part 4-第4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！





She　had　not　been　singing　much；　but　she　knew　that　her



voice　was　more　interesting　than　it　had　ever　been　before。



She　had　begun　to　understand　thatwith　her；　at　least



voice　was；　first　of　all；　vitality；　a　lightness　in　the　body　and



a　driving　power　in　the　blood。　　If　she　had　that；　she　could



sing。　　When　she　felt　so　keenly　alive；　lying　on　that　insensi…



ble　shelf　of　stone；　when　her　body　bounded　like　a　rubber　ball



away　from　its　hardness；　then　she　could　sing。　　This；　too；　she



could　explain　to　Fred。　　He　would　know　what　she　meant。







　　　　　Another　week　passed。　　Thea　did　the　same　things　as



before；　felt　the　same　influences；　went　over　the　same　ideas；



but　there　was　a　livelier　movement　in　her　thoughts；　and　a



freshening　of　sensation；　like　the　brightness　which　came　over



the　underbrush　after　a　shower。　　A　persistent　affirmation



or　denialwas　going　on　in　her；　like　the　tapping　of　the



woodpecker　in　the　one　tall　pine　tree　across　the　chasm。



Musical　phrases　drove　each　other　rapidly　through　her



mind；　and　the　song　of　the　cicada　was　now　too　long　and　too



sharp。　　Everything　seemed　suddenly　to　take　the　form　of　a



desire　for　action。







　　　　　It　was　while　she　was　in　this　abstracted　state；　waiting



for　the　clock　to　strike；　that　Thea　at　last　made　up　her　mind



what　she　was　going　to　try　to　do　in　the　world；　and　that　she



was　going　to　Germany　to　study　without　further　loss　of　time。



Only　by　the　merest　chance　had　she　ever　got　to　Panther



Canyon。　　There　was　certainly　no　kindly　Providence　that



directed　one's　life；　and　one's　parents　did　not　in　the　least



care　what　became　of　one；　so　long　as　one　did　not　misbehave



and　endanger　their　comfort。　　One's　life　was　at　the　mercy　of



blind　chance。　　She　had　better　take　it　in　her　own　hands　and



lose　everything　than　meekly　draw　the　plough　under　the



rod　of　parental　guidance。　　She　had　seen　it　when　she　was　at















home　last　summer；the　hostility　of　comfortable；　self…



satisfied　people　toward　any　serious　effort。　　Even　to　her



father　it　seemed　indecorous。　　Whenever　she　spoke　seriously；



he　looked　apologetic。　　Yet　she　had　clung　fast　to　whatever



was　left　of　Moonstone　in　her　mind。　　No　more　of　that！　　The



Cliff…Dwellers　had　lengthened　her　past。　　She　had　older　and



higher　obligations。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V











　　　　　ONE　Sunday　afternoon　late　in　July　old　Henry　Biltmer



was　rheumatically　descending　into　the　head　of　the



canyon。　　The　Sunday　before　had　been　one　of　those　cloudy



daysfortunately　rarewhen　the　life　goes　out　of　that



country　and　it　becomes　a　gray　ghost；　an　empty；　shivering



uncertainty。　　Henry　had　spent　the　day　in　the　barn；　his



canyon　was　a　reality　only　when　it　was　flooded　with　the　light



of　its　great　lamp；　when　the　yellow　rocks　cast　purple　shad…



ows；　and　the　resin　was　fairly　cooking　in　the　corkscrew



cedars。　　The　yuccas　were　in　blossom　now。　　Out　of　each



clump　of　sharp　bayonet　leaves　rose　a　tall　stalk　hung　with



greenish…white　bells　with　thick；　fleshy　petals。　　The　nigger…



head　cactus　was　thrusting　its　crimson　blooms　up　out　of



every　crevice　in　the　rocks。







　　　　　Henry　had　come　out　on　the　pretext　of　hunting　a　spade



and　pick…axe　that　young　Ottenburg　had　borrowed；　but　he



was　keeping　his　eyes　open。　　He　was　really　very　curious



about　the　new　occupants　of　the　canyon；　and　what　they



found　to　do　there　all　day　long。　　He　let　his　eye　travel　along



the　gulf　for　a　mile　or　so　to　the　first　turning；　where　the　fis…



sure　zigzagged　out　and　then　receded　behind　a　stone　prom…



ontory　on　which　stood　the　yellowish；　crumbling　ruin　of



the　old　watch…tower。







　　　　　From　the　base　of　this　tower；　which　now　threw　its



shadow　forward；　bits　of　rock　kept　flying　out　into　the　open



gulfskating　upon　the　air　until　they　lost　their　momen…



tum；　then　falling　like　chips　until　they　rang　upon　the　ledges



at　the　bottom　of　the　gorge　or　splashed　into　the　stream。



Biltmer　shaded　his　eyes　with　his　hand。　　There　on　the　prom…



ontory；　against　the　cream…colored　cliff；　were　two　figures



nimbly　moving　in　the　light；　both　slender　and　agile；　entirely















absorbed　in　their　game。　　They　looked　like　two　boys。　　Both



were　hatless　and　both　wore　white　shirts。







　　　　　Henry　forgot　his　pick…axe　and　followed　the　trail　before



the　cliff…houses　toward　the　tower。　　Behind　the　tower；　as



he　well　knew；　were　heaps　of　stones；　large　and　small；　piled



against　the　face　of　the　cliff。　　He　had　always　believed　that



the　Indian　watchmen　piled　them　there　for　ammunition。



Thea　and　Fred　had　come　upon　these　missiles　and　were



throwing　them　for　distance。　　As　Biltmer　approached　he



could　hear　them　laughing；　and　he　caught　Thea's　voice；



high　and　excited；　with　a　ring　of　vexation　in　it。　　Fred　was



teaching　her　to　throw　a　heavy　stone　like　a　discus。　　When



it　was　Fred's　turn；　he　sent　a　triangular…shaped　stone　out



into　the　air　with　considerable　skill。　　Thea　watched　it　en…



viously；　standing　in　a　half…defiant　posture；　her　sleeves



rolled　above　her　elbows　and　her　face　flushed　with　heat



and　excitement。　　After　Fred's　third　missile　had　rung　upon



the　rocks　below；　she　snatched　up　a　stone　and　stepped　im…



patiently　out　on　the　ledge　in　front　of　him。　　He　caught　her



by　the　elbows　and　pulled　her　back。







　　　　　〃Not　so　close；　you　silly！　　You'll　spin　yourself　off　in　a



minute。〃







　　　　　〃You　went　that　close。　　There's　your　heel…mark；〃　she



retorted。







　　　　　〃Well；　I　know　how。　　That　makes　a　difference。〃　　He　drew



a　mark　in　the　dust　with　his　toe。　　〃There；　that's　right。



Don't　step　over　that。　　Pivot　yourself　on　your　spine；　and



make　a　half　turn。　　When　you've　swung　your　length；　let　it



go。〃







　　　　　Thea　settled　the　flat　piece　of　rock　between　her　wrist　and



fingers；　faced　the　cliff　wall；　stretched　her　arm　in　position；



whirled　round　on　her　left　foot　to　the　full　stretch　of　her



body；　and　let　the　missile　spin　out　over　the　gulf。　　She　hung



expectantly　in　the　air；　forgetting　to　draw　back　her　arm；



her　eyes　following　the　stone　as　if　it　carried　her　fortunes



with　it。　　Her　comrade　watched　her；　there　weren't　many















girls　who　could　show　a　line　like　that　from　the　toe　to　the



thigh；　from　the　shoulder　to　the　tip　of　the　outstretched



hand。　　The　stone　spent　itself　and　began　to　fall。　　Thea　drew



back　and　struck　her　knee　furiously　with　her　palm。







　　　　　〃There　it　goes　again！　　Not　nearly　so　far　as　yours。　　What



IS　the　matter　with　me？　　Give　me　another。〃　　She　faced　the



cliff　and　whirled　again。　　The　stone　spun　out；　not　quite　so



far　as　before。







　　　　　Ottenburg　laughed。　　〃Why　do　you　keep　on　working



AFTER　you've　thrown　it？　　You　can't　help　it　along　then。〃







　　　　　Without　replying；　Thea　stooped　and　selected　another



stone；　took　a　deep　breath　and　made　another　turn。　　Fred



watched　the　disk；　exclaiming；　〃Good　girl！　　You　got　past



the　pine　that　time。　　That's　a　good　throw。〃







　　　　　She　took　out　her　handkerchief　and　wiped　her　glowing



face　and　throat；　pausing　to　feel　her　right　shoulder　with　her



left　hand。







　　　　　〃Ahha；　you've　made　yourself　sore；　haven't　you？



What　did　I　tell　you？　　You　go　at　things　too　hard。　　I'll　tell



you　what　I'm　going　to　do；　Thea；〃　Fred　dusted　his　hands



and　began　tucking　in　the　blouse　of　his　shirt；　〃I'm　going　to



make　some　single…sticks　and　teach　you　to　fence。　　You'd　be



all　right　there。　　You're　light　and　quick　and　you've　got　lots



of　drive　in　you。　　I'd　like　to　have　you　come　at　me　with　foils；



you'd　look　so　fierce；〃　he　chuc