notes by flood and field-第4章

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the　LLANO！and　take　this　with　it。　　May　the　drought　seize　your

cattle　till　their　tongues　hang　down　as　long　as　those　of　your　lying

lawyers！　　May　it　be　the　curse　and　torment　of　your　old　age；　as　you

and　yours　have　made　it　of　mine！〃



We　stepped　between　the　principal　actors　in　this　scene；　which　only

the　passion　of　Altascar　made　tragical；　but　Tryan；　with　a　humility

but　ill　concealing　his　triumph；　interrupted：



〃Let　him　curse　on。　　He'll　find　'em　coming　home　to　him　sooner　than

the　cattle　he　has　lost　through　his　sloth　and　pride。　　The　Lord　is　on

the　side　of　the　just；　as　well　as　agin　all　slanderers　and　revilers。〃



Altascar　but　half　guessed　the　meaning　of　the　Missourian；　yet

sufficiently　to　drive　from　his　mind　all　but　the　extravagant　power

of　his　native　invective。



〃Stealer　of　the　Sacrament！　　Open　not！open　not；　I　say；　your　lying；

Judas　lips　to　me！　　Ah！　half…breed；　with　the　soul　of　a　coyote！car…

r…r…ramba！〃



With　his　passion　reverberating　among　the　consonants　like　distant

thunder；　he　laid　his　hand　upon　the　mane　of　his　horse　as　though　it

had　been　the　gray　locks　of　his　adversary；　swung　himself　into　the

saddle　and　galloped　away。



George　turned　to　me：



〃Will　you　go　back　with　us　tonight？〃



I　thought　of　the　cheerless　walls；　the　silent　figures　by　the　fire；

and　the　roaring　wind；　and　hesitated。



〃Well　then；　goodby。〃



〃Goodby；　George。〃



Another　wring　of　the　hands；　and　we　parted。　　I　had　not　ridden　far

when　I　turned　and　looked　back。　　The　wind　had　risen　early　that

afternoon；　and　was　already　sweeping　across　the　plain。　　A　cloud　of

dust　traveled　before　it；　and　a　picturesque　figure　occasionally

emerging　therefrom　was　my　last　indistinct　impression　of　George

Tryan。





PART　IIIN　THE　FLOOD





Three　months　after　the　survey　of　the　Espiritu　Santo　Rancho；　I　was

again　in　the　valley　of　the　Sacramento。　　But　a　general　and　terrible

visitation　had　erased　the　memory　of　that　event　as　completely　as　I

supposed　it　had　obliterated　the　boundary　monuments　I　had　planted。

The　great　flood　of　1861…62　was　at　its　height　when；　obeying　some

indefinite　yearning；　I　took　my　carpetbag　and　embarked　for　the

inundated　valley。



There　was　nothing　to　be　seen　from　the　bright　cabin　windows　of　the

GOLDEN　CITY　but　night　deepening　over　the　water。　　The　only　sound　was

the　pattering　rain；　and　that　had　grown　monotonous　for　the　past　two

weeks；　and　did　not　disturb　the　national　gravity　of　my　countrymen　as

they　silently　sat　around　the　cabin　stove。　　Some　on　errands　of

relief　to　friends　and　relatives　wore　anxious　faces；　and　conversed

soberly　on　the　one　absorbing　topic。　　Others；　like　myself；　attracted

by　curiosity　listened　eagerly　to　newer　details。　　But　with　that

human　disposition　to　seize　upon　any　circumstance　that　might　give

chance　event　the　exaggerated　importance　of　instinct；　I　was　half…

conscious　of　something　more　than　curiosity　as　an　impelling　motive。



The　dripping　of　rain；　the　low　gurgle　of　water；　and　a　leaden　sky

greeted　us　the　next　morning　as　we　lay　beside　the　half…submerged

levee　of　Sacramento。　　Here；　however；　the　novelty　of　boats　to　convey

us　to　the　hotels　was　an　appeal　that　was　irresistible。　　I　resigned

myself　to　a　dripping　rubber…cased　mariner　called　〃Joe；〃　and；

wrapping　myself　in　a　shining　cloak　of　the　like　material；　about　as

suggestive　of　warmth　as　court　plaster　might　have　been；　took　my　seat

in　the　stern　sheets　of　his　boat。　　It　was　no　slight　inward　struggle

to　part　from　the　steamer　that　to　most　of　the　passengers　was　the

only　visible　connecting　link　between　us　and　the　dry　and　habitable

earth；　but　we　pulled　away　and　entered　the　city；　stemming　a　rapid

current　as　we　shot　the　levee。



We　glided　up　the　long　level　of　K　Streetonce　a　cheerful；　busy

thoroughfare；　now　distressing　in　its　silent　desolation。　　The　turbid

water　which　seemed　to　meet　the　horizon　edge　before　us　flowed　at

right　angles　in　sluggish　rivers　through　the　streets。　　Nature　had

revenged　herself　on　the　local　taste　by　disarraying　the　regular

rectangles　by　huddling　houses　on　street　corners；　where　they

presented　abrupt　gables　to　the　current；　or　by　capsizing　them　in

compact　ruin。　　Crafts　of　all　kinds　were　gliding　in　and　out　of　low…

arched　doorways。　　The　water　was　over　the　top　of　the　fences

surrounding　well…kept　gardens；　in　the　first　stories　of　hotels　and

private　dwellings；　trailing　its　slime　on　velvet　carpets　as　well　as

roughly　boarded　floors。　　And　a　silence　quite　as　suggestive　as　the

visible　desolation　was　in　the　voiceless　streets　that　no　longer

echoed　to　carriage　wheel　or　footfall。　　The　low　ripple　of　water；　the

occasional　splash　of　oars；　or　the　warning　cry　of　boatmen　were　the

few　signs　of　life　and　habitation。



With　such　scenes　before　my　eyes　and　such　sounds　in　my　ears；　as　I

lie　lazily　in　the　boat；　is　mingled　the　song　of　my　gondolier　who

sings　to　the　music　of　his　oars。　　It　is　not　quite　as　romantic　as　his

brother　of　the　Lido　might　improvise；　but　my　Yankee　〃Giuseppe〃　has

the　advantage　of　earnestness　and　energy；　and　gives　a　graphic

description　of　the　terrors　of　the　past　week　and　of　noble　deeds　of

self…sacrifice　and　devotion；　occasionally　pointing　out　a　balcony

from　which　some　California　Bianca　or　Laura　had　been　snatched；　half…

clothed　and　famished。　　Giuseppe　is　otherwise　peculiar；　and　refuses

the　proffered　fare；　foram　I　not　a　citizen　of　San　Francisco；　which

was　first　to　respond　to　the　suffering　cry　of　Sacramento？　and　is　not

he；　Giuseppe；　a　member　of　the　Howard　Society？　　No！　Giuseppe　is

poor；　but　cannot　take　my　money。　　Still；　if　I　must　spend　it；　there

is　the　Howard　Society；　and　the　women　and　children　without　food　and

clothes　at　the　Agricultural　Hall。



I　thank　the　generous　gondolier；　and　we　go　to　the　Halla　dismal；

bleak　place；　ghastly　with　the　memories　of　last　year's　opulence　and

plenty；　and　here　Giuseppe's　fare　is　swelled　by　the　stranger's　mite。

But　here　Giuseppe　tells　me　of　the　〃Relief　Boat〃　which　leaves　for

the　flooded　district　in　the　interior；　and　here；　profiting　by　the

lesson　he　has　taught　me；　I　make　the　resolve　to　turn　my　curiosity　to

the　account　of　others；　and　am　accepted　of　those　who　go　forth　to

succor　and　help　the　afflicted。　　Giuseppe　takes　charge　of　my

carpetbag；　and　does　not　part　from　me　until　I　stand　on　the　slippery

deck　of　〃Relief　Boat　No。　3。〃



An　hour　later　I　am　in　the　pilothouse；　looking　down　upon　what　was

once　the　channel　of　a　peaceful　river。　　But　its　banks　are　only

defined　by　tossing　tufts　of　willow　washed　by　the　long　swell　that

breaks　over　a　vast　inland　sea。　　Stretches　of　〃tule〃　land　fertilized

by　its　once　regular　channel　and　dotted　by　flourishing　ranchos　are

now　cleanly　erased。　　The　cultivated　profile　of　the　old　landscape

had　faded。　　Dotted　lines　in　symmetrical　perspective　mark　orchards

that　are　buried　and　chilled　in　the　turbid　flood。　　The　roofs　of　a

few　farmhouses　are　visible；　and　here　and　there　the　smoke　curling

from　chimneys　of　half…submerged　tenements　shows　an　undaunted　life

within。　　Cattle　and　sheep　are　gathered　on　Indian　mounds　waiting　the

fate　of　their　companions　whose　carcasses　drift　by　us；　or　swing　in

eddies　with　the　wrecks　of　barns　and　outhouses。　　Wagons　are　stranded

everywhere　where　the　tide　could　carry　them。　　As　I　wipe　the

moistened　glass；　I　see　nothing　but　water；　pattering　on　the　deck

from　the　lowering　clouds；　dashing　against　the　window；　dripping　from

the　willows；　hissing　by　the　wheels；　everywhere　washing；　coiling；

sapping；　hurrying　in　rapids；　or　swelling　at　last　into　deeper　and

vaster　lakes；　awful　in　their　suggestive　quiet　and　concealment。



As　day　fades　into　night　the　monotony　of　this　strange　prospect　grows

oppressive。　　I　seek　the　engine　room；　and　in　the　company　of　some　of

the　few　half…drowned　sufferers　we　have　already　picked　up　from

temporary　rafts；　I　forget　the　general　aspect　of　desolation　in　their

individual　misery。　　Later　we　meet　the　San　Francisco　packet；　and

transfer　a　number　of　our　passengers。　　From　them　we　learn　how

inward…bound　vessels　report　to　have　struck　the　well…defined　cha