UDOBRACHVOGEL,Esq。,Whoseclevertranslationsofmywritingshavehelpedtointroducemetothefavorofhiscountrymen,bothhereandinGermany,thislittlevolumeisheartilydedicated。
BRETHARTE。
NewYork,December,1877。
THESTORYOFAMINE
CHAPTERI
WHOSOUGHTIT
ItwasasteeptrailleadingovertheMontereyCoastRange。Conchowasverytired,Conchowasverydusty,Conchowasverymuchdisgusted。ToConcho’smindtherewasbutonerelieffortheseinsurmountabledifficulties,andthatlayinaleathernbottleslungoverthemachillasofhissaddle。Conchoraisedthebottletohislips,tookalongdraught,madeawryface,andejaculated:
\"Carajo!\"
Itappearedthatthebottledidnotcontainaguardiente,buthadlatelybeenfilledinatavernnearTresPinosbyanIrishmanwhosoldhadAmericanwhiskyunderthatpleasingCastiliantitle。
NeverthelessConchohadalreadynearlyemptiedthebottle,anditfellbackagainstthesaddleasyellowandflaccidashisowncheeks。ThusreinforcedConchoturnedtolookatthevalleybehindhim,fromwhichhehadclimbedsincenoon。Itwasasterilewasteborderedhereandtherebyarablefringesandvaldasofmeadowland,butinthemain,dusty,dry,andforbidding。Hiseyerestedforamomentonalowwhitecloudlineontheeasternhorizon,butsomockingandunsubstantialthatitseemedtocomeandgoashegazed。Conchostruckhisforeheadandwinkedhishoteyelids。WasittheSierrasorthecursedAmericanwhisky?
Againherecommencedtheascent。Attimesthehalf-worn,half-
visibletrailbecameutterlylostinthebareblackoutcropoftheridge,buthissagaciousmulesoonfounditagain,until,steppinguponalooseboulder,sheslippedandfell。InvainConchotriedtoliftherfromouttheruinofcampkettles,prospectingpans,andpicks;sheremainedquietlyrecumbent,occasionallyraisingherheadasiftocontemplativelyglanceoverthearidplainbelow。
Thenhehadrecoursetouselessblows。Thenheessayedprofanityofasecularkind,suchas\"Assassin,\"\"Thief,\"\"Beastwithapig’shead,\"\"FoodfortheBull’sHorns,\"butwithnoeffect。
Thenhehadrecoursetothecurseecclesiastic:
\"Ah,JudasIscariot!isitthus,renegadeandtraitor,thouleavestme,thymaster,aleaguefromcampandsupperwaiting?StealeroftheSacrament,getup!\"
Stillnoeffect。Conchobegantofeeluneasy;neverbeforehadamuleofpiouslineagefailedtorespondtothiskindofexhortation。
Hemadeonemoredesperateattempt:
\"Ah,defilerofthealtar!lienotthere!Look!\"hethrewhishandintotheair,extendingthefingerssuddenly。\"Behold,fiend!I
exorcisethee!Ha!tremblest!Lookbutalittlenow,——see!
Apostate!I——I——excommunicatethee,——Mula!\"
\"Whatareyoukickingupsuchadevilofrowdowntherefor?\"saidagruffvoicefromtherocksabove。
Conchoshuddered。Coulditbethatthedevilwasreallygoingtoflyawaywithhismule?Hedarednotlookup。
\"Comenow,\"continuedthevoice,\"youjustletuponthatmule,youd————doldGreaser。Don’tyouseeshe’sslippedhershoulder?\"
AlarmedasConchowasattheinformation,hecouldnothelpfeelingtoacertainextentrelieved。Shewaslamed,buthadnotlostherstandingasagoodCatholic。
Heventuredtolifthiseyes。Astranger——anAmericanofromhisdressandaccent——wasdescendingtherockstowardhim。Hewasaslight-builtmanwithadark,smoothface,thatwouldhavebeenquitecommonplaceandinexpressivebutforhislefteye,inwhichallthatwasvillainousinhimapparentlycentered。Shutthateye,andyouhadthefeaturesandexpressionofanordinaryman;coverupthosefeatures,andtheeyeshoneoutlikeEblis’sown。Naturehadapparentlyobservedthistoo,andhad,byaparalysisofthenerve,ironicallydroppedthecorneroftheupperlidoveritlikeacurtain,laughedatherhandiwork,andturnedhimloosetopreyuponacredulousworld。
\"Whatareyoudoinghere?\"saidthestrangerafterhehadassistedConchoinbringingthemuletoherfeet,andahelplesshalt。
\"Prospecting,Senor。\"
ThestrangerturnedhisrespectablerighteyetowardConcho,whilehisleftlookedunutterablescornandwickednessoverthelandscape。
\"Prospecting,whatfor?\"
\"Goldandsilver,Senor,——yetforsilvermost。\"
\"Alone?\"
\"Ofustherearefour。\"
Thestrangerlookedaround。
\"Incamp,——aleaguebeyond,\"explainedtheMexican。
\"Foundanything?\"
\"Ofthis——much。\"Conchotookfromhissaddlebagsalumpofgreyishironore,studdedhereandtherewithstarpointsofpyrites。Thestrangersaidnothing,buthiseyelookedadiabolicalsuggestion。
\"Youarelucky,friendGreaser。\"
\"Eh?\"
\"ItISsilver。\"
\"Howknowyouthis?\"
\"Itismybusiness。I’mametallurgist。\"
\"Andyoucansaywhatshallbesilverandwhatisnot。\"
\"Yes,——seehere!\"Thestrangertookfromhissaddlebagsalittleleathercasecontainingsomehalfdozenphials。One,enwrappedindark-bluepaper,hehelduptoConcho。
\"Thiscontainsapreparationofsilver。\"
Concho’seyessparkled,buthelookeddoubtinglyatthestranger。
\"Getmesomewaterinyourpan。\"
Conchoemptiedhiswaterbottleinhisprospectingpanandhandedittothestranger。Hedippedadriedbladeofgrassinthebottleandthenletadropfallfromitstipinthewater。Thewaterremainedunchanged。
\"Nowthrowalittlesaltinthewater,\"saidthestranger。
Conchodidso。Instantlyawhitefilmappearedonthesurface,andpresentlythewholemassassumedamilkyhue。
Conchocrossedhimselfhastily,\"MotherofGod,itismagic!\"
\"Itischlorideofsilver,youdarnedfool。\"
Notcontentwiththischeapexperiment,thestrangerthentookConcho’sbreathawaybyreddeningsomelitmuspaperwiththenitrate,andthencompletelyknockedoverthesimpleMexicanbyrestoringitscolorbydippingitinthesaltwater。
\"Youshalltrymethis,\"saidConcho,offeringhisironoretothestranger;——\"youshallusethesilverandthesalt。\"
\"Notsofastmyfriend,\"answeredthestranger;\"inthefirstplacethisoremustbemelted,andthenachiptakenandputinshapelikethis,——andthatisworthsomething,myGreasercherub。No,sir,amandon’tspendallhisyouthatFreiburgandHeidelburgtothrowawayhissciencegratuitouslyonthefirstGreaserhemeets。\"
\"Itwillcost——eh——howmuch?\"saidtheMexicaneagerly。
\"Well,Ishouldsayitwouldtakeaboutahundreddollarsandexpensesto——to——findsilverinthatore。Butonceyou’vegotitthere——you’reallrightfortonsofit。\"
\"Youshallhaveit,\"saidthenowexcitedMexican。\"Youshallhaveitofus,——thefour!Youshallcometoourcampandshallmeltit,——andshowthesilver,and——enough!Come!\"andinhisfeverishnessheclutchedthehandofhiscompanionasiftoleadhimforthatonce。
\"Whatareyougoingtodowithyourmule?\"saidthestranger。
\"True,HolyMother,——what,indeed?\"
\"Lookyer,\"saidthestranger,withagrimsmile,\"shewon’tstrayfar,I’llbebound。I’veanextrapackmuleabovehere;youcanrideonher,andleadmeintocamp,andto-morrowcomebackforyourbeast。\"
PoorhonestConcho’sheartsickenedattheprospectofleavingbehindthetiredservanthehadobjurgatedsostronglyamomentbefore,buttheloveofgoldwasuppermost。\"Iwillcomebacktothee,littleone,to-morrow,arichman。Meanwhile,waitthouhere,patientone,——Adios!——thousmallestofmules,——Adios!\"
And,seizingthestranger’shand,heclambereduptherockyledgeuntiltheyreachedthesummit。Thenthestrangerturnedandgaveonesweepofhismalevolenteyeoverthevalley。
Wherefore,inafteryears,whentheirstorywasrelated,withthedevotionoftrueCatholicpioneers,theynamedthemountain\"LaCanadadelaVisitaciondelDiablo,\"\"TheGulchoftheVisitationoftheDevil,\"thesamebeingnowtheboundarylinesofoneofthefamousMexicanlandgrants。
CHAPTERII
WHOFOUNDIT
Conchowassoimpatienttoreachthecampanddeliverhisgoodnewstohiscompanionsthatmorethanoncethestrangerwasobligedtocommandhimtoslackenhispace。\"Isitnotenough,youinfernalGreaser,thatyoulameyourownmule,butyoumusttryyourhandonmine?OramItoputJinnydownamongtheexpenses?\"headdedwithagrinandaslightliftingofhisbalefuleyelid。
Whentheyhadriddenamilealongtheridge,theybegantodescendagaintowardthevalley。Vegetationnowsparinglyborderedthetrail,clumpsofchemisal,anoccasionalmanzanitabush,andoneortwodwarfed\"buckeyes\"rootedtheirwaybetweentheintersticesoftheblack-grayrock。Nowandthen,incrossingsomedrygully,wornbytheoverflowofwintertorrentsfromabove,thegrayishrockgloomwasrelievedbydullredandbrownmassesofcolor,andalmosteveryoverhangingrockborethemarkofaminer’spick。
Presently,astheyroundedthecurvingflankofthemountain,fromarockybenchbelowthem,athinghost-likestreamofsmokeseemedtobesteadilydrawnbyinvisiblehandsintotheinvisibleether。
\"Itisthecamp,\"saidConcho,gleefully;\"Iwillmyselfforwardtopreparethemforthestranger,\"andbeforehiscompanioncoulddetainhim,hehaddisappearedatasharpcanteraroundthecurveofthetrail。
Lefttohimself,thestrangertookamoreleisurelypace,whichlefthimampletimeforreflection。Scampashewas,therewassomethinginthesimplecredulityofpoorConchothatmadehimuneasy。Notthathismoralconsciousnesswastouched,buthefearedthatConcho’scompanionsmight,knowingConcho’ssimplicity,instantlysuspecthimoftradinguponit。Herodeoninadeepstudy。Washereviewinghispastlife?Avagabondbybirthandeducation,aswindlerbyprofession,anoutcastbyreputation,withoutabsolutelyturninghisbackuponrespectability,hehadtrembledontheperilousedgeofcriminalityeversincehisboyhood。HedidnotscrupletocheattheseMexicans,——theywereadegradedrace,——andforamomenthefeltalmostanaccreditedagentofprogressandcivilization。Weneverreallyunderstandthemeaningofenlightenmentuntilwebegintouseitaggressively。
Afewpacesfurtheronfourfiguresappearedinthenowgatheringdarknessofthetrail。ThestrangerquicklyrecognizedthebeamingsmileofConcho,foremostoftheparty。AquickglanceatthefacesoftheotherssatisfiedhimthatwhiletheylackedConcho’sgoodhumor,theycertainlydidnotsurpasshiminintellect。
\"Pedro\"wasastoutvaquero。\"Manuel\"wasaslimhalf-breedandex-convertoftheMissionofSanCarmel,and\"Miguel\"arecentbutcherofMonterey。UnderthebenigninfluencesofConchothatsuspicionwithwhichtheignorantregardstrangersdiedaway,andthewholepartyescortedthestranger——whohadgivenhisnameasMr。JosephWiles——totheircamp-fire。Soanxiousweretheytobegintheirexperimentsthateventheinstinctsofhospitalitywereforgotten,anditwasnotuntilMr。Wiles——nowknownas\"DonJose\"——
sharplyremindedthemthathewantedsome\"grub,\"thattheycametotheirsenses。Whenthefrugalmealoftortillas,frijoles,saltpork,andchocolatewasover,anovenwasbuiltofthedark-redrockbroughtfromtheledgebeforethem,andanearthenwarejar,glazedbysomepeculiarlocalprocess,tightlyfittedoverit,andpackedwithclayandsods。Afirewasspeedilybuiltofpineboughscontinuallybroughtfromawoodedravinebelow,andinafewmomentsthefurnacewasinfullblast。Mr。Wilesdidnotparticipateintheseactivepreparations,excepttogiveoccasionaldirectionsbetweenhisteeth,whichwerecontemplativelyfixedoveraclaypipeashelaycomfortablyonhisbackontheground。Whateverenjoymenttherascalmayhavehadintheiruselesslaborshedidnotshowit,butitwasobservedthathislefteyeoftenfollowedthebroadfigureoftheex-vaquero,Pedro,andoftendweltonthatworthy’sbeetlingbrowsandhalf-savageface。Meetingthatbalefulglanceonce,Pedrogrowledoutanoath,butcouldnotresistahideousfascinationthatcausedhimagainandagaintoseekit。
ThescenewasweirdenoughwithoutWiles’seyetoaddtoitswildpicturesqueness。Themountaintoweredabove,——aheavyRembrandtishmassofblackshadow,——sharplycuthereandthereagainstaskysoinconceivablyremotethattheworld-sicksoulmusthavedespairedofeverreachingsofar,orofclimbingitssteel-bluewalls。Thestarswerelarge,keen,andbrilliant,butcoldandsteadfast。
Theydidnotdancenortwinkleintheiradamantinesetting。ThefurnacefirepaintedthefacesofthemenanIndianred,glancedonbrightlycoloredblanketandserape,butwaseventuallycaughtandabsorbedinthewaitingshadowsoftheblackmountain,scarcelytwentyfeetfromthefurnacedoor。Thelow,half-sung,half-
whisperedforeignspeechofthegroup,theroaringofthefurnace,andthequick,sharpyelpofacoyoteontheplainbelowweretheonlysoundsthatbroketheawfulsilenceofthehills。
Itwasalmostdawnwhenitwasannouncedthattheorehadfused。
Anditwashightime,forthepotwasslowlysinkingintothefast-
crumblingoven。Conchoutteredajubilant\"GodandLiberty,\"butDonJoseWilesbadehimbesilentandbringstakestosupportthepot。ThenDonJosebentovertheseethingmass。Itwasforamomentonly。Butinthatmomentthisaccomplishedmetallurgist,Mr。JosephWiles,hadquietlydroppedasilverhalfdollarintothepot!
Thenhechargedthemtokeepupthefiresandwenttosleep——allbutoneeye。
Dawncamewithdullbeaconfiresonthenearhilltops,and,farintheEast,rosesovertheSierransnow。Birdstwitteringinthealderfringesamilebelow,andthecreakingofwagonwheels,——thewagonitselfamerecloudofdustinthedistantroad,——werehearddistinctly。ThenthemeltingpotwassolemnlybrokenbyDonJose,andtheglowingincandescentmassturnedintotheroadtocool。
Andthenthemetallurgistchippedasmallfragmentfromthemassandpoundedit,andchippedanothersmallerpieceandpoundedthat,andthensubjectedittoacid,andthentreatedittoasaltbathwhichbecameatoncemilky,——andatlastproducedawhitesomething,——mirabiledictu!——twocents’worthofsilver!
Conchoshoutedwithjoy;therestgazedateachotherdoubtinglyanddistrustfully;companionsinpoverty,theybegantodivergeandsuspecteachotherinprosperity。Wiles’slefteyeglancedironicallyfromtheonetotheother。
\"Hereisthehundreddollars,DonJose,\"saidPedro,handingthegoldtoWileswithadecidedlybrusqueintimationthattheservicesandpresenceofastrangerwerenolongerrequired。
WilestookthemoneywithagracioussmileandawinkthatsentPedro’sheartintohisboots,andwasturningaway,whenacryfromManuelstoppedhim。\"Thepot,——thepot,——ithasleaked!look!
behold!see!\"
Hehadbeencleaningawaythecrumbledfragmentsofthefurnacetogetreadyforbreakfast,andhaddisclosedashiningpoolofQUICKSILVER!
Wilesstarted,castarapidglancearoundthegroup,sawinaflashthatthemetalwasunknowntothem,——andthensaidquietly:
\"Itisnotsilver。\"
\"Pardon,Senor,itis,andstillmolten。\"Wilesstoopedandranhisfingersthroughtheshiningmetal。
\"MotherofGod,——whatisitthen?——magic?\"
\"No,onlybasemetal。\"Buthere,Concho,emboldenedbyWiles’sexperiment,attemptedtoseizeahandfuloftheglisteningmass,thatinstantlybrokethroughhisfingersinathousandtinyspherules,andevensentafewglobulesuphisshirtsleeves,untilhedancedaroundinmingledfearandchildishpleasure。
\"Anditisnotworththetaking?\"queriedPedroofWiles。
Wiles’srighteyeandblandfacewereturnedtowardthespeaker,buthismalevolentleftwasglancingatthedullred-brownrockonthehillside。
\"No!\"——andturningabruptlyaway,heproceededtosaddlehismule。
Manuel,Miguel,andPedro,lefttothemselves,begantalkingearnestlytogether,whileConcho,nowmindfulofhiscrippledmule,madehiswaybacktothetrailwherehehadlefther。Butshewasnolongerthere。Constanttohermasterthroughbeatingsandbullyings,shecouldnotstandincivilityandinattention。Therearecertainqualitiesofthesexthatbelongtoallanimatednature。
Inconsolable,footsore,andremorseful,Conchoreturnedtothecampandfurnace,threemilesacrosstherockyridge。Butwhatwashisastonishmentonarrivingtofindtheplacedesertedofman,mule,andcampequipage。Conchocalledaloud。Onlytheechoingrocksgrimlyansweredhim。Wasitatrick?Conchotriedtolaugh。Ah——
yes——agoodone,——ajoke,——no——no——theyHADdesertedhim。AndthenpoorConchobowedhisheadtotheground,andfallingonhisface,criedasifhishonestheartwouldbreak。
Thetempestpassedinamoment;itwasnotConcho’snaturetosufferlongnorbroodoveraninjury。Asheraisedhisheadagainhiseyecaughttheshimmerofthequicksilver,——thatpoolofmerryanticmetalthathadsodelightedhimanhourbefore。InafewmomentsConchowasagaindisportingwithit;chasingithereandthere,rollingitinhispalmsandlaughingwithboy-likegleeatitselusivefreaksandfancies。\"Ah,sprightlyone,——skipjack,——
therethougoest,——comehere。Thisway,——nowIhavethee,littleone,——come,muchacha,——comeandkissme,\"untilhehadquiteforgottenthedefectionofhiscompanions。Andevenwhenheshoulderedhissorrypack,hewasfaintocarryhisplaymateawaywithhiminhisemptyleathernflask。
AndyetIfancythesunlookedkindlyonhimashestrodecheerilydowntheblackmountainside,andhisstepwasnonethelessfreenorlightthathecarriedwithhimneitherthebrilliantprospectsnorthecrimeofhislatecomrades。
CHAPTERIII
WHOCLAIMEDIT
ThefoghadalreadyclosedinonMonterey,andwasnowrolling,awhite,billowyseaabove,thatsoonshutoutthebluebreakersbelow。OnceortwiceindescendingthemountainConchohadoverhungthecliffandlookeddownuponthecurvinghorse-shoeofabaybelowhim,——distantyetmanymiles。Earlierintheafternoonhehadseenthegiltcrossonthewhite-facedMissionflareinthesunlight,butnowallwasgone。Bythetimehereachedthehighwayofthetownitwasquitedark,andheplungedintothefirstfondaatthewayside,andendeavoredtoforgethiswoesandhiswearinessinaguardiente。ButConcho’sheadached,andhisbackached,andhewassogenerallydistressedthathebethoughthimofamedico,——
anAmericandoctor,——latelycomeintothetown,whohadoncetreatedConchoandhismulewithapparentlythesamemedicine,andafterthesameheroicfashion。Conchoreasoned,notillogically,thatifheweretobephysickedatallheoughttogettheworthofhismoney。Thegrotesqueextravaganceoflife,offruitandvegetables,inCaliforniawasinconsistentwithinfinitesimaldoses。InConcho’spreviousillnessthedoctorhadgivenhimadozen4grainquininepowders。
ThefollowingdaythegratefulMexicanwalkedintotheDoctor’soffice——cured。TheDoctorwasgratifieduntil,onexamination,itappearedthattosavetrouble,andbecausehismemorywaspoor,Conchohadtakenallthepowdersinonedose。TheDoctorshruggedhisshouldersand——alteredhispractice。
\"Well,\"saidDr。Guild,asConchosankdownexhaustedlyinoneoftheDoctor’stwochairs,\"whatnow?Haveyoubeensleepingagaininthetulemarshes,orareyouupsetwithcommissarywhisky?
Come,haveitout。\"
ButConchodeclaredthatthedevilwasinhisstomach,thatJudasIscariothadpossessedhimselfofhisspine,thatimpswereinhisforehead,andthathisfeethadbeenscourgedbyPontiusPilate。
\"Thatmeans’bluemass,’\"saidtheDoctor。Andgaveittohim,——abolusaslargeasamusketball,andasheavy。
Conchotookitonthespot,andturnedtogo。
\"Ihavenomoney,SenorMedico。\"
\"Nevermind。It’sonlyadollar,thepriceofthemedicine。\"
Concholookedguiltyathavinggulpeddownsomuchcash。Thenhesaidtimidly:
\"Ihavenomoney,butIhavegotherewhatisfineandjolly。Itisyours。\"Andhehandedoverthecontentsoftheprecioustincanhehadbroughtwithhim。
TbeDoctortookit,lookedattheshiveringvolatilemassandsaid,\"Whythisisquicksilver!\"
Concholaughed,\"Yes,veryquicksilver,so!\"andhesnappedhisfingerstoshowitssprightliness。
TheDoctor’sfacegrewearnest;\"Wheredidyougetthis,Concho?\"
hefinallyasked。
\"Itranfromthepotinthemountainsbeyond。\"
TheDoctorlookedincredulous。ThenConchorelatedthewholestory。
\"Couldyoufindthatspotagain?\"
\"MadredeDios,yes,——Ihaveamulethere;maythedevilflyawaywithher!\"
\"Andyousayyourcomradessawthis?\"
\"Whynot?\"
\"Andyousaytheyafterwardsleftyou,——desertedyou?\"
\"Theydid,ingrates!\"
TheDoctoraroseandshuthisofficedoor。\"Harkye,Concho,\"hesaid,\"thatbitofmedicineIgaveyoujustnowwasworthadollar,itwasworthadollarbecausethematerialofwhichitwascomposedwasmadefromthestuffyouhaveinthatcan,——quicksilverormercury。Itisoneofthemostvaluableofmetals,especiallyinagold-miningcountry。Mygoodfellow,ifyouknowwheretofindenoughofit,yourfortuneismade。\"
Conchorosetohisfeet。
\"Tellme,wastherockyoubuiltyourfurnaceofred?\"
\"Si,Senor。\"
\"Andbrown?\"
\"Si,Senor。\"
\"Andcrumbledundertheheat?\"
\"Astonothing。\"
\"Anddidyouseemuchofthisredrock?\"
\"Themountainmotherisintravailwithit。\"
\"Areyousurethatyourcomradeshavenottakenpossessionofthemountainmother?\"
\"Ashow?\"
\"Byclaimingitsdiscoveryunderthemininglaws,orbypre-emption?\"
\"Theyshallnot。\"
\"Buthowwillyou,single-handed,fightthefour;forIdoubtnotyourscientificfriendhasahandinit?\"
\"Iwillfight。\"
\"Yes,myConcho,butsupposeItakethefightoffyourhands。Now,here’saproposition:IwillgethalfadozenAmericanostogoinwithyou。Youwillhavetogetmoneytoworkthemine,——youwillneedfunds。Youshallsharehalfwiththem。Theywilltaketherisk,raisethemoney,andprotectyou。\"
\"Isee,\"saidConcho,noddinghisheadandwinkinghiseyesrapidly。\"Bueno!\"
\"Iwillreturnintenminutes,\"saidtheDoctor,takinghishat。
Hewasasgoodashisword。Intenminuteshereturnedwithsixoriginallocaters,aboardofdirectors,apresident,secretary,andadeedofincorporationofthe’BlueMassQuicksilverMiningCo。’ThislatterwasadelicatecomplimenttotheDoctor,whowaspopular。ThePresidentaddedtothesenecessaryarticlesarevolver。
\"Takeit,\"hesaid,handingovertheweapontoConcho。\"Takeit;
myhorseisoutside;takethat,ridelikeh——landhangontotheclaimuntilwecome!\"
InanothermomentConchowasinthesaddle。Thentheminingdirectorlapsedintothephysician。
\"Ihardlyknow,\"saidDr。Guild,doubtfully,\"ifinyourpresentconditionyououghttotravel。Youhavejusttakenapowerfulmedicine,\"andtheDoctorlookedhypocriticallyconcerned。
\"Ah,——thedevil!\"laughedConcho,\"whatisthequicksilverthatisINtothatwhichisOUT?Hoopa,laMula!\"and,withaclatterofhoofsandjingleofspurs,waspresentlylostinthedarkness。
\"Youwerenonetoosoon,gentlemen,\"saidtheAmericanAlcalde,ashedrewupbeforetheDoctor’sdoor。\"Anothercompanyhasjustbeenincorporatedforthesamelocation,Ireckon。\"
\"Whoarethey?\"
\"ThreeMexicans,——Pedro,Manuel,andMiguel,headedbythatd————dcock-eyedSydneyDuck,Wiles。\"
\"Aretheyhere?\"
\"ManuelandMiguel,only。TheothersareoveratTresPinoslally-
gagingRoscommonandtryingtoropehimintopayofftheirwhiskybillsathisgrocery。\"
\"Ifthat’ssoweneedn’tstartbeforesunrise,forthey’resuretogetroaringdrunk。\"
AndthislegitimatesuccessorofthegraveMexicanAlcaldes,havingthusdeliveredhisimpartialopinion,rodeaway。
Meanwhile,Conchotheredoubtable,Conchothefortunate,sparedneitherriatanorspur。Thewaywasdark,thetrailobscureandattimesevendangerous,andConcho,familiarashewaswiththesemountainfastnesses,oftenregrettedhissure-footedFrancisquita。
\"Carenot,OConcho,\"hewouldsaytohimself,\"’tisbutalittlewhile,onlyalittlewhile,andthoushalthaveanotherFrancisquitatoblessthee。Eh,skipjack,therewasafinemusictothydancing。
Adollarforanounce,——’tisasgoodassilver,andmerrier。\"Yetforallhisgoodspiritshekeptasharplookoutatcertainbendsofthemountaintrail;notforassassinsorbrigands,forConchowasphysicallycourageous,butfortheEvilOne,who,invariousforms,wassaidtolurkintheSantaCruzRange,tothegreatdiscomfortofalltrueCatholics。HerecalledtheincidentofIgnacio,amuleteeroftheFranciscanFriars,who,stoppingattheAngelustorepeattheCredo,sawLuzbelplainlyinthelikenessofamonstrousgrizzlybear,mockinghimbysittingonhishaunchesandliftinghispaws,claspedtogether,asifinprayer。Nevertheless,withonehandgraspinghisreinsandhisrosary,andtheotherclutchinghiswhiskyflaskandrevolver,hefaredonsorapidlythathereachedthesummitastheearlierstreaksofdawnwereoutliningthefar-offSierranpeaks。Tetheringhishorseonastripoftableland,hedescendedcautiouslyafootuntilhereachedthebench,thewallofredrockandthecrumbledanddismantledfurnace。Itwasashehadleftitthatmorning;therewasnotraceofrecenthumanvisitation。
Revolverinhand,Conchoexaminedeverycave,gully,andrecess,peeredbehindtrees,penetratedcopsesofbuckeyeandmanzanita,andlistened。Therewasnosoundbutthefaintsoughingofthewindoverthepinesbelowhim。Forawhilehepacedbackwardandforwardwithavaguesenseofbeingasentinel,buthismercurialnaturesoonrebelledagainstthismonotony,andsoonthefatiguesofthedaybegantotelluponhim。Recoursetohiswhiskyflaskonlymadehimthedrowsier,untilatlasthewasfaintoliedownandrollhimselfuptightlyinhisblanket。Thenextmomenthewassoundasleep。
Hishorseneighedtwicefromthesummit,butConchoheardhimnot。
Thenthebrushcrackledontheledgeabovehim,asmallfragmentofrockrollednearhisfeet,buthestirrednot。Andthentwoblackfigureswereoutlinedonthecragsbeyond。
\"St-t-t!\"whisperedavoice。\"Thereisonelyingbesidethefurnace。\"ThespeechwasSpanish,butthevoicewasWiles’s。
Theotherfigurecreptcautiouslytotheedgeofthecragandlookedover。\"ItisConcho,theimbecile,\"saidPedro,contemptuously。
\"Butifheshouldnotbealone,orifheshouldwaken?\"
\"Iwillwatchandwait。Goyouandaffixthenotification。\"
Wilesdisappeared。Pedrobegantocreepdownthefaceoftherockyledge,supportinghimselfbychemisalandbrush-wood。
ThenextmomentPedrostoodbesidetheunconsciousman。Thenhelookedcautiouslyaround。Thefigureofhiscompanionwaslostintheshadowoftherocksabove;onlyaslightcrackleofbrushbetrayedhiswhereabouts。SuddenlyPedroflunghisserapeoverthesleeper’shead,andthenthrewhispowerfulframeandtremendousweightfulluponConcho’supturnedface,whilehisstrongarmsclaspedtheblanket-pinionedlimbsofhisvictim。Therewasamomentaryunheaval,aspasm,andastruggle;butthetightly-rolledblanketclungtotheunfortunatemanlikecerements。
Therewasnonoise,nooutcry,nosoundofstruggle。Therewasnothingtobeseenbutthepeaceful,prostratefiguresofthetwomendarklyoutlinedontheledge。Theymighthavebeensleepingineachother’sarms。IntheblacksilencethestealthytreadofWilesinthebrushabovewasdistinctlyaudible。
Graduallythestrugglesgrewfainter。Thenawhisperfromthecrags:
\"Ican’tseeyou。Whatareyoudoing?\"
\"Watching!\"
\"Sleepshe?\"
\"Hesleeps!\"
\"Soundly?\"
\"Soundly。\"
\"Afterthemannerofthedead?\"
\"Afterthefashionofthedead!\"
Thelasttremorhadceased。PedroroseasWilesdescended。
\"Allisready,\"saidWiles;\"youareawitnessofmyplacingthenotifications?\"
\"Iamawitness。\"
\"Butofthisone?\"pointingtoConcho。\"Shallweleavehimhere?\"
\"Adrunkenimbecile,——whynot?\"
Wilesturnedhislefteyeonthespeaker。Theychancedtobestandingnearlyinthesameattitudetheyhadstoodtheprecedingnight。Pedroutteredacryandanimprecation,\"Carramba!Takeyourdevil’seyefromme!Whatseeyou?Eh,——what?\"
\"Nothing,goodPedro,\"saidWiles,turninghisblandrightcheektoPedro。Theinfuriatedandhalf-frightenedex-vaqueroreturnedthelongknifehehadhalf-drawnfromitssheath,andgrowledsurlily:
\"Goonthen!Butkeepthouonthatside,andIwillonthis。\"Andso,sidebyside,listening,watching,distrustfulofallthings,butmainlyofeachother,theystolebackandupintothoseshadowsfromwhichtheymightlikeevilspiritshavebeenpoeticallyevoked。
Ahalfhourpassed,inwhichtheeastbrightened,flashed,andagainmeltedintogold。Andthenthesuncameuphaughtily,andafogthathadstolenacrossthesummitinthenightaroseandfledupthemountainside,tearingitswhiterobesinitsguiltyhaste,andleavingthemflutteringfromtreeandcragandscar。Athousandtinyblades,nestlinginthecrevicesofrocks,nurturedinstormsandrockedbythetradewinds,stretchedtheirwanandfeeblearmstowardHim;butConchothestrong,Conchothebrave,Conchothelight-heartedspakenotnorstirred。
CHAPTERIV
WHOTOOKIT
Therewaspersistentneighingonthesummit。Concho’shorsewantedhisbreakfast。
Thisprotestationreachedtheearsofapartyascendingthemountainfromitswesternface。Tooneofthepartyitwasfamiliar。
\"Why,blankitall,that’sChiquita。Thatd————dMexican’slyingdrunksomewhere,\"saidthePresidentoftheB。M。Co。
\"Idon’tlikethelookofthisatall,\"saidDr。Guild,astheyrodeupbesidetheindignantanimal。\"IfithadbeenanAmerican,itmighthavebeencarelessness,butnoMexicaneverforgetshisbeast。Driveahead,boys;wemaybetoolate。\"
Inhalfanhourtheycameinsightoftheledgebelow,thecrumbledfurnace,andthemotionlessfigureofConcho,wrappedinablanket,lyingproneinthesunlight。
\"Itoldyouso,——drunk!\"saidthePresident。
TheDoctorlookedgrave,butdidnotspeak。Theydismountedandpicketedtheirhorses。Thencreptonallfourstotheledgeabovethefurnace。TherewasacryfromSecretaryGibbs,\"Lookyer。
Somefellarhasbeenjumpingus,boys。Seethesenotices。\"
Thereweretwonoticesoncanvasaffixedtotherock,claimingtheground,andsignedbyPedro,Manuel,Miguel,Wiles,andRoscommon。
\"Thiswasdone,Doctor,whileyourtrustworthyGreaserlocater,——
d——nhim,——laytheredrunk。What’stobedonenow?\"
ButtheDoctorwasmakinghiswaytotheunfortunatecauseoftheirdefeat,lyingtherequitemutetotheirreproaches。Theothersfollowedhim。
TheDoctorkneltbesideConcho,unrolledhim,placedhishanduponhiswrist,hisearoverhisheart,andthensaid:
\"Dead。\"
\"Ofcourse。Hegotmedicineofyoulastnight。Thiscomesofyourd————dheroicpractice。\"
ButtheDoctorwastoomuchoccupiedtoheedthespeaker’sraillery。HehadpeeredintoConcho’sprotuberanteye,openedhismouth,andgazedattheswollentongue,andthensuddenlyrosetohisfeet。
\"Teardownthosenotices,boys,butkeepthem。Putupyourown。
Don’tbealarmed,youwillnotbeinterferedwith,forhereismurderaddedtorobbery。\"
\"Murder?\"
\"Yes,\"saidtheDoctor,excitedly,\"I’lltakemyoathonanyinquestthatthismanwasstrangledtodeath。Hewassurprisedwhileasleep。Lookhere。\"HepointedtotherevolverstillinConcho’sstiffeninghand,whichthemurderedmanhadinstantlycocked,butcouldnotuseinthestruggle。
\"That’sso,\"saidthePresident,\"nomangoestosleepwithacockedrevolver。What’stobedone?\"
\"Everything,\"saidtheDoctor。\"Thisdeedwascommittedwithinthelasttwohours;thebodyisstillwarm。Themurdererdidnotcomeourway,orweshouldhavemethimonthetrail。Heis,ifanywhere,betweenhereandTresPinos。\"
\"Gentlemen,\"saidthePresident,withaslightpreparatoryandhalfjudicialcough,\"twoofyouwillstayhereandstick!TheotherswillfollowmetoTresPinos。Thelawhasbeenoutraged。YouunderstandtheCourt!\"
Bysomeoddinfluencethelittlegroupofhalf-cynical,half-
trifling,andwhollyrecklessmenhadbecomesuddenlysober,earnestcitizens。Theysaid,\"Goon,\"noddedtheirheads,andbetookthemselvestotheirhorses。
\"Hadwenotbetterwaitfortheinquestandswearoutawarrant?\"
saidtheSecretary,cautiously。
\"Howmanymenhavewe?\"
\"Five!\"
\"Then,\"saidthePresident,summinguptheRevisedStatutesoftheStateofCaliforniainonestrongsentence;\"thenwedon’twantnod————dwarrant。\"
CHAPTERV
WHOHADALIENONIT
ItwashighnoonatTresPinos。Thethreepinesfromwhichitgaineditsname,inthedustyroadandhotair,seemedtosmokefromtheirbalsamicspires。Therewasaglarefromtheroad,aglarefromthesky,aglarefromtherocks,aglarefromthewhitecanvasroofsofthefewshantiesandcabinswhichmadeupthevillage。Therewasevenaglarefromtheunpaintedred-woodboardsofRoscommon’sgroceryandtavern,andatendencyofthewarpingflooroftheverandatocurlupbeneaththefeetoftheintruder。
Afewmules,nearthewateringtrough,hadshrunkwithinthescantshadowofthecorral。
ThegrocerybusinessofMr。Roscommon,althoughadequateandsufficientforthevillage,wasnotexhaustingnorovertaxingtotheproprietor;therefillingoftheporkandflourbarreloftheaverageminerwastheworkofabriefhouronSaturdaynights,butthedailyreplenishmentoftheaverageminerwithwhiskywasarduousandincessant。Roscommonspentmoretimebehindhisbarthanhisgrocer’scounter。Addtothisthefactthatalongshed-
likeextensionorwingborethelegend,\"CosmopolitanHotel,BoardorLodgingbytheDayorWeek。M。Roscommon,\"andyougotanideaofthevarietyoftheproprietor’sfunctions。The\"hotel,\"
however,wasmoredirectlyunderthechargeofMrs。Roscommon,aladyofthirtyyears,strong,truculent,andgood-hearted。
Mr。Roscommonhadearlyadoptedthetheorythatmostofhiscustomerswereinsane,andweretobealternatelybulliedorplacated,asthecasemightbe。Nothingthatoccurred,noextravaganceofspeechnoract,everruffledhisequilibrium,whichwasasdoggedandstubbornasitwasoutwardlycalm。Whennotservingliquor,orintheintervalwhileitwasbeingdrank,hewasalwayswipinghiscounterwithanexceedinglydirtytowel,——orindeedanythingthatcamehandy。Miners,noticingthispurelyperfunctoryhabit,occasionallysuppliedhimslilywitharticlesinconsistentwiththeirservice,——fragmentsoftheirshirtsandunderclothing,floursacking,tow,andoncewithaflannelpetticoatofhiswife’s,stolenfromthelineintheback-yard。
Roscommonwouldcontinuehiswipingwithoutlookingup,butyetconsciousofthepresenceofeachcustomer。\"Andit’snotanotherdhropye’llgit,JackBrown,untilye’vewipedouttheblackscorethatstandsaginye。\"\"Andit’sthereyeare,darlint,andit’shere’sthebottlethat’sbeenlukin’foryesinsSaturday。\"\"AndfwhothevyoudonewiththelastIsentye,yedivilofaMcCorkle,andhere’smebackthat’sbrukentoirelywiddippingintiltheporkbarltogivyethebestsides,andyespendingyurlastcintonatareintoGilroy。Whist!andifit’sferfoightingyeare,boys,there’sanilligantbitofsodbeyantthecorral,anditmaybemeself’llcomeoutwithashtickandbesociable。\"
Onthisparticularday,however,Mr。Roscommonwasnotinhisusualspirits,andwhentheclatterofhorses’hoofsbeforethedoorannouncedtheapproachofstrangers,heabsolutelyceasedwipinghiscounterandlookedupasDr。Guild,thePresident,andSecretaryofthenewCompanystrodeintotheshop。
\"Wearelooking,\"saidthePresident,\"foramanbythenameofWiles,andthreeMexicansknownasPedro,Manuel,andMiguel。\"
\"Yeare?\"
\"Weare!\"
\"Faix,andIhopeye’llfoind’em。Andifye’llgitfrom’emthescoreI’vegotagin’em,darlint,I’lladdablessingtoit。\"
Therewasalaughatthisfromthebystanders,who,somehow,resentedtheintrusionofthesestrangers。
\"Ifearyouwillfinditnolaughingmatter,gentlemen,\"saidDr。
Guild,alittlestiffly,\"whenItellyouthatamurderhasbeencommitted,andthemenIamseekingwithinanhourofthatmurderputupthatnoticesignedbytheirnames,\"andDr。Guilddisplayedthepaper。
TherewasabreathlesssilenceamongthecrowdastheyeagerlypressedaroundtheDoctor。OnlyRoscommonkeptonwipinghiscounter。
\"Youwillobserve,gentlemen,thatthenameofRoscommonalsoappearsonthispaperasoneoftheoriginalbeaters。\"
\"Andsure,darlint,\"saidRoscommon,withoutlookingup,\"ifye’venobetterividinceaginthemboysthenyouhaveforninstme,it’shomeye’dbetherberidingtowanst。Forit’smeselfashasn’tsturredfutoutofthestorethedayandnoight,——morebetokenastheboysI’vesarvedkintestify。\"
\"That’sso,Ross,right,\"chorusedthecrowd,\"We’vebeenrunningtheoldmanallnight。\"
\"Thenhowcomesyournameonthispaper?\"
\"Omurdher!willyelistentohim,boys?Asifeveryfellythatowedmeawhiskybilldidn’tcometomeandsay,’Ah,MistherRoscommon,’or’Moike,’asthecasemoightbe,sureit’sanilligantsthrikeI’vemadethisday,andit’smeselfthathasputdownyournameasanoriginallocater,andyerfortune’smade,Mr。
Roscommon,andwillyerfillmeupanotherquartforthegoodluckbetuneyouandme。Ah,butaskJackBrownoveryarifitisn’tsickthatIamofhisoriginallocations。\"
Thelaughthatfollowedthisspeech,anditspracticalapplication,convincedthepartythattheyhadblundered,thattheycouldobtainnocluetotherealculpritshere,andthatanyattemptbythreatswouldmeetviolentopposition。NeverthelesstheDoctorwaspersistent:
\"Whendidyouseethesemenlast?\"
\"WhendidIseethem,isit?Bedad,whatwithsarvinuptheliquorandkeepingmecountersdryandswate,Ineverseethematall。\"
\"That’sso,Ross,\"chorusedthecrowdagain,towhomthewholeproceedingwasdelightfullyfarcical。
\"ThenIcantellyou,gentlemen,\"saidtheDoctor,stiffly,\"thattheywereinMontereylastnight,thattheydidnotreturnonthattrailthismorning,andthattheymusthavepassedhereatdaybreak。\"
Withthesewords,whichtheDoctorregrettedassoonasdelivered,thepartyrodeaway。
Mr。Roscommonresumedhisserviceandcounterwiping。Butlatethatnight,whenthebarwasclosedandthelastloitererwassummarilyejected,Mr。Roscommon,intheconjugalprivacyofhischamber,producedalegal-lookingpaper。\"Readit,Maggie,darlint,forit’smeselfneverhadthelarningnortheparts。\"
MistressRoscommontookthepaper:
\"Shure,it’slawpapers,makingoversomepropertytoyis。OMoike!
yehavn’tbeenspekilating!\"
\"Whist!andfwhotzthatdurtygraypaperwidthesalesandflourishes?\"
\"Faix,itbothersmeintoirely。Shureitoin’tinEnglish。\"
\"Whist!Maggie,it’saSpanishgrant!\"
\"ASpanishgrant?OMoike,andwhatdidyegivforit?\"
Mr。Roscommonlaidhisfingerbesidehisnoseandsaidsoftly,\"Whishky!\"
PARTII。——INTHECOURTS
CHAPTERVI
HOWAGRANTWASGOTFORIT
WhiletheBlueMassCompany,withmorezealthandiscretion,wereactivelypursuingPedroandWilesovertheroadtoTresPinos,SenorsMiguelandManuelwerecomfortablyseatedinafondaatMonterey,smokingcigarritosanddiscussingtheirlatediscovery。
Buttheywereinnobettermoodthantheirlatecompanions,anditappearedfromtheirconversationthatinanevilmomenttheyhadsoldouttheirinterestintheallegedsilverminetoWilesandPedroforafewhundreddollars,——succumbingtowhattheywereassuredwouldbeanactiveoppositiononthepartoftheAmericanos。
TheastutereaderwilleasilyunderstandthattheaccomplishedMr。
Wilesdidnotinformthemofitsvalueasaquicksilvermine,althoughhewasobligedtoimparthissecrettoPedroasanecessaryaccompliceandrecklesscoadjutor。ThatPedrofeltnoqualmsofconscienceinthusbetrayinghistwocomradesmaybeinferredfromhisrecentdirectandsinceretreatmentofConcho,andthathewould,ifoccasionofferedorpolicymadeitexpedient,ascalmlyobliterateMr。Wiles,thatgentlemanhimselfneverforamomentdoubted。
\"Ifwehadwaitedbutalittlehewouldhavegivenmore,——thiscock-eye!\"regrettedManuelquerulously。
\"Notapeso,\"saidMiguel,firmly。
\"Andwhy,myMiguel?Thouknowestwecouldhaveworkedthemineourselves。\"
\"Good,andlosteventhatlabor。Lookyou,littlebrother。ShowtomenowtheMexicanthathasevermadearealofamineinCalifornia。Howmany,eh?None!Notaone。WhoownstheMexican’smine,eh?Americanos!WhotakesthemoneyfromtheMexican’smine?Americanos!ThourememberestBriones,whospentagoldminetomakeasilverone?WhohasthelandsandhouseofBriones?Americanos!WhohasthecattleofBriones?Americanos!
WhohasthemineofBriones?Americanos!WhohasthesilverBrionesneverfound?Americanos!Alwaysthesame!Forever!Ah!
carramba!\"
ThentheEvilOneevidentlytookitintohisheadandhornstoworryandtossthesemen——comparativelyinnocentastheywere——
stillfurther,forapurpose。ForpresentlytothemappearedoneVictorGarcia,whilomaclerkoftheAyuntamiento,whoralliedthemoveraguardiente,andtoldthemthestoryofthequicksilverdiscovery,andthetwominingclaimstakenoutthatnightbyConchoandWiles。WhereatManuelexplodedwithprofanityandburntbluewithsulphurousmalediction;butMiguel,therecentecclesiastic,satlividandthoughtful。
FinallycameapauseinManuel’sbombardment,andsomethinglikethisconversationtookplacebetweenthecooleractors:
Miguel(thoughtfully)。\"Whenwasitthoudidstpetitionforlandsinthevalley,friendVictor?\"
Victor(amazedly)。\"Never!Itisasterilewaste。AmIafool?\"
Miguel(softly)。\"Thoudidst。OfthyGovernor,Micheltorena。I
haveseentheapplication。\"
Victor(beginningtoappreciatearodentialodor)。\"Si!Ihadforgotten。Artthousureitwasinthevalley?\"
Miguel(persuasively)。\"Inthevalleyandupthefalda。\"*
*Falda,orvalda,i。e。,thatpartoftheskirtofawoman’srobethatbreaksupontheground,andisalsoappliedtothefinalslopeofahill,fromtheanglethatitmakesuponthelevelplain。
Victor(withdecision)。\"Certainly。Ofaverity,——thefaldalikewise。\"
Miguel(eyingVictor)。\"Andyetthouhadstnotthegrant。Painfulisitthatitshouldhavebeenburnedwiththedestructionoftheotherarchives,bytheAmericanosatMonterey。\"
Victor(cautiouslyfeelinghisway)。\"Possiblemente。\"
Miguel。\"Itmightbewisetolookintoit。\"
Victor(bluntly)。\"Aswhy?\"
Miguel。\"Forourgoodandthine,friendVictor。Webringtheeadiscovery;thoubringestusthyskill,thyexperience,thygovernmentknowledge,——thyCustomHousepaper。\"*
*Grants,applications,andofficialnotifications,undertheSpanishGovernment,weredrawnonastampedpaperknownascustomHousepaper。
Manuel(breakingindrunkenly)。\"Butforwhat?WeareMexicans。
Arewenotfated?Weshalllose。WhoshallkeeptheAmericanosoff?\"
Miguel。\"WeshalltakeONEAmericanin!Ha!seestthou?ThisAmericancomradeshallbribehiscourts,hiscorregidores。Afteralittleheshallsupplythemenwhoinventthemachineofsteam,themill,thefurnace,eh?\"
Victor。\"Butwhoishe,——nottosteal?\"
Miguel。\"HeisthatmanofIreland,agoodCatholic,atTresPinos。\"
VictorandManuel(omnes)。\"Roscommon?\"
Miguel。\"Ofthesame。Weshallgivehimasharefortheprovisions,forthetools,fortheaguardiente。ItisoftheIrishthattheAmericanoshavegreatfear。Itisofthemthatthevotesaremade,——thatthePresidentischosen。ItisofhimthattheymaketheAlcaldeinSanFrancisco。AndweareoftheChurchlikehim。\"