the silverado squatters-第21章

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The　sense　of　privacy；　as　I　have　said　already；　was　complete。　　

We　could　look　over　the　clump　on　miles　of　forest　and　rough　

hilltop；　our　eyes　commanded　some　of　Napa　Valley；　where　the　

train　ran；　and　the　little　country　townships　sat　so　close　

together　along　the　line　of　the　rail。　　But　here　there　was　no　

man　to　intrude。　　None　but　the　Hansons　were　our　visitors。　　

Even　they　came　but　at　long　intervals；　or　twice　daily；　at　a　

stated　hour；　with　milk。　　So　our　days；　as　they　were　never　

interrupted；　drew　out　to　the　greater　length；　hour　melted　

insensibly　into　hour；　the　household　duties；　though　they　were　

many；　and　some　of　them　laborious；　dwindled　into　mere　islets　

of　business　in　a　sea　of　sunny　day…time；　and　it　appears　to　me；　

looking　back；　as　though　the　far　greater　part　of　our　life　at　

Silverado　had　been　passed；　propped　upon　an　elbow；　or　seated　

on　a　plank；　listening　to　the　silence　that　there　is　among　the　

hills。



My　work；　it　is　true；　was　over　early　in　the　morning。　　I　rose　

before　any　one　else；　lit　the　stove；　put　on　the　water　to　boil；　

and　strolled　forth　upon　the　platform　to　wait　till　it　was　

ready。　　Silverado　would　then　be　still　in　shadow；　the　sun　

shining　on　the　mountain　higher　up。　　A　clean　smell　of　trees；　a　

smell　of　the　earth　at　morning；　hung　in　the　air。　　Regularly；　

every　day；　there　was　a　single　bird；　not　singing；　but　

awkwardly　chirruping　among　the　green　madronas；　and　the　sound　

was　cheerful；　natural；　and　stirring。　　It　did　not　hold　the　

attention；　nor　interrupt　the　thread　of　meditation；　like　a　

blackbird　or　a　nightingale；　it　was　mere　woodland　prattle；　of　

which　the　mind　was　conscious　like　a　perfume。　　The　freshness　

of　these　morning　seasons　remained　with　me　far　on　into　the　

day。



As　soon　as　the　kettle　boiled；　I　made　porridge　and　coffee；　and　

that；　beyond　the　literal　drawing　of　water；　and　the　

preparation　of　kindling；　which　it　would　be　hyperbolical　to　

call　the　hewing　of　wood；　ended　my　domestic　duties　for　the　

day。　　Thenceforth　my　wife　laboured　single…handed　in　the　

palace；　and　I　lay　or　wandered　on　the　platform　at　my　own　sweet　

will。　　The　little　corner　near　the　forge；　where　we　found　a　

refuge　under　the　madronas　from　the　unsparing　early　sun；　is　

indeed　connected　in　my　mind　with　some　nightmare　encounters　

over　Euclid；　and　the　Latin　Grammar。　　These　were　known　as　

Sam's　lessons。　　He　was　supposed　to　be　the　victim　and　the　

sufferer；　but　here　there　must　have　been　some　misconception；　

for　whereas　I　generally　retired　to　bed　after　one　of　these　

engagements；　he　was　no　sooner　set　free　than　he　dashed　up　to　

the　Chinaman's　house；　where　he　had　installed　a　printing　

press；　that　great　element　of　civilization；　and　the　sound　of　

his　labours　would　be　faintly　audible　about　the　canyon　half　

the　day。



To　walk　at　all　was　a　laborious　business；　the　foot　sank　and　

slid；　the　boots　were　cut　to　pieces；　among　sharp；　uneven；　

rolling　stones。　　When　we　crossed　the　platform　in　any　

direction；　it　was　usual　to　lay　a　course；　following　as　much　as　

possible　the　line　of　waggon　rails。　　Thus；　if　water　were　to　be　

drawn；　the　water…carrier　left　the　house　along　some　tilting　

planks　that　we　had　laid　down；　and　not　laid　down　very　well。　　

These　carried　him　to　that　great　highroad；　the　railway；　and　

the　railway　served　him　as　far　as　to　the　head　of　the　shaft。　　

But　from　thence　to　the　spring　and　back　again　he　made　the　best　

of　his　unaided　way；　staggering　among　the　stones；　and　wading　

in　low　growth　of　the　calcanthus；　where　the　rattlesnakes　lay　

hissing　at　his　passage。　　Yet　I　liked　to　draw　water。　　It　was　

pleasant　to　dip　the　gray　metal　pail　into　the　clean；　

colourless；　cool　water；　pleasant　to　carry　it　back；　with　the　

water　ripping　at　the　edge；　and　a　broken　sunbeam　quivering　in　

the　midst。



But　the　extreme　roughness　of　the　walking　confined　us　in　

common　practice　to　the　platform；　and　indeed　to　those　parts　of　

it　that　were　most　easily　accessible　along　the　line　of　rails。　　

The　rails　came　straight　forward　from　the　shaft；　here　and　

there　overgrown　with　little　green　bushes；　but　still　entire；　

and　still　carrying　a　truck；　which　it　was　Sam's　delight　to　

trundle　to　and　fro　by　the　hour　with　various　ladings。　　About　

midway　down　the　platform；　the　railroad　trended　to　the　right；　

leaving　our　house　and　coasting　along　the　far　side　within　a　

few　yards　of　the　madronas　and　the　forge；　and　not　far　of　the　

latter；　ended　in　a　sort　of　platform　on　the　edge　of　the　dump。　　

There；　in　old　days；　the　trucks　were　tipped；　and　their　load　

sent　thundering　down　the　chute。　　There；　besides；　was　the　only　

spot　where　we　could　approach　the　margin　of　the　dump。　　

Anywhere　else；　you　took　your　life　in　your　right　hand　when　you　

came　within　a　yard　and　a　half　to　peer　over。　　For　at　any　

moment　the　dump　might　begin　to　slide　and　carry　you　down　and　

bury　you　below　its　ruins。　　Indeed；　the　neighbourhood　of　an　

old　mine　is　a　place　beset　with　dangers。　　For　as　still　as　

Silverado　was；　at　any　moment　the　report　of　rotten　wood　might　

tell　us　that　the　platform　had　fallen　into　the　shaft；　the　dump　

might　begin　to　pour　into　the　road　below；　or　a　wedge　slip　in　

the　great　upright　seam；　and　hundreds　of　tons　of　mountain　bury　

the　scene　of　our　encampment。



I　have　already　compared　the　dump　to　a　rampart；　built　

certainly　by　some　rude　people；　and　for　prehistoric　wars。　　It　

was　likewise　a　frontier。　　All　below　was　green　and　woodland；　

the　tall　pines　soaring　one　above　another；　each　with　a　firm　

outline　and　full　spread　of　bough。　　All　above　was　arid；　rocky；　

and　bald。　　The　great　spout　of　broken　mineral；　that　had　dammed　

the　canyon　up；　was　a　creature　of　man's　handiwork；　its　

material　dug　out　with　a　pick　and　powder；　and　spread　by　the　

service　of　the　tracks。　　But　nature　herself；　in　that　upper　

district；　seemed　to　have　had　an　eye　to　nothing　besides　

mining；　and　even　the　natural　hill…side　was　all　sliding　gravel　

and　precarious　boulder。　　Close　at　the　margin　of　the　well　

leaves　would　decay　to　skeletons　and　mummies；　which　at　length　

some　stronger　gust　would　carry　clear　of　the　canyon　and　

scatter　in　the　subjacent　woods。　　Even　moisture　and　decaying　

vegetable　matter　could　not；　with　all　nature's　alchemy；　

concoct　enough　soil　to　nourish　a　few　poor　grasses。　　It　is　the　

same；　they　say；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　all　silver　mines；　the　

nature　of　that　precious　rock　being　stubborn　with　quartz　and　

poisonous　with　cinnabar。　　Both　were　plenty　in　our　Silverado。　　

The　stones　sparkled　white　in　the　sunshine　with　quartz；　they　

were　all　stained　red　with　cinnabar。　　Here；　doubtless；　came　

the　Indians　of　yore　to　paint　their　faces　for　the　war…path；　

and　cinnabar；　if　I　remember　rightly；　was　one　of　the　few　

articles　of　Indian　commerce。　　Now；　Sam　had　it　in　his　

undisturbed　possession；　to　pound　down　and　slake；　and　paint　

his　rude　designs　with。　　But　to　me　it　had　always　a　fine　

flavour　of　poetry；　compounded　out　of　Indian　story　and　

Hawthornden's　allusion：





〃Desire；　alas！　I　desire　a　Zeuxis　new；

From　Indies　borrowing　gold；　from　Eastern　skies

Most　bright　cinoper　。　。　。〃





Yet　this　is　but　half　the　picture；　our　Silverado　platform　has　

another　side　to　it。　　Though　there　was　no　soil；　and　scarce　a　

blade　of　grass；　yet　out　of　these　tumbled　gravel…heaps　and　

broken　boulders；　a　flower　garden　bloomed　as　at　home　in　a　

conservatory。　　Calcanthus　crept；　like　a　hardy　weed；　all　over　

our　rough　parlour；　choking　the　railway；　and　pushing　forth　its　

rusty；　aromatic　cones　from　between　two　blocks　of　shattered　

mineral。　　Azaleas　made　a　big　snow…bed　just　above　the　well。　　

The　shoulder　of　the　hill　waved　white　with　Mediterranean　

heath。　　In　the　crannies　of　the　ledge　and　about　the　spurs　of　

the　tall　pine；　a　red　flowering　stone…plant　hung　in　clusters。　　

Even　the　low；　thorny　chaparral　was　thick　with　pea…like　

blossom。　　Close　at　the　foot　of　our　path　nutmegs　prospered；　

delightful　to　the　sight　and　smell。　　At　sunrise；　and　again　

late　at　night；　the　scent　of　the　sweet　bay　trees　filled　the　

canyon；　and　the　down…blowing　night　w