I　acknowledge　no　such　allegations。　Oh；　I　may　be　lost　to　all　sense　of　womanly　reserve；　but　…　〃

〃When　my　name　is　cleared；　I　shall　hope　to　enter　Paradise。　Till　then　I　must　not。　I　cannot　br