the silverado squatters-第6章

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blew　himself　scarlet　at　the　pipes。　　This　is　a　very　sad　story。　　

After　he　had　borrowed　money　from　every　one；　he　and　his　pipes　

suddenly　disappeared　from　Sacramento；　and　when　I　last　heard；　

the　police　were　looking　for　him。



I　cannot　say　how　this　story　amused　me；　when　I　felt　myself　so　

thoroughly　ripe　on　both　sides　to　be　duped　in　the　same　way。



It　is　at　least　a　curious　thing；　to　conclude；　that　the　races　

which　wander　widest；　Jews　and　Scotch；　should　be　the　most　

clannish　in　the　world。　　But　perhaps　these　two　are　cause　and　

effect：　　〃For　ye　were　strangers　in　the　land　of　Egypt。〃









PART　II　…　WITH　THE　CHILDREN　OF　ISRAEL









CHAPTER　I。　…　TO　INTRODUCE　MR。　KELMAR







ONE　thing　in　this　new　country　very　particularly　strikes　a　

stranger；　and　that　is　the　number　of　antiquities。　　Already　

there　have　been　many　cycles　of　population　succeeding　each　

other；　and　passing　away　and　leaving　behind　them　relics。　　

These；　standing　on　into　changed　times；　strike　the　imagination　

as　forcibly　as　any　pyramid　or　feudal　tower。　　The　towns；　like　

the　vineyards；　are　experimentally　founded：　　they　grow　great　

and　prosper　by　passing　occasions；　and　when　the　lode　comes　to　

an　end；　and　the　miners　move　elsewhere；　the　town　remains　

behind　them；　like　Palmyra　in　the　desert。　　I　suppose　there　

are；　in　no　country　in　the　world；　so　many　deserted　towns　as　

here　in　California。



The　whole　neighbourhood　of　Mount　Saint　Helena；　now　so　quiet　

and　sylvan；　was　once　alive　with　mining　camps　and　villages。　　

Here　there　would　be　two　thousand　souls　under　canvas；　there　

one　thousand　or　fifteen　hundred　ensconced；　as　if　for　ever；　in　

a　town　of　comfortable　houses。　　But　the　luck　had　failed；　the　

mines　petered　out；　and　the　army　of　miners　had　departed；　and　

left　this　quarter　of　the　world　to　the　rattlesnakes　and　deer　

and　grizzlies；　and　to　the　slower　but　steadier　advance　of　

husbandry。



It　was　with　an　eye　on　one　of　these　deserted　places；　Pine　

Flat；　on　the　Geysers　road；　that　we　had　come　first　to　

Calistoga。　　There　is　something　singularly　enticing　in　the　

idea　of　going；　rent…free；　into　a　ready…made　house。　　And　to　

the　British　merchant；　sitting　at　home　at　ease；　it　may　appear　

that；　with　such　a　roof　over　your　head　and　a　spring　of　clear　

water　hard　by；　the　whole　problem　of　the　squatter's　existence　

would　be　solved。　　Food；　however；　has　yet　to　be　considered；　I　

will　go　as　far　as　most　people　on　tinned　meats；　some　of　the　

brightest　moments　of　my　life　were　passed　over　tinned　mulli…

gatawney　in　the　cabin　of　a　sixteen…ton　schooner；　storm…stayed　

in　Portree　Bay；　but　after　suitable　experiments；　I　pronounce　

authoritatively　that　man　cannot　live　by　tins　alone。　　Fresh　

meat　must　be　had　on　an　occasion。　　It　is　true　that　the　great　

Foss；　driving　by　along　the　Geysers　road；　wooden…faced；　but　

glorified　with　legend；　might　have　been　induced　to　bring　us　

meat；　but　the　great　Foss　could　hardly　bring　us　milk。　　To　take　

a　cow　would　have　involved　taking　a　field　of　grass　and　a　

milkmaid；　after　which　it　would　have　been　hardly　worth　while　

to　pause；　and　we　might　have　added　to　our　colony　a　flock　of　

sheep　and　an　experienced　butcher。



It　is　really　very　disheartening　how　we　depend　on　other　people　

in　this　life。　　〃Mihi　est　propositum；〃　as　you　may　see　by　the　

motto；　〃id　quod　regibus；〃　and　behold　it　cannot　be　carried　

out；　unless　I　find　a　neighbour　rolling　in　cattle。



Now；　my　principal　adviser　in　this　matter　was　one　whom　I　will　

call　Kelmar。　　That　was　not　what　he　called　himself；　but　as　

soon　as　I　set　eyes　on　him；　I　knew　it　was　or　ought　to　be　his　

name；　I　am　sure　it　will　be　his　name　among　the　angels。　　Kelmar　

was　the　store…keeper；　a　Russian　Jew；　good…natured；　in　a　very　

thriving　way　of　business；　and；　on　equal　terms；　one　of　the　

most　serviceable　of　men。　　He　also　had　something　of　the　

expression　of　a　Scotch　country　elder；　who；　by　some　

peculiarity；　should　chance　to　be　a　Hebrew。　　He　had　a　

projecting　under　lip；　with　which　he　continually　smiled；　or　

rather　smirked。　　Mrs。　Kelmar　was　a　singularly　kind　woman；　and　

the　oldest　son　had　quite　a　dark　and　romantic　bearing；　and　

might　be　heard　on　summer　evenings　playing　sentimental　airs　on　

the　violin。



I　had　no　idea；　at　the　time　I　made　his　acquaintance；　what　an　

important　person　Kelmar　was。　　But　the　Jew　store…keepers　of　

California；　profiting　at　once　by　the　needs　and　habits　of　the　

people；　have　made　themselves　in　too　many　cases　the　tyrants　of　

the　rural　population。　　Credit　is　offered；　is　pressed　on　the　

new　customer；　and　when　once　he　is　beyond　his　depth；　the　tune　

changes；　and　he　is　from　thenceforth　a　white　slave。　　I　

believe；　even　from　the　little　I　saw；　that　Kelmar；　if　he　

choose　to　put　on　the　screw；　could　send　half　the　settlers　

packing　in　a　radius　of　seven　or　eight　miles　round　Calistoga。　　

These　are　continually　paying　him；　but　are　never　suffered　to　

get　out　of　debt。　　He　palms　dull　goods　upon　them；　for　they　

dare　not　refuse　to　buy；　he　goes　and　dines　with　them　when　he　

is　on　an　outing；　and　no　man　is　loudlier　welcomed；　he　is　their　

family　friend；　the　director　of　their　business；　and；　to　a　

degree　elsewhere　unknown　in　modern　days；　their　king。



For　some　reason；　Kelmar　always　shook　his　head　at　the　mention　

of　Pine　Flat；　and　for　some　days　I　thought　he　disapproved　of　

the　whole　scheme　and　was　proportionately　sad。　　One　fine　

morning；　however；　he　met　me；　wreathed　in　smiles。　　He　had　

found　the　very　place　for　me　…　Silverado；　another　old　mining　

town；　right　up　the　mountain。　　Rufe　Hanson；　the　hunter；　could　

take　care　of　us　…　fine　people　the　Hansons；　we　should　be　close　

to　the　Toll　House；　where　the　Lakeport　stage　called　daily；　it　

was　the　best　place　for　my　health；　besides。　　Rufe　had　been　

consumptive；　and　was　now　quite　a　strong　man；　ain't　it？　　In　

short；　the　place　and　all　its　accompaniments　seemed　made　for　

us　on　purpose。



He　took　me　to　his　back　door；　whence；　as　from　every　point　of　

Calistoga；　Mount　Saint　Helena　could　be　seen　towering　in　the　

air。　　There；　in　the　nick；　just　where　the　eastern　foothills　

joined　the　mountain；　and　she　herself　began　to　rise　above　the　

zone　of　forest　…　there　was　Silverado。　　The　name　had　already　

pleased　me；　the　high　station　pleased　me　still　more。　　I　began　

to　inquire　with　some　eagerness。　　It　was　but　a　little　while　

ago　that　Silverado　was　a　great　place。　　The　mine　…　a　silver　

mine；　of　course　…　had　promised　great　things。　　There　was　quite　

a　lively　population；　with　several　hotels　and　boarding…houses；　

and　Kelmar　himself　had　opened　a　branch　store；　and　done　

extremely　well　…　〃Ain't　it？〃　he　said；　appealing　to　his　wife。　　

And　she　said；　〃Yes；　extremely　well。〃　Now　there　was　no　one　

living　in　the　town　but　Rufe　the　hunter；　and　once　more　I　heard　

Rufe's　praises　by　the　yard；　and　this　time　sung　in　chorus。



I　could　not　help　perceiving　at　the　time　that　there　was　

something　underneath；　that　no　unmixed　desire　to　have　us　

comfortably　settled　had　inspired　the　Kelmars　with　this　flow　

of　words。　　But　I　was　impatient　to　be　gone；　to　be　about　my　

kingly　project；　and　when　we　were　offered　seats　in　Kelmar's　

waggon；　I　accepted　on　the　spot。　　The　plan　of　their　next　

Sunday's　outing　took　them；　by　good　fortune；　over　the　border　

into　Lake　County。　　They　would　carry　us　so　far；　drop　us　at　the　

Toll　House；　present　us　to　the　Hansons；　and　call　for　us　again　

on　Monday　morning　early。







CHAPTER　II　…　FIRST　IMPRESSIONS　OF　SILVERADO







WE　were　to　leave　by　six　precisely；　that　was　solemnly　pledged　

on　both　sides；　and　a　messenger　came　to　us　the　last　thing　at　

night；　to　remind　us　of　the　hour。　　But　it　was　eight　before　we　

got　clear　of　Calistoga：　　Kelmar；　Mrs。　Kelmar；　a　friend　of　

theirs　whom　we　named　Abramina；　her　little　daughter；　my　wife；　

myself；　and；　stowed　away　behind　us；　a　cluster　of　ship's　

coffee…kettles。　　These　last　were　highly　ornamental　in　the　

sheen　of　their　bright　tin；　but　I　could　invent　no　reason　for　

their　presence。　　Our　carriageful　reckoned　up；　as　near　as　w