part 4-第7章

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　　　　　The　upward　climb；　after　they　had　crossed　the　stream；



was　at　first　a　breathless　scramble　through　underbrush。



When　they　reached　the　big　boulders；　Ottenburg　went　first



because　he　had　the　longer　leg…reach；　and　gave　Thea　a　hand



when　the　step　was　quite　beyond　her；　swinging　her　up　until



she　could　get　a　foothold。　　At　last　they　reached　a　little　plat…



form　among　the　rocks；　with　only　a　hundred　feet　of　jagged；



sloping　wall　between　them　and　the　cliff…houses。







　　　　　Ottenburg　lay　down　under　a　pine　tree　and　declared　that



he　was　going　to　have　a　pipe　before　he　went　any　farther。



〃It's　a　good　thing　to　know　when　to　stop；　Thea；〃　he　said



meaningly。







　　　　　〃I'm　not　going　to　stop　now　until　I　get　there；〃　Thea　in…



sisted。　　〃I'll　go　on　alone。〃







　　　　　Fred　settled　his　shoulder　against　the　tree…trunk。　　〃Go



on　if　you　like；　but　I'm　here　to　enjoy　myself。　　If　you　meet　a



rattler　on　the　way；　have　it　out　with　him。〃







　　　　　She　hesitated；　fanning　herself　with　her　felt　hat。　　〃I　never



have　met　one。〃







　　　　　〃There's　reasoning　for　you；〃　Fred　murmured　languidly。







　　　　　Thea　turned　away　resolutely　and　began　to　go　up　the



wall；　using　an　irregular　cleft　in　the　rock　for　a　path。　　The



cliff；　which　looked　almost　perpendicular　from　the　bottom；



was　really　made　up　of　ledges　and　boulders；　and　behind



these　she　soon　disappeared。　　For　a　long　while　Fred　smoked



with　half…closed　eyes；　smiling　to　himself　now　and　again。



Occasionally　he　lifted　an　eyebrow　as　he　heard　the　rattle　of



small　stones　among　the　rocks　above。　　〃In　a　temper；〃　he



concluded；　〃do　her　good。〃　　Then　he　subsided　into　warm



drowsiness　and　listened　to　the　locusts　in　the　yuccas；　and















the　tap…tap　of　the　old　woodpecker　that　was　never　weary　of



assaulting　the　big　pine。







　　　　　Fred　had　finished　his　pipe　and　was　wondering　whether



he　wanted　another；　when　he　heard　a　call　from　the　cliff　far



above　him。　　Looking　up；　he　saw　Thea　standing　on　the　edge



of　a　projecting　crag。　　She　waved　to　him　and　threw　her　arm



over　her　head；　as　if　she　were　snapping　her　fingers　in　the　air。







　　　　　As　he　saw　her　there　between　the　sky　and　the　gulf；　with



that　great　wash　of　air　and　the　morning　light　about　her；



Fred　recalled　the　brilliant　figure　at　Mrs。　Nathanmeyer's。



Thea　was　one　of　those　people　who　emerge；　unexpectedly；



larger　than　we　are　accustomed　to　see　them。　　Even　at　this



distance　one　got　the　impression　of　muscular　energy　and



audacity；a　kind　of　brilliancy　of　motion；of　a　person…



ality　that　carried　across　big　spaces　and　expanded　among



big　things。　　Lying　still；　with　his　hands　under　his　head；



Ottenburg　rhetorically　addressed　the　figure　in　the　air。



〃You　are　the　sort　that　used　to　run　wild　in　Germany；



dressed　in　their　hair　and　a　piece　of　skin。　　Soldiers　caught



'em　in　nets。　　Old　Nathanmeyer；〃　he　mused；　〃would　like



a　peep　at　her　now。　　Knowing　old　fellow。　　Always　buying



those　Zorn　etchings　of　peasant　girls　bathing。　　No　sag　in



them　either。　　Must　be　the　cold　climate。〃　　He　sat　up。



〃She'll　begin　to　pitch　rocks　on　me　if　I　don't　move。〃　　In



response　to　another　impatient　gesture　from　the　crag；　he



rose　and　began　swinging　slowly　up　the　trail。











　　　　　It　was　the　afternoon　of　that　long　day。　　Thea　was　lying



on　a　blanket　in　the　door　of　her　rock　house。　　She　and　Otten…



burg　had　come　back　from　their　climb　and　had　lunch；　and



he　had　gone　off　for　a　nap　in　one　of　the　cliff…houses　farther



down　the　path。　　He　was　sleeping　peacefully；　his　coat　under



his　head　and　his　face　turned　toward　the　wall。







　　　　　Thea；　too；　was　drowsy；　and　lay　looking　through　half…



closed　eyes　up　at　the　blazing　blue　arch　over　the　rim　of　the



canyon。　　She　was　thinking　of　nothing　at　all。　　Her　mind；　like















her　body；　was　full　of　warmth；　lassitude；　physical　content。



Suddenly　an　eagle；　tawny　and　of　great　size；　sailed　over　the



cleft　in　which　she　lay；　across　the　arch　of　sky。　　He　dropped



for　a　moment　into　the　gulf　between　the　walls；　then　wheeled；



and　mounted　until　his　plumage　was　so　steeped　in　light　that



he　looked　like　a　golden　bird。　　He　swept　on；　following　the



course　of　the　canyon　a　little　way　and　then　disappearing



beyond　the　rim。　　Thea　sprang　to　her　feet　as　if　she　had　been



thrown　up　from　the　rock　by　volcanic　action。　　She　stood



rigid　on　the　edge　of　the　stone　shelf；　straining　her　eyes　after



that　strong；　tawny　flight。　　O　eagle　of　eagles！　　Endeavor；



achievement；　desire；　glorious　striving　of　human　art！　　From



a　cleft　in　the　heart　of　the　world　she　saluted　it。　。　。　。　　It　had



come　all　the　way；　when　men　lived　in　caves；　it　was　there。



A　vanished　race；　but　along　the　trails；　in　the　stream；　under



the　spreading　cactus；　there　still　glittered　in　the　sun　the



bits　of　their　frail　clay　vessels；　fragments　of　their　desire。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII











　　　　　FROM　the　day　of　Fred's　arrival；　he　and　Thea　were



unceasingly　active。　　They　took　long　rides　into　the



Navajo　pine　forests；　bought　turquoises　and　silver　brace…



lets　from　the　wandering　Indian　herdsmen；　and　rode　twenty



miles　to　Flagstaff　upon　the　slightest　pretext。　　Thea　had



never　felt　this　pleasant　excitement　about　any　man　before；



and　she　found　herself　trying　very　hard　to　please　young



Ottenburg。　　She　was　never　tired；　never　dull。　　There　was



a　zest　about　waking　up　in　the　morning　and　dressing；　about



walking；　riding；　even　about　sleep。







　　　　　One　morning　when　Thea　came　out　from　her　room　at



seven　o'clock；　she　found　Henry　and　Fred　on　the　porch；



looking　up　at　the　sky。　　The　day　was　already　hot　and　there



was　no　breeze。　　The　sun　was　shining；　but　heavy　brown



clouds　were　hanging　in　the　west；　like　the　smoke　of　a　for…



est　fire。　　She　and　Fred　had　meant　to　ride　to　Flagstaff　that



morning；　but　Biltmer　advised　against　it；　foretelling　a



storm。　　After　breakfast　they　lingered　about　the　house；



waiting　for　the　weather　to　make　up　its　mind。　　Fred　had



brought　his　guitar；　and　as　they　had　the　dining…room　to



themselves；　he　made　Thea　go　over　some　songs　with　him。



They　got　interested　and　kept　it　up　until　Mrs。　Biltmer



came　to　set　the　table　for　dinner。　　Ottenburg　knew　some　of



the　Mexican　things　Spanish　Johnny　used　to　sing。　　Thea



had　never　before　happened　to　tell　him　about　Spanish



Johnny；　and　he　seemed　more　interested　in　Johnny　than



in　Dr。　Archie　or　Wunsch。







　　　　　After　dinner　they　were　too　restless　to　endure　the　ranch



house　any　longer；　and　ran　away　to　the　canyon　to　practice



with　single…sticks。　　Fred　carried　a　slicker　and　a　sweater；　and



he　made　Thea　wear　one　of　the　rubber　hats　that　hung　in















Biltmer's　gun…room。　　As　they　crossed　the　pasture　land　the



clumsy　slicker　kept　catching　in　the　lacings　of　his　leggings。







　　　　　〃Why　don't　you　drop　that　thing？〃　Thea　asked。　　〃I



won't　mind　a　shower。　　I've　been　wet　before。〃







　　　　　〃No　use　taking　chances。〃







　　　　　From　the　canyon　they　were　unable　to　watch　the　sky；



since　only　a　strip　of　the　zenith　was　visible。　　The　flat　ledge



about　the　watch…tower　was　the　only　level　spot　large　enough



for　single…stick　exercise；　and　they　were　still　practicing　there



when；　at　about　four　o'clock；　a　tremendous　roll　of　thunder



echoed　between　the　cliffs　and　the　atmosphere　suddenly



became　thick。







　　　　　Fred　thrust　the　sticks　in　a　cleft　in　the　rock。　　〃We're　in



for　it；　Thea。　　Better　make　for　your　cave　where　there　are



blankets。〃　　He　caught　her　elbow　and　hurried　her　along　the



path　bef