cressy-第13章

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figure　of　Uncle　Ben　was　already　indistinct　among　the　leaves；　but

from　the　motion　of　his　shoulders　he　seemed　to　be　still　stepping

high　and　softly　as　if　not　yet　clear　of　insecure　and　engulfing

ground。



The　silence　still　continuing；　the　master　began　mechanically　to　look

over　the　desks　for　forgotten　or　mislaid　articles；　and　to　rearrange

the　pupils'　books　and　copies。　　A　few　heartsease　gathered　by　the

devoted　Octavia　Dean；　neatly　tied　with　a　black　thread　and　regularly

left　in　the　inkstand　cavity　of　Rupert's　desk；　were　still　lying　on

the　floor　where　they　had　been　always　hurled　with　equal　regularity

by　that　disdainful　Adonis。　　Picking　up　a　slate　from　under　a　bench；

his　attention　was　attracted　by　a　forgotten　cartoon　on　the　reverse

side。　　Mr。　Ford　at　once　recognized　it　as　the　work　of　that　youthful

but　eminent　caricaturist；　Johnny　Filgee。　　Broad　in　treatment；

comprehensive　in　subject；　liberal　in　detail　and　slate…pencilit

represented　Uncle　Ben　lying　on　the　floor　with　a　book　in　his　hand；

tyrannized　over　by　Rupert　Filgee　and　regarded　in　a　striking　profile

of　two　features　by　Cressy　McKinstry。　　The　daring　realism　of

introducing　the　names　of　each　character　on　their　legsperhaps

ideally　enlarged　for　that　purposeleft　no　doubt　of　their　identity。

Equally　daring　but　no　less　effective　was　the　rendering　of　a　limited

but　dramatic　conversation　between　the　parties　by　the　aid　of

emotional　balloons　attached　to　their　mouths　like　a　visible　gulp

bearing　the　respective　legends：　〃I　luv　you；〃　〃O　my；〃　and　〃You　git！〃



The　master　was　for　a　moment　startled　at　this　unlooked…for　but

graphic　testimony　to　the　fact　that　Uncle　Ben's　visits　to　the　school

were　not　only　known　but　commented　upon。　　The　small　eyes　of　those

youthful　observers　had　been　keener　than　his　own。　　He　had　again　been

stupidly　deceived；　in　spite　of　his　efforts。　　Love；　albeit　deficient

in　features　and　wearing　an　improperly　short　bell…shaped　frock；　had

boldly　re…entered　the　peaceful　school；　and　disturbing　complications

on　abnormal　legs　were　following　at　its　heels。





CHAPTER　V。





While　this　simple　pastoral　life　was　centred　around　the　school…house

in　the　clearing；　broken　only　by　an　occasional　warning　pistol…shot

in　the　direction　of　the　Harrison…McKinstry　boundaries；　the　more

business　part　of　Indian　Spring　was　overtaken　by　one　of　those　spasms

of　enterprise　peculiar　to　all　Californian　mining　settlements。　　The

opening　of　the　Eureka　Ditch　and　the　extension　of　stagecoach

communication　from　Big　Bluff　were　events　of　no　small　importance；

and　were　celebrated　on　the　same　day。　　The　double　occasion

overtaxing　even　the　fluent　rhetoric　of　the　editor　of　the　〃Star〃

left　him　struggling　in　the　metaphorical　difficulties　of　a　Pactolian

Spring；　which　he　had　rashly　turned　into　the　Ditch；　and　obliged　him

to　transfer　the　onerous　duty　of　writing　the　editorial　on　the　Big

Bluff　Extension　to　the　hands　of　the　Honorable　Abner　Dean；

Assemblyman　from　Angel's。　　The　loss　of　the　Honorable　Mr。　Dean's

right　eye　in　an　early　pioneer　fracas　did　not　prevent　him　from

looking　into　the　dim　vista　of　the　future　and　discovering　with　that

single　unaided　optic　enough　to　fill　three　columns　of　the　〃Star。〃

〃It　is　not　too　extravagant　to　say；〃　he　remarked　with　charming

deprecation；　〃that　Indian　Spring；　through　its　own　perfectly

organized　system　of　inland　transportation；　the　confluence　of　its

North　Fork　with　the　Sacramento　River；　and　their　combined　effluence

into　the　illimitable　Pacific；　is　thus　put　not　only　into　direct

communication　with　far　Cathay　but　even　remoter　Antipodean　markets。

The　citizen　of　Indian　Spring　taking　the　9　A。　M。　Pioneer　Coach　and

arriving　at　Big　Bluff　at　2。40　is　enabled　to　connect　with　the

through　express　to　Sacramento　the　same　evening；　reaching　San

Francisco　per　the　Steam　Navigation　Company's　palatial　steamers　in

time　to　take　the　Pacific　Mail　Steamer　to　Yokohama　on　the　following

day　at　8。30　P。　M。〃　　Although　no　citizen　of　Indian　Spring　appeared

to　avail　himself　of　this　admirable　opportunity；　nor　did　it　appear

at　all　likely　that　any　would；　everybody　vaguely　felt　that　an

inestimable　boon　lay　in　the　suggestion；　and　even　the　master

professionally　intrusting　the　reading　aloud　of　the　editorial　to

Rupert　Filgee　with　ulterior　designs　of　practice　in　the　pronunciation

of　five…syllable　words；　was　somewhat　affected　by　it。　　Johnny　Filgee

and　Jimmy　Snyder　accepting　it　as　a　mysterious　something　that　made

Desert　Islands　accessible　at　a　moment's　notice　and　a　trifling

outlay；　were　round…eyed　and　attentive。　　And　the　culminating

information　from　the　master　that　this　event　would　be　commemorated　by

a　half…holiday；　combined　to　make　the　occasion　as　exciting　to　the

simple　school…house　in　the　clearing　as　it　was　to　the　gilded　saloon

in　the　main　street。



And　so　the　momentous　day　arrived；　with　its　two　new　coaches　from　Big

Bluff　containing　the　specially　invited　speakersalways　specially

invited　to　those　occasions；　and　yet　strangely　enough　never　before

feeling　the　extreme　〃importance　and　privilege〃　of　it　as　they　did

then。　　Then　there　were　the　firing　of　two　anvils；　the　strains　of　a

brass　band；　the　hoisting　of　a　new　flag　on　the　liberty…pole；　and

later　the　ceremony　of　the　Ditch　opening；　when　a　distinguished

speaker　in　a　most　unworkman…like　tall　hat；　black　frock　coat；　and

white　cravat；　which　gave　him　the　general　air　of　a　festive　grave…

digger；　took　a　spade　from　the　hands　of　an　apparently　hilarious

chief　mourner　and　threw　out　the　first　sods。　　There　were　anvils；

brass　bands；　and　a　〃collation〃　at　the　hotel。　　But　everywhere

overriding　the　most　extravagant　expectation　and　even　the　laughter

it　provokedthe　spirit　of　indomitable　youth　and　resistless

enterprise　intoxicated　the　air。　　It　was　the　spirit　that　had　made

California　possible；　that　had　sown　a　thousand　such　ventures

broadcast　through　its　wilderness；　that　had　enabled　the　sower　to

stand　half…humorously　among　his　scant　or　ruined　harvests　without

fear　and　without　repining；　and　turn　his　undaunted　and　ever　hopeful

face　to　further　fields。　　What　mattered　it　that　Indian　Spring　had

always　before　its　eyes　the　abandoned　trenches　and　ruined　outworks

of　its　earlier　pioneers？　　What　mattered　it　that　the　eloquent

eulogist　of　the　Eureka　Ditch　had　but　a　few　years　before　as

prodigally　scattered　his　adjectives　and　his　fortune　on　the　useless

tunnel　that　confronted　him　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river？　　The

sublime　forgetfulness　of　youth　ignored　its　warning　or　recognized　it

as　a　joke。　　The　master；　fresh　from　his　little　flock　and　prematurely

aged　by　their　contact；　felt　a　stirring　of　something　like　envy　as　he

wandered　among　these　scarcely　older　enthusiasts。



Especially　memorable　was　the　exciting　day　to　Johnny　Filgee；　not

only　for　the　delightfully　bewildering　clamor　of　the　brass　band；　in

which；　between　the　trombone　and　the　bass　drum；　he　had　got

inextricably　mixed；　not　only　for　the　half…frightening　explosions　of

the　anvils　and　the　maddening　smell　of　the　gunpowder　which　had

exalted　his　infant　soul　to　sudden　and　irrelevant　whoopings；　but　for

a　singular　occurrence　that　whetted　his　always　keen　perceptions。

Having　been　shamelessly　abandoned　on　the　veranda　of　the　Eureka

Hotel　while　his　brother　Rupert　paid　bashful　court　to　the　pretty

proprietress　by　assisting　her　in　her　duties；　Johnny　gave　himself　up

to　unlimited　observation。　　The　rosettes　of　the　six　horses；　the　new

harness；　the　length　of　the　driver's　whiplash；　his　enormous　buckskin

gloves　and　the　way　he　held　his　reins；　the　fascinating　odor　of

shining　varnish　on　the　coach；　the　gold…headed　cane　of　the　Honorable

Abner　Dean：　all　these　were　stored　away　in　the　secret　recesses　of

Johnny's　memory；　even　as　the　unconsidered　trifles　he　had　picked　up

en　route　were　distending　his　capacious　pockets。　　But　when　a　young

man　had　alighted　from　the　second　or　〃Truly〃　coach　among　the　REAL

passengers；　and　strolled　carelessly　and　easily　in　the　veranda　as　if

the　novelty　and　the　occasion　were　nothing　to　him；　Johnny；　with　a

gulp　of　satisfaction；　knew　that