the foreigner-第39章

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'；　that　is；　I　have　a　friend　in　Cuba　who　sends　me　the　Prince　of　Wales　brand。〃

French　smoked　on　for　some　moments。

〃Without　being　rude；　how　much　of　this　have　you　in　stock？〃

〃How　much？　　Enough　to　fill　your　pipe　whenever　you　come　round。〃

〃My　word！〃　exclaimed　French。　　〃You　don't　dispense　this　to　the　general　public；　do　you？〃

〃Not　much；　I　don't；〃　said　Brown。　　〃I　select　my　patients。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　French。　　〃I　take　this　as　a　mark　of　extreme　hospitality。　　By　the　way；　where　is　your　own　pipe？〃

〃I　have　abjured。〃

〃What。〃

〃Abjured。〃

〃And　yet　you　have　many　of　the　marks　of　sanity。〃

〃Sanity！　　You　just　note　it；　and　the　most　striking　is　that　I　don't　have　a　pipe。〃

〃Expound　me　the　riddle；　please。〃

〃The　exposition　is　simple　enough。　　I　am　constitutionally　lazy　and　self…indulgent；　and　almost　destitute　of　self…control〃

〃And　permit　me　to　interject　without　offence；　an　awful　liar；〃　said　French　pleasantly。　　〃Go　on。〃

〃I　came　out　here　to　work。　　With　a　pipe　and　a　few　pounds　of　that　mixture〃

〃Pounds！　　Ah！〃　ejaculated　French。

〃I　would　find　myself　immersed　in　dreamy　seas　of　vaporous　and　idle　blissdo　you　catch　that　combination？and　fancy　myself；　mark　you；　busy　all　the　time。　　It　is　the　smoker's　dementia　accentuated　by　such　a　mixture　as　this；　that　while　he　is　blowing　rings　he　imagines　he　is　doing　something〃

〃The　deuce　he　does！　　And　he　is　jolly　well　right。〃

〃So；　having　something　other　to　do　than　blow　rings；　I　have　abjured　the　pipe。　　There　are　other　reasons；　but　that　will　suffice。〃

〃Abundantly；〃　said　French　with　emphasis；　〃and　permit　me　to　remark　that　you　have　been　talking　rot。〃

Brown　shook　his　head　with　a　smile。

〃Now　tell　me；〃　continued　French；　〃what　is　your　idea？　　What　have　you　in　view　in　planting　yourself　down　here？　　In　short；　to　put　it　bluntly；　what　are　you　doing？〃

〃Doing　nothing；　as　yet；〃　said　Brown　cheerfully；　〃but　I　want　to　do　a　lot。　　I　have　got　this　Galician　colony　in　my　eye。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　French；　〃are　you　by　any　chance　a　preacher？〃

〃Well；　I　may　be；　though　I　can't　preach　much。　　But　my　main　line　is　the　kiddies。　　I　can　teach　them　English；　and　then　I　am　going　to　doctor　them；　and；　if　they'll　let　me；　teach　them　some　of　the　elements　of　domestic　science；　in　short；　do　anything　to　make　them　good　Christians　and　good　Canadians；　which　is　the　same　thing。〃

〃That　is　a　pretty　large　order。　　Look　here；　now；〃　said　French；　sitting　up；　〃you　look　like　a　sensible　fellow；　and　open　to　advice。　Don't　be　an　ass　and　throw　yourself　away。　　I　know　these　people　well。　In　a　generation　or　two　something　may　be　done　with　them。　　You　can't　make　a　silk　purse　out　of　a　sow's　ear；　you　know。　　Give　it　up。　　Take　up　a　ranch　and　go　cattle　raising。　　That　is　my　advice。　　I　know　them。　You　can't　undo　in　your　lifetime　the　results　of　three　centuries。　It's　a　hopeless　business。　　I　tried　myself　to　give　them　some　pointers　when　they　came　in　first；　and　worried　a　good　deal　about　it。　I　got　myself　disliked　for　my　pains　and　suffered　considerable　annoyance。　　Now　I　leave　them　beautifully　alone。　　Their　suspicions　have　vanished　and　they　no　longer　look　at　me　as　if　I　were　a　thief。〃

Brown's　face　grew　serious。　　〃It's　a　fact；　they　are　suspicious；　frightfully。　　I　have　been　talking　school　to　them；　but　they　won't　have　a　school　as　a　gift。　　My　Church；　the　Presbyterian；　you　know；　offers　to　put　up　a　school　for　them；　since　the　Government　won't　do　anything；　but　they　are　mightily　afraid　that　this　is　some　subtle　scheme　for　extracting　money　from　them。　　But　what　can　you　expect？　The　only　church　they　know　has　bled　them　dry；　and　they　fear　and　hate　the　very　name　of　church。〃

〃By　Jove！　　I　don't　wonder；〃　said　French。

〃Nor　do　I。〃

〃But　look　here；　Brown；〃　said　French；　〃you　don't　mean　to　tell　me；I　assure　you　I　don't　wish　to　be　rude；but　you　don't　mean　to　tell　me　that　you　have　come　here；　a　man　of　your　education　and　snap〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Brown。

〃To　teach　a　lot　of　Galician　children。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Brown；　〃I　admit　I　have　come　partially　for　my　health。　You　see；　I　am　constitutionally　inclined〃

〃Oh；　come　now；〃　said　French；　〃as　my　friend　Kalman　would　remark；　cut　it　out。〃

〃Partially　for　my　health；　and　partially　for　the　good　of　the　country。　　These　people　here　exist　as　an　undigested　foreign　mass。　They　must　be　digested　and　absorbed　into　the　body　politic。　　They　must　be　taught　our　ways　of　thinking　and　living；　or　it　will　be　a　mighty　bad　thing　for　us　in　Western　Canada。　　Do　you　know；　there　are　over　twenty…five　thousand　of　them　already　in　this　country？〃

〃Oh；　that's　all　right；〃　said　French；　〃but　they'll　learn　our　ways　fast　enough。　　And　as　for　teaching　their　children；　pardon　me；　but　it　seems　to　me　you　are　too　good　a　man　to　waste　in　that　sort　of　thing。　Why；　bless　my　soul；　you　can　get　a　girl　for　fifty　dollars　a　month　who　would　teach　them　fast　enough。　　But　younow　you　could　do　big　things　in　this　country；　and　there　are　going　to　be　big　things　doing　here　in　a　year　or　two。〃

〃What　things？〃　said　Brown　with　evident　interest。

〃Oh；　well；　ranching；　farming　on　a　big　scale；　building　railroads；　lumber　up　on　the　hills；　then；　later；　public　life。　　We　will　be　a　province；　you　know；　one　of　these　days；　and　the　men　who　are　in　at　the　foundation　making　will　stand　at　the　top　later　on。〃

〃You're　all　right；〃　cried　Brown；　his　eyes　alight　with　enthusiasm。　〃There　will　be　big　things　doing；　and；　believe　me；　this　is　one　of　them。〃

〃What？　　Teaching　a　score　of　dirty　little　Galicians？　　The　chances　are　you'll　spoil　them。　　They　are　good　workers　as　they　are。　　None　better。　　They　are　easy　to　handle。　　You　go　in　and　give　them　some　of　our　Canadian　ideas　of　living　and　all　that；　and　before　you　know　they　are　striking　for　higher　wages　and　giving　no　end　of　trouble。〃

〃You　would　suppress　the　school；　then；　in　Western　Canada？〃　said　Brown。

〃No；　not　exactly。　　But　if　you　educate　these　fellows；　you　hear　me；　they'll　run　your　country；　by　Jove！　in　half　a　dozen　years；　and　you　wouldn't　like　that　much。〃

〃That's　exactly　it；〃　replied　Brown；　〃they'll　run　your　country　anyhow　you　put　it；　school　or　no　school；　and；　therefore；　you　had　better　fit　them　for　the　job。　　You　have　got　to　make　them　Canadian。〃

〃A　big　business　that；〃　said　French。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Brown；　〃there　are　two　agencies　that　will　do　it。〃

〃Namely。〃

〃The　school　and　the　Church。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　that's　all　right；　I　guess；〃　losing　interest　in　the　discussion。

〃That's　my　game　too；〃　said　Brown　with　increasing　eagerness。　〃That's　my　idea；the　school　and　the　Church。　　You　say　the　big　things　are　ranches；　railroads；　and　mills。　　So　they　are。　　But　the　really　big　things　are　the　things　that　give　us　our　ideas　and　our　ideals；　and　those　are　the　school　and　the　Church。　　But；　I　say；　you　will　be　wanting　to　turn　in。　　You　wait　a　minute　and　I'll　make　your　bed。〃

〃Bed？　　Nonsense！〃　said　French。　　〃Your　tent　floor　is　all　right。　I've　been　twenty　years　in　this　country；　and　Kalman　is　already　an　old　timer；　so　don't　you　start　anything。〃

〃Might　as　well　be　comfortable；〃　said　Brown　cheerfully。　　〃I　have　a　great　weakness　for　comfort。　　In　fact；　I　can't　bear　to　be　uncomfortable。　　I　live　luxuriously。　　I'll　be　back　in　a　few　minutes。〃

He　disappeared　behind　a　bluff　and　came　back　in　a　short　time　with　a　large　bundle　of　swamp…grass；　which　he　speedily　made　into　a　very　comfortable　bed。

〃Now　then；〃　he　said　cheerfully；　〃there　you　are。　　Have　you　any　objection　to　prayers？　　It　is　a　rule　of　this　camp　to　have　prayers　night　and　morning；　especially　if　any　strangers　happen　along。　　I　like　to　practise　on　them；　you　know。〃

French　nodded　gravely。　　〃Good　idea。　　I　can't　say　it　is　common　in　this　country。〃

Brown　brought　out　two　hymn　books　and　passed　one　to　French；　stirred　up　the　fire　to　a　bright　blaze；　and　proceeded　to　select　a　hymn。　Suddenly　he　turned　to　Kalman。　　〃I　say；　my　boy；　do　you　read？〃

〃Sure　thing！　　You　bet！〃　said　Kalman　indignantly。

〃Educated；　you　see；〃　said　French　apologetically。　　〃Street　University；　Winnipeg。〃

〃That's　all　right；　boy。　　I'll　get　you　a　book　for　yourself。　　We　have　lots　of　them。　　Now；　French；　you　select。〃

〃Oh；　me？　　You　better　go　on。　　I　don't　know　your　book。〃

〃No；　sir；〃　said　Brown　emphatically。　　〃You　have　got　to　select；　and　you　have　got　to　read　too。　　Rule　of　the　camp。　　True；　I　didn't　feed　you；　but　thenI　hesitate　to　speak　of　itperhaps　you　remember　that　mixture。〃