on the frontier-第26章

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and　handed　it　to　Don　Jose。



It　seemed　briefer　and　colder；　but　was　neither。　　It　reminded

Poindexter　that　as　he　had　again　deceived　her　she　must　take　the

government　of　her　affairs　in　her　own　hands　henceforth。　　She

abandoned　all　the　furniture　and　improvements　she　had　put　in　Los

Cuervos　to　him；　to　whom　she　now　knew　she　was　indebted　for　them。

She　could　not　thank　him　for　what　his　habitual　generosity

impelled　him　to　do　for　any　woman；　but　she　could　forgive　him　for

misunderstanding　her　like　any　other　woman；　perhaps　she　should　say；

like　a　child。　　When　he　received　this　she　would　be　already　on　her

way　to　her　old　home　in　Kentucky；　where　she　still　hoped　to　be　able

by　her　own　efforts　to　amass　enough　to　discharge　her　obligations　to

him。



〃She　does　not　speak　of　her　husband；　this　woman；〃　said　Don　Jose；

scanning　Poindexter's　face。　　〃It　is　possible　she　rejoins　him；　eh？〃



〃Perhaps　in　one　way　she　has　never　left　him；　Don　Jose；〃　said

Poindexter；　with　grave　significance。



Don　Jose's　face　flushed；　but　he　returned　carelessly；　〃And　the

rancho；　naturally　you　will　not　buy　it　now？〃



〃On　the　contrary；　I　shall　abide　by　my　offer；〃　said　Poindexter；

quietly。



Don　Jose　eyed　him　narrowly；　and　then　said；　〃Ah；　we　shall　consider

of　it。〃



He　did　consider　it；　and　accepted　the　offer。　　With　the　full　control

of　the　land；　Captain　Poindexter's　improvements；　so　indefinitely

postponed；　were　actively　pushed　forward。　　The　thick　walls　of　the

hacienda　were　the　first　to　melt　away　before　them；　the　low　lines　of

corral　were　effaced；　and　the　early　breath　of　the　summer　trade　winds

swept　uninterruptedly　across　the　now　leveled　plain　to　the

embarcadero；　where　a　newer　structure　arose。　　A　more　vivid　green

alone　marked　the　spot　where　the　crumbling　adobe　walls　of　the　casa

had　returned　to　the　parent　soil　that　gave　it。　　The　channel　was

deepened；　the　lagoon　was　drained；　until　one　evening　the　magic

mirror　that　had　so　long　reflected　the　weary　waiting　of　the　Blue

Grass　Penelope　lay　dull；　dead；　lustreless；　an　opaque　quagmire　of

noisome　corruption　and　decay　to　be　put　away　from　the　sight　of　man

forever。　　On　this　spot　the　crows；　the　titular　tenants　of　Los

Cuervos；　assembled　in　tumultuous　congress；　coming　and　going　in

mysterious　clouds；　or　laboring　in　thick　and　writhing　masses；　as　if

they　were　continuing　the　work　of　improvement　begun　by　human　agency。

So　well　had　they　done　the　work　that　by　the　end　of　a　week　only　a　few

scattered　white　objects　remained　glittering　on　the　surface　of　the

quickly　drying　soil。　　But　they　were　the　bones　of　the　missing

outcast；　Spencer　Tucker！



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



The　same　spring　a　breath　of　war　swept　over　a　foul；　decaying

quagmire　of　the　whole　land；　before　which　such　passing　deeds　as

these　were　blown　as　vapor。　　It　called　men　of　all　rank　and　condition

to　battle　for　a　nation's　life；　and　among　the　first　to　respond　were

those　into　whose　boyish　hands　had　been　placed　the　nation's　honor。

It　returned　the　epaulets　to　Poindexter's　shoulder　with　the　addition

of　a　double　star；　carried　him　triumphantly　to　the　front；　and　left

him；　at　the　end　of　a　summer's　day　and　a　hard…won　fight；　sorely

wounded；　at　the　door　of　a　Blue　Grass　farmhouse。　　And　the　woman　who

sought　him　out　and　ministered　to　his　wants　said　timidly；　as　she

left　her　hand　in　his；　〃I　told　you　I　should　live　to　repay　you。〃







LEFT　OUT　ON　LONE　STAR　MOUNTAIN。





CHAPTER　I





There　was　little　doubt　that　the　Lone　Star　claim　was　〃played　out。〃

Not　dug　out；　worked　out；　washed　out；　but　PLAYED　out。　　For　two　years

its　five　sanguine　proprietors　had　gone　through　the　various　stages

of　mining　enthusiasm；　had　prospected　and　planned；　dug　and　doubted。

They　had　borrowed　money　with　hearty　but　unredeeming　frankness；

established　a　credit　with　unselfish　abnegation　of　all　responsibility；

and　had　borne　the　disappointment　of　their　creditors　with　a　cheerful

resignation　which　only　the　consciousness　of　some　deep　Compensating

Future　could　give。　　Giving　little　else；　however；　a　singular

dissatisfaction　obtained　with　the　traders；　and；　being　accompanied

with　a　reluctance　to　make　further　advances；　at　last　touched　the

gentle　stoicism　of　the　proprietors　themselves。　　The　youthful

enthusiasm　which　had　at　first　lifted　the　most　ineffectual　trial；　the

most　useless　essay；　to　the　plane　of　actual　achievement；　died　out；

leaving　them　only　the　dull；　prosaic　record　of　half…finished

ditches；　purposeless　shafts；　untenable　pits；　abandoned　engines；　and

meaningless　disruptions　of　the　soil　upon　the　Lone　Star　claim；　and

empty　flour　sacks　and　pork　barrels　in　the　Lone　Star　cabin。



They　had　borne　their　poverty；　if　that　term　could　be　applied　to　a

light　renunciation　of　all　superfluities　in　food；　dress；　or

ornament；　ameliorated　by　the　gentle　depredations　already　alluded

to；　with　unassuming　levity。　　More　than　that：　having　segregated

themselves　from　their　fellow…miners　of　Red　Gulch；　and　entered　upon

the　possession　of　the　little　manzanita…thicketed　valley　five　miles

away；　the　failure　of　their　enterprise　had　assumed　in　their　eyes

only　the　vague　significance　of　the　decline　and　fall　of　a　general

community；　and　to　that　extent　relieved　them　of　individual

responsibility。　　It　was　easier　for　them　to　admit　that　the　Lone　Star

claim　was　〃played　out〃　than　confess　to　a　personal　bankruptcy。

Moreover；　they　still　retained　the　sacred　right　of　criticism　of

government；　and　rose　superior　in　their　private　opinions　to　their

own　collective　wisdom。　　Each　one　experienced　a　grateful　sense　of

the　entire　responsibility　of　the　other　four　in　the　fate　of　their

enterprise。



On　December　24；　1863；　a　gentle　rain　was　still　falling　over　the

length　and　breadth　of　the　Lone　Star　claim。　　It　had　been　falling　for

several　days；　had　already　called　a　faint　spring　color　to　the　wan

landscape；　repairing　with　tender　touches　the　ravages　wrought　by　the

proprietors；　or　charitably　covering　their　faults。　　The　ragged　seams

in　gulch　and　canyon　lost　their　harsh　outlines；　a　thin　green　mantle

faintly　clothed　the　torn　and　abraded　hillside。　　A　few　weeks　more；

and　a　veil　of　forgetfulness　would　be　drawn　over　the　feeble　failures

of　the　Lone　Star　claim。　　The　charming　derelicts　themselves；

listening　to　the　raindrops　on　the　roof　of　their　little　cabin；　gazed

philosophically　from　the　open　door；　and　accepted　the　prospect　as　a

moral　discharge　from　their　obligations。　　Four　of　the　five　partners

were　present。　　The　Right　and　Left　Bowers；　Union　Mills；　and　the

Judge。



It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　say　that　not　one　of　these　titles　was

the　genuine　name　of　its　possessor。　　The　Right　and　Left　Bowers　were

two　brothers；　their　sobriquets；　a　cheerful　adaptation　from　the

favorite　game　of　euchre；　expressing　their　relative　value　in　the

camp。　　The　mere　fact　that　Union　Mills　had　at　one　time　patched　his

trousers　with　an　old　flour　sack　legibly　bearing　that　brand　of　its

fabrication；　was　a　tempting　baptismal　suggestion　that　the　other

partners　could　not　forego。　　The　Judge；　a　singularly　inequitable

Missourian；　with　no　knowledge　whatever　of　the　law；　was　an

inspiration　of　gratuitous　irony。



Union　Mills；　who　had　been　for　some　time　sitting　placidly　on　the

threshold　with　one　leg　exposed　to　the　rain；　from　a　sheer　indolent

inability　to　change　his　position；　finally　withdrew　that　weather…

beaten　member；　and　stood　up。　　The　movement　more　or　less　deranged

the　attitudes　of　the　other　partners；　and　was　received　with　cynical

disfavor。　　It　was　somewhat　remarkable　that；　although　generally

giving　the　appearance　of　healthy　youth　and　perfect　physical

condition；　they　one　and　all　simulated　the　decrepitude　of　age　and

invalidism；　and　after　limping　about　for　a　few　moments；　settled　back

again　upon　their　bunks　and　stools　in　their　former　positions。　　The

Left　Bower　lazily　replaced　a　bandage　that　he　had　worn　around　his

ankle　for　weeks　without　any　apparent　necessity；　and　the　Judge

scrutinized　with　tender　solicitude　the　faded　cicatrix　of　a　scratch

upon　his　arm。　　A　pa