osc.am1.seventhson-第32节

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　　〃Maybe　not；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃But　if　you　local　boys　don't　set　up　your　own　government；　you　can　bet　there'll　be　plenty　of　city　men　willing　to　do　it　for　you。　That's　how　Aaron　Burr　got　to　be　governor　of　Suskwahenny；　before　Daniel　Boone　shot　him　dead　in　ninety…nine。〃
　　〃You　make　it　sound　like　murder；〃　said　Measure。　〃It　was　a　fair　duel。〃
　　〃To　my　way　of　thinking；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃a　duel　is　just　two　murderers　who　agree　to　take　turns　trying　to　kill　each　other。〃
　　〃Not　when　one　of　them　is　an　old　country　boy　in　buckskin　and　the　other　is　a　lying　cheating　city　man；〃　said　Measure。
　　〃I　don't　want　no　Aaron　Burr　trying　to　be　governor　over　the　Wobbish　country；〃　said　David。　〃And　that's　what　kind　of　man　Bill　Harrison　is；　down　there　in　Carthage　City。　I'd　vote　for　Armor　before　I'd　vote　for　him。〃
　　〃And　I'd　vote　for　you　before　I'd　vote　for　Armor；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　David　grunted。　He　continued　weaving　rope　around　the　notches　of　the　sledge　logs；　binding　them　together。　Taleswapper　was　doing　the　same　thing　on　the　other　side。　When　he　got　to　the　knotting　place；　Taleswapper　started　to　tie　the　two　ends　of　the　rope　together。
　　〃Wait　on　that；〃　said　Measure。　〃I'll　go　fetch　Al　Junior。〃　Measure　took　off　at　a　jog　up　the　slope　to　the　quarry。
　　Taleswapper　dropped　the　ends　of　the　rope。　〃Alvin　Junior　ties　the　knots？　I　would　have　thought　grown　men　like　you　could　tie　them　tighter。〃
　　David　grinned。　〃He's　got　a　knack。〃
　　〃Don't　any　of　you　have　knacks？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　〃A　few。〃
　　〃David's　got　a　knack　with　the　ladies；〃　said　Calm。
　　〃Calm's　got　dancing　feet　at　a　hoedown。　Ain't　nobody　fiddles　like　him；　neither；〃　said　David。　〃It　ain't　on　tune　all　the　time；　but　he　keeps　that　bow　busy。〃
　　〃Measure's　a　true　shot；〃　said　Calm。　〃He's　got　an　eye　for　things　too　far　off　for　most　folks　to　see。〃
　　〃We　got　our　knacks；〃　said　David。　〃The　twins　have　a　way　of　knowing　when　trouble's　brewing；　and　getting　there　just　about　in　time。〃
　　〃And　Pa；　he　fits　things　together。　We　have　him　do　all　the　wood　joints　when　we're　building　furniture。〃
　　〃The　womenfolk　got　women's　knacks。〃
　　〃But；〃　said　Calm；　〃there　ain't　nobody　like　Al　Junior。〃
　　David　nodded　gravely。　〃Thing　is；　Taleswapper；　he　don't　seem　to　know　about　it。　I　mean；　he's　always　kind　of　surprised　when　things　turn　out　good。　He's　right　proud　when　we　give　him　a　job　to　do。　I　never　seen　him　lord　it　over　nobody　because　he's　got　more　of　a　knack　than　they　do。〃
　　〃He's　a　good　boy；〃　said　Calm。
　　〃Kind　of　clumsy；〃　said　David。
　　〃Not　clumsy；〃　said　Calm。　〃Most　times　it　isn't　his　fault。〃
　　〃Let's　just　say　that　accidents　happen　more　mon　around　him。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　say　jinx　or　nothing；〃　said　Calm。
　　〃No；　I　wouldn't　say　jinx。〃
　　Taleswapper　noted　that　in　fact　they　both　had　said　it。　But　he　didn't　ment　on　their　indiscretion。　After　all；　it　was　the　third　voice　that　made　bad　luck　true。　His　silence　was　the　best　cure　for　their　carelessness。　And　the　other　two　caught　on　quickly　enough。　They；　too；　held　their　silence。
　　After　a　while；　Measure　came　down　the　hill　with　Alvin　Junior。　Taleswapper　dared　not　be　the　third　voice；　since　he　had　taken　part　in　the　conversation　before。　And　it　would　be　even　worse　if　Alvin　himself　spoke　next；　since　he　was　the　one　who　had　been　linked　with　a　jinx。　So　Taleswapper　kept　his　eye　on　Measure；　and　raised　his　eyebrows；　to　show　Measure　that　he　was　expected　to　speak。
　　Measure　answered　the　question　that　he　thought　Taleswapper　was　asking。　〃Oh；　Pa's　staying　up　by　the　rock。　To　watch。〃
　　Taleswapper　could　hear　David　and　Calm　breathe　a　sigh　of　relief。　The　third　voice　didn't　have　jinx　in　his　mind；　so　Alvin　Junior　was　safe。
　　Now　Taleswapper　was　free　to　wonder　why　Miller　felt　he　had　to　keep　watch　at　the　quarry。　〃What　could　happen　to　a　rock？　I've　never　heard　of　Reds　stealing　rocks。〃
　　Measure　winked。　〃Powerful　strange　things　happen　sometimes；　specially　with　millstones。〃
　　Alvin　was　joking　with　David　and　Calm　now；　as　he　tied　the　knots。　He　worked　hard　to　get　them　as　tight　as　he　could；　but　Taleswapper　saw　that　it　wasn't　in　the　knot　itself　that　his　knack　was　revealed。　As　Al　Junior　pulled　the　ropes　tight；　they　seemed　to　twist　and　bite　into　the　wood　in　all　the　notches；　drawing　the　whole　sledge　tighter　together。　It　was　subtle；　and　if　Taleswapper　hadn't　been　watching　for　it；　he　wouldn't　have　seen。　But　it　was　real。　What　Al　Junior　bound　was　bound　tight。
　　〃That's　tight　enough　to　be　a　raft；〃　said　Al　Junior；　standing　back　to　admire。
　　〃Well；　it's　floating　on　solid　earth　this　time；〃　said　Measure。　〃Pa　says　he　won't　even　piss　into　water　no　more。〃
　　Since　the　sun　was　low　in　the　west；　they　set　to　laying　the　fire。　Work　had　kept　them　warm　today；　but　tonight　they'd　need　the　fire　to　back　off　the　animals　and　keep　the　autumn　cold　at　bay。
　　Miller　didn't　e　down；　even　at　supper；　and　when　Calm　got　up　to　carry　food　up　the　hill　to　his　father；　Taleswapper　offered　to　e　along。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Calm。　〃You　don't　need　to。〃
　　〃I　want　to。〃
　　〃Pa　he　don't　like　lots　of　people　gathered　at　the　rock　face；　time　like　this。〃　Calm　looked　a　little　sheepish。　〃He's　a　miller；　and　it's　his　stone　getting　cut　there。〃
　　〃I'm　not　a　lot　of　people；〃　said　Taleswapper。　Calm　didn't　say　anything　more。　Taleswapper　followed　him　up　among　the　rocks。
　　On　the　way；　they　passed　the　sites　of　two　early　stonecuttings。　The　scraps　of　cut　stone　had　been　used　to　make　a　smooth　ramp　from　the　cliff　face　to　ground　level。　The　cuts　were　almost　perfectly　round。　Taleswapper　had　seen　plenty　of　stone　cut　before；　and　he'd　never　seen　one　cut　this　way　perfectly　round；　right　in　the　cliff。　Most　times　it　was　a　whole　slab　they　cut；　then　rounded　it　on　the　ground。　There　were　several　good　reasons　for　doing　it　that　way；　but　the　best　of　all　was　that　there　was　no　way　to　cut　the　back　of　the　stone　unless　you　took　a　whole　slab。　Calm　didn't　slow　down　for　him；　so　Taleswapper　didn't　have　a　chance　to　look　closely；　but　as　near　as　he　could　tell　there　was　no　possible　way　that　the　stonecutter　in　this　quarry　could　have　cut　the　back　of　the　stone。
　　It　looked　just　the　same　at　the　new　site；　too。　Miller　was　raking　chipped　rock　into　a　level　ramp　in　front　of　the　millstone。　Taleswapper　stood　back　and；　in　the　last　specks　of　daylight；　studied　the　cliff。　In　a　single　day；　working　alone；　Al　Junior　had　smoothed　the　front　of　the　millstone　and　chipped　away　the　whole　circumference。　The　stone　was　practically　polished；　still　attached　to　the　cliff　face。　Not　only　that；　but　the　center　hole　had　been　cut　to　take　the　main　shaft　of　the　mill　machinery。　It　was　fully　cut。　And　there　was　no　way　in　the　world　that　anybody　could　get　a　chisel　in　position　to　cut　away　the　back。
　　〃That's　some　knack　the　boy　has；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　Miller　grunted　assent。
　　〃Hear　you　plan　to　spend　the　night　up　here；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Heard　right。〃
　　〃Mind　pany？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　Calm　rolled　his　eyes。
　　But　after　a　little　bit；　Miller　shrugged。　〃Suit　yourself。〃
　　Calm　looked　at　Taleswapper　with　wide　eyes　and　raised　eyebrows；　as　if　to　say；　Miracles　never　cease。
　　When　Calm　had　set　down　Miller's　supper；　he　left。　Miller　set　aside　the　rake。　〃You　et　yet？〃
　　〃I'll　gather　wood　for　tonight's　fire；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃While　there's　still　light。　You　eat。〃
　　〃Watch　out　for　snakes；〃　said　Miller。　〃They're　mostly　shut　in　for　the　winter　now；　but　you　never　know。〃
　　Taleswapper　watched　out　for　snakes；　but　he　never　saw　any。　And　soon　they　had　a　good　fire；　laid　with　a　heavy　log　that　would　burn　all　night。
　　They　lay　there　in　the　firelight；　wrapped　in　their　blankets。　It　occurred　to　Taleswapper　that　Miller　might　have　found　softer　ground　a　few　yards　away　from　the　quarry。　But　apparently　it　was　more　important　to　keep　the　millstone　in　plain　sight。
　　Taleswapper　began　talking。　Quietly；　but　steadily；　he　talked　about　how　hard　it　must　be　for　fathers；　to　watch　their　sons　grow；　so　full　of　hope　for　the　boys；　but　never　knowing　when　death　would　e　and　take　the　child　away。　It　was　the　right　thing　to　talk　about；　because　soon　it　was　Alvin　Miller　doing　the　talking。　He　told　the　story　of　how　his　oldest　boy　Vigor　died　in　the　Hatrack　River；　only　a　few　minutes　after　Alvin　Junior　was　born。　And　from　there；　he　turned　to　the　dozens　of　ways　that　Al　Junior　had　almost　died。　〃Always　water；〃　Miller　said　at　the　end。　〃Nobody　believes　me；　but　it's　so。　Always　water。〃
　　〃The　question　is；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃is　the　water　evil；　trying　to　destroy　a　good　boy？　Or　is　it　good；　trying　to　destroy　an　evil　power？〃
　　It　was　a　question　that　might　have　made　some　men　angry；　but　Taleswapper　had　given　up　trying　to　guess　when　Miller's　temper　would　flare。　This　time　it　didn't。　〃I've　wondered　that　myself；〃　said　Miller。　〃I've　watched　him　close；　Taleswapper。　Of　course；　he　has　a　knack　for　making　people　love　him。　Even　his　sisters。　He's　tormented　them　unmerciful　since　he　was　old　enough　to　spit　in　their　food。　Yet　there's　not　a　one　of　them　who　doesn't　find　a　way　to　make　him　something　special；　and　not　just　at　Christmas。　They'll　sew　his　socks　shut　or　smear　soot　on　the　privy　bench　or　needle　up　his　nightshirt；　but　they'd　also　die　for　him。〃
　　〃I've　found；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃that　some　people　have　a　knack　for　winning　love　without　ever　earning　it。〃
　　〃I　feared　that；　too；〃　said　Miller。　〃But　the　boy　doesn't　know　he　has　tha