贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the silverado squatters >

第3章

the silverado squatters-第3章

小说: the silverado squatters 字数: 每页4000字

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!




tops。







CHAPTER II … THE PETRIFIED FOREST







WE drove off from the Springs Hotel about three in the 

afternoon。  The sun warmed me to the heart。  A broad; cool 

wind streamed pauselessly down the valley; laden with 

perfume。  Up at the top stood Mount Saint Helena; a bulk of 

mountain; bare atop; with tree…fringed spurs; and radiating 

warmth。  Once we saw it framed in a grove of tall and 

exquisitely graceful white oaks; in line and colour a 

finished composition。  We passed a cow stretched by the 

roadside; her bell slowly beating time to the movement of her 

ruminating jaws; her big red face crawled over by half a 

dozen flies; a monument of content。



A little farther; and we struck to the left up a mountain 

road; and for two hours threaded one valley after another; 

green; tangled; full of noble timber; giving us every now and 

again a sight of Mount Saint Helena and the blue hilly 

distance; and crossed by many streams; through which we 

splashed to the carriage…step。  To the right or the left; 

there was scarce any trace of man but the road we followed; I 

think we passed but one ranchero's house in the whole 

distance; and that was closed and smokeless。  But we had the 

society of these bright streams … dazzlingly clear; as is 

their wont; splashing from the wheels in diamonds; and 

striking a lively coolness through the sunshine。  And what 

with the innumerable variety of greens; the masses of foliage 

tossing in the breeze; the glimpses of distance; the descents 

into seemingly impenetrable thickets; the continual dodging 

of the road which made haste to plunge again into the covert; 

we had a fine sense of woods; and spring…time; and the open 

air。



Our driver gave me a lecture by the way on Californian trees 

… a thing I was much in need of; having fallen among painters 

who know the name of nothing; and Mexicans who know the name 

of nothing in English。  He taught me the madrona; the 

manzanita; the buck…eye; the maple; he showed me the crested 

mountain quail; he showed me where some young redwoods were 

already spiring heavenwards from the ruins of the old; for in 

this district all had already perished:  redwoods and 

redskins; the two noblest indigenous living things; alike 

condemned。



At length; in a lonely dell; we came on a huge wooden gate 

with a sign upon it like an inn。  〃The Petrified Forest。  

Proprietor:  C。 Evans;〃 ran the legend。  Within; on a knoll 

of sward; was the house of the proprietor; and another 

smaller house hard by to serve as a museum; where photographs 

and petrifactions were retailed。  It was a pure little isle 

of touristry among these solitary hills。



The proprietor was a brave old white…faced Swede。  He had 

wandered this way; Heaven knows how; and taken up his acres … 

I forget how many years ago … all alone; bent double with 

sciatica; and with six bits in his pocket and an axe upon his 

shoulder。  Long; useless years of seafaring had thus 

discharged him at the end; penniless and sick。  Without doubt 

he had tried his luck at the diggings; and got no good from 

that; without doubt he had loved the bottle; and lived the 

life of Jack ashore。  But at the end of these adventures; 

here he came; and; the place hitting his fancy; down he sat 

to make a new life of it; far from crimps and the salt sea。  

And the very sight of his ranche had done him good。  It was 

〃the handsomest spot in the Californy mountains。〃  〃Isn't it 

handsome; now?〃 he said。  Every penny he makes goes into that 

ranche to make it handsomer。  Then the climate; with the sea…

breeze every afternoon in the hottest summer weather; had 

gradually cured the sciatica; and his sister and niece were 

now domesticated with him for company … or; rather; the niece 

came only once in the two days; teaching music the meanwhile 

in the valley。  And then; for a last piece of luck; 〃the 

handsomest spot in the Californy mountains〃 had produced a 

petrified forest; which Mr。 Evans now shows at the modest 

figure of half a dollar a head; or two…thirds of his capital 

when he first came there with an axe and a sciatica。



This tardy favourite of fortune … hobbling a little; I think; 

as if in memory of the sciatica; but with not a trace that I 

can remember of the sea … thoroughly ruralized from head to 

foot; proceeded to escort us up the hill behind his house。



〃Who first found the forest?〃 asked my wife。



〃The first?  I was that man;〃 said he。  〃I was cleaning up 

the pasture for my beasts; when I found THIS〃 … kicking a 

great redwood seven feet in diameter; that lay there on its 

side; hollow heart; clinging lumps of bark; all changed into 

gray stone; with veins of quartz between what had been the 

layers of the wood。



〃Were you surprised?〃



〃Surprised?  No!  What would I be surprised about?  What did 

I know about petrifactions … following the sea?  

Petrifaction!  There was no such word in my language!  I knew 

about putrifaction; though!  I thought it was a stone; so 

would you; if you was cleaning up pasture。〃



And now he had a theory of his own; which I did not quite 

grasp; except that the trees had not 〃grewed〃 there。  But he 

mentioned; with evident pride; that he differed from all the 

scientific people who had visited the spot; and he flung 

about such words as 〃tufa〃 and 〃scilica〃 with careless 

freedom。



When I mentioned I was from Scotland; 〃My old country;〃 he 

said; 〃my old country〃 … with a smiling look and a tone of 

real affection in his voice。  I was mightily surprised; for 

he was obviously Scandinavian; and begged him to explain。  It 

seemed he had learned his English and done nearly all his 

sailing in Scotch ships。  〃Out of Glasgow;〃 said he; 〃or 

Greenock; but that's all the same … they all hail from 

Glasgow。〃 And he was so pleased with me for being a Scotsman; 

and his adopted compatriot; that he made me a present of a 

very beautiful piece of petrifaction … I believe the most 

beautiful and portable he had。



Here was a man; at least; who was a Swede; a Scot; and an 

American; acknowledging some kind allegiance to three lands。  

Mr。 Wallace's Scoto…Circassian will not fail to come before 

the reader。  I have myself met and spoken with a Fifeshire 

German; whose combination of abominable accents struck me 

dumb。  But; indeed; I think we all belong to many countries。  

And perhaps this habit of much travel; and the engendering of 

scattered friendships; may prepare the euthanasia of ancient 

nations。



And the forest itself?  Well; on a tangled; briery hillside … 

for the pasture would bear a little further cleaning up; to 

my eyes … there lie scattered thickly various lengths of 

petrified trunk; such as the one already mentioned。  It is 

very curious; of course; and ancient enough; if that were 

all。  Doubtless; the heart of the geologist beats quicker at 

the sight; but; for my part; I was mightily unmoved。  Sight…

seeing is the art of disappointment。





〃There's nothing under heaven so blue;

That's fairly worth the travelling to。〃





But; fortunately; Heaven rewards us with many agreeable 

prospects and adventures by the way; and sometimes; when we 

go out to see a petrified forest; prepares a far more 

delightful curiosity; in the form of Mr。 Evans; whom may all 

prosperity attend throughout a long and green old age。







CHAPTER III … NAPA WINE







I WAS interested in Californian wine。  Indeed; I am 

interested in all wines; and have been all my life; from the 

raisin wine that a schoolfellow kept secreted in his play…box 

up to my last discovery; those notable Valtellines; that once 

shone upon the board of Caesar。



Some of us; kind old Pagans; watch with dread the shadows 

falling on the age:  how the unconquerable worm invades the 

sunny terraces of France; and Bordeaux is no more; and the 

Rhone a mere A

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的