found at blazing star-第1章

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Found　At　Blazing　Star


by　Bret　Harte









The　rain　had　only　ceased　with　the　gray　streaks　of　morning　at

Blazing　Star；　and　the　settlement　awoke　to　a　moral　sense　of

cleanliness；　and　the　finding　of　forgotten　knives；　tin　cups；　and

smaller　camp　utensils；　where　the　heavy　showers　had　washed　away　the

debris　and　dust　heaps　before　the　cabin　doors。　　Indeed；　it　was

recorded　in　Blazing　Star　that　a　fortunate　early　riser　had　once

picked　up　on　the　highway　a　solid　chunk　of　gold　quartz　which　the

rain　had　freed　from　its　incumbering　soil；　and　washed　into　immediate

and　glittering　popularity。　　Possibly　this　may　have　been　the　reason

why　early　risers　in　that　locality；　during　the　rainy　season；　adopted

a　thoughtful　habit　of　body；　and　seldom　lifted　their　eyes　to　the

rifted　or　india…ink　washed　skies　above　them。



〃Cass〃　Beard　had　risen　early　that　morning；　but　not　with　a　view　to

discovery。　　A　leak　in　his　cabin　roof；quite　consistent　with　his

careless；　improvident　habits；had　roused　him　at　4　A。　M。；　with　a

flooded　〃bunk〃　and　wet　blankets。　　The　chips　from　his　wood　pile

refused　to　kindle　a　fire　to　dry　his　bed…clothes；　and　he　had

recourse　to　a　more　provident　neighbor's　to　supply　the　deficiency。

This　was　nearly　opposite。　　Mr。　Cassius　crossed　the　highway；　and

stopped　suddenly。　　Something　glittered　in　the　nearest　red　pool

before　him。　　Gold；　surely！　　But；　wonderful　to　relate；　not　an

irregular；　shapeless　fragment　of　crude　ore；　fresh　from　Nature's

crucible；　but　a　bit　of　jeweler's　handicraft　in　the　form　of　a　plain

gold　ring。　　Looking　at　it　more　attentively；　he　saw　that　it　bore　the

inscription；　〃May　to　Cass。〃



Like　most　of　his　fellow　gold…seekers；　Cass　was　superstitious。

〃Cass！〃　　His　own　name！　　He　tried　the　ring。　　It　fitted　his　little

finger　closely。　　It　was　evidently　a　woman's　ring。　　He　looked　up　and

down　the　highway。　　No　one　was　yet　stirring。　　Little　pools　of　water

in　the　red　road　were　beginning　to　glitter　and　grow　rosy　from　the

far…flushing　east；　but　there　was　no　trace　of　the　owner　of　the

shining　waif。　　He　knew　that　there　was　no　woman　in　camp；　and　among

his　few　comrades　in　the　settlement　he　remembered　to　have　seen　none

wearing　an　ornament　like　that。　　Again；　the　coincidence　of　the

inscription　to　his　rather　peculiar　nickname　would　have　been　a

perennial　source　of　playful　comment　in　a　camp　that　made　no

allowance　for　sentimental　memories。　　He　slipped　the　glittering

little　hoop　into　his　pocket；　and　thoughtfully　returned　to　his

cabin。



Two　hours　later；　when　the　long；　straggling　procession；　which　every

morning　wended　its　way　to　Blazing　Star　Gulch；the　seat　of　mining

operations　in　the　settlement；began　to　move；　Cass　saw　fit　to

interrogate　his　fellows。　　〃Ye　didn't　none　on　ye　happen　to　drop

anything　round　yer　last　night？〃　he　asked；　cautiously。



〃I　dropped　a　pocketbook　containing　government　bonds　and　some　other

securities；　with　between　fifty　and　sixty　thousand　dollars；〃

responded　Peter　Drummond；　carelessly；　〃but　no　matter；　if　any　man

will　return　a　few　autograph　letters　from　foreign　potentates　that

happened　to　be　in　it；of　no　value　to　anybody　but　the　owner；he

can　keep　the　money。　　Thar's　nothin'　mean　about　me；〃　he　concluded；

languidly。



This　statement；　bearing　every　evidence　of　the　grossest　mendacity；

was　lightly　passed　over；　and　the　men　walked　on　with　the　deepest

gravity。



〃But　hev　you？〃　Cass　presently　asked　of　another。



〃I　lost　my　pile　to　Jack　Hamlin　at　draw…poker；　over　at　Wingdam　last

night；〃　returned　the　other；　pensively；　〃but　I　don't　calkilate　to

find　it　lying　round　loose。〃



Forced　at　last　by　this　kind　of　irony　into　more　detailed　explanation；

Cass　confided　to　them　his　discovery；　and　produced　his　treasure。　　The

result　was　a　dozen　vague　surmises；only　one　of　which　seemed　to　be

popular；　and　to　suit　the　dyspeptic　despondency　of　the　party；a

despondency　born　of　hastily　masticated　fried　pork　and　flapjacks。

The　ring　was　believed　to　have　been　dropped　by　some　passing　〃road

agent〃　laden　with　guilty　spoil。



〃Ef　I　was　you；〃　said　Drummond；　gloomily；　〃I　wouldn't　flourish　that

yer　ring　around　much　afore　folks。　　I've　seen　better　men　nor　you

strung　up　a　tree　by　Vigilantes　for　having　even　less　than　that　in

their　possession。〃



〃And　I　wouldn't　say　much　about　bein'　up　so　dd　early　this

morning；〃　added　an　even　more　pessimistic　comrade；　〃it　might　look

bad　before　a　jury。〃



With　this　the　men　sadly　dispersed；　leaving　the　innocent　Cass　with

the　ring　in　his　hand；　and　a　general　impression　on　his　mind　that　he

was　already　an　object　of　suspicion　to　his　comrades；an　impression；

it　is　hardly　necessary　to　say；　they　fully　intended　should　be　left

to　rankle　in　his　guileless　bosom。



Notwithstanding　Cass's　first　hopeful　superstition　the　ring　did　not

seem　to　bring　him　nor　the　camp　any　luck。　　Daily　the　〃clean　up〃

brought　the　same　scant　rewards　to　their　labors；　and　deepened　the

sardonic　gravity　of　Blazing　Star。　　But；　if　Cass　found　no　material

result　from　his　treasure；　it　stimulated　his　lazy　imagination；　and；

albeit　a　dangerous　and　seductive　stimulant；　at　least　lifted　him　out

of　the　monotonous　grooves　of　his　half…careless；　half…slovenly；　but

always　self…contented　camp　life。　　Heeding　the　wise　caution　of　his

comrades；　he　took　the　habit　of　wearing　the　ring　only　at　night。

Wrapped　in　his　blanket；　he　stealthily　slipped　the　golden　circlet

over　his　little　finger；　and；　as　he　averred；　〃slept　all　the　better

for　it。〃　　Whether　it　ever　evoked　any　warmer　dream　or　vision　during

those　calm；　cold；　virgin…like　spring　nights；　when　even　the　moon　and

the　greater　planets　retreated　into　the　icy　blue；　steel…like

firmament；　I　cannot　say。　　Enough　that　this　superstition　began　to　be

colored　a　little　by　fancy；　and　his　fatalism　somewhat　mitigated　by

hope。　　Dreams　of　this　kind　did　not　tend　to　promote　his　efficiency

in　the　communistic　labors　of　the　camp；　and　brought　him　a　self…

isolation　that；　however　gratifying　at　first；　soon　debarred　him　the

benefits　of　that　hard　practical　wisdom　which　underlaid　the

grumbling　of　his　fellow　workers。



〃I'm　dog…goned；〃　said　one　commentator；　〃ef　I　don't　believe　that

Cass　is　looney　over　that　yer　ring　he　found。　　Wears　it　on　a　string

under　his　shirt。〃



Meantime；　the　seasons　did　not　wait　the　discovery　of　the　secret。

The　red　pools　in　Blazing　Star　highway　were　soon　dried　up　in　the

fervent　June　sun　and　riotous　night　wind　of　those　altitudes。　　The

ephemeral　grasses　that　had　quickly　supplanted　these　pools　and　the

chocolate…colored　mud；　were　as　quickly　parched　and　withered。　　The

footprints　of　spring　became　vague　and　indefinite；　and　were　finally

lost　in　the　impalpable　dust　of　the　summer　highway。



In　one　of　his　long；　aimless　excursions；　Cass　had　penetrated　a　thick

undergrowth　of　buckeye　and　hazel；　and　found　himself　quite

unexpectedly　upon　the　high　road　to　Red　Chief's　Crossing。　　Cass　knew

by　the　lurid　cloud　of　dust　that　hid　the　distance；　that　the　up　coach

had　passed。　　He　had　already　reached　that　stage　of　superstition　when

the　most　trivial　occurrence　seemed　to　point　in　some　way　to　an

elucidation　of　the　mystery　of　his　treasure。　　His　eyes　had

mechanically　fallen　to　the　ground　again；　as　if　he　half　expected　to

find　in　some　other　waif　a　hint　or　corroboration　of　his　imaginings。

Thus　abstracted；　the　figure　of　a　young　girl　on　horseback；　in　the

road　directly　before　the　bushes　he　emerged　from；　appeared　to　have

sprung　directly　from　the　ground。



〃Oh；　come　here；　please　do；　quick！〃



Cass　stared；　and　then　moved　hesitatingly　toward　her。



〃I　heard　some　one　coming　through　the　bushes；　and　I　waited；〃　she

went　on。　　〃Come　quick。　　It's　something　too　awful　for　anything。〃



In　spite　of　this　appalling　introduction；　Cass　could　not　but　notice

that　the　voice；　although　hurried　and　excited；　was　by　no　means

agitated　or　frightened；　that　the　eyes　which　looked　into　his

sparkled　with　a　certain　kind　of　pleased　curiosity。



〃It　was　just　here；〃　she　went　on　vivaciously；　〃just　here　that　I　went

into　the　bush　and　cut　a　switch　for　m