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第7章

the silverado squatters-第7章

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

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

could get at it; some three hundred years to the six of us。  

Four of the six; besides; were Hebrews。  But I never; in all 

my life; was conscious of so strong an atmosphere of holiday。  

No word was spoken but of pleasure; and even when we drove in 

silence; nods and smiles went round the party like 

refreshments。



The sun shone out of a cloudless sky。  Close at the zenith 

rode the belated moon; still clearly visible; and; along one 

margin; even bright。  The wind blew a gale from the north; 

the trees roared; the corn and the deep grass in the valley 

fled in whitening surges; the dust towered into the air along 

the road and dispersed like the smoke of battle。  It was 

clear in our teeth from the first; and for all the windings 

of the road it managed to keep clear in our teeth until the 

end。



For some two miles we rattled through the valley; skirting 

the eastern foothills; then we struck off to the right; 

through haugh…land; and presently; crossing a dry water…

course; entered the Toll road; or; to be more local; entered 

on 〃the grade。〃  The road mounts the near shoulder of Mount 

Saint Helena; bound northward into Lake County。  In one place 

it skirts along the edge of a narrow and deep canyon; filled 

with trees; and I was glad; indeed; not to be driven at this 

point by the dashing Foss。  Kelmar; with his unvarying smile; 

jogging to the motion of the trap; drove for all the world 

like a good; plain; country clergyman at home; and I profess 

I blessed him unawares for his timidity。



Vineyards and deep meadows; islanded and framed with thicket; 

gave place more and more as we ascended to woods of oak and 

madrona; dotted with enormous pines。  It was these pines; as 

they shot above the lower wood; that produced that pencilling 

of single trees I had so often remarked from the valley。  

Thence; looking up and from however far; each fir stands 

separate against the sky no bigger than an eyelash; and all 

together lend a quaint; fringed aspect to the hills。  The oak 

is no baby; even the madrona; upon these spurs of Mount Saint 

Helena; comes to a fine bulk and ranks with forest trees … 

but the pines look down upon the rest for underwood。  As 

Mount Saint Helena among her foothills; so these dark giants 

out…top their fellow…vegetables。  Alas! if they had left the 

redwoods; the pines; in turn; would have been dwarfed。  But 

the redwoods; fallen from their high estate; are serving as 

family bedsteads; or yet more humbly as field fences; along 

all Napa Valley。



A rough smack of resin was in the air; and a crystal mountain 

purity。  It came pouring over these green slopes by the 

oceanful。  The woods sang aloud; and gave largely of their 

healthful breath。  Gladness seemed to inhabit these upper 

zones; and we had left indifference behind us in the valley。  

〃I to the hills lift mine eyes!〃  There are days in a life 

when thus to climb out of the lowlands; seems like scaling 

heaven。



As we continued to ascend; the wind fell upon us with 

increasing strength。  It was a wonder how the two stout 

horses managed to pull us up that steep incline and still 

face the athletic opposition of the wind; or how their great 

eyes were able to endure the dust。  Ten minutes after we went 

by; a tree fell; blocking the road; and even before us leaves 

were thickly strewn; and boughs had fallen; large enough to 

make the passage difficult。  But now we were hard by the 

summit。  The road crosses the ridge; just in the nick that 

Kelmar showed me from below; and then; without pause; plunges 

down a deep; thickly wooded glen on the farther side。  At the 

highest point a trail strikes up the main hill to the 

leftward; and that leads to Silverado。  A hundred yards 

beyond; and in a kind of elbow of the glen; stands the Toll 

House Hotel。  We came up the one side; were caught upon the 

summit by the whole weight of the wind as it poured over into 

Napa Valley; and a minute after had drawn up in shelter; but 

all buffetted and breathless; at the Toll House door。



A water…tank; and stables; and a gray house of two stories; 

with gable ends and a verandah; are jammed hard against the 

hillside; just where a stream has cut for itself a narrow 

canyon; filled with pines。  The pines go right up overhead; a 

little more and the stream might have played; like a fire…

hose; on the Toll House roof。  In front the ground drops as 

sharply as it rises behind。  There is just room for the road 

and a sort of promontory of croquet ground; and then you can 

lean over the edge and look deep below you through the wood。  

I said croquet GROUND; not GREEN; for the surface was of 

brown; beaten earth。  The toll…bar itself was the only other 

note of originality:  a long beam; turning on a post; and 

kept slightly horizontal by a counterweight of stones。  

Regularly about sundown this rude barrier was swung; like a 

derrick; across the road and made fast; I think; to a tree 

upon the farther side。



On our arrival there followed a gay scene in the bar。  I was 

presented to Mr。 Corwin; the landlord; to Mr。 Jennings; the 

engineer; who lives there for his health; to Mr。 Hoddy; a 

most pleasant little gentleman; once a member of the Ohio 

legislature; again the editor of a local paper; and now; with 

undiminished dignity; keeping the Toll House bar。  I had a 

number of drinks and cigars bestowed on me; and enjoyed a 

famous opportunity of seeing Kelmar in his glory; friendly; 

radiant; smiling; steadily edging one of the ship's kettles 

on the reluctant Corwin。



Corwin; plainly aghast; resisted gallantly; and for that bout 

victory crowned his arms。



At last we set forth for Silverado on foot。  Kelmar and his 

jolly Jew girls were full of the sentiment of Sunday outings; 

breathed geniality and vagueness; and suffered a little vile 

boy from the hotel to lead them here and there about the 

woods。  For three people all so old; so bulky in body; and 

belonging to a race so venerable; they could not but surprise 

us by their extreme and almost imbecile youthfulness of 

spirit。  They were only going to stay ten minutes at the Toll 

House; had they not twenty long miles of road before them on 

the other side?  Stay to dinner?  Not they!  Put up the 

horses? Never。  Let us attach them to the verandah by a wisp 

of straw rope; such as would not have held a person's hat on 

that blustering day。  And with all these protestations of 

hurry; they proved irresponsible like children。  Kelmar 

himself; shrewd old Russian Jew; with a smirk that seemed 

just to have concluded a bargain to its satisfaction; 

intrusted himself and us devoutly to that boy。  Yet the boy 

was patently fallacious; and for that matter a most 

unsympathetic urchin; raised apparently on gingerbread。  He 

was bent on his own pleasure; nothing else; and Kelmar 

followed him to his ruin; with the same shrewd smirk。  If the 

boy said there was 〃a hole there in the hill〃 … a hole; pure 

and simple; neither more nor less … Kelmar and his Jew girls 

would follow him a hundred yards to look complacently down 

that hole。  For two hours we looked for houses; and for two 

hours they followed us; smelling trees; picking flowers; 

foisting false botany on the unwary。  Had we taken five; with 

that vile lad to head them off on idle divagations; for five 

they would have smiled and stumbled through the woods。



However; we came forth at length; and as by accident; upon a 

lawn; sparse planted like an orchard; but with forest instead 

of fruit trees。  That was the site of Silverado mining town。  

A piece of ground was levelled up; where Kelmar's store had 

been; and facing that we saw Rufe Hanson's house; still 

bearing on its front the legend SILVERADO HOTEL。  Not another 

sign of

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