black rock-第32章

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loved　to　hear。　　Before　the　last　verse　she　beckoned　to　me。　　I　went
to　her　standing　by　Craig's　side　as　he　played　for　her。　　'Ask　them　to
sing；'　she　entreated；　'I　cannot　bear　it。'

'Mrs。　Mavor　wishes　you　to　sing　in　the　refrain；'　I　said；　and　at　once
the　men　sat　up　and　cleared　their　throats。　　The　singing　was　not
good；　but　at　the　first　sound　of　the　hoarse　notes　of　the　men　Craig's
head　went　down　over　the　organ；　for　he　was　thinking　I　suppose　of　the
days　before　them　when　they　would　long　in　vain　for　that　thrilling
voice　that　soared　high　over　their　own　hoarse　tones。　　And　after　the
voices　died　away　he　kept　on　playing　till；　half　turning　toward　him；
she　sang　alone　once　more　the　refrain　in　a　voice　low　and　sweet　and
tender；　as　if　for　him　alone。　　And　so　he　took　it；　for　he　smiled　up
at　her　his　old　smile　full　of　courage　and　full　of　love。

Then　for　one　whole　hour　she　stood　saying　good…bye　to　those　rough；
gentle…hearted　men　whose　inspiration　to　goodness　she　had　been　for
five　years。　　It　was　very　wonderful　and　very　quiet。　　It　was
understood　that　there　was　to　be　no　nonsense；　and　Abe　had　been　heard
to　declare　that　he　would　'throw　out　any　cotton…backed　fool　who
couldn't　hold　himself　down；'　and　further；　he　had　enjoined　them　to
remember　that　'her　arm　wasn't　a　pump…handle。'

At　last　they　were　all　gone；　all　but　her　guard　of　honourShaw；
Vernon　Winton；　Geordie；　Nixon；　Abe；　Nelson；　Craig；　and　myself。

This　was　the　real　farewell；　for；　though　in　the　early　light　of　the
next　morning　two　hundred　men　stood　silent　about　the　stage；　and　then
as　it　moved　out　waved　their　hats　and　yelled　madly；　this　was　the
last　touch　they　had　of　her　hand。　　Her　place　was　up　on　the　driver's
seat　between　Abe　and　Mr。　Craig；　who　held　little　Marjorie　on　his
knee。　　The　rest　of　the　guard　of　honour　were　to　follow　with　Graeme's
team。　　It　was　Winton's　fine　sense　that　kept　Graeme　from　following
them　close。　　'Let　her　go　out　alone；'　he　said；　and　so　we　held　back
and　watched　her　go。

She　stood　with　her　back　towards　Abe's　plunging　four…horse　team；　and
steadying　herself　with　one　hand　on　Abe's　shoulder；　gazed　down　upon
us。　　Her　head　was　bare；　her　lips　parted　in　a　smile；　her　eyes
glowing　with　their　own　deep　light；　and　so；　facing　us；　erect　and
smiling；　she　drove　away；　waving　us　farewell　till　Abe　swung　his　team
into　the　canyon　road　and　we　saw　her　no　more。　　A　sigh　shuddered
through　the　crowd；　and；　with　a　sob　in　his　voice；　Winton　said：　'God
help　us　all。'

I　close　my　eyes　and　see　it　all　again。　　The　waving　crowd　of　dark…
faced　men；　the　plunging　horses；　and；　high　up　beside　the　driver；　the
swaying；　smiling；　waving　figure；　and　about　all　the　mountains；
framing　the　picture　with　their　dark　sides　and　white　peaks　tipped
with　the　gold　of　the　rising　sun。　　It　is　a　picture　I　love　to　look
upon；　albeit　it　calls　up　another　that　I　can　never　see　but　through
tears。

I　look　across　a　strip　of　ever…widening　water；　at　a　group　of　men
upon　the　wharf；　standing　with　heads　uncovered；　every　man　a　hero；
though　not　a　man　of　them　suspects　it；　least　of　all　the　man　who
stands　in　front；　strong；　resolute；　self…conquered。　　And；　gazing
long；　I　think　I　see　him　turn　again　to　his　place　among　the　men　of
the　mountains；　not　forgetting；　but　every　day　remembering　the　great
love　that　came　to　him；　and　remembering；　too；　that　love　is　not　all。
It　is　then　the　tears　come。

But　for　that　picture　two　of　us　at　least　are　better　men　to…day。


CHAPTER　XIII

HOW　NELSON　CAME　HOME


Through　the　long　summer　the　mountains　and　the　pines　were　with　me。
And　through　the　winter；　too；　busy　as　I　was　filling　in　my　Black　Rock
sketches　for　the　railway　people　who　would　still　persist　in　ordering
them　by　the　dozen；　the　memory　of　that　stirring　life　would　come　over
me；　and　once　more　I　would　be　among　the　silent　pines　and　the　mighty
snow…peaked　mountains。　　And　before　me　would　appear　the　red…shirted
shantymen　or　dark…faced　miners；　great；　free；　bold　fellows；　driving
me　almost　mad　with　the　desire　to　seize　and　fix　those　swiftly
changing　groups　of　picturesque　figures。　　At　such　times　I　would　drop
my　sketch；　and　with　eager　brush　seize　a　group；　a　face；　a　figure；
and　that　is　how　my　studio　comes　to　be　filled　with　the　men　of　Black
Rock。　　There　they　are　all　about　me。　　Graeme　and　the　men　from　the
woods；　Sandy；　Baptiste；　the　Campbells；　and　in　many　attitudes　and
groups　old　man　Nelson；　Craig；　too；　and　his　miners；　Shaw；　Geordie；
Nixon；　and　poor　old　Billy　and　the　keeper　of　the　League　saloon。

It　seemed　as　if　I　lived　among　them；　and　the　illusion　was　greatly
helped　by　the　vivid　letters　Graeme　sent　me　from　time　to　time。
Brief　notes　came　now　and　then　from　Craig　too；　to　whom　I　had　sent　a
faithful　account　of　how　I　had　brought　Mrs。　Mavor　to　her　ship；　and
of　how　I　had　watched　her　sail　away　with　none　too　brave　a　face；　as
she　held　up　her　hand　that　bore　the　miners'　ring；　and　smiled　with
that　deep　light　in　her　eyes。　　Ah！　those　eyes　have　driven　me　to
despair　and　made　me　fear　that　I　am　no　great　painter　after　all；　in
spite　of　what　my　friends　tell　me　who　come　in　to　smoke　my　good
cigars　and　praise　my　brush。　　I　can　get　the　brow　and　hair；　and　mouth
and　pose；　but　the　eyes！　the　eyes　elude　meand　the　faces　of　Mrs。
Mavor　on　my　wall；　that　the　men　praise　and　rave　over；　are　not　such
as　I　could　show　to　any　of　the　men　from　the　mountains。

Graeme's　letters　tell　me　chiefly　about　Craig　and　his　doings；　and
about　old　man　Nelson；　while　from　Craig　I　hear　about　Graeme；　and　how
he　and　Nelson　are　standing　at　his　back；　and　doing　what　they　can　to
fill　the　gap　that　never　can　be　filled。　　The　three　are　much
together；　I　can　see；　and　I　am　glad　for　them　all；　but　chiefly　for
Craig；　whose　face；　grief…stricken　but　resolute；　and　often　gentle　as
a　woman's；　will　not　leave　me　nor　let　me　rest　in　peace。

The　note　of　thanks　he　sent　me　was　entirely　characteristic。　　There
were　no　heroics；　much　less　pining　or　self…pity。　　It　was　simple　and
manly；　not　ignoring　the　pain　but　making　much　of　the　joy。　　And　then
they　had　their　work　to　do。　　That　note；　so　clear；　so　manly；　so　nobly
sensible；　stiffens　my　back　yet　at　times。

In　the　spring　came　the　startling　news　that　Black　Rock　would　soon　be
no　more。　　The　mines　were　to　close　down　on　April　1。　　The　company；
having　allured　the　confiding　public　with　enticing　descriptions　of
marvellous　drifts；　veins；　assays；　and　prospects；　and　having
expended　vast　sums　of　the　public's　money　in　developing　the　mines
till　the　assurance　of　their　reliability　was　absolutely　final；
calmly　shut　down　and　vanished。　　With　their　vanishing　vanishes　Black
Rock；　not　without　loss　and　much　deep　cursing　on　the　part　of　the　men
brought　some　hundreds　of　miles　to　aid　the　company　in　its
extraordinary　and　wholly　inexplicable　game。

Personally　it　grieved　me　to　think　that　my　plan　of　returning　to
Black　Rock　could　never　be　carried　out。　　It　was　a　great　compensation；
however；　that　the　three　men　most　representative　to　me　of　that　life
were　soon　to　visit　me　actually　in　my　own　home　and　den。　　Graeme's
letter　said　that　in　one　month　they　might　be　expected　to　appear。　　At
least　he　and　Nelson　were　soon　to　come；　and　Craig　would　soon　follow。

On　receiving　the　great　news；　I　at　once　looked　up　young　Nelson　and
his　sister；　and　we　proceeded　to　celebrate　the　joyful　prospect　with
a　specially　good　dinner。　　I　found　the　greatest　delight　in　picturing
the　joy　and　pride　of　the　old　man　in　his　children；　whom　he　had　not
seen　for　fifteen　or　sixteen　years。　　The　mother　had　died　some　five
years　before；　then　the　farm　was　sold；　and　the　brother　and　sister
came　into　the　city；　and　any　father　might　be　proud　of　them。　　The　son
was　a　well…made　young　fellow；　handsome　enough；　thoughtful；　and
solid…looking。　　The　girl　reminded　me　of　her　father。　　The　same
resolution　was　seen　in　mouth　and　jaw；　and　the　same　passion
slumbered　in　the　dark　grey　eyes。　　She　was　not　beautiful；　but　she
carried　herself　well；　and　one　would　always　look　at　her　twice。　　It
would　be　worth　something　to　see　the　meeting　between　father　and
daughter。

But　fate；　the　greatest　artist　of　us　all；　takes　little　count　of　the
careful　drawing　and　the　bright　colouring　of　our　fancy's　pictures；
but　with　rude　hand　deranges　all；　and　with　one　swift　sweep　paints
out　the　bright　and　paints　in　the　dark。　　And　this　trick　he　served　me
when；　one　Jun