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第11章

the silverado squatters-第11章

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before it; daylight whitening in the arch; or that it should 

come trotting forth into the sunlight with a song。



The two stages had gone by when I got down; and the Toll 

House stood; dozing in sun and dust and silence; like a place 

enchanted。  My mission was after hay for bedding; and that I 

was readily promised。  But when I mentioned that we were 

waiting for Rufe; the people shook their heads。  Rufe was not 

a regular man any way; it seemed; and if he got playing poker 

… Well; poker was too many for Rufe。  I had not yet heard 

them bracketted together; but it seemed a natural 

conjunction; and commended itself swiftly to my fears; and as 

soon as I returned to Silverado and had told my story; we 

practically gave Hanson up; and set ourselves to do what we 

could find do…able in our desert…island state。



The lower room had been the assayer's office。  The floor was 

thick with DEBRIS … part human; from the former occupants; 

part natural; sifted in by mountain winds。  In a sea of red 

dust there swam or floated sticks; boards; hay; straw; 

stones; and paper; ancient newspapers; above all … for the 

newspaper; especially when torn; soon becomes an antiquity … 

and bills of the Silverado boarding…house; some dated 

Silverado; some Calistoga Mine。  Here is one; verbatim; and 

if any one can calculate the scale of charges; he has my 

envious admiration。





Calistoga Mine; May 3rd; 1875。

John Stanley

To S。 Chapman; Cr。

To board from April 1st; to April 30  25 75

  〃    〃     〃  May lst; to 3rd  。。。    2 00

                                       27 75





Where is John Stanley mining now?  Where is S。 Chapman; 

within whose hospitable walls we were to lodge?  The date was 

but five years old; but in that time the world had changed 

for Silverado; like Palmyra in the desert; it had outlived 

its people and its purpose; we camped; like Layard; amid 

ruins; and these names spoke to us of prehistoric time。  A 

boot…jack; a pair of boots; a dog…hutch; and these bills of 

Mr。 Chapman's were the only speaking relics that we 

disinterred from all that vast Silverado rubbish…heap; but 

what would I not have given to unearth a letter; a pocket…

book; a diary; only a ledger; or a roll of names; to take me 

back; in a more personal manner; to the past?  It pleases me; 

besides; to fancy that Stanley or Chapman; or one of their 

companions; may light upon this chronicle; and be struck by 

the name; and read some news of their anterior home; coming; 

as it were; out of a subsequent epoch of history in that 

quarter of the world。



As we were tumbling the mingled rubbish on the floor; kicking 

it with our feet; and groping for these written evidences of 

the past; Sam; with a somewhat whitened face; produced a 

paper bag。  〃What's this?〃 said he。  It contained a 

granulated powder; something the colour of Gregory's Mixture; 

but rosier; and as there were several of the bags; and each 

more or less broken; the powder was spread widely on the 

floor。  Had any of us ever seen giant powder?  No; nobody 

had; and instantly there grew up in my mind a shadowy belief; 

verging with every moment nearer to certitude; that I had 

somewhere heard somebody describe it as just such a powder as 

the one around us。  I have learnt since that it is a 

substance not unlike tallow; and is made up in rolls for all 

the world like tallow candles。



Fanny; to add to our happiness; told us a story of a 

gentleman who had camped one night; like ourselves; by a 

deserted mine。  He was a handy; thrifty fellow; and looked 

right and left for plunder; but all he could lay his hands on 

was a can of oil。  After dark he had to see to the horses 

with a lantern; and not to miss an opportunity; filled up his 

lamp from the oil can。  Thus equipped; he set forth into the 

forest。  A little while after; his friends heard a loud 

explosion; the mountain echoes bellowed; and then all was 

still。  On examination; the can proved to contain oil; with 

the trifling addition of nitro…glycerine; but no research 

disclosed a trace of either man or lantern。



It was a pretty sight; after this anecdote; to see us 

sweeping out the giant powder。  It seemed never to be far 

enough away。  And; after all; it was only some rock pounded 

for assay。



So much for the lower room。  We scraped some of the rougher 

dirt off the floor; and left it。  That was our sitting…room 

and kitchen; though there was nothing to sit upon but the 

table; and no provision for a fire except a hole in the roof 

of the room above; which had once contained the chimney of a 

stove。



To that upper room we now proceeded。  There were the eighteen 

bunks in a double tier; nine on either hand; where from 

eighteen to thirty…six miners had once snored together all 

night long; John Stanley; perhaps; snoring loudest。  There 

was the roof; with a hole in it through which the sun now 

shot an arrow。  There was the floor; in much the same state 

as the one below; though; perhaps; there was more hay; and 

certainly there was the added ingredient of broken glass; the 

man who stole the window…frames having apparently made a 

miscarriage with this one。  Without a broom; without hay or 

bedding; we could but look about us with a beginning of 

despair。  The one bright arrow of day; in that gaunt and 

shattered barrack; made the rest look dirtier and darker; and 

the sight drove us at last into the open。



Here; also; the handiwork of man lay ruined:  but the plants 

were all alive and thriving; the view below was fresh with 

the colours of nature; and we had exchanged a dim; human 

garret for a corner; even although it were untidy; of the 

blue hall of heaven。  Not a bird; not a beast; not a reptile。  

There was no noise in that part of the world; save when we 

passed beside the staging; and heard the water musically 

falling in the shaft。



We wandered to and fro。  We searched among that drift of 

lumber…wood and iron; nails and rails; and sleepers and the 

wheels of tracks。  We gazed up the cleft into the bosom of 

the mountain。  We sat by the margin of the dump and saw; far 

below us; the green treetops standing still in the clear air。  

Beautiful perfumes; breaths of bay; resin; and nutmeg; came 

to us more often and grew sweeter and sharper as the 

afternoon declined。  But still there was no word of Hanson。



I set to with pick and shovel; and deepened the pool behind 

the shaft; till we were sure of sufficient water for the 

morning; and by the time I had finished; the sun had begun to 

go down behind the mountain shoulder; the platform was 

plunged in quiet shadow; and a chill descended from the sky。  

Night began early in our cleft。  Before us; over the margin 

of the dump; we could see the sun still striking aslant into 

the wooded nick below; and on the battlemented; pine…

bescattered ridges on the farther side。



There was no stove; of course; and no hearth in our lodging; 

so we betook ourselves to the blacksmith's forge across the 

platform。  If the platform be taken as a stage; and the out…

curving margin of the dump to represent the line of the foot…

lights; then our house would be the first wing on the actor's 

left; and this blacksmith's forge; although no match for it 

in size; the foremost on the right。  It was a low; brown 

cottage; planted close against the hill; and overhung by the 

foliage and peeling boughs of a madrona thicket。  Within it 

was full of dead leaves and mountain dust; and rubbish from 

the mine。  But we soon had a good fire brightly blazing; and 

sat close about it on impromptu seats。  Chuchu; the slave of 

sofa…cushions; whimpered for a softer bed; but the rest of us 

were greatly revived and comforted by that good creature…

fire; which gives us warmth and light and companionable 

sounds; and colours up the emptiest building with better than 

frescoes。  For a w

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