a first family of tasajara-第9节

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with　rough　and　practical　concern　that　peered　down　upon　him。



〃Hulloo！　comin'　round；　eh？　　Hold　on！〃　　The　next　moment　the　stranger

had　leaped　down　beside　Elijah。　　He　seemed　to　be　an　odd　mingling　of

the　sailor　and　ranchero　with　the　shrewdness　of　a　seaport　trader。



〃Hulloo；　boss！　　What　was　it？　　A　free　fight；　or　a　wash…out？〃



〃A　wash…out！〃*　　Elijah　grasped　the　idea　as　an　inspiration。　　Yes；

his　cabin　had　been　inundated；　he　had　taken　to　a　raft；　had　been

knocked　off　twice　or　thrice；　and　had　lost　everythingeven　his

revolver！





*　A　mining　term　for　the　temporary　inundation　of　a　claim　by　flood；

also　used　for　the　sterilizing　effect　of　flood　on　fertile　soil。





The　man　looked　relieved。　　〃Then　it　ain't　a　free　fight；　nor　havin'

your　crust　busted　and　bein'　robbed　by　beach　combers；　eh？〃



〃No；〃　said　Elijah；　with　his　first　faint　smile。



〃Glad　o'　that；〃　said　the　man　bluntly。　　〃Then　thar　ain't　no　police

business　to　tie　up　to　in　'Frisco？　　We　were　stuck　thar　a　week　once；

just　because　we　chanced　to　pick　up　a　feller　who'd　been　found　gagged

and　then　thrown　overboard　by　wharf　thieves。　　Had　to　dance

attendance　at　court　thar　and　lost　our　trip。〃　　He　stopped　and　looked

half…pathetically　at　the　prostrate　Elijah。　　〃Look　yer！　ye　ain't

just　dyin'　to　go　ashore　NOW　and　see　yer　friends　and　send　messages；

are　ye？〃



Elijah　shuddered　inwardly；　but　outwardly　smiled　faintly　as　he

replied；　〃No！〃



〃And　the　tide　and　wind　jest　servin'　us　now；　ye　wouldn't　mind

keepin'　straight　on　with　us　this　trip？〃



〃Where　to？〃　asked　Elijah。



〃Santy　Barbara。〃



〃No；〃　said　Elijah；　after　a　moment's　pause。　　〃I'll　go　with　you。〃



The　man　leaped　to　his　feet；　lifted　his　head　above　the　upper　deck；

shouted　〃Let　her　go　free；　Jerry！〃　and　then　turned　gratefully　to　his

passenger。　　〃Look　yer！　　A　wash…out　is　a　wash…out；　I　reckon；　put　it

any　way　you　like；　it　don't　put　anything　back　into　the　land；　or

anything　back　into　your　pocket　afterwards；　eh？　　No！　　And　yer　well

out　of　it；　pardner！　　Now　there's　a　right　smart　chance　for　locatin'

jest　back　of　Santy　Barbara；　where　thar　ain't　no　God…forsaken　tules

to　overflow；　and　ez　far　ez　the　land　and　licker　lies　ye　'needn't

take　any　water　in　yours'　ef　ye　don't　want　it。　　You　kin　start　fresh

thar；　pardner；　and　brail　up。　　What's　the　matter　with　you；　old　man；

is　only　fever　'n'　agur　ketched　in　them　tules！　　I　kin　see　it　in　your

eyes。　　Now　you　hold　on　whar　you　be　till　I　go　forrard　and　see

everything　taut；　and　then　I'll　come　back　and　we'll　have　a　talk。〃



And　they　did。　　The　result　of　which　was　that　at　the　end　of　a　week's

tossing　and　seasickness；　Elijah　Curtis　was　landed　at　Santa　Barbara；

pale；　thin；　but　self…contained　and　resolute。　　And　having　found

favor　in　the　eyes　of　the　skipper　of　the　Kitty　Hawk；　general　trader；

lumber…dealer；　and　ranch…man；　a　week　later　he　was　located　on　the

skipper's　land　and　installed　in　the　skipper's　service。　　And　from

that　day；　for　five　years　Sidon　and　Tasajara　knew　him　no　more。





CHAPTER　IV。





It　was　part　of　the　functions　of　John　Milton　Harkutt　to　take　down

the　early　morning　shutters　and　sweep　out　the　store　for　his　father

each　day　before　going　to　school。　　It　was　a　peculiarity　of　this

performance　that　he　was　apt　to　linger　over　it；　partly　from　the　fact

that　it　put　off　the　evil　hour　of　lessons；　partly　that　he　imparted

into　the　process　a　purely　imaginative　and　romantic　element　gathered

from　his　latest　novel…reading。　　In　this　he　was　usually　assisted　by

one　or　two　school…fellows　on　their　way　to　school；　who　always　envied

him　his　superior　menial　occupation。　　To　go　to　school；　it　was　felt；

was　a　common　calamity　of　boyhood　that　called　into　play　only　the

simplest　forms　of　evasion；　whereas　to　take　down　actual　shutters　in

a　bona　fide　store；　and　wield　a　real　broom　that　raised　a　palpable

cloud　of　dust；　was　something　that　really　taxed　the　noblest

exertions。　　And　it　was　the　morning　after　the　arrival　of　the

strangers　that　Johh　Milton　stood　on　the　veranda　of　the　store

ostentatiously　examining　the　horizon；　with　his　hand　shading　his

eyes；　as　one　of　his　companions　appeared。



〃Hollo；　Milt！　wot　yer　doin'？〃



John　Milton　started　dramatically；　and　then　violently　dashed　at　one

of　the　shutters　and　began　to　detach　it。　　〃Ha！〃　he　said　hoarsely。

〃Clear　the　ship　for　action！　　Open　the　ports！　　On　deck　there！

Steady；　you　lubbers！〃　　In　an　instant　his　enthusiastic　school…fellow

was　at　his　side　attacking　another　shutter。　　〃A　long；　low　schooner

bearing　down　upon　us！　　Lively；　lads；　lively！〃　continued　John

Milton；　desisting　a　moment　to　take　another　dramatic　look　at　the

distant　plain。　　〃How　does　she　head　now？〃　he　demanded　fiercely。



〃Sou'　by　sou'east；　sir；〃　responded　the　other　boy；　frantically

dancing　before　the　window。　　〃But　she'll　weather　it。〃



They　each　then　wrested　another　shutter　away；　violently　depositing

them；　as　they　ran　to　and　fro；　in　a　rack　at　the　corner　of　the

veranda。　　Added　to　an　extraordinary　and　unnecessary　clattering　with

their　feet；　they　accompanied　their　movements　with　a　singular

hissing　sound；　supposed　to　indicate　in　one　breath　the　fury　of　the

elements；　the　bustle　of　the　eager　crew；　and　the　wild　excitement　of

the　coming　conflict。　　When　the　last　shutter　was　cleared　away；　John

Milton；　with　the　cry　〃Man　the　starboard　guns！〃　dashed　into　the

store；　whose　floor　was　marked　by　the　muddy　footprints　of　yesterday's

buyers；　seized　a　broom　and　began　to　sweep　violently。　　A　cloud　of

dust　arose；　into　which　his　companion　at　once　precipitated　himself

with　another　broom　and　a　loud　BANG！　to　indicate　the　somewhat　belated

sound　of　cannon。　　For　a　few　seconds　the　two　boys　plied　their　brooms

desperately　in　that　stifling　atmosphere；　accompanying　each　long

sweep　and　puff　of　dust　out　of　the　open　door　with　the　report　of

explosions　and　loud　HA'S！　of　defiance；　until　not　only　the　store；

but　the　veranda　was　obscured　with　a　cloud　which　the　morning　sun

struggled　vainly　to　pierce。　　In　the　midst　of　this　tumult　and　dusty

confusionhappily　unheard　and　unsuspected　in　the　secluded　domestic

interior　of　the　buildinga　shrill　little　voice　arose　from　the　road。



〃Think　you're　mighty　smart；　don't　ye？〃



The　two　naval　heroes　stopped　in　their　imaginary　fury。　　and；　as　the

dust　of　conflict　cleared　away；　recognized　little　Johnny　Peters

gazing　at　them　with　mingled　inquisitiveness　and　envy。



〃Guess　ye　don't　know　what　happened　down　the　run　last　night；〃　he

continued　impatiently。　　〃'Lige　Curtis　got　killed；　or　killed

hisself！　　Blood　all　over　the　rock　down　thar。　　Seed　it；　myseff。　　Dad

picked　up　his　six…shooter；one　barrel　gone　off。　　My　dad　was　the

first　to　find　it　out；　and　he's　bin　to　Squire　Kerby　tellin'　him。〃



The　two　companions；　albeit　burning　with　curiosity；　affected

indifference　and　pre…knowledge。



〃Dad　sez　your　father　druv　'Lige　outer　the　store　lass　night！　　Dad

sez　your　father's　'sponsible。　　Dad　sez　your　father　ez　good　ez

killed　him。　　Dad　sez　the　squire'll　set　the　constable　on　your

father。　　Yah！〃　　But　here　the　small　insulter　incontinently　fled；

pursued　by　both　the　boys。　　Nevertheless；　when　he　had　made　good　his

escape；　John　Milton　showed　neither　a　disposition　to　take　up　his

former　nautical　role；　nor　to　follow　his　companion　to　visit　the

sanguinary　scene　of　Elijah's　disappearance。　　He　walked　slowly　back

to　the　store　and　continued　his　work　of　sweeping　and　putting　in

order　with　an　abstracted　regularity；　and　no　trace　of　his　former

exuberant　spirits。



The　first　one　of　those　instinctive　fears　which　are　common　to

imaginative　children；　and　often　assume　the　functions　of　premonition；

had　taken　possession　of　him。　　The　oddity　of　his　father's　manner　the

evening　before；　which　had　only　half　consciously　made　its　indelible

impression　on　his　sensitive　fancy；　had　recurred　to　him　with　Johnny

Peters's　speech。　　He　had　no　idea　of　literally　accepting　the　boy's

charges；　he　scarcely　understood　their　gravity；　but　he　had　a

miserable　feeling　that　his　father's　anger　and　excitement　last　night

was　because　he　had　been　discovered　hunting　in　the　dark　for　that

paper　of　'Lige　Curtis's。　　It　WAS　'Lige　Curtis's　paper；　for　he　had

seen　it　lying　there。　　A　sudden　dreadful　conviction　came　over　him

that　he　must　never；　never　let　any　one　know　that　he　had　seen　his

father　take　up　that　paper；　that　he　must　never　admit　it；　even　to　HIM。

It　was　not　the　boy's　first　knowledge　of　that　attitude　of　hypocrisy

which　the　grownup　world　assumes　towards　childhood；　and　in　which　the

innocent　victims　eventually　acquiesce　with　a　Machiavellian　subtlety

that　at　last　avenges　them；but　it　was　his　first　knowledge　that　that

hypocrisy　might　not　be　so　innocent。　　His　father　had　concealed

something　from　him；　because　it　was　not　right。



But　if　childhood　does　not　forget；　it　seldom　broods　and　is　not　above

being　diverted。　　And　the　two　surveyorsof　whose　heroic　advent　in　a

raft　John　Milton　had　only　heard　that　morning　with　their　traveled

ways；　their　strange　instruments　and　stranger　talk；　captured　his

fancy。　　Kept　in　the　back