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第9章

the silverado squatters-第9章

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Hanson lads came down; before their departure; and returned 

with a ship's kettle。  Happy Hansons!  Nor was it until after 

Kelmar was gone; if I remember rightly; that Rufe put in an 

appearance to arrange the details of our installation。



The latter part of the day; Fanny and I sat in the verandah 

of the Toll House; utterly stunned by the uproar of the wind 

among the trees on the other side of the valley。  Sometimes; 

we would have it it was like a sea; but it was not various 

enough for that; and again; we thought it like the roar of a 

cataract; but it was too changeful for the cataract; and then 

we would decide; speaking in sleepy voices; that it could be 

compared with nothing but itself。  My mind was entirely 

preoccupied by the noise。  I hearkened to it by the hour; 

gapingly hearkened; and let my cigarette go out。  Sometimes 

the wind would make a sally nearer hand; and send a shrill; 

whistling crash among the foliage on our side of the glen; 

and sometimes a back…draught would strike into the elbow 

where we sat; and cast the gravel and torn leaves into our 

faces。  But for the most part; this great; streaming gale 

passed unweariedly by us into Napa Valley; not two hundred 

yards away; visible by the tossing boughs; stunningly 

audible; and yet not moving a hair upon our heads。  So it 

blew all night long while I was writing up my journal; and 

after we were in bed; under a cloudless; starset heaven; and 

so it was blowing still next morning when we rose。



It was a laughable thought to us; what had become of our 

cheerful; wandering Hebrews。  We could not suppose they had 

reached a destination。  The meanest boy could lead them miles 

out of their way to see a gopher…hole。  Boys; we felt to be 

their special danger; none others were of that exact pitch of 

cheerful irrelevancy to exercise a kindred sway upon their 

minds:  but before the attractions of a boy their most 

settled resolutions would be war。  We thought we could follow 

in fancy these three aged Hebrew truants wandering in and out 

on hilltop and in thicket; a demon boy trotting far ahead; 

their will…o'…the…wisp conductor; and at last about midnight; 

the wind still roaring in the darkness; we had a vision of 

all three on their knees upon a mountain…top around a glow…

worm。







CHAPTER III。 THE RETURN







NEXT morning we were up by half…past five; according to 

agreement; and it was ten by the clock before our Jew boys 

returned to pick us up。  Kelmar; Mrs。 Kelmar; and Abramina; 

all smiling from ear to ear; and full of tales of the 

hospitality they had found on the other side。  It had not 

gone unrewarded; for I observed with interest that the ship's 

kettles; all but one; had been 〃placed。〃  Three Lake County 

families; at least; endowed for life with a ship's kettle。  

Come; this was no misspent Sunday。  The absence of the 

kettles told its own story:  our Jews said nothing about 

them; but; on the other hand; they said many kind and comely 

things about the people they had met。  The two women; in 

particular; had been charmed out of themselves by the sight 

of a young girl surrounded by her admirers; all evening; it 

appeared; they had been triumphing together in the girl's 

innocent successes; and to this natural and unselfish joy 

they gave expression in language that was beautiful by its 

simplicity and truth。



Take them for all in all; few people have done my heart more 

good; they seemed so thoroughly entitled to happiness; and to 

enjoy it in so large a measure and so free from after…

thought; almost they persuaded me to be a Jew。  There was; 

indeed; a chink of money in their talk。  They particularly 

commanded people who were well to do。  〃HE don't care … ain't 

it?〃 was their highest word of commendation to an individual 

fate; and here I seem to grasp the root of their philosophy … 

it was to be free from care; to be free to make these Sunday 

wanderings; that they so eagerly pursued after wealth; and 

all this carefulness was to be careless。  The fine; good 

humour of all three seemed to declare they had attained their 

end。  Yet there was the other side to it; and the recipients 

of kettles perhaps cared greatly。



No sooner had they returned; than the scene of yesterday 

began again。  The horses were not even tied with a straw rope 

this time … it was not worth while; and Kelmar disappeared 

into the bar; leaving them under a tree on the other side of 

the road。  I had to devote myself。  I stood under the shadow 

of that tree for; I suppose; hard upon an hour; and had not 

the heart to be angry。  Once some one remembered me; and 

brought me out half a tumblerful of the playful; innocuous 

American cocktail。  I drank it; and lo! veins of living fire 

ran down my leg; and then a focus of conflagration remained 

seated in my stomach; not unpleasantly; for quarter of an 

hour。  I love these sweet; fiery pangs; but I will not court 

them。  The bulk of the time I spent in repeating as much 

French poetry as I could remember to the horses; who seemed 

to enjoy it hugely。  And now it went …





〃O ma vieille Font…georges

Ou volent les rouges…gorges:〃





and again; to a more trampling measure …





〃Et tout tremble; Irun; Coimbre;

Sautander; Almodovar;

Sitot qu'on entend le timbre

Des cymbales do Bivar。〃





The redbreasts and the brooks of Europe; in that dry and 

songless land; brave old names and wars; strong cities; 

cymbals; and bright armour; in that nook of the mountain; 

sacred only to the Indian and the bear!  This is still the 

strangest thing in all man's travelling; that he should carry 

about with him incongruous memories。  There is no foreign 

land; it is the traveller only that is foreign; and now and 

again; by a flash of recollection; lights up the contrasts of 

the earth。



But while I was thus wandering in my fancy; great feats had 

been transacted in the bar。  Corwin the bold had fallen; 

Kelmar was again crowned with laurels; and the last of the 

ship's kettles had changed hands。  If I had ever doubted the 

purity of Kelmar's motives; if I had ever suspected him of a 

single eye to business in his eternal dallyings; now at 

least; when the last kettle was disposed of; my suspicions 

must have been allayed。  I dare not guess how much more time 

was wasted; nor how often we drove off; merely to drive back 

again and renew interrupted conversations about nothing; 

before the Toll House was fairly left behind。  Alas! and not 

a mile down the grade there stands a ranche in a sunny 

vineyard; and here we must all dismount again and enter。



Only the old lady was at home; Mrs。 Guele; a brown old Swiss 

dame; the picture of honesty; and with her we drank a bottle 

of wine and had an age…long conversation; which would have 

been highly delightful if Fanny and I had not been faint with 

hunger。  The ladies each narrated the story of her marriage; 

our two Hebrews with the prettiest combination of sentiment 

and financial bathos。  Abramina; specially; endeared herself 

with every word。  She was as simple; natural; and engaging as 

a kid that should have been brought up to the business of a 

money…changer。  One touch was so resplendently Hebraic that I 

cannot pass it over。  When her 〃old man〃 wrote home for her 

from America; her old man's family would not intrust her with 

the money for the passage; till she had bound herself by an 

oath … on her knees; I think she said … not to employ it 

otherwise。



This had tickled Abramina hugely; but I think it tickled me 

fully more。



Mrs。 Guele told of her home…sickness up here in the long 

winters; of her honest; country…woman troubles and alarms 

upon the journey; how in the bank at Frankfort she had feared 

lest the banker; after having taken her cheque; should deny 

all knowledge of it … a fear I have myself every time I go to 

a b

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